01 August, 2018

Never A Dull Moment

01 August 2018
921

R. Linda:

Talk about ill timing, me Mam was out and Tonya had some teacher thing where she went everyday to hear about new techniques in teaching and all that they do to get ready for the next school year. She would drop the kiddos off at day camp and pick them up when she was done. BUT the wee one developed a fever and I, who can work occasionally from home had to do just that to care for him.

It figures, it was a time at work where I was part of a team working a story and me part was important I should be there, but as circumstances dictated, the one day I really needed to be at work, I was home. I talked to Cruella about it and she was understanding but not liking me situation. With a sigh she told me the dreaded conference call would go through as scheduled at 2:00 with the team and me from home, and no Cruella because she had another meeting.

I had a morning of it with the boyo, he was grouchy, achy and feverish. I finally got him to nap around 1:30 because I knew that call was coming and I needed to be present. Two o'clock rolled around and the phone buzzed so I picked up quickly so as not to disturb him. I got through three quarters of the meeting, when it came to me turn to give me perspective on the storyline I was working on with Ms. Jaio. Ms. Jaio was patched into the call, but she had skyped me work computer so we could communicate incognito about what the others were saying, so she could SEE me. That was fine, we had managed thus far to be on the same page with everyone else, but for one item.

That item was a source, a person we had cultivated who was giving us intel with the stipulation we keep their identity to ourselves and not reveal our source even to our co-workers, as this person trusted only us. Well, this we promised and it got to where we were being questioned, quite heatedly I might add, by the company lawyers, thus they were wanting to know where we were coming up with some materials to protect the newspaper from lawsuit.

Just as the questions got intense and were directed purely at ME, I hear the wailing of sick child awakening. Quickly I muted me phone but Ms. Jaio could hear the commotion and see me reaction of "Oh Shite". I threw up me hands and she waved her hands at me as if to say, "Go I have it." And so I ran off to the bedroom to see what the matter was and to quiet the child.

In the meantime, there must have been a long silence as everyone (six people) waited for me to answer their question. I was like where be Ms. Jaio? This set me heart to racing, me sweating as I felt that cold prickle slowly coming up me back that I was going to be in big trouble for being silent. WHERE DID MS. JAIO GO? I thought she had this for me. Oi, oi, oi!

"Gabe?" I heard the lead attorney ask. And of course nothing. I was talking to the kiddo, comforting him over what turned out to be a bad dream. And I knew right then and there I'd not be back at the phone as quickly as I had hoped. Me heart was racing trying to think what to do as more queries as to why I wasn't answering sounded over the phone.

Finally, Ms. Jaio stepped in and I heard her say, "We can all for-give Gabe his current absence he has seek keydoe at hes home." And then she went on to side stepped the hardball questions meant for me. But it took her an age to come up with that goodie. I tell ya!

Almost seven minutes later, I was able to get back on, child in lap, and apologise and answer their question . . . sort of. As much of an answer as I was willing to give. They all signed off in disgust telling me I haven't heard the last from them. Oh goody.

I took Ms. Jaio to task in me frustration, asking her what happened, I thought she had this.

"Uh new. I thought hunestie the bes pollacie." She said in her Asian accent.

The whole afternoon I stewed about what would befall me next. Well, it wasn't work that "befell" me next it was me little apple cheeked, gray haired Mam. I had the kiddo down to finish the nap and I was full of nervous energy. I walked out to the garage and noticed the car bay was full of dirt, leaves, pine needles, etc. Since me Mam was out I got the hose and cleaned the bay out. For some reason I thought she told me she had gone grocery shopping (gee, I sure hope she took her picture ID :::snicker:::), and I reckoned she'd be gone for hours fending off the old men at the grocery store. Well, I was wrong on all counts.

She had been out to a lunch and she had worn suede shoes to go with her white slacks and blouse that matched the shoes. This ordinarily wouldn't mean a thing to me, but I was certainly told about matching shoes with purse and blouse later. So when she pulled in, she noticed the 1/2 inch of water she had to wade through to get inside. Off came the shoes, she had a large tote bag, a book a friend had given her to read, her car keys, and a cup of Starbucks that was full to the brim. As she sloshed shoeless to the stairs, she noticed the splashing from the water had stained the bottoms of her white slacks. Not only that in the hassle to carry everything, the coffee had splashed onto the white slacks (since Starbucks doesn't hand out the plastic stoppers anymore, SIGH), so by the time she got inside, she looked like she'd been slinging coffee in a wet bar.

I got hell for the wet garage, oh yes I did but I wasn't the only one to feel the WRATH OF MA. She changed clothes, sprayed stain remover on the white pants, and was telling me how grateful she was the slacks weren't dry cleanable. She could have them back as pristine as before. Okay Mam! However, when she went to the washer, what did she find, but a full load of Sean's washed clothes. The clothes he had worn to lube the camper, change the oil and well he was covered in grease. She threw his clothes in a basket and thinking the washer was clear she stuck the stained slacks in for a good washing. Only that's not what happened.

On pulling them out the coffee stain and the water stains were gone to be replaced by small flecks of grease stains. Oh was she livid or what? She resprayed the stain remover, cursing Sean the entire time, AND ME TOO for the water in the car bay that started it all. She stuck the slacks back in and when they came out they had successfully been washed of the grease, only now she had more grease flecks in other places. Spray again; this time she put the empty washer on rinse and waited. Then she did it again. Well, she washed those slacks FIVE FREAKING TIMES and they still aren't what they were.

Sean, she says owes her a new pair of white slacks. She told me going to the laundry mat would have been a better option. Somehow the water stains didn't register, but they had come out and the grease only multiplied. That's the only reason I think she is giving Sean the bill for a new pair of slacks. I did tell her to go out and buy a pair on her own, because he'd go to Goodwill to replace them and God knew what she'd be getting. That sobered her anger quickly. The last time Sean bought a pair of slacks was from Goodwill. He's a cheap devil he is. And he paid the price, he had bought tweed slacks that someone had washed with fibreglass. Me Mam had reckoned the tweeds belonged to some ex-husband the wife washed the fibreglass curtains with to get even. And why would she think that? Because she did the same thing to me Da only it was his underwear!

Gabe
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3 comments:

Tomas said...

When I need a photo ID to buy food, is the day I move back to Ireland. What a crock.
I wouldn't want to be Sean right now, LOL or you! But somehow it seems you dodged a mammy bullet.

Dew said...

Imagine if there was chocolate milk on the white slacks too? Sorrry lol I couldn't resist. Mams the word I promise and In this case she definitely got the last word I bet lmao



Maggie said...

How distressing! Stains on white trousers. I'd be washing everyone's underwear with fibreglass curtains if it were me. Gosh how dreadful. And poor old you! Stuck at home with an important call you can't participate in and a coworker who near sold you down the Thames. Sorry I had to laugh. That's what happens when you have children and coworkers who I assume have no children.