TheBanyanTree: The Show Must Go On

[Margaret R. Kramer]

This weekend promises highs in the 70s and lots of sun.  It’s time to break
out the lawn furniture, air out the house, and bask in the sunshine.  There
are so many things to do this weekend, like a crafts show on the State
Fairgrounds, the Farmers’ Market, garage sales, and my grandson’s kid
birthday party at the bowling alley.  But instead of doing some fun spring
thing, Ray and I will be stuck at home waiting for his daughters to show up
. . .

And yes . . .

His ex-wife is coming – even though Ray politely told his daughters it
wouldn’t be a good idea.

They waited until late last night to email Ray to let him know Arlene was
coming.  “But she’s going to stay at the hotel.  She won’t come with us to
your house.  We know how tired you are and you need your rest, and because
Mom will be at the hotel, we won’t be able to stay very long and have dinner
with you.”

They’re going to the Mall of America (a shrine to materialism – it’s nothing
but a BIG mall) to have dinner.

Their visit means this:  They get points for spending some time with their
possibly on his death bed dad.  But the brownie points are negated because
their focus will really be on their poor mother withering away at the hotel
with nothing to do.  One of the requirements of being the star of show is to
always have the attention focused on the star.  Arlene is a master at that.

I wouldn’t put it past Arlene to show up at our house – which is the other
scenario and is very likely, obviously because she has no social skills.  I’
ll have to be gracious, smile, and bite my tongue if I want to throw out a
zinger or two.  I won’t leave; I won’t let her drive me out of my own house.
Ray told me to go to another part of the house if I feel like I might say
something I’ll regret.

My fear is, whether Arlene is with them or not, they’ll start running the
guilt trip crap about how horrible he is, how he left them, how he did this,
and how he did that.  That’s my Achilles heel, if I feel Ray is being picked
on, I will come to his defense.  Ray told me he would have no problem asking
them to leave if they got “sassy.”

Speaking of Ray, he’s doing GREAT!  He went to work all week.  He did some
things around the house.  He has two doctor appointments next week – one is
an echocardiogram, and the other is a pulmonary test, plus a visit with the
thoracic surgeon.  Hopefully, we’ll learn something about his future
treatment then.

Ray has gained seven pounds since he’s been home.  He’s eating everything in
sight and I’m eating right along with him, which isn’t good for me at all.

I’m hoping the day won’t be so bad after all – maybe I’m worrying for
nothing.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net
margaret.kramer at polarispublications.com

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.
~S.D. Gordon