nanowrimo 6 / Appel moi

Parallel Lines / Blondie










While the one hundred and eighty degree mood change was not uncommon, it was still wearing. Despite many incidents and conversations, I still had twinges where I wondered, did I really understand this correctly?



By the time I got to work that morning, I had convinced myself that I was surely wrong. I was glad I had saved the messages, and decided that my best course of action was to get a second opinion.


My co workers were wonderful women. We made up three generations from diverse backgrounds that often saw the world very differently. I knew that at least one of my friends held strong, traditional family values. Mothers were sacred. She’d chastised me more than once for my derisive mother stories and I was sure she thought I was making them or at least exaggerating in a negative manner.


Once we had arrived and settled, I played the messages. There was a moment of silence.


“Well…? Am I right? Was she asking me to take vacation time to come clean her house?”


“Maybe her house is really dirty?” One offered with a bit of a wince. I sighed.


“Yes. That is what she’s saying,” The oldest and boldest of us announced. “And you’re right, she is crazy.” No one disagreed. I sighed again.


After an hour of discussion, we did all agree I would call her back when I got home, but I was not taking vacation time to go clean her house. I didn’t take vacation time to clean my own house.


Several hours later, I was home and having the same old conversation. Most of it baring no resemblance to any topic from the message.


“Mom. I can’t take vacation time to come clean your house.” I began after the hellos, how are yous and fines were exchanged.


“I’m not asking you to take any vacation time. I thought you could come up on one Saturday.” She said the tone shifting again to sharp and indignant.


“You didn’t say a Saturday, you said vacation.”


“No I didn’t. I was just wondering if you might have a Saturday free next month”


“Okay, well, I can’t come up and clean your house.”


“I never said that.”


Well, that’s what it sounded like. If that’s not what you meant, what did you mean?”


“I meant what I said.”


“Okay, well, clearly I have not understood. So what did you mean?”


“Nothing.”


“If it wasn’t to come clean, what was it?”


“Never mind. I just thought you might want to come spend some time together.”


“Mom… you know I’m out straight and trying to finagle time to apply for jobs and intervi…”


“Just forget it.” She interrupted, her tone growing more icy each word. “I needed help with the book keeping in the office, but I certainly didn’t mean to impose…”


“You didn’t mention the office.” It was a classic mistake. I knew it. It was the ‘hey look a bird’ tactic that gone one off track and the subject shifted around.


My mother was queen of these conversations. Many occasions I tried to call her on it. I would say, ‘You’re saying x is true, right?” “Yes,” she would agree. “And you’re saying x=y, right?” “Yes.” She would nod and agree. “So y and x is exactly the same?” “Yes.” Then Y is true too, because x is true.” “No, that’s completely different and y is false.”


It drove me crazy. I was good at logic. I had earned a 96% on the logic section of the law school entrance exams. I was Spock. How could I be her daughter?


The conversation went down hill. After one other snappish reply, she hung up on me. In the past this would have sent me into tears and calling her back trying to cajole a better relationship. I reached for the phone and paused.


This was not my misunderstanding. I had played the message for others and four people had all heard the same things that I had. I was not crazy. I was not calling her back. With a sigh, I shook my head and left the phone untouched.