Had the opportunity to take Boy to the stadium last night so he could join the rest of his band members as they played to urge on the 8th grade football team. And took Catherine with me, too, simply because I needed to have the additional chore of looking after someone who couldn't be still even if she were anesthetized. And, of course, since we had to be there early, we also got to sit through the 7th grade game, too.
Left Rebecca and Ashley at home, because Mom would be home soon to see after them. I thought. She'd had a late afternoon doctor's appointment (having muscle spasms in her shoulder, it turns out) and last I heard, she was on her way home.
Got to the stadium and watched the 7th graders play their game, and right in the middle my phone rang. It was coming in from Ashley's cell phone. Panic, of course. Answer, turns out it was Rebecca, who, for some reason, had been instructed by her big sister to call me--and waste both Oldest's and my cell phone minutes--to "remind" me that I was supposed to be at a building committee meeting at church.
1. I had already called to tell the rest of the guys I had to be at the game and would miss the meeting. Called them on Wednesday, as a matter of fact.
2. It is the height of gall for Oldest, who refuses to take any responsibility for remember her own comings and goings, to feel as though she should keep up with MY schedule.
3. And finally, there was NO REASON to use HER cell phone, NOR for her to tell Rebecca to call me.
This was the logical sequence in my brain, but what came back through the phone, since I could barely hear anything, was 'I took care of it, and don't waste my minutes on things that don't concern you.' Bliip. Grr.
Game finally got over, with the 7th graders falling to a very weak Mtn. Brook team 28-0. It was not a pretty game by either side. Went down to take Cat to the restroom, then got us a burger before the next game.
Finished that up, looked at my watch, saw that it was around 7 or so, decided to call back to the house to make sure Mom was home and all was okay. "Hello?"
Sounded like Rebecca, so I asked her if Mom had gotten home okay. "This is me." OH, it was Reba--sounded just like Bec. Probably all the noise, because the band had just kicked in. Laughed, asked her how the doctor visit went.
"Is Rebecca with you?"
Hmm. So that's what your blood feels like when it turns to ice.
"Uhh, nooo--she's there at the house."
"No, I can't find her and the car's gone and Ashley's not here and I don't know what's going on and I've been all over this house and no one's here..."
And then the sobs started. Oh good Lord, what in the world is happening!?
A billion things start coursing through a parent's mind, and 999,999,999 of them are bad.
I was about to go get Boy and head back to the house to figure things out when I heard Reba say Rebecca had just come downstairs, and found out from her that Oldest had gone over to her aunt and uncle's house who live around the block from us in our neighborhood.
1) Apparently Rebecca had been in her room listening to music on her headphones and didn't hear Mom and didn't realize she'd been missed.
2) Apparently, Ashley was under the impression she could just come and go as she pleased without telling anyone other than her sister.
3) Apparently, Ashley was under the impression that the most important thing in the entire world was to deliver some styrofoam bees to her little cousins, who weren't even at the house, having gone to soccer practice.
4) Apparently, Ashley was under the impression that it was a good idea to waste time having her secretary call me to remind me of something she had no business interfering in, yet was incapable of picking up the phone to call someone to make sure they were even at home, before flouncing out the door on her stupid gas-wasting errand.
At least Reba got calmed down a bit--enough for me to tell her to call over and make sure Oldest was actually where she'd said she would be, and to call me back if she wasn't, and I'd come home.
Grr.
Sat there and stewed, wondering why nothing can ever be simple. I suppose I should have gone on home, but this is only the second time Jonathan has been able to play, and it would be unfair to him to snatch him away, just so I could go home and be unkind to his unthinking sister.
I guess it's probably best I wasn't there, anyway. Although Reba needed support and sympathy after getting such a shock AND after coming home from a doctor's visit, I think I would have made the emotional turmoil even worse because I was not in a mood to be kind and understanding and considerate of someone's fragile teenaged sense of self-esteem.
Called back a little bit later and Oldest had managed to find her way back and Reba was in the middle of explaining to her the idea that she doesn't get to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. Again, probably better from a guilt point of view to have the image of your mother crying, alone at the kitchen table, burned into your memory. Anything I would have said would have only made her defensive and snotty.
And she was very contrite, especially after being made to call Reba's mom and dad, who'd also been called in the initial "where is she!?" search before we found out where she was supposed to be, and were all wound up in an emotional tizzy just like Reba. Apparently, it was quite an intense conversation with Grandpa, as well.
Anyway, I can at least say that Jonathan can play the fool out of a snare drum.
I've heard him play a few things before on his bell kit, and he's had a couple of concerts, but this was the first time when I could really see him do his stuff, and the little stinker is good. And not only that--the whole middle school band is good--you can tell they know their stuff when you can see them leaning and jumping and doing horn swings and junk like that, and it still sounds nice and tight.
And the second game turned out pretty good, too. 19-14 in our favor, and it included a last second goal line stand.
So, you know, it all turned out okay.
Although I could still punch a hole through a door.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at October 6, 2006 09:34 AM