Sadistic? Makes ya wonder
This morning I was telling someone who doesn't read this blog about The Mystery of the Missing Car Key. He insists that my mother knew all along that the key was in her other coat pocket and that she was just torturing me. Of course I don't believe that. However, it did make me recall an incident that happened in January.
After Mom's last hospital stay, she was homebound for six weeks so I had to run all her errands for her. One day, she needed some prescriptions refilled and needed me to go to two other places. She gave me a check for the pharmacy and cash for the other things. I went to the pharmacy and told them I'd be back in hour to pick up the drugs. I then did the other errands. Then, I needed to go the bathroom so I went home, gave my mother her change and receipts, and went upstairs. When I came back downstairs I talked to her for a couple of minutes before heading back to the pharmacy. After parking the car, I reached into my coat pocket for the check. It wasn't there. Other pocket? Not there. Jeans pockets? Not there. Glove compartment? Not there. Floor of the car? Not there. Panic set in. The check was signed but nothing else was filled out, meaning anyone could pick it up and clean out Mom's checking account. I retraced all my steps for the last hour hoping, praying, that I'd find it. I didn't. Now it was more than panic. It was sheer terror. I knew I had no choice but to tell her I lost the check and she'd have to call the bank and stop payment on it. I prayed again, this time asking that whoever had the check didn't have time to cash it yet. I walked into the house, full of more fear than I was filled with in 1978 when I walked through a dark parking lot after seeing "Halloween" at the theater. The first thing I noticed after walking into the living room was the smirk on my mother's face. She then handed me the check and the following conversation ensued:
Mom: I wondered how long it would take you to realize you didn't have the check.
Me: Where did you find it?
Mom: You handed it to me with the receipts and change.
Me: You knew I didn't have it when I left the house?
Mom: I didn't think it would take you this long to realize you didn't have it.
Me: It didn't take me this long to realize it. I've been retracing my steps, searching for it, for an hour.
Mom: Oh.
As I said, makes ya wonder.
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