We have one car. Which is fine because I am home during the day and if I need to go into town (Cleveland proper) I can call my brother or one of my cousins or friends to come get me. Or I can get up early and catch the bus, we are on the major Cleveland bus route but it only leaves from my area 3 times in the morning, and comes in 3 times in the evening. Last bus leaves at 730am. On the days I have to go somewhere, usually for business, my mother-in-law is kind enough to get my sons off to school. She lives just around the corner from us so Brian will drop them off on his way to his school (he is a teacher in another city, now student-teaching and subbing in this part of his grad school program).

So the woman-child got a job. Yay! and she needs a physical. They will not count the physical she got last December. It hasn’t been a year but whatever. Our family doctor is very far away. I refused to change doctors when we moved here 5 years ago because I love her so; I adore this woman to pieces. She is awesome. But this causes a problem, because the woman-child has to have her physical paper signed so that she can get her work permit otherwise they will take her off the schedule; they have been letting her work without it for a week. Our doctor has legions of adoring patients because she is awesome and seriously has no openings for another week.

Ok we’ll just go to our local health clinic. It is about a 15, 20 minute tops drive from our house to the clinic, but since we will take the bus there it is a long and winding process involving 3 busses on our local transit route (not Cleveland bus system). The first bus actually comes to your house, you just call and schedule a pickup! Yay! I have used this before, last year sometime. Since last year they have made a new rule. You have to call and schedule a pick-up 14 days in advance or take your chances that the bus driver will have a cancellation. Oh. I didn’t know this. The dispatch person tells me that the bus stop for the 2nd bus is only 3 miles from my house so if I can get there I can catch the other 2 buses no problem. Fine, I have no choice, the woman child will not cry or fuss if we do not get her physical tomorrow (actually later on today) but her lips will turn down and her eyes will get big and mournful and my heart will break into a million pieces seeing her so sad because she can’t work at her new job for a week.

Finally! I will get to the point about my mother-in-law. I figure Brian can drop us off at the bus stop 3 miles away and then take the boys to his mama’s house. He says ok to this. Later on tonight, around 9pm, I asked him, did you remember to call your mom and ask her about bringing the boys over in the morning? and he said No, they are not back yet. I said idly, Where did they go? thinking he means her and my father-in-law went out somewhere like to a movie. He said Maine, they aren’t back from Maine yet. I said What?? They went to Maine? I didn’t know! and truly, I didn’t even know they were gone. He said yeah they drove up for a 3-day weekend. I am stumped. My in-laws go to Maine like once or twice a year during the summer, this is new happenings, change of pace. So I said Why didn’t you tell me? Well forget about calling them! and he actually said Why? they should be home around 10 or 11.

I just gazed at my husband for a long pause. I thought, he is trying to fuck with me. He cannot be this obtuse. I said Brian, there is no way they are going to feel like getting the boys off to school after coming in from a long trip! For one they go to sleep real early so will be crabby from getting to bed late, and for two your mother is going to think I scheduled Iyende’s physical like this on purpose just to mess with her! She will grit her teeth and do it but then talk about how mean I am and how I’m always trying to get at her. He said that is not true but whatever. I’ll just call her and see what she says. I say No! Forget about it! Forget it! I will just take Iyende another day. Do not call her! Please! He starts to laugh but then he sees my face and realizes I am serious and stops. He throws his hands up and says Do whatever you want! She won’t get mad! Whatever!

Can you see how scary this woman is? I am willing to be all broken-hearted over Iyende’s sad eyes rather than risk this woman being angry with me. She seriously acts like I do nothing with my time but plot ways to get on her nerves. We have sorta made peace meaning that I don’t talk to her and she doesn’t talk to me unless it is concerning the kids. Oh yeah we also say hello and goodbye and occassionally how are you. Even still she thinks I hate her and prowl the night pondering her doom. I am so serious. I just know she would not believe me about not knowing that they went to Maine, but the truth is the kids didn’t mention it and neither did Brian, and when I saw her last Tuesday when she came to pick up the kids she didn’t mention it either. But she wouldn’t believe me! and she would be all mean and angry about it and go on and on and on about how she does so much for us and she’s always there to watch the kids and I don’t appreciate it and bringing up shit from 1998 and blah blah blah.

After deliberating with the woman-child we decided to get the boys off to school, then ride bikes to the bus stop, chain them there, and be on our way. Brian felt like I was over-dramatizing but I betcha he would have felt bad if I hadn’t of changed plans; his mama would have spewed her ire all on him seeing as how she doesn’t talk to me much. Or rather how I wouldn’t have listened to it, I would have cut her off after a few sentences, apologized, and went on my way. Because if I don’t, if I let her keep talking at me like that my temper will snap and I will tell her about herself. I have bad nerves. She has bad nerves too and does not like hearing about herself and so willthen tell me flaws about myself and next thing you know it will be a big fight all because she thought I was trying to mess with her.

I cannot believe it is 330am and I am up and feeling sorry for myself over this. Maybe I will print this out and give it to her and ask her to stop being so mean to me. Again. Or maybe I will just continue to try to avoid her anger. What is really bothering me more than anything is the fact that had I not said something, Brian would have called his mother and asked her to get Scott and Todd off to school in the morning. Knowing that she just came in from a 10-12 hour drive. Knowing that he hadn’t told me they were gone. Knowing how she feels about me. Knowing that she would blame me, not him. Knowing how she would react. Knowing how he would then have to hear her mouth. I thought he was over trying to keep stuff stirred up between me and his mom. I guess not. Later he swore up and down he was not trying to start anything, but I think subconsciously he was. And that makes me feel sad. I have not fought with his mother in over a year, you would think he would be happy with that, right. I don’t know what to think about this.

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