Dad's First Outing

The runaway train that is mum's mind is gathering pace. I got a call on the internal phone to the apartment around 6:45 pm. It's dad from his room in the support clinic, to see when I'm coming down to get ready to take him over to Lea's. "In a while dad, I just woke up". "OK. Mum wants to talk to you". She is huffing and puffing. Let's have it then. "You think you can fool me but you can't, fancy writing 249 on the phone. I know you were speaking English with Lea and the doctors, trying to ..." and so on. I have no idea what she is talking about, but the pattern is familiar. The rest of the evening has the same note. She has called me a liar, and I keep breaking the cardinal rule of not rising to the challenge. I keep failing on that front all the time. Lea has prepared a lovely spread for Idan's 20. The family is there, and we keep getting those pitying looks from people. Mum grabs Nir's mum's attention, and that's it - all the rest can make good their escape, Talma is a gonner. Talma is great: she sits with mum, listens and indulges her. Mum babbles on, and it's not difficult to hear what she is whispering... Later my nephews (Benny's boys) and Mali arrive. I would rather they weren't made privy of the latest developments, because I fear benny might get wind of the news, and manipulate the situation, but it looks like it's not in our hands. Mum now has Eran's ear, and no further explanation is necessary.
















Left to right: Lea, dad, mum, Talma. Lea is bringing dad up to speed on mum's state, mum is lobbying Talma for sympathy

















Idan blowing a candle


















Mum and dad, posing (at her insistence).



I am on the thorns of a dilemma. Eran's batchelor's party is due next Saturday, and I already expressed my delight at the offer to be there. But now it has turned into a nightmare: remember the episode of King of Queens where Doug and Carey are invited verbally by some friends to their wedding, they accept effusively even though they are not that close, then the invitation arrives and it turns out the wedding is to be held some out of state, far away place. They now have to hatch all manner of plots to get out of it without looking well, uncool? No? Just me then. Anyway, similar situation if not worse. It is now to be a jaunt of 2 days, everybody have to bring some stuff for the BBQ, sleeping bags and flipping tents for goodness sake, and the only people I am likely to know there are Eran himself, Roey his brother, Benny, their dad, my brother (a major problem there, let's face it), Nir and Dor who are invited, but I believe as excited as I am. So, how do I handle this: do I use my function as carer to my dad (my duty of care to my mum is generally a failure except for the food I make for her) as an excuse? I have nothing else, although I know if I told Roey, who is organising the whole thing that I foresee friction if I am to spend any appreciable time with Benny (and right now my level of tolerance is at an all time low) he would fully understand. I think I'll go with the latter, but ask him not to quote the real reason so as not to offend... No real danger of Benny reading my blog, and if he does, I would consider it such a miracle, he deserves to know all there is to know.
The cooking storm I've reported earlier consisted of a stew I made with shin of beef, tons of vegetables, garlic, herbs and red wine, and an easy braised red cabbage and apple side dish. With the rest of the cabbage I made a quick cole slaw.
Enough. I think I've earned my glass of Goldstar.