The Trip Home

Mother rode in the front seat with me on the trip home. Pop sat in back staring out the window in silence. When I directed a comment or question to him, he could not hear me and would lean up for me to repeat more loudly. Apparently Mother was not going to talk to him. After a while, I started asking her to repeat my question to him. She did and seemed to be fairly relaxed by the time we arrived home. Then I "messed up."

I called one of my sisters to let her know we were home. Mother became upset because I "told her." She said she told me before we left the office just to keep all of this to myself. I assured her that I did not understand that that was her wish. Then I asked, "Did you really intend for Pop and me just to keep today to ourselves and not tell even my sisters?" And she replied, "Yes, because now the whole world will know!" I don't really know who she is worried about knowing anything. I reminded her that most of our old friends are no longer around, so who's to know? She couldn't really answer me.

I talked to another sister on the phone, and she assured me that she was bringing beef tips and rice for dinner after work. So, after a few more minutes of going over the doctor's notes and instructions, I left. On the drive home, I called Pop's daughter, our "Oregon sister." As I related highlights of the visit, she assured me that the doctor sounded professional, efficient, correct, and so on. I felt better after having run everything by our R.N. Sister, even though I was so tired by then I could hardly talk or listen. I may have had an angel helping me drive. But I now thoroughly understood why they titled that book The 36-Hour Day!