The family
Yesterday, I picked up my mother to take her to the Quarter for lunch at Muriel’s. When she came down to the car she had a look on her face of intense pain or just I don’t know what – but I chose to ignore it and not give into the drama. At Muriel’s, chatted with my ex brother in law, while we sat the bar having gumbo and a tomato and avocado salad along with a glass of champagne. Mom’s countenance changing – actual smiles here and there – she starts looking good.
Southern Decadence was in full force and there were hard bodies everywhere you turned. Two guys were approaching us and I said to one, it’s so nice to see all these gorgeous men in town, y’all come back any time. Big smile from him. Then we headed to Salon Diversions so Jo could blow dry my hair as I had a date with Mr. Mesmerizer. She’s on her way to Tuscany and she’s wondering if she will ever come back. Mom sat in back and read a magazine and seemed very content. Then the thunder claps were almost mind numbing and I told her we had to run to the truck because I couldn’t get my hair wet and so I dragged her by the hand down block after block till she was pale white by the time we got to the Royal Orleans.
We head over to my great niece Abby’s one year birthday party and suddenly we both feel like step children there – my brother and his family are in from Atlanta and we had no idea they were here. This is the first time I have seen my great niece since my nephew’s wedding in Atlanta a few months ago even though she lives right in the next parish. My oldest niece is still not speaking to me because her own insecurities override any sense of our long history together. And everyone else seems to have one issue or another. So my mom and I sit and I take photos of all the kids and then my mom whispers to me – “let’s get out of here” – and so we go.