to see me. She'd been over at the hospital with Aunt J. Weezer is doing better and everyone is much relieved. I introduced Maricel and said that she was my friend from Manila who was visiting for awhile.
"Did you go to the convention?" Mom asked.
Maricel admitted that she had and that it was a very good time. Then she voluntered that she was born here in Toledo and had always wanted to come back here to visit.
Mom cut to the chase. "How long are you here for?"
"That's kind of open-ended." I said.
"Bring her over for dinner on Sunday." Mom said. "Your grandpa and your sister are coming, too."
"Okay." I said.
"You've been very good to your cousin." Mom said. "What's that smell?"
"Brian started a fire in the microwave." I said.
"Oh." She said shaking her head sadly. "You've always been good at visiting the sick. When that poor Anderson boy broke his back, you were at the hospital every day for a month."
More like three, but I didn't feel the need to pat myself on the back for visiting a friend in the hospital.
"Would you like me to bring a dessert?" Maricel offered.
"That would be lovely." Mom said. "Simon, I got a very unusual phone call from..."
"No, don't say the name." I warned her.
"Simon that's ridiculous."
I covered my ears and began to hum.
"Well She who you can't talk about says you stole her grandmother's earrings." Mom said.
"And what did you say?" I asked.
"I told her to go to hell and not call me." Mom said.
"You did not." I said.
"Yeah, I did." Mom said.
I like my Mom.
