There I was, checking email in the student center at ISU during the BOA Summer Symposium...actually I was done with email and was on the phone with UD's IT Help Center trying to figure out why I couldn't gain access to my course rosters (stupid other university firewalls were the apparent cause). Call waiting beeped in my ear, I looked at the phone to see who it was--it was Mom. I thought: "Just spoke to her an hour ago and everything was fine. She must have forgotten to tell me something. I'll call her back in a few."
I finished with IT--they couldn't help....surprise....and called my back. She was upset and sounded scared as she announced: "My right nipple is bleeding."
Right then and there the world changed.
I was anything but pleasant because here I was 1200 miles away with no way to get home unless I was able to get a last minute flight. I argued with her to call her doctor--she finally gave in and called. The reason for not calling: "I have no way to get there so why should I call?" Gee, thanks for the guilt. I offered to get a nurse to stay with her but oh no, her pride would have none of that. So here we were, arguing on the phone about her calling her doctor to see what to do because Lord knows the daughter who is 1200 miles away is a better expert!
When she finally hung and called, I hopped online and booked the first flight out of Bloomington, Illinois. How I got a flight for $170 I'll never know, but I did. And now I had 2 hours to get all my shit packed and to the airport. And when I arrived at the airport I found I had successfully booked a flight for JULY 24th and not JUNE 24th. Helplessness and stress finally shut anger and frustration down: I went hysterical on the ticket agent. ...and he got me out of there on the next flight.
I managed to get to Mom's apartment at 1 AM....took one look at her breast and knew we were in trouble.
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