This is how it started.\u00a0 One day in late spring, 2007-my mother traveled up to New England to see my daughter play a flying monkey in a production of The Wizard of Oz.\u00a0 My mother has traveled by herself for years-lived by herself for years.\u00a0 She was always fond of getting up and going-by car-by plane-and a few times-by boat.\u00a0 She loved to travel to see her children. And then her\u00a0grandchildren.\u00a0\u00a0And for\u00a0the many years\u00a0I lived in New York-my mother became part of the fabric\u00a0 there as much as anything.\u00a0 We had our rituals, our stomping grounds and she would always frequent the (many!) restaurants where I either waited tables or hosted.\u00a0 She knew her way around the city and my neighborhood-and if she did not-she made the most of getting lost.\u00a0\u00a0She would jsut stop and ask someone-anyone- to show her the way. But that was years ago.\u00a0 Though even in recent years, she had no problem hoping on a plane to come visit me-or driving for several hours to visit my brothers. She knew how to\u00a0find her way-my mom.\u00a0 Even after the cancer.\u00a0 She got up and went.\u00a0 But that was then.<\/p>\n
Don’t forget your phone mom. Don’t leave it in the charger.\u00a0 You might need it if your flight is cancelled or delayed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Yes. It’s charging now, she said.\u00a0 But I never use the darn thing anyway.<\/p>\n
Mom, just bring your phone….\u00a0 And call me at work if there is any trouble.\u00a0 See you tomorrow.<\/p>\n
And just like always, she complained about having to get up so early. “o’dark thirty” she would say.<\/p>\n
And then the next day:<\/p>\n
The phone kept ringing at work.\u00a0 My phone was registering a number I did not recognize.\u00a0 I went back to teaching-and the phone kept ringing.\u00a0 On the fourth attempt, I answered.<\/p>\n
Uh, hi, uh, is this Gloria?<\/p>\n
Yes, this is Gloria.<\/p>\n
You don’t know me, but I am here in Philadelphia\u00a0with your mother.\u00a0 She asked that I call.\u00a0 She, uh, doesn’t have her phone- she , uh, left it in the charger.\u00a0 Anyway, our flight to Providence was cancelled and , uh, your mom is here, with me.\u00a0 She’s really frazzled..she seems disoriented.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 He sounded young.\u00a0 Maybe they talked college basketball on the flight.\u00a0 Maybe she just flat out introduced herself-full name and all- and then began a conversation about the many things she loved.<\/p>\n
No,I’m not.\u00a0\u00a0I heard her say in the background.\u00a0 I am just fine.<\/p>\n
Uh, he said, your mom wants to talk to you.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Gloria I am fine.\u00a0 I am fine!( in her everything is not alright voice but I am going to Pollyanna my way through this so you don’t think anything is wrong with me, because there is nothing wrong<\/em>)<\/p>\n Well, it seems US Air has cancelled the flight so we are being rerouted and, well, no one can tell us when we will get to Providence, but we will at some point.<\/p>\n But mom ( as 15 kids with anger issues are staring at me).<\/p>\n I’m fine!\u00a0, she said.\u00a0I have a book. I always bring a book.\u00a0 I don’t know this nice man’s name but he let me use his phone.\u00a0 He has to go now. And that was that.<\/p>\n Dammit Pollyanna.\u00a0<\/p>\n Uh, should I call you when we know more, Uh, so you won’t worry about your mom?, the young man said.<\/p>\n What is your name?\u00a0 How old are you?\u00a0What do you do?\u00a0 ( because I know my mother, and she\u00a0never meets a stranger and within minutes said stranger will know too much and she will not care one bit…I mean, mom….she’s, well, she is just too trusting.<\/p>\n Information jotted down- I can’t get back to class because now I am distracted by how I going to get my mother from Philly to Providence-my mom-with no cell phone. I am on the phone to US Air at once-demanding-at once-and trying very hard to be nice because-someone once said to me to imagine\u00a0rainbows shooting\u00a0from your mouth when you are upset with the other person on the phone-especially when the other person is being difficult.<\/p>\n Could you, please( rainbow one) let me speak to a supervisor.\u00a0 I have a problem.<\/p>\n How can I direct your problem?\u00a0 (USAIR voice from somewhere in a call center)<\/p>\n Well, it involves a flight that was canceled-in Philly-without warning-\u00a0and, well, my mother is stranded there-by herself…and I need to get her-<\/p>\n Flight number? ( call center voice interrupted)<\/p>\n Ummmm, I don’t know.\u00a0 (rainbow #2)\u00a0 Can you look it up by name?<\/p>\n I am not on the page.\u00a0 (pause) Last name?<\/p>\n I gave the name-with a double shot of rainbow-because now I am thinking of too many things that are\u00a0not making sense to me about mother.<\/p>\n Can you just tell me what time the flight is expected to leave, so I can be sure to meet my mother beca-<\/p>\n \u00a0Young man stuck in Philly with my mother\u00a0dials in-I click over<\/p>\n Hey Glor!\u00a0 We are going over to Gate 5- we should be in Providence at 4:45pm.\u00a0 And this nice man let me use his phone.\u00a0 I think he is a college student.\u00a0 Very nice kid.\u00a0 Yes, very nice.<\/p>\n and before I know it she hangs up the phone-<\/p>\n I click back over to US Air. We have been disconnected.<\/p>\n So much for spewing\u00a0\u00a0fucking rainbows.<\/p>\n