Gladys heard car doors and stepped to the front window to investigate.
“Henry!”
Henry startled, now fully awake in his recliner, where he had been half dozing.
“It’s Carol, come. Along with the whole lot of ‘em.”
Henry jerked the recliner down, and struggled to his feet. “I best get a shirt on.”
He shambled down the hall of their shotgun bungalow, heading for the bedroom. He was in the habit of lounging in naught but his undershirt and trousers.
“Put on some shoes, too!” That lot was hazardous to toes.
He was coming back down the hall when Gladys opened the front door just as Carol was about to knock. Gladys smiled, hoping it looked sincere.
“Why, it’s Carol and Dan! And the grandkids!” She sidestepped as little Tony barreled in, making directly for the kitchen. Henry patted him on the head as he went by.
“Hi, Mom! I know, we should have called. Hope we didn’t catch you at a bad time.” Caroline gave her mom a hug then moved on to her dad. Carol’s husband, Dan, gave her a peck on the cheek, and veered off for the living room, tossing a, “Hi, Pops!” Henry’s way. Danny Junior gave her a hug, then took out after Tony. Mike, the third little guy, carried in a box of toys, ensconced himself under the dining room table, and dumped them all on the floor.
“Say hello to your Grandmother,” Carol admonished.
“Hi, Grams.” He began pushing a truck around, repeatedly crashing it into table and chair legs.
“There’s cookies and milk in the kitchen,” Gladys informed Mike, hoping he’d abandon his furniture demolition.
“Bring ‘em here,” he said.
“No, sweetie, you have to eat them in the kitchen.”
Begrudgingly, Mike got up and headed down the hallway, truck in hand.
“I best go pour the milk.” Gladys followed closely behind.
They stayed two hours, the standard visit, and didn’t break too much. Gladys started seeing signs of movement from Dan. Wacky Wednesday Wrestling was just about over, which meant he soon would be bored and ready to leave. Caroline started browsing around in the dining room, looking at the bric-a-brac and old photos in the curio.
“When you die,” she said, pointing to a lovely vase atop the china case, “I want that.”
Gladys cleared her throat, momentarily at a loss for words. The vase had been their Twentieth Wedding Anniversary gift, from Caroline’s younger brother, George. Given his taste, it was likely quite expensive.
“Well, George gave that to us.”
“I know. But…” Just then a calamity in the kitchen called their attention away.
Once they were gone Gladys and Henry collapsed into their respective arm chairs for some recuperation time.
#
After breakfast the next day Gladys deposited a large box on the table, next to Henry’s plate.
“What’s that, Dear?”
“A package I want you to mail.”
It was addressed to their son, George.
~
(c) 2010 by J. M. Strother – all rights reserved.
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Ha! Serves her right. Aside from my directly asking for things, this could’ve been a day in the life of my family going to visit my parents – the poor things.
Very well told Jon!
I’m so glad the mother did that. I know people who are that mercenary. I’ve had people do that to me because I have some beautiful Native American jewelry pieces. You captured these types of people well and it was heart-breaking from the parent’s POV. Great job Jon.
Oh, owch! Good for Gladys.
Jon, I just loved that! Very, very funny. They blow in like a hurricane leaving a swath of destruction in their path. And good on Gladys for mailing the vase back to her son.
I really like Henry too. Kind of bemused and sleepy, just the way I like my men!!!!!
Bemused and sleepy. That’s me.
~jon
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Icy Sedgwick and J. M. Strother, Cathy Olliffe. Cathy Olliffe said: Jon, are you related to me? @jmstro nails a visit with unruly families. http://bit.ly/ajU6PN for #fridayflash [...]
Family, for some reason, brings out the best and worst in people. These were wonderful characters with a great story to tell.
Adam B
I love Gladys!
And I love this story. Write more.
Straight From Hel
“Caroline started browsing around in the dining room, looking at the bric-a-brac and old photos in the curio.”
I DO NOT LIKE CAROLINE.
That line was perfect to set Caroline’s character in stone.
:0)
Snorts. Yep, I have people like that in my family too. Glad George gets it instead of HER.
Now why did I move across country from my roots again?
I was so happy to see that box!
Well now, that was abrupt. The visit, the departure (they don’t have their own TV for Dan to watch?) and the “I want that…”.
Nice slice of life here, Jon. The undercurrents were palpable in this story, so it was a pleasure to read the last couple of lines.
Very, very well done.
Way to go, Gladys. Most of these #fridayflashes, be they tragedy, drama, mundane or cute, all fit into a pleasant world. I like visiting Jonland.
It’s so shocking to hear about families that act like that but, sadly, it happens. My wife’s aunt went around taping her name to the bottoms of her mother-in-law’s furniture. Looks like George got the good genes.
I guess one is bound to get the good and the bad in every family.
~jon
I know a family that acts just like this. Sad! Great story.
My mom and aunt do the same thing to my grandmother, but she encourages it. I hate it when they talk about someone dying. My mom and aunt go as far as to put their names on things (on the bottoms of china and/or vases). It makes me sick.
Great story, Jon. I love the ending.
~2
Goodness. I echo Laura: there’s a reason I moved 3000 miles away from my family. Had an uncle (dad’s brother-in-law, not even his own brother) who wandered around the house 4 hours after my dad’s funeral picking out things he wanted.
You completely nailed that carrion-eater mindset, Jon. Good for Gladys.
Great story.
Ha!
At first I thought she was looking at the old photos and curios because she was just curious about them, maybe ask for the stories behind them. I used to do that as a little girl when I visited my grandmother. But she asked to be given them after she died??? Holy Hell, that’s too obnoxious, callous, stupid for words. What a… Well, I won’t say since I’m a lady. :p
Wonderful story with vibrant characters. Well done!
The family from hell indeed. That daughter gets what she deserves. And what brattish kids!
Chips off the old block, really.
~jon
Wow. I loved this. Very rarely does a story actually make me laugh out loud, but this one did.
It perfectly described my neighbor’s weekend visits from his daughter and her kids. She only ever wants money and its a great wonder he hasn’t strangled those two hellions.
Yea, but then there’s all that messy legal stuff that follows a homicide.
~jon
[...] Henry jerked the recliner down, and struggled to get to his feet. “I best get a shirt on.” Read on… [...]
I’m sure this mirrors quite a few families out there. At least they visit, though, I guess. Or maybe Gladys and Henry wished they did so a little less. Good story!
What a great story, Jon, I loved how you’ve nailed Caroline’s character in just one sentence! So glad the vase will be mailed back to George