A LONG DAY

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Arriving at the hospital to see mom, I found her in her bed with my older sister (Much older) Tessie standing next to her. Tess is the shining example for all her sibs as what to do when it comes to elderly parents. Loyal, devoted and true, she watches that mom has all she needs and wants, will ask questions that Mom won’t or doesn’t think to ask, and is as always a great companion to her mother.

I arrived and we immediately had a sibs conference on the way to the cafeteria after I greeted mom, for a cup of coffee as mom was wheeled down to the x-ray room in her bed.

“Joe, let’s go to the cafeteria, for something.”

“There’s a coffee shop right there!”

“No, let’s go to the cafeteria.”

We start the long walk to the cafeteria, and enter me looking for coffee and Tessie, my older sister (much older) looking for lunch. As she dilly-dallies around the food I go get a cup of coffee and go to the checkout counter. I see her speaking to a uniformed worker as I wait on the checkout line. Who shows up at the register but the uniformed lady who was talking to Tessie my older sister (Much older). The lady looks at me and says:

“Do you work here?”

“No!”

“Well this cafeteria is for employees only.”

Awkwardly I stand there with a cup of coffee as she says:

“I sell you the coffee but this IS for employees only!”

I turn around to see Tessie my older sister (Much older) standing in the back laughing her fool head off at my expense.

With my head down and great shame I walk the long path back to where she is standing, embarrassed and ready to have one sister less within minutes.

But it doesn’t end there, no. We find our way to the cafeteria and she gets something to eat and as we sit at a table, some obnoxious lady is on her cell phone, speaking loud enough for the medical building down the road to hear her conversation which goes:

“DO YOU WANT ME TO DROP BY?”

Tessie, getting sillier by the moment shouts out: “No!”

If mom weren’t feeling so badly I’d get her wooden spoon and tell her to go see her daughter for a change.