Dear God, Help!

Okay so my father is 70 and I can assume that he would have some medical problems. But when my this week my sister called to tell me that Wo-wa had to have a biopsy, I must admit, I am somewhat worried. While my father is not the most loving or even the most friendly father in the world, he is still the only one I got. I do try hard to understand the man. Sometimes more than others, but mainly I just try to stay out of his hair that way I won't have to deal with expectations he tries to enforce. The real reason for my worried state isn't because this is a cancer scare and that I have to deal with the eventual death of Wo-wa. Nor is it because I don't want him to have to deal with surgery and then chemotherapy or radiation. Not that that is bad enough. No, this is more selfish reason and one I am somewhat reluctant to admit out loud. The problem is Peggy, my wonderful mother. The greatest fear in my life is my father dying before my mother. If you are their child then you would understand.

My mother at best is like being around a perpetual 13 year old. She has to be the center of attention or she will pout and give you the silent treatment (which, honestly, I prefer). My mother also believes that if she is sick then she will get the most attention. Somehow this must be a left over thing from her childhood cause she has been doing this all of my life so why should she give up now. Mom is right now probably trying to figure out if she has prostate cancer and if not how she can get it. Mind you, I could have had a worst mother and I know enough people who do. But still...

If this scenario plays out then all hell will break at 608. I can see my some of my "special" siblings moving in and trying to "take care" of Mom. Most of us are reluctant to see Peggy left alone,with money. If my mother idea of illness is bad then her sense of money is worse. She will give most away to those who promise to pay her back in 30 days and get mad when they don't pay her back. To most of us its a "no-dah" moment. But as many times as she does it she never learns.

She will also buy the dumbest things she sees advertised during her soaps operas breaks, like the snuggle blanket or she will shop at some garage sale and find a "bargain" coffee maker with no heating unit for $20. She can shop the hell out of Payless Shoe store and then get mad when she needs new shoes in two weeks. If you suggest that she shop at Macy's and get decent shoes she will tell you she cannot afford it, never realizing that she spent that amount seven fold by the time she replaces her Bo-go finds.

Also some of my "special" siblings will move in and pilfer the house of all the goods they can find because they hold on to the belief that they deserve something. It always amazes me that some of us feel we are owed something we ourselves didn't work for. Now in the grand scheme of things there isn't much there anyway's, just a  house and maybe a small insurance payoff. We are definitely not the Rockefellers, just one man working mainly and occasionally my mother who only worked late in life. Mind you my mother didn't put much into retirement. There might be some knick-knacks in the attic, but really, we are not talking about much.

So when I called Wo-wa to see what exactly is going on my mother has answered the phone. This is bad. Mom asks why I want to talk to Wo-wa and how come no one asks about her health, after all, she has been dealing with backache for a much longer time. My mother is famous for complaining and rubbing her groin while bent over after getting a cup of morning rock hard coffee (my youngest son, Adam, is still traumatized from this very act after five years). Of course Wo-wa is constantly unavailable or gone, which is amazing seeing as he now only goes to two places if you don't count the bathroom. I cannot believe he is spending this much time at Home Depot.

So all I can do is pray and hope that all is well. If not then I can only hope if things turn crazy, then plan for my trip to 608 and be out before the end of day. Damn.