It's about 8:00 pm on a Saturday night. Having done the usual chores which a Saturday can bring, Oh how I had longed for my comfy old recliner for most of the day.
My husband and I had been talking about a movie we wanted to watch for a couple of days now and had decided to put if off until a Saturday night. With the remote in hand, we ordered our movie and began to watch. With approximately 30 minutes remaining, the phone begins to ring. While reaching for the phone, I can see it's mother. We are well aware that anywhere from 8:30 til 9:00 pm is mother's bedtime, so if she's calling at this time, we know there's a problem.
As I answered, there was a quiet little voice on the phone saying, "Jean, I've done something sorta dumb and I don't know what to do about it. I said "what have you done?" In a giddy voice, mother began to tell that she saw something that appeared to be "half human" and she considered it to be safe to let in the house so she let it in. "As I was climbing into bed," she said, "I pulled back the covers and there was something that had hands that looked like paws." Without another word, I told her that we were on our way. With movie on pause, off we went.
As we turned in, it appeared that every light inside and outside the house was on. She opened the garage door and came out with a look on her face as if she had done something she shouldn't have. I said "mother, what in the world did you say was in your bed?" She said "get in here and see for yourself." Well, my husband isn't afraid of anything and seems to enjoy mother's adventures as much as a thrilling amusement ride. As he made his way down the hall, I could hear mother's cautioning words, "be careful Bobby, it might hurt you!" Now, I'm no idiot, even though I knew that mother was hallucinating again, I am still not convinced that there might be scary things hanging out in her house at night, so I chose to stay close by the entrance to the kitchen door. I suddenly heard mother say, "Well, Bobby, where in the world did it go?" This gave me the cue to go in. I immediately started to tell mother that the "half human" creature was actually her dog "Annie." If I had to count on my hands and toes how many times mother has seen Annie as a different entity, I would be using one of your hands as well. I'm not sure what it is about this dog, but in mother's eyes, Annie has become anything from a monster, to a child, to a sheep, to all kinds of different colored dogs of all shapes and sizes, to now, "a half human, with paws."
Mother was still not convinced that this half human beast was not still lurking in her house. She made her way into her bedroom's bathroom, opening all doors including the shower door. Not being able to satisfy her mind, she searched each bedroom and the remainder of her house. Every word I said to her, would fall on deaf ears. She didn't want to hear one word I had to say, "she was fed up with me not believing her," she rambled.
Most mother-in-law's seem to have quirks where their son-in-law's are concerned, but not my mother. She loves my husband Bob, and my sister's husband Bill as if they were hers. I was quickly reminded as to why that is. Trying to convince mother that there really wasn't a "half human" creature in her bed was not getting very far, so I attempted to enlist Bob. I don't know why he won't speak up and just tell her how it is, but for some unknown reason, he just sits there and changes the subject when I say, "isn't that right Bobby?" Well, mother loves this and before you know it, I'm the culprit. Tonight was no different. Mother relished in the fact that she was right and I was wrong, partly because my husband wasn't saying anything contrary. I could see that this conversation was going nowhere and I was tired and had a need to finish my movie which awaited us back home. Mother seemed pretty well satisfied now that this half human "thing" had gone from her house, so we left and made her promise to get in bed.
The next morning as I made my way down to mothers, I couldn't help but wonder if she would remember anything from last night. Entering the house and going about my usual morning chores, I knew that all was forgotten, pretty well assured that mother's closets and beds, would hold many more strangers before it was all said and done!
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