On my way to work (first location) I got a text from my cousin Maria asking if I wanted to FaceTime. So for just about a minute, I was able to see Grandma. I even took a screenshot. My mother and brother were in the background trying to get into the shot where I could see them, and I was just ignoring them and trying not to even look. My mother was saying something like, "I had to include you" or some lame garbage. Too little, too late, too often.
I texted a bit with Maria and found out my flowers were not there. Called the place, and apparently the chosen vendor canceled the order because they didn't have the specific arrangement I ordered.
F.U.R.I.O.U.S.
That poor woman on the phone heard more bad words than you can think of. I'm not there, my flowers aren't there, my card isn't there.
How the heck didn't they just call me and say, "pick a different arrangement?" You have one job! It's for a wake, my God!
They wanted to deliver it to someone's house afterwards. Umm...no. I got a refund, but that's the last thing I wanted. I wanted them to bring some freaking flowers to the service before it was over. By this time, it was 20 minutes to over. So, so mad.
Then my cousin Kathy messaged me. She was on her way to the cemetery. (So I had some concept of what was going on and when.) This is the cousin about whose kid my brother was so "concerned." The first thing she said was, "I wish you could have come."
The three of us were "the kids" back in the 70's. Kathy and I especially were always together. We are the same age for the month of July, and then I pull ahead in August. Here's a pic, I had to be about 4 or 5? I just graduated from either what they called "Library School" or Kindergarten. Can't remember right now. Some of my best memories are the two of us playing at Grandma's. Here are Grandma, Kathy, and myself.
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I had no contact with my mother, brother, or sister. So Kathy and Maria made this a little less awful for me.