Nothing like going through your Mother's things to find out about a hidden past. Now, I know my Mother had a wild side in her younger years, but this was not so long ago. And she knew she was likely to run afoul of the law, because she tried to hide the evidence. We are up to our armpits in shredding, moving, stacking, sorting, and my daughter found it... hidden in the bottom of Mom's underwear drawer... in a sealed envelope.
Was it evidence that I was left by Gypsies? Someone she was blackmailing? Even worse: a signed confession to some dastardly deed? No, no, and kinda. When we opened the envelope, my daughter gasped - right there for all of us to see: the tags off the mattress and pillows! Even though it says, "Do not remove under penalty of law."
She had every Mother's Day card I gave her, since first grade. Every business card from anything I ever did. She still carried the clipping from Joan's and my wedding announcement in the newspaper. Baby photos of me that I've never seen before... as the third kid, I always thought there were more photos of the family dog than me.
The mortgage payment book from her first and only house - all $5,500 of it. Insurance records. Bank statements going back many years. So many books.
The task of emptying the apartment is underway... trips to the food bank, the church, etc, etc. The detail stuff is pretty well done, tomorrow we start the heavy lifting.
I have to wonder - are the children responsible for the sins of the parent? Will we be getting a visit from the mattress-tag police? I'm going to stash the evidence.
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3 comments:
Again, sounds like a new book to me! "The Secrets of the Mattress Police".
RIP Nellie, the statue of limitations is only 4.5 days on those transgressions!
Shred them.....get rid of the evidence!!
Charlie and Herb - thanks for the comments. Mom enjoyed my sense of humor and likewise... I rarely had to say, "That was a joke, Mom." I miss being able to make her laugh, but know that laughter is essential in my daily life. She, of course, would be crushed if we weren't sad for a bit, but would then tell us to knock it off. As a parent, I know the pride in seeing your kid live the life they want. We're going to get back to doing what we do and laughing - Mom would be proud.
Best wishes,
Jim
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