Into the Lion's Den

Bill and I went to NYC this past weekend. It went by really fast and in a way I'm glad it did. I checked in on my folks.  I like to keep tabs since their health crisis. Mom is not happy with me. She hasn't been in quite awhile. 


Unfortunately, that is not going to change anytime soon. As long as I continue a relationship with my brother, my father's son is how long my mother will be angry at me. She believes that I am only coming to NYC to see him and not them. It was never an issue before until HE came into the picture. My mother knew about him since he was born but what gets her upset is that now that I am in the picture and I talk to him.  In her eyes, I am betraying her.


My mother has gone out to dinner with him and spent time with him but it makes her nuts if I do the same. When I told her I was visiting, she right away said it was because I want to see him. First off that came out of nowhere and what???? I didn't even think about it but if I am going to do the time, might as well do the crime. I would call him later  when I got to NY and ask him to go out to dinner.


When I got to the house, she barely kissed me hello and she went straight to work in her room. This is her way to punish me. To ignore or barely talk to me. I visited with my dad. He looked well.  We stayed there for  a couple of hours.  Bill and I went out for a late lunch.

I took him to the Havana restaurant where I had the ropa viejo.

It was so good, I got it again and Bill got the drink special and this beautiful meal.

It was a pork shank with rice and beans. Bill loved both especially the drink.

Can you see why?


I tried the drink.  It was like a mojito but without the lime. It was gross to me. Bill and I decided to go to bar. He felt bad and knew that I needed that drink. We crossed the street to a little pub.  We had gone to O'Brien's the year before with his cousins.

We sat down an order a Cosmo for me and a jack and coke for him.   I only needed one.

It was delicious!! It made me happy.


With our tummies full, we walked around the city and decided to go back home. We didn't hear from any family that we reached out to so back to my mom's house we went.


Good thing, I had a full belly and a nice glass of liquid courage.  Guess who was there sitting at the dinner table with my Dad? It was my brother. Guess who hid in her room all night? My mom. What could I do? My dad was happy.  I was very happy that I did have that Cosmo.  I had a split second to decide how to handle this.  I bit the bullet.  I  greeted everybody and sat down and enjoyed the rest of the evening talking and drinking with the enemy of my mom, who seethed in her room.


She waited up for my father to go to his room.  I felt bad for him.  It was his turn to be scolded.  I knew it was trouble when the door slowly closed.


If you thought she was cool with me that day, she was worse the next morning. She barely acknowledge my existence.


Is it too early for that Cosmo?  It is only 9:30 in the morning.


Abbie