It's only a four and a half hour drive from Ed and Molly's to Mom's so, this morning, I'm in no hurry. Molly's taken the day off, so I get treated to one of her terrific little breakfasts...some coffee...a little CNN...share the morning paper.
By 10:00AM, I'm packed up and on the road to Palm City...down I-275, then east on I-10 to I-75, then south to State route 60 east...across Florida from west to east.
I must admit that, for me, the drive to Mom's is always accompanied by a feeling of uneasiness...a vague feeling of "impending doom". Visits to Mom are always challenging...stressful. Still...it's a beautiful day...sunny and in the 70's...traffic is light...and I'm rolling through farmland, small towns, phosphate mining operations, sugar cane fields...central Florida. About an hour from Palm City, I call Mom and let her know that I'll be getting to her place around 2:30PM...no problem. So now, the feelings of uneasiness are dissipating, and I'm actually feeling pretty good and optimistic. He, he he...not so fast.
The first hint of "trouble" comes when I arrive at the entrance gate to Mom's community. It's a locked gate, and Mom will have to "buzz me in". I punch in her code and the system dials her home number...no answer. So...I call Mom on my cell phone...still no answer.
After about a half hour, a resident pulls in and opens the gate...and I slip in behind them. Arriving at Mom's house, I ring the doorbell several times...nobody home. So...I sit in the driveway...call friends, read, listen to music. I try Mom's cell phone...no answer. The minutes tick away...3:00...3:30...4:00...4:30...no sign of Mom. Around 5:00PM, I'm feeling kind of hungry, so I head out for some dinner. My favorite Cuban Restaurant in Stuart is out of business, so I head for another one north up to Jensen Beach. Soon, I enjoying a Cuban tamale, a beer, and a platter of "Vaca Frita" (literal translation..."fried cow"). Around 6:00PM, Mom finally calls wondering where I am and telling me to get right home because her boyfriend, Ace, is "chomping at the bit" to go out to dinner. So...I wolf down most of my food, take the rest in a box, and head back down to Mom's. She calls me twice along the way...Ace is getting "antsy" about dinner. Soon, I'm at Mom's and within a few minutes, she and Ace are out the door to dinner.
I'm enjoying a little "quiet time". I've asked Mom to make sure that the burglar alarm is disabled, so I think nothing about it as I open the front door to step outside for a little fresh air. As soon as I open the door, there's a piercing, shrieking wail...the burglar alarm!!! Panicking, I duck back inside and punch in the "security code" that I've always used in the past...it doesn't work. So, by now, neighbors are coming out of their homes to see what all the racket is about. I'm standing in the driveway because it's too loud to stay inside. I call Mom, and she says it's not the burglar alarm, but the smoke alarm...wrong. Soon, a Sheriff's patrol car pulls up...I've already got my drivers license out and my hands up. They accept who I am, but they are NOT happy. Soon, the alarm cuts out and things are quiet once again. Mom and Ace come back from dinner early, and I'm feeling...well...stressed.
I'm still feeling a little "under the weather", and today's events have not helped...best to "cut my losses" and go to bed early. I mean...the worst has got to be behind me...right?
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