A Bench

This bench is horribly uncomfortable. I keep wiggling my hips around yet no where I land feels natural. “Ms Everworth?” the old grayed man pops his head from his doorway. “Yes?” I perk up “I am getting everything together for your mother, I will need you to get a hold of anyone needed for the estate as well as prepare the statement of family for the obituary.”

“Sounds great.” I said, heavily exhaling on my last word. I have put this off long enough. Besides talking to someone must be better then just sitting here waiting.

My mother has…had this wonderful knack of just being terrible. I could count on one hand in my 41 years the amount of times she hugged me. Maybe even the amount of times I had seen her smile. Everyone in her life fed around her negativity. Now holding my phone before I make my calls I wonder how much of that will change now.

I dial my bother first. Rings twice then is answered with immediate yelling. “Can you hold on just a second, Shirley is calling…no….No i….Ugh shut up WOMAN. Hello? Shirley?”

Deep breath. “Hey Gabe…”

“Hi? Is that it? You are bothering me on a Tuesday morning to say hi?”

“Jesus you idiot, mom died.”

“oh, well why did you wait so long to say something?”

“Because it is an intricate and hard topic to discuss you idiot. I am upset.”

“You are upset?? I mean how do you think i feel? I am going to need to help clean out the house, throw out all the trash, move all that garbage. And what do I do about work? How many days am I going to need to take off?”

A voice shrieks through in the background. “What are you taking days off for?! You arn't going fishing any time soon you need to work.” “

God damn it woman its not fishing, Ma died.”

“What?!”

“Ma died!”

I pulled the phone away from my ear for a moment as the screaming persisted. I wanted to halt the growing migraine as much as I could.

“Shirley?!” I put the phone back. Catherine is delighting me now.

“Now you listen to me honey, you brother is a no good idiot. And don’t you dare trust your brat sister with anything. She’ll probably steal the toilet paper from the Master Bath when you tell her what happened. You’re smart, figure out everything, and tell us when to show up. Try and make it a Sunday though cause you’re brother is at the factory and he cant be takin’ any time off.”

“Yeah, sounds great. I will make sure her funeral is planned around his work schedule.”

“Alrighty honey, have fun! Here’s Gabe again.” I would have corrected her when she said ‘have fun’ but honestly knowing Catherine she already forgot the subject of our talk.

“From the way that conversation ended I am assuming you cant come down here?”

“um, i would but I’m kind of busy right now, and besides Catie needs some things taken care of.”

“Okay.” I was a bit abrupt, I don’t know why I expected otherwise anyway. “Do you have any preference on the obituary?”

“Dang Shirley cant you can you just write whatever nonsense should be written? You know I don’t give a damn”

“Yep, sounds great.” I smack the end call option on my phone, wishing I had a flip phone still so I could just slam something. I wiggle back into the bench again, as I look at my phone. Patricia, I almost feel like I should take bets on what she is going to try and claim. The car? The house? Only one way to find out.

Ring…ring…ring.

The phone has been ringing for so long I’m preparing to leave a message. Maybe this will be easier.

“He..Hello?” Damn.

“Hey Patty, mom died.” I am getting straight to the point this time. No playing around.

“What?! Mom oh no, that’s just…awful. Poor thing she was only like 65.”

“she was 73 but really good guess.”

“That’s so heart breaking, where are you? Or like do you need anything?”

“Yeah actually I am at the funeral home right now, there is a lot to do if you could just come down that actually may be a huge help.”

I cant believe she actually offered to help, maybe I shouldn't have assumed.

“oh you know i would love to Shirl, its just….” There it is. “...I have this nail appointment and my cuticles are such a wreck I would hate to miss it, besides the girl I see is always so booked and I rarely treat myself anymore, between work, and the kids, and Kevin always breathing down my neck this is my one time a week i really get to….” “Yeah I get it, no worries. I’ll have the obit listed with you, Kevin and the kids. I’ll call you later because we need to figure out her will and the house stuff.”

“Oh yes the house stuff, sounds good sounds good. Let me know what you need. I am always here for you…oh actually Shirl before you go.

Here it comes. “Yes?”

“Do you know what is happening with Mom’s wedding band? I know her and I had a talk years ago just the two of us and she made a comment about wanting me to have it since I am married and Kevin and I could only afford my current ring. I didn't know if she told you so I just really wanted to make sure its okay.”

“Her ring? Yeah, I...I mean I think she is still wearing it? I do not know.”

“ooo yeah, check with the guys at the place, we don’t want her buried with it. I mean it means so much to her, and dad, and us so we should make sure its safe and with someone that will take care of it.”

“Yep, ill check Pat, thanks.” I ended the call. 2 down. All that’s left are manic aunts, drunk uncles, a few freeloading friends, a racist church, bureaucratic bank, gotta figure out the insurance, flaky lawyer, peppy realtor. All on top of paying for a funeral and selling her car. So much work when someone dies. Do I need to call like social security? The post office? I guess we wont need her prescriptions anymore. I am so lucky I have such a large family to help with everything, I let out a light chuckle as I felt a tear on my face. I guess my heart did not get the message that my brain is fine with this. I’m lost thinking about my emotions and next few months of my life when the man popped his head out again

“Ms Everworth I will be ready for you in just a few moments.”

“Sounds great.” i replied, a bit chipper then before. I sank into the bench. My shoulders fell at my sides, my head slunk onto the back. I breathe into the silent embrace that surrounds me. This is the most comfortable bench I have ever sat in.