A Slap in the Face

   A Slap in the Face

Suzanne Marsh

My mom used to say: “Time heals all wounds”. I am unsure I will heal after reading a book a close family member wrote. She betrayed me in a book that was simply drivel; the pictures were child-like scrawls. I was shocked that a prominent writing sight would allow her to publish the book. The book itself is poorly written. If I sound angry it is because I am! She thought the book would make her a great deal of money. That is a fallacy, to begin with, it is a self-published book, and she has to pay for each copy that is bought by someone dumb enough to read it. It made no sense to me when she told me what she was going to do, but it still didn’t.

I don’t take offense easily, I am still thinking about what I intend to say to her; presently nothing comes to mind other than she needs to get her facts straight and there is no such thing as Utopia, nor aliens that visit her. In the back of my mind, I knew she was off-kilter and had been for years, she was still part of my family on my mom’s side. I first discovered the sneaky side of this family member when we decided to go into business together. Together, I was the one doing all the leg work, she was busy opening up her own business almost identical to the one we were supposedly working together. That was the first time, I should have learned my lesson but apparently, I had not!

The more I think about different scenarios; the more I can picture a confrontation over the phone. I don’t plan to visit her any time soon; the phone seems to be the best way. The first scenario I can picture is a direct confrontation:

“Hello cousin” like a snake hissing.

“I read your book, it is terrible. You made me sound as if I don’t care about anyone but

myself. It is not true and you know that. Your writing is childish drivel not to mention

the childish scrawls that are only one dimensional. What in heaven's name were thinking?

You don’t have your facts straight to begin with. You got my birthday wrong, you decided

you comforted me after my heart attack that was five years previously. How could you be

so cruel and even worse deceitful? I spoke to your daughter before I called you; she was

astonished that you would have written anything like that!”

The second scenario would be similar to the first only my speaking to her daughter first would cast a different light on the subject:

“Hello Miranda this is your cousin. We need to talk before I decide to sue your mother for

defamation of character; namely mine. She went to damn far in that ridiculous book she

wrote.” Miranda began:

“What did she write that has you so angry that you are thinking of suing her for defamation

of character. I knew she was working on two books, I just have not read them.” I retorted:

“Yes, maybe you should have!” Miranda then asked as casually as she could:

“Are you really going to sue mom? She has no money.” I knew that before Miranda did, her mom wanted to use the money from the books to take her imagined alien friend to a meeting the price tag for this venture was over three thousand dollars. My feeling was that if she could afford that trip she could pay a court for defamation of character also. Miranda then told me she would talk to her mom, and attempt to get her to apologize to me before I sued her. I agreed; she had forty-eight hours to get her mom to retract her statements. Miranda asked me what had aggravated me:

“Tell me, Miranda, how would you feel if your mom wrote about how I don’t care about anyone but

myself. It was very rude of me to have her stay for more than a month, and heaven forbid the

cat was by herself. The truth of the matter is yes I asked her to stay for my birthday, but I certainly

did not make her stay nor did I ask her to stay after my birthday. I don’t think she has to worry

about visiting me again any time soon! Oh yes and there was also in print that you think I was

rude to have her stay so long and away from the cat. I am sorry Miranda but the damage is in

print; I am angry.” I would then disconnect the call.

Miranda was appalled she decided to walk over to her mom’s home. She walked in calling:

Mom, Mom are you home? Her mom smiles until she sees the look on Miranda’s face:

Miranda did not beat around the bush:

“Mom, what did you write about your cousin? I just got off the phone with her, she is

threatening to sue you. What have you done? Were you crazy writing something that nasty?

She read me the excerpt with her name mentioned. Mom listen to me, you have forty-eight hours to retract what you wrote or she will sue you for defamation of character. Do

you understand that? She can take part of your social security if she wins, and she has a

good chance of doing that.” She stared silently at Miranda before responding:

“What else does she want?”

“Simply I’m sorry could not hurt this situation.”

“I’ll think about it, Miranda.”

“Don’t think too long mom, she is angry and I don’t blame her.”

At the very last moment my phone rang, it was my cousin:

“Sorry, I said too much.”

I glared at the phone before responding:

“That you did, you said way too much. You make me sorry I invited you all those times!

“You screwed up big time, I plan to sue you to teach you a lesson: I have feelings too,

some of your information was really wrong. You never comforted me you did not

have a clue as to what had happened! How dare you presume you got COVID from us

we got it after you left. Words like sorry don’t change the hurt or the anger. It is time

at seventy-six to grow up, be an adult!”

I don’t know if either of these will happen, writing it down is good therapy for a slap in the face and betrayal of someone you have known your entire life. I know I have to confront her it is the only way.