Did You Hear?
Facebook Challege:
Take 3 paragraphs and start them with the same sentence, long or short doesn't matter
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Frank POV.
"Did you hear?" My wife of thirty plus years kept going on and on about our youngest daughter till I was sick and tired of it.
"Yes, Helen, I did hear about my daughter and her husband, why must you repeat yourself all the damn time? You act like they did something wrong , they're married and happy. They're on their honeymoon and yes, I also heard that they won't be living here in Trenton. You should be happy for them instead of browbeating me with that piece of information. We've gone over this time and time again. Let them be! You go on and on about them like it's the biggest news that ever happened. Lots of folks these days get married and leave their home town. You didn't gripe so much when Valerie moved away with that no goodnick now did you? Just because their marriage happened at his family's church instead of ours and you were not invited is no need to get all pissy about it. There's a perfectly good reason you weren't invited, and yet you choose to overlook the fact you've never had one nice thing to say about the man she chose to marry at all."
Frank Plum never ever raised his voice about anything in life. He observed everything and kept his mouth shut, until now that is. Of course he had given them his blessing to get married when asked by the young couple. He also got to give the bride away after he brushed her tears of happiness away with his handkerchief. Frank, Val and Edna were all there, something his wife was unaware of until his oldest daughter came waltzing through the front door, beaming at her parents...'here comes the show' was Frank's thought as Valerie opened up her mouth and said to Mother, looking at her defiantly in the eyes...
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"Did you hear?"
Helen looked stunned hearing the same words she had just said to Frank being repeated to her by her own daughter, although this was the daughter she raised to be just like her.
Narrowing her eyes, Helen asked her oldest daughter the same question only a different way, hoping to get the scoop on whatever it was first...why, that was the Burg way after all.
"What is it that you heard, Val?"
"Mom, I'm talking about Steph and Ranger's wedding of course. Did Daddy tell you how beautiful she looked in Mrs. Manoso's wedding dress? The girls looked so lovely in their new clothes and I was so happy with my maid-of-honour dress. The satin material and color made me feel like a princess when I walked down the aisle. Those pictures will be breathtaking. I can't wait to see the proofs. Even Grandma looked pretty good in the outfit Ranger's Mom found for her when they went shopping together," Val explained patiently to her mother, taking a sadistic amount of pleasure in knowing that this was news to her. Everyone knew the reason Helen wasn't there.
Helen did surprise her daughter when she fell to the floor with a loud crash. When she came to, Val and her husband were at her side, supporting her. Maybe now she would get some sympathy. Couldn't they see that She was the wronged party here? All she ever wanted was for her daughters to be happily married Burg housewives. Well, maybe that and a small tipple every now and then.
"I can't believe that you, my own husband, and my mother of all people went and left me home alone!"
Just then the phone rang and 'in her own way' Helen knew who it was when she picked up the handset. She kept her eyes on both of her family members as she gave a mouthfull to her ungrateful daughter.
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"Did you hear me when I told you Stephanie Michelle whatever-your-last-name is now, until you decide to act like a woman I can be proud of, instead of someone I hear gossip about, you are not welcome here? How dare you not invite me to that wedding I had to just now hear about from your sister of all people? It's bad enough that your Grandmother went shopping with your new Mother In Law who is most unsuitable for this family in the first place, But..."
Helen's face turned whiter than her bleached towels and Frank was trying to help his wife sit up after she slid back off her chair by the time Valerie hit he speaker button... Neither of them was surprised to hear Mrs. Manoso's voice on the other end of the line... "Really Mrs. Plum, your daughter warned me all about your viewpoints on life and whom she should marry. I guess you won't be accepting our invitation to the dinner we're throwing for the newly married couple when they return from their honeymoon? At least I have everyone else's cell phone number to invite them. Have a nice day Mrs. Plum, because yes, I Did Hear All About You."