In Limbo

Chapter 12

It was Sunday morning and the boys were still with Joe for the weekend, but would be back after dinner.

Dotty and Amanda were having coffee in the kitchen and looking at the paper, when Amanda, looking through the local section, stated, "Mother, we should check out where the boys can join the baseball league here and get them registered, or the football one. What do you think?"

Dotty staring intently at the Arts and Leisure section, simply mumbled, "Uh-huh..."

Then Amanda realized her mother wasn't paying attention, and decided to then play with her by saying nonchalantly, "Oh, and I saw a woman at the market with three heads like in that rag magazine, and she told me she was actually from Mars! Can you believe that?"

Dotty answered distractedly, "Whatever you want, Darling...We'll pick it up tomorrow."

With a tired sigh, Amanda got up from her chair, and tapped the edge of the paper Dotty was looking at, replying, "Earth to Mother!"

Suddenly, Dotty, waving her away, had accidentally knocked over her coffee cup, spilling the contents in her lap and on the edge of the table!

Rising from her chair as Amanda rushed to get a sponge to wipe up the mess, Dotty stated angrily, "Argh! Amanda Jean! What in the world are you doing?!"

Amanda, wiping the table, handed her mother a paper towel to wipe off her robe, commenting quickly, "Ooh! I'm so sorry, Mother! But I couldn't get your attention just now! What's so interesting in that part of the paper?"

Dotty, wiping her robe, and going to the sink to get more water to finish, sighed tiredly, and replied, "J-Just some recipes I thought we could try, b-but never mind! They're ruined now!"

Giving up, Dotty threw the paper towel away, and responded quickly, "I'm going up to change...Excuse me..."

As Dotty left, Amanda sadly shook her head calling out to her,"We can get another paper, or even a magazine for recipes, Mother! It's not the end of the world!"

Not hearing anything, Amanda gathered up the rest of the paper that hadn't gotten coffee on it, putting it in the den with the other magazines her mother liked to keep, since it also contained crossword puzzles, and then heading upstairs answered morosely, "So much for relaxing today..."

Going to her room, she quickly changed into jeans and a quarter length sleeved top, and putting her hair in a ponytail, got her sneakers on, and grabbing her purse, called down the hall from the stairs, "Mother? I'm running to the drugstore! I'll be back soon!"

-SMK-

A while later, Dotty came out of her room calling out, "Amanda? Sorry about earlier, and yes, we should go get another paper, Dear, alright?"

Not hearing anything, she went to Amanda's room, and finding it empty, went downstairs stating as she went to the kitchen, "Darling, I'm sorry I got so upset...It's just that-"

Then, finding the kitchen empty as well, she scoffed answering, "Oh that girl! I swear! She's disappearing like she did with that IFF job she had! What is wrong with her?!"

Grabbing her purse, she remarked, "Luckily, the West Side Pharmacy is just a block from here, and it's a beautiful day for a walk..."

While Dotty was almost halfway there at one point, Amanda was pulling into their driveway, and parking the car in the garage, got out, grabbing her purse and the pharmacy bag with her, and heading into the house, called out, "Mother? I got the last Sunday paper they had, and I apologize once again for messing up your morning..."

Hearing nothing, she went into the kitchen, and finding it empty, went upstairs, calling out, "Mother?"

Still hearing nothing, Amanda sighed, and shaking her head, as she went back to her room, took the newspaper out of the bag, and finding a red ribbon in her nightstand drawer, took it out, and rolling up the paper neatly, tied the ribbon around it, and brought it to her mother's room, placing it against the pillow of the made bed, saying aloud, "This should more than make up for my goof this morning, but I wonder where she went?"

A while later as she was tidying up the downstairs, Amanda heard rain, and looking outside the front window of the living room, saw the downpour, and was then shocked to see her very wet mother coming towards the front door!

Rushing to open the door, Amanda took her mother's arm to help her in, and stated worriedly, "Oh, Mother! Where have you been? Are you alright?"

Dotty stood on the inside doormat, her hair dripping, and clothes and purse soaked, as she replied crisply, "I wish Dean were living here! He always knew what the weather was supposed to be for the day! Stupid weatherman here said, "Not a cloud in the sky today! Beautiful for your Sunday...Ha! I'm going to first dry off, and then write to the station about that obtuse weatherman..."

Amanda nodded, commenting softly, "I understand, Mother. and I'm so sorry.."

Dotty testily queried, "Well, are you sorry enough to get me a towel, Missy?!"

Amanda gulped, and ran to the laundry room to get one from the basket with the clean linens, and bringing her mother one, wrapped it around her stating, "Look, why don't you go up and change, and I'll fix you a cup of tea, alright?"

With a defeated sigh, Dotty nodded, and responded heading for the stairs after removing her shoes, "Thank you, Dear...I'll be right down."

As she watched her mother head up the stairs, Amanda, going to the kitchen, thought, Well, she'll like what I left for her anyway...

A few minutes later as Amanda was fixing her mother the tea, Dotty came into the kitchen, holding the ribbon tied newspaper, asking carefully, "Is this for me?"

Amanda nodded, replying, "Yes. I assumed you heard me when I told you I was heading out...I wanted to make up for earlier and-"

Dotty, with a shake of her head, remarked softly looking at the ribbon tied newspaper, "I was in the shower. How could I have heard you? No wonder the pharmacy was out of the newspaper...You got the last one, apparently...But, thank you."

Going to sit at the table as Amanda brought her tea, Dotty answered carefully, "You know, Darling, I think it would be a good idea for us to work on improving our communication skills...You know, such as leaving notes like we used to in Virginia, or calling if we forget to leave a note, hmm?"

Amanda nodded, thinking, as she made her way back to the counter to straighten up, Yep, nothing like a relaxing weekend...

-SMK-

While Amanda and Dotty were working on their mixed signals on that Sunday morning, Lee had arrived at the Chicago Tribune building, and heading to his office, Sandy stopped him in his tracks, asking bewilderedly, "Why are you here today? I-I mean, Mark gave you the whole weekend-"

Lee smiled, and replied, "I just want to get a head start to see what I'm up against for tomorrow morning-"

As he then tried to pass, Sandy gently put her hand on his arm stating, "But-But it's barely ready yet...Trust me, Monday will be better for you-"

Lee chuckled, and carefully moving Sandy aside, answered, "I appreciate your attempts at trying to ease me into this, but the sooner the better, right? Excuse me..."

Taking the key Mark gave him on Friday night, Lee opened the door to his new office, and switched on the light, and his stunned expression took in the unbelievable sight of wall to wall piles of mailbags stuffed with letters, file boxes on chairs, and the couch and his new desk were also loaded with the same!

His face reacted and paled as he put both hands on both sides of his head responding, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Wh-What the hell is all this?!"

Sandy gulped, answering carefully, "S-Surprise? Um, Chuck...Let me try to explain this since Mark obviously didn't prepare you...You see, when Pete Simpson worked here..."

TBC