Pip

It should be no surprise that it is early July in London and feels more like a day in early spring than the middle of summer. But having said all of that, you can’t always blame the weather when in actuality it is circumstances that make you sweat. Frankly, even in L.A. when the Santa Anna’s are blowing and the average citizen has strapped him/herself to an air-conditioner, I’m still moderately comfortable in my rubber. To say London is congested right now is the understatement of the fucking decade. Making my way back to the hotel wasn’t made any easier by aggressive pedestrians pushing and shoving in order to get themselves to their intended destination. You can’t blame any of them, even I have no desire to be a sitting rubber duck for some sick fuck but it’s all slightly irritating. This exercise of getting back to the hotel took longer than usual due to the added security from the foiled car bombings a couple of days ago.  I was late for the expected call from Mom.  We have a non-binding understanding that she would call each day around five o'clock wherever I was.  I originally thought this might not be the best of ideas.  After all I wasn't 15 any more and I didn't need someone to keep tabs on me.  I mildly protested by explaining about time zones and daylight savings time and how in some places it was in effect and how in others it was not. 

Seeing right through me she smiled and said, "It’s always five o'clock somewhere and besides I'm not checking up on you.  Don't worry if we miss each other one day we'll catch up on the next. I want you to have fun.  It’s just that I'll miss you."

 How do you respond to that? But the ironic part is, I not only don't mind, I look forward to that call and if I don't get it, I'm the one that gets upset.

I thought I had missed her call as it was almost six but my cell didn't show a "missed call".  Concerned I called her. She answered the phone and calmly informed me she was having brunch with a friend and was unable to call on schedule and that we expected there would be some days when there was no contact.  Trying to tactfully back-out of the situation, I said I was concerned that she might have heard about the bombings in London and was worried about me.

 A brief second of silence was followed by "Pip, being married to your father for all these years and with him doing the kind of work he did I had to quickly get over being worried at every unfortunate event in the world." 

My feeling of shared relief and disappointment quickly changed to defensiveness as she added "...besides you weren't even in the UK when the bombings were discovered..." she wasn't going to let me off the hook "...if you were, I would have been worried" in an almost whisper she added "...but don’t tell your father, he would be jealous."

A long shower was necessary even though I’m in a country where they take baths. As I stood motionless letting every drop of water do its job of reviving me and wondering why Dad might be jealous (was it who she might be having brunch with or that she was worried over me and not him),  my cell rang. Without even reaching for a towel I stretched and picked up the phone...

"You didn't have to call me back, Mom.  I understand and I won’t tell Dad."  I quipped.

"Pip? Are you all right?" a male voice said.  Stunned, I waited for more.

"Pip is that you?  Connor here."

"Connor you sick bastard."  I lashed out.  "How did you know I was here? How did you get my phone number?  Misusing your position to stalk me has got to stop!"

"Calm down and slow up Pip.  I am not stalking you and I did not abuse my position.  This was intended as a social call."

"Some social call!  I just got out of the shower and I'm soaking wet."

"I know..."

"How do you know that?  Did they issue you phone-o-vision too?"

"I know because -"

"Never mind!  Ring me up in an hour.  We clearly need to talk and you have some questions to answer."

"Agreed, an hour it will be.  I have a few questions for you also."

"Like what?  I thought you said this was a social call."

"It was but when you thought I was your Mom you said 'I understand and I won’t tell Dad'.  What should I make of that?"

Heavy sigh, heavy sigh "See you in an hour Connor"