A rumbling preperation

I am standing in the Kitchen at home. I just got home from work. I have been working late and my commute is an hour and ten minuets one way. It's easily 3:30 in the morning. I am munching on a turkey sandwich and reading the paper -this for me, is par for the course. I look down at a napkin, with a little brown stain in the corner and some initially indiscernible writing on it. October 4th!, Richard Foxberry (names are changed to protect the innocent), call, church, Don, and Oct 4th again. Now individually all of these words seem meaningless, but in my mothers impeccable style the facts are crystal clear.

My mom has this thing when she writes down notes that she uses anything nearby. She loves writing on things that aren't intended for writing: cardboard boxes, junk mail, tupperware, and of course napkins. She writes notes to help her remember important things, because she firmly believes she has Alzheimer's, even though we all know she doesn't - we play along. She will write pieces of a story while she is on the phone and each piece will be vigorously underlined in the greatest of "uh-huh" time-killing manners. So there the words were. "October 4th!" accompanied by a beautiful double swoop underline, Richard Foxberry with a single straight line, "call" circled, "church" triple underlined, "Don" no decoration, and finally "Oct 4th" vigorously underlined by a dark black scribble that nearly tore the napkin.

I could guess at the meaning, but I knew the feeling. I just kind of looked at the napkin and I'll admit I cried a little bit. By a bit I mean I kind of sobbed. By sobbed I mean I balled. It was a combination of being tired, having a lot on my mind, and knowing that my "dream" is so close. I was looking around for something to wipe my face and blow my nose and I just started laughing.

The napkin was the only thing nearby.

I laughed pretty hard and I understood that everything was going to be alright. I made a mental note to call Richard in the morning, mom had mentioned that he had been to Ethiopia before and I should talk to him. He went to our church and Don was his neighbor, but I am still leaving on October 4th.

October 4th to Ethiopia!