Kathleen Carries On Part 5 or Don’t Give Me Any Lip

As we made our way through the rutted trails of the wildlife park, Mother held the requisite cup of pellets. A camel loped over, pushing his head in the window. Mother was terrified, so she clutched his prize tightly to her bosoms. Denial only made him more persistent. He shoved harder, his big floppy lips trying to rip the cup from her grip. It finally occurred to her to release her death grip on the cup so he pulled it away. Squealing, she started raising the window but not before another camel had almost gotten his head in the window. As my brother-in-law speeded up a bit to get away from the demands of the camels, Mother called out gleefully, “Look at that stupid camel chasing us!” Of course he was. Mother had trapped his lip in the window.

Mother and the Rapist

Kathleen, my eighty-year old mother was snatched from sleep at three in the morning by the sound of hysterical screaming and pounding on her front door.  Through the peep hole, she recognized her neighbor, a frail, single mother clutching her toddler and tiny infant, begging to come in.  Mother was horrified to hear of Melinda’s rape at gunpoint, the lives of her tiny children threatened.  Nonetheless, Melissa called the police and an investigation was begun. Continue reading