Follow the link below to read part 2 of this short story.
short story: the comedian, part 2
Erica had been traveling back and forth between New York and Mobile, AL for a couple of years to care for her ailing parents. As their health deteriorated, the frequency of her visits picked up as did the length of her stay each time.
Mason was right about one thing. Erica would have kept him waiting far longer than he would like. She always wanted to look her best when she traveled. Whether it was a trip to the beach in the summer or to the woods in the fall, her bags were always heavy. This was something else that annoyed Mason, but he stopped complaining about it when she pointed out how much he enjoyed her various “outfits.” He couldn’t argue with her on this point. He did appreciate the effort she put into looking her best even if he wasn’t a fan of all the goop she applied to her face. In the end, this was a battle he was never going to win, so he conceded early to make life easier for himself.
Today, she was up about the same time as Mason, but it was by choice. She had a long to-do list before heading back, and she wanted to get an early start on the drive tomorrow. Friday traffic was always horrible.
“Without Mason breathing down her neck, she could take as much time as she wanted with her appearance, so this became her favorite time of day.”
Without Mason breathing down her neck, she could take as much time as she wanted with her appearance, so this became her favorite time of day. She took a little more than an hour. The last 45 minutes were spent seated at her old vanity where she fussed over her makeup and hair and debated between whether to wear earrings or a necklace… or both. And maybe also a ring. She settled on a necklace for now and took the stairs down to the dining room where the maid was setting up the table for breakfast.
“Good morning, Nadine.”
“Good morning. Your parents are in the family room watching the news.”
“Oh boy. Thanks for the heads up.”
Erica entered the family room, picked up the remote control from the arm of her father’s chair, and powered the television off.
“I was watching that,” he said.
“I know. That’s why I turned it off. Breakfast is ready anyway.”
That’s all it took. Her father stood up and walked to the dining room.
“You too, mom.”
“I’m not very hungry. I had a banana when I woke up.”
Erica motioned towards the dining room, “Well, you can keep us company, then. Come on.” And her mother went. When Erica first started coming back home, they pushed back on some of her demands. Like Mason, they eventually learned some battles just weren’t worth fighting.
After breakfast, Erica started on her to-do list. She dedicated the first few hours of the morning to her paying job as a graphic designer for a startup in New York — a step down from her previous position, but this job allowed her more flexibility — while her parents napped in the family room. They would need the energy later for errands. First on the weekly tour of Mobile would be mother’s trip to the beauty salon, lunch, and dad’s medical appointment. Mid-afternoon would be spent dawdling in the park and at the grocery store.
When they made it back to the house, Nadine, was setting the table for dinner. While her parents freshened up, she decided to check in with Mason.