You Can’t Fight Against Mother’s Nature
(I’m on the phone with my mother, discussing my parents’ visit next weekend. Since both are obnoxiously nosy, traditional, and fearsome about nearly everything in life, I tend to keep relationships to myself to keep things healthy.)
Mother: “So, do we get to see [New Boyfriend]?”
Me: “Oh, he can’t be there this weekend.”
Mother: “Oh. Why not?!”
Me: “He can’t make it. He isn’t there.”
Mother: “Ah! Why! Not! I am so eager to meet him!”
Me: “He isn’t around that day.”
Mother: “Now I can’t meet him. I so hoped for it.”
Me: “Well, he just isn’t here this weekend.”
Mother: “Why can’t he? It’s the first time we get to see him.”
Me: “He is not around, not in town…”
Mother: *deep sigh*
Me: “But we will come to [Aunt]’s party in June.”
Mother: “Aaaaahh! Not fair!”
Me: “Why so…”
Mother: “Now [Aunt] gets to see him first!”
Me: “That depends who sees him first at the party, I guess?”
Mother: “Just isn’t fair. Why can’t we see him this weekend?!”
Me: “He is just not around.”
Mother: *keeps muttering until I change the subject*
(Mind you, I used to have a cat which was afraid of her. Every year on my birthday, she would sneak out of the living room and chase the trembling cat until I dragged her — my mother — back to the living room, and my father told her to stay put on the couch and not chase the poor cat. She kept trying. My boyfriend is not going to be around during their visit this weekend!)