Change in Plans

The Blau Family

Dear God, it’s me Rosa once again. I am hoping you’re not getting tired of hearing from me. If you are, I can cut back talking to you to only two times a week. Please let me know in my dreams. Also please let me stay smart in school and when I tell my friends I want to be a cashier at Domino’s Pizza when I grow up that they stop laughing at me. Not everyone wants to be a doctor or a lawyer like my aunty Elizabeth. Please also make Elizabeth more girly and less like a man. I think that’s it for now. I’m tired and want to go to sleep. So, bye for now and oh yes, you’re a good boy, Amen.

The news from Sybil’s parents was disheartening to say the least. George looked at the letter they had received from Esther and Craig Roth for a third time.

“When they write soon, what does that mean in your family? We certainly don’t have the room for them to stay here though.”

Sybil shook her head. She did not want her parents who were meandering their way down to Clearwater to stay on North Topsail longer than necessary. “I think George the only reason they’re doing that, is because they don’t want their belongings to reach Florida before they do. You know what those moving companies are like. They take two days to pack up and then thirty days to get it to where they’re supposed to go. The last thing my parents want is to get there, open the doors to their new nest and have it empty.”

“I understand, no one wants an empty nest!” replied George reluctantly, “but really we don’t have the room for them.”

“They can find lodging in Surf City, I’m sure. There are plenty of Air BnBs there.” offered Sybil who remembered the last time her parents had paid them a visit. Rosa in a matter of hours had wrapped her father around her wing. So, she would like it if they found lodging elsewhere.  

“They didn’t say how long they were going to stay here did they?”

“I can’t imagine it will be that long,” Sybil really didn’t want this to be a source of aggravation between her and George. But regardless of what she tried, that was the way it was headed. “There is an alternative you know,” a light bulb went off in Sybil’s head. George looked up from the letter which he clasped in his wings hoping for spontaneous combustion. Then they could pretend they had never received it, but that wasn’t about to happen. “We could offer Elizabeth’s nest to them, and she could come over here.”

George beamed for a second but that soon died out when he realised that having Sybil’s cousin living with them even for one day, would be a bridge too far. There had been a lot of tension in the family ever since Jeremy had been summarily rejected by Elizabeth and that she had reconnected with Kris Rock, someone from their past when they lived in New Jersey. He was known to be as dumb as a rock and attracted all the wrong kind of people because he worked out at the gym, instead of doing his homework when they were in school. George had once told him that it was a pity that his brains were in his wings and not between his ears.

He shook his head vehemently, “no, that wouldn’t work. Can you imagine having Kris Rock over here nearly every evening and anyway, how do you know she would agree to the deal?”
“I don’t,” replied Sybil clutching for straws, because she didn’t want Elizabeth to live with them either. It soon became clear there wasn’t anything suitable and so they both looked at each other collapsing on the couch in despair.

“We still don’t know what they mean by soon, Sybil. Their soon and our soon maybe be different.” Sybil groaned as she got up from the couch and reached over to get her mobile phone. 

George held his breath as she dialled her parents’ phone. He let it out slowly when he heard Sybil say, “hi Mom, how’s the packing going?” But as he watched Sybil’s face, it became clear that she did not like what she was hearing and he fell backwards against the couch and covered his face with his wings. ‘Can life get any worse?’ he thought to himself and felt it was about to.

Sybil hung up and dug George out from under a pile of cushions. “They aren’t coming,” she said. George sprung up and looked intently at his wife.

“What do you mean they aren’t coming?”

“Apparently,” continued a smiling Sybil, “apparently Ethan made a big mistake on the financial statements and instead of them believing they made money, they actually lost money. That made my father panic and he fired Ethan.”

“He fired his son, sorry, your brother?”
“Yes,” replied a buoyant Sybil,” isn’t that wonderful?”
“No, it’s not wonderful that he fired your brother. But it is wonderful they aren’t coming down here.”

“What are you doing guys?” the voice was familiar and they both groaned. School must be over and Rosa was home.

“Why are you home before your brother and sister?” asked Sybil suddenly realising that Rosa usually got home after Julia.

“Mummy, do you know who I am?” Rosa asked dropping her books on the carpet.

“Why do you ask such a silly question? Of course, I know who you are.”

“Well Mummy, if you did then you would know that we have half days on Fridays.”

“Oh, you’re right. I forgot today was Friday.”

“It’s also pizza day! Remember we get pizza before Daddy goes to shul?” No, that wasn’t quite true even though that’s what Rosa would like to have happen. George looked at his daughter, “right Daddy?” She added hoping her father would agree.

“Sometimes. Not every Friday, Rosa dear.”

“But today is that sometimes, Daddy. We haven’t had pizza in 500 years.”

‘Here we go again,’ thought Sybil. Rosa’s opening statement did not bode well for her. She was very familiar with it, but she was not going to get involved.

“Darling,” said George looking at his wife, “when did we last have pizza?”

Too late, Sybil was involved. “500 years ago,” she replied with an evil smile.

“See Daddy, we need to go and get pizza.”

George knew he was beaten. “Ok Rosa dear. But shouldn’t we wait for Julia and Timmy to get home to see what they would like on their pizza?” No, Rosa did not like that idea. That’s why she looked forward to Fridays, she got home first.

Rosa was about to say something, but George cut her off. He got up and hugged his daughter which was what he usually did when she first came home. “Let’s go then. The usual on yours, darling?”

“And what’s that darling?”

“Garlic and onions?” George asked.

“No Domino’s doesn’t have that. I’ll have plain and that will please Timmy, because it will be kosher.”

“Can I have pepperoni on mine, Daddy?” asked Rosa knowing full well what the answer would be.

“We will be back soon,” replied George grabbing hold of Rosa’s wing and flying out of the nest.

Sybil collapsed on the floor not sure whether to celebrate or not.