Bethsheba rings at least twice every day, but tonight she rang FIVE TIMES! I was the one who had to answer the phone, because I was the only one home except Nan. I didn’t want her to answer in case it was Elvin about tomorrow. I don’t want him exposed to the darker side of my family life until we know each other better, say in a year or two. (You can bet your last Rolo that Catriona Hendley’s grandmother isn’t any more embarrassing than the rest of Catriona’s incredibly perfect family. Catriona’s grandmother isn’t a Jesus freak; she’s a baroness.) Anyway, even though I told Bethsheba that Justin wasn’t in and that I’d give him a message, she kept right on ringing. I finally unplugged the phone and went to take a bath. As per usual, the Mad Cow yelled at ME when she got home and realized the phone was disconnected. What if she’d been trying to get through? What if there’d been an emergency? I said what if she bought me a new mobe so she’d know that she could always get me if she had to, and she said what if I started ironing my own clothes and the moon turned blue?
You can see why people seeking enlightenment usually live in caves by themselves. (If it weren’t for the lack of electricity and the snakes and scorpions I might consider it myself.) I really find coping with my family v draining. I hope I can survive long enough to get my own place. It’s not easy to pursue a life that is intellectually stimulating as well as spiritually fulfilling in a house where everybody else is submerged in the trivial and the mundane. Mobile phones … the menopause … a little dye in the washing machine – what are these things compared to the great books, the great music, the great ideas? NOTHING, that’s what. But how can I concentrate on Higher Things when I’m constantly being brought down to below ground level by the Bandrys?