What Came Around . . . Didn’t Go Around

Mom was never big on doin’ anything for anybody but she sure liked to have other people do for her. It was embarrassing. She was shameless the way she’d go to the neighbors and ask for things . . . a cup of this . . . a cup of that that . . . a ride somewhere and she never offered any money for gas. And during the holidays she sure enough wasn’t about giving . . . she was about receiving. She never made any kind of special delecacies to give to other people. She’d just wait for some nice somebody to feel sorry for us and come over with a fruit cake or a cheese plate or a box full of used clothes. She’d say, “Vel at least ‘Meesus’ so und so ees a goot person . . . she hat geeven us something des year.” And it was amazing how she waited around expecting Christmas cards but never sent any. She wouldn’t even acknowledge a generous relative who’d slip a little money in the envelope. Hell, she’d just act like she had it comin’.

Once she got so mad though . . . just bitchin’ and complainin’ ’cause a letter came askin’ for somethin’ from us. One of dad’s 2nd cousins, a poor old spinster lady livin’ in a shack down home wrote in mid December beggin’ for money. Mom was outraged. She threw the letter down. She screamed and yelled and carried on. She said “Dat betch . . . she hot alot of nerve . . . she ees trying to geet money Landa . . . money for coal because eets so cold outside.” I was shocked. Why would mom be that upset just because an old woman wanted to stay warm?