Midnight in Suburbia

NaNoWriMo Day 13: Chapter 13 - Ethan Calls His Mother

Chapter 13: Ethan
Calls his Mother

Ethan closed his cell phone, disconnecting the call to his mother. He looked at the cable box on top of the television set. 'Twelve noon Pacific Standard time,' he thought. 'That would make it about 1:00 pm in Oklahoma. Why is Mom going to bed so early? I wonder is something is wrong.' Accessing his contact list, he dial Daniella's cell phone.

"Hi, Sis," he said. "I just finished talking to Mom and she was going to bed. I think something must be wrong."

"All right, she is 90 years old, still it's unlike her to go to bed for an afternoon nap. Normally, she lays down on the couch and watches television before taking a nap."

"Hum," his brow wrinkled. "Yes, I think she did mention Dolly and the silver. Why?"

"What did Uncle Rodger say in his letter?"

"I don't see how she could have forgotten that Dad was dead. I mean she helped Uncle Rodger and me plan the funeral."

"Perhaps it's her medication."

"She missed an appointment. Do you know when?"

"Oh, after you talk to Aunt Emily would you please call me."

"Yes, I'm worried. No, I didn't let Mom think I was worried."

"Sis, I neither Mom or I have a visa-phone, so she can't see my face."

"She didn't seem to pick up on any voice clues, but at the time I was more interested in telling her I was coming up Thanksgiving and bringing Alice."

"Yes, she did sound like she thought you could still have children, but I'm still not sure that indicates anything except a senior moment."

"She also seemed to forget that she talked to you about Thanksgiving."

"I'll be there the day before Thanksgiving, but I may arrive after you because I have to meet Alice's plane."

"Well, Mom did seem thrilled about meeting Alice and her cats."

"Yes, Alice is bringing some of the kittens."

"Her father didn't have the cat spade and she had about five or six kittens."

"No, I don't think she will bring them all. The last time I talked to her she said that she had given away a couple."

"No, I don't know if she actually meant two cats, she could have given away more."

'Would you like one of the kittens?" He laughed as Daniella broke the connection.

Preston
Checks his house

Preston drove into the driveway of his house and got out of the car. He looked around the front yard, noticing that the trees were trimmed and the grass neatly mowed. Then he walked up to the front door, but before he could ring the bell or open the door Mrs. Rodrequise greeted him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Farnsworth," she said unlocking the security screen. "Please come in and look at the house."

He smile as he entered the house, "What smells so good?"

"I'm making tomales," she replied as she led him through the house to the kitchen. "I thought it would be a good idea to test the appliances before your mother came."

"Yes," he laughed. "My mother likes to cook and I'd hate for anything not to be in working order."

"Everything works fine in the kitchen, Would you like a tomolie?"

"Yes, please."

She put one on a plate, dipped sauce over it, and sit it on the table in the breakfast room. While he ate the tomalli, she poured both of them a cup of coffee and sit down at the table.

"All the rooms are clean and the furniture is in good repair," she sipped her coffee. "There are several letters for the Jones' laying on the dining room table."

"I'll drop them by the post office on my way home. Anything else I should take care of?"

"They also left some toys and clothes in the bedrooms."

"When I talked to my lawyer, he said that they way the left broke the lease and that anything in the house was mine to dispose of." He rubbed his chin with his left hand, "Pack them up in boxes or trash bags and I'll drop them off at Cathelic Cherities."

"They're already bagged and sitting in the garage," she said as he finished his food. "Would you like to see the backyard."

"Yes." He got up, went into the dining room and opened the sliding glass doors to the patio. He smiled as he studied the perfectly manicured lawn and trimmed trees. He went back into the house, where Mrs. Rodrequis was waiting for him. "Your husband did a very good job."

"Thank you," she guided him to the hall, stopped at the bathroom and turned on the light. After he finished inspecting the bathroom, she guided him to the other rooms. Pointing out specific things in each bedroom. The last bedroom they inspected was the one where the dogs were found. He walked in and took a deep breath, the room smelled like roses.

"You did a very good job," he smiled. "I didn't think the odor come out of this room."

"Fortunetly, there is no carpet in here, but I think the bed needs a new mattress because of the dogs."

"I'll see to that, Mrs. Rodrequis," they returned to the foyer. "Do you have your invoice?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I have both mine and my husbands." Mrs Rodrequis handed him two envelops.

He opened on envelop, looked at the invoice, then removed his check book from inside jacket pocket, wrote a check, and handed the envelope back to Mrs. Rodrequis. Next he performed the same action with the other envelope. She handed him the house key and they shook hands.

"I put the tamolies and sauce in the refrigerator," she said. "Just heat them up in the microwave."

"Thank you, Mrs. Rodriques," he said as she left the house.

After Mrs. Rodrequis left, Preston checked the sliding glass door and locked it. Then he picked up the garage door remote, opened the garage, and begin putting the bags of clothes and toys in the back of his SUV. After about thirty minutes, he closed the garage door and place the remote back on the stand in the hall. Next he went into the dining room and picked up the mail laying on the table. He carried the mail to the car before returning to lock the door, once in the car he used a small key chain type remote to turn on the alarm system.

Backing out of the driveway, he drove to a Chathelic Charities drop box, put the bags in the bin, and then he turned south on Eastern. He drove south until he came to Sunset Avenue, where he made a right turn. After a few minutes he came to the main post office, there he took the letters in and waited in line until he got to the counter.

"These folks no longer live at this address," he said to the postal cleric.

"Did they leave any forwarding address," the cleric ask.

"No." He watched as the cleric put 'Return to Sender, Address Unknown' on the enevelops.

"Thank you, Sir," the cleric said as Preston left.

Outside, Preston got in his SUV and droving out of the parking lot he turned left on Sunset Road. After about thirty minutes, he drove into Daniella's driveway. The garage door was already open and Daniella's car was parked in the garage. He parked his SUV, got out, closed the garage door, and went into the house through the door leading from the garage. Once inside he walked down the hall toward the dining room, but stopped at the laundry room. He opened the washer. took out the wet clothes, put them in the dryer, and turned the dryer on. Then he continued into the dining room.

"What took you so long," ask Daniella as she poured him a cup of coffee.

"I had to take some stuff to Cathelic Cherities and then go to the post office." He sit down next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I see," she smiled returning his kiss, but on his mouth.

"Looking for a little romance, are you?'

"Yes," she said. "I'm going to Oklahoma in a few days and I want to leave happy and satisfied."

"Sounds good to me," he took a pork chop from the platter and then helped himself to mashed potatoes and gravy. "Were not having salad?" He took a couple of spoon fulls of creamed peas.

"Not tonight, Sweet heart." She sighed, "I didn't feel like fixing salad of any kind."

"Good," he said. "I presume we're having desert in the bedroom."

"Yes," she laughed. "Unless you want something sweeter."

"No," he winked at her. "You're sweet enough for me."

At that moment, Daniella's cell phone ring. Picking it up off the table, she checked the number and then answered it. "Hi, Mom, what's up?"

"Yes, I'll be in Blackwell on Thanksgiving."

"No, you don't have to meet my plane. I'm taking a private jet and I haven't discussed arrival time with the pilot."

"Yes, Mom," she laughed. "I'm wealthy enough to hire a private plane."

"No, Mom, I don't intend to purchase a plane myself."

"You can make the turkey, but leave the fruit salad for me to make."

"I'll be there the day before Thanksgiving."

"Ethan will arrive sometime after me because he has to meet Alice's plane."

"No, she isn't taking a private jet, but I think she is going to bring some kittens."

"I know, Mom, you like cats. Do you have any right now?"

"Only a few strays."

"I'll purchase some cat food for them while I'm there."

"I'm staying for several day because I have to talk to your doctor."

"Is it Dr. Jones?"

"Oh, you have an appointment with Dr. Martin on December 1."

"I'll stay and talk to the doctor then, if that's all right with you."

"No, Mother, I'm not trying to conspiring against you." She shook her head, "It's just that I'm worried about you."

"I know you can take care of yourself, but as your daughter it's part of my job description to worry about you."

"All right, I'll see you soon. I love you, Mama." She closed her cell phone and drink the rest of her coffee in one gulp.

"Daniella," said Preston as he poured her another cup of coffee. "Why don't you bring your mother here?"

"If I do that, I'll need a convincing reason," she sighed. "Mom's a bit stubborn and she doesn't like people telling her what to do. She thinks it's rude."

"Ask her to come down until after our honeymoon," he took another pork chop from the platter. "Tell her you want her to take care of James Cagney and Lauren Bacall." He cut the chop and took a bit.

"Ask her to dog and cat sit,"

"Either that or to house sit."

"You know, Preston," she took a spoon full of creamed peas. "That isn't a bad idea and at least she will be here for the wedding."

"Why wasn't coming for the wedding?"

"She told me it was because she didn't want to leave her animals," Daniella frowned. "She said she couldn't find anyone trustworthy enough to take care of them, but on the phone just now she said she only had a bunch of strays."