Helen was a retired emergency room nurse who didn’t tolerate nonsense from anyone. When I told her what Leo had asked of me, she simply handed me the spare key to her cabin and told me the guest bed had fresh sheets.
I settled into a rocking chair on the porch, wrapped my hands around the hot mug, and breathed in the crisp pinescented air.
At exactly 9:15 a.m., my phone buzzed on the small wooden table next to me. I glanced at the screen. It was a text from Leo.
“Mom, where are you? Sarah is looking for her morning smoothie ingredients, and the fridge is mostly empty.”
I took a sip of my tea. The panic hadn’t fully set in for them yet, but the first domino had just fallen.
I didn’t answer Leo’s text right away. I let him stare at the empty shelves of my refrigerator for a while.
For the past 8 months, Sarah had complained about the groceries I bought, claiming I didn’t understand her specific expensive dietary needs. Yet, she never hesitated to consume everything I stocked.
Anticipating this Thanksgiving disaster, I had simply stopped buying bulkies 10 days ago. I bought exactly enough food for my own meals, leaving the pantry barren and the freezer empty.
My phone buzzed again, this time a phone call. I let it go to voicemail.
2 minutes later, a frantic text from Sarah lit up the screen.
“Walter’s mom, where is the turkey? I specifically put a freerange organic turkey on the list. My parents are coming tomorrow. We need food.”
I tapped out a quick, polite response.
“Good morning, Sarah. Like I said yesterday, I am on vacation. You have your grocery list. The nearest supermarket is 4 miles down the road. Best of luck.”
I put my phone on silent and tossed it into my purse.
Back in my house, I knew exactly what was happening. Sarah was pacing the kitchen floor, outraged that her unpaid staff had actually clocked out.
But I also knew Sarah wasn’t one to accept defeat easily. She would assume this was just an inconvenience, not a catastrophe.
She would remember the emergency credit card. Months ago, I had given Leo a supplementary card under my account for real emergencies, a flat tire, a broken water heater.