Distraction

At least we had a fun Friday. We ate E's fabulous Subway sandwich aproximations and watched Flushed Away. The next morning, A and I were up early and got ready for her big weekend away with her dad. We walked to our drop off and waited. It was eerily quiet.

A said, "Listen to the crickets, mommy." And we did. No cars passed. The parking lot was vacant. I watched my watch click past 10:12 am. I realized her father wasn't coming.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "Let's go call him."

We returned home and I called her father. No answer. I left a message and called his cell phone. No answer. I left a message and called E.

"He wasn't there," I said. "He's not answering his phone."

"Didn't you confirm it?" He asked.

"Yes. It was supposed to start this weekend."

"Did you email him?"

"I'm trying, but my internet isn't starting up."

By this time I was slippery with sweat and had a headache rapping my left temple. A was watching a Backyardigans video at top volume in the living room. I knew E would not be happy to have A tag along to our Spa Weekend in Tremblant. The internet finally connected and I sent X an email.

"What do you want to do?" E asked.

"Well, what can I do? If I can't reach him, we'll have to take her. You can't cancel, right? I told him in the email that if he didn't get back to me in an hour, I would. All I can do is wait. Maybe I'll walk back to the drop off. Can I call you after that?"

I told A she could bring her video and we walked back to the drop-off point, just in case. It was still deserted. The crickets thrummed in the silence.

"I think your Daddy must have made a mistake," I explained. "Maybe he thought it was next weekend. Maybe you'll have to come to the mountain with Mommy and E."

"I don't want to see my Daddy," A said.

"Well, let's go home and see if he called."

We walked slowly back to our house, holding hands. When we got in, she turned her video back on and I was about to call E when the phone rang, it was Z, my ex's new partner.

"It was next weekend," she said.

"No," I explained, "I just sent a copy of the email from my lawyer, this was your weekend."

"Well, I'll have X call you when he gets back."

"When will he get back? We were supposed to be going away."

"He'll be here in a few minutes. But you can bring her over now, if you want."

I agreed to that, relieved, then went to gather up A. It took some convincing. I shouldn't have mentioned the mountains. She agreed to go so long as she could take her video. As we were about to hop in the car, my neighbour, H, bumped into us, on his way to our backyard.

"Oh, hey, would you like to come for a ride?" I asked. I threw all the junk from the front seat into the backseat and made a space for him. A climbed into her car seat and we set off for the Acres.

On the way, my neighbour, the one who so kindly cut my lawn, launches a few bombs. He's been looking me up on the internet and has found lots of things, apparently, and would like to talk to me about them. I shut that discussion down fairly fast. After we dropped A off to her father, with my neighbour as witness, he said in the car, "I've seen that guy around before."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He's been outside your house, walking around."

"Really? When?"

"A couple of times we've seen him. M and me. A few weeks ago, around 10 pm. 10 am the other time."

I had to sit on that for a while. "I should tell my lawyer that." I say, "He shouldn't be doing that."

My neighbour raises his eyebrows, he probably says something I've blanked from memory.

When we get back to my place the garage door won't open. My neighbour hops out, throws it up, and poof! its broken. Meanwhile, E is on his way and we were supposed to be off to Tremblant at 11:00 am. It is noon. My garage door is missing a screw, a nut, and a washer. It hasn't been working properly since it was "fixed" a couple of months ago. My neighbour says, "Do you want me to fix it for you?"

"Do you have time?" I ask.

"Answer the question. Yes or No. Do you want me to fix it for you?"

I hesitate. "Yes?" I answer.

"Okay then. Give me the remote."

I hand over the device, shuffle around behind him for a while, then realize I have to pack and make an excuse to leave. E will be here any minute.

I throw some things in a bag. I'm not thinking clearly, so I shove in 4 dresses, a bathing suit, my strappy sandals, and a couple of t-shirts. Then I hear someone at the door. It is my neighbour.
I go to greet him and he says, "Listen, you've got to let me have a look at your computer so we can block that guy." He means my ex; I told him about the harassing emails.

I sigh, "I really don't have time right now," just as E arrives and saves me from further excuses. E introduces himself and I thank my neighbour, but he says, "Listen, it isn't really fixed. If you want it really fixed, then leave me the remote. And do I have permission to water your lawn? It needs some work, but it is your water bill."

I'm scattered and tired and I turn to E who nods.

"Okay," I say. "Thanks."

My neighbour leaves and we throw my bag in the car and take off.

The weekend is a lovely oasis of calm and goodness. Then we return.

We leave the mountain at 6:30 am. We get lost. We turn around a few times and finally think we're going in the right direction, but still have a few turn arounds before we find our way. I'm exhausted and jittery because I've been up since 5:00 am, worried about my ex's last words in relation to A: "I think you're worng." "I'll be calling my lawyer on Monday." "Talk to your lawyer."

Well, what lawyer works on a holiday Monday? Of course my lawyer isn't in. I call, but there's no answer. My ex wouldn't agree to meet me, but I send an email and leave a message and forward my lawyer's last communication to me wherein he states that he discussed this very drop-off with my ex's lawyer and it was for 10 am on Monday, which it almost is.

E and I read until 9:45 am and then we get into his car and drive to the pick-up point.

"Are you okay?" He asks, as I take a deep breath. I nod.

"Do you want me to come in with you?"

"That would be great."

So, as much as he hates this tense exchange, he comes with me, and as we are walking to the drop-off location, we see my ex with A.

"He's here," I say, exhaling, bumping into E and grabbing his hand. We make it into the cafe and stand waiting. (Yes, a cafe, yes, a terrible place to exchange a child.) My ex walks in with A, sets her down. She stands talking to him for a while, asking silly questions, poking him with her hand. She sees A and I and just has her last few moments with her father before she turns and walks into my arms. I hug her tight and sniff her hair and want to cry.

E drives us home and we go in and lie on the couch. A little later on . . . I realize I still don't know where my purse is . . . I didn't have it when we got to Tremblant, I didn't have a coat or sweater either. I'd packed badly. But my purse. I looked through the house. Not there. My car? Oh yes, my neighbour has the remote. Maybe my purse is in my car. I have my keys, so I go outside and open the side door. The garage is clean. I didn't leave it clean. I open the car, it is cleaner. I didn't leave it that way either. It was locked. I locked it when I left. I open the garage door with button.
A's behind me.

"Oh dear," I say. "He cleaned our garage and our car."

"Why, oh dear?" she asks.

"Well, I don't know where anything is," I explain.

Then my neighbour turns up. He explains his work. He's organized everything.

"How did you get in the car?" I ask, " I locked it," I add.

He taps the hatchback.

I ask, "Did you find my purse? I thought I left my purse in there."

He shrugs and points to a box. "I put a lot of junk in that."

It took me 20 or so minutes of panic and phonecalls to E and searching before I found my purse under my briefcase in the house. Meanwhile, my neighbour was searching my garage and I was fuming about his little intervention. I still can't find anything. I realize he was trying to help, but . . .

I've been driven to distraction.