Part 6 : Tripping...

When I get anxious or nervous, all the saliva leaves my mouth. I crave water. The day we left for the airport, I drank a lot of water.

Even though Mum was still talking to non-existent people, and didn't really have a grip on what was happening, Kevin and I made the decision to get on the plane and just get it over with. What difference would another day make, and how much trouble can a 100 pound, 4'8" woman make?

Sharing a bed again with her while she socialized with her imaginary friends didn't allow for much sleep. At 8 a.m. I gave up and got out of bed to make coffee. Mum got up  as well and seemed fresh as a daisy. How? I have no idea. Luckily, I had packed everything the night before, so there was very little for me to actually do. I could be brain dead and it didn't really matter. Kevin took over. He hauled all the luggage into his car, buckled mum into the back seat, installed me in the passenger side and we headed for Tampa. As I looked in the side view mirror ands saw her condo disappear from view, I wondered if she would ever be back. Cue the water bottle. 

Traveling on I-75 is nothing like it used to be. It seems like everyone has discovered  Sarasota county; there is ALWAYS traffic. The trip from Mum's place to the Tampa airport used to take a little over an hour (yes, I speed a bit). Now, I have to budget for 2 hours to be sure I don't miss the plane. Having to also manage an addled passenger, I asked Kevin to leave an hour earlier than normal.

Inching along the highway Kevin and I tried to interpret what mum was talking about and to whom. We determined it was all nonsense so we  gave up and decided to chill and listen to music. I drank more water. I was anticipating the 'what ifs'. Kevin was going to drop us off with the bags, park the car, come back to where we would wait for him, and then help with the luggage at the Southwest desk. It was complicated, but it was the only way to do it since I had to get mum into a wheelchair and I couldn't handle her and 3 bags. Before I left, I had written to some of my dearest girlfriends and asked them to send me some good mojo. I was going to need every kind of religious intervention I could get. 

As Kevin pulled up outside the Southwest area, to our delight and amazement we saw that Tampa airport had curbside check-in... so Kevin wouldn't need to park after all! And, there was no one in line. We parked at the curb and very leisurely rolled the bags over to the "Bag Check Guy" (hereinafter BCG) at the counter. As I was doing the whole ID thing Kevin got mum out of the backseat. He has a 2 door Audi so it was a bit difficult. She ended up scraping her shin and, because her skin is paper thin, it started to bleed. Luckily she had on capris so her pants weren't stained - but the blood started to pour down her wee leg. Enter BCG. As Kevin wrapped paper towels (he always keeps them in his car... doesn't everybody?)  around mum's shin, BCG used some baggage tape to close the 'bandage' like an expert EMT.  Then, he left his stand, found a wheelchair, installed newly bandaged mum into the chair, gave me my baggage stubs, and "forgot" to charge me for the overweight luggage.  Mojo working, ladies!

With the bags out of the way, I wheeled mum into the airport where we found a 'family bathroom'. A wheelchair fits in but it was tight. We then headed up to the gate. I've been to Tampa airport countless times. I could get to the the C terminal, catch the tram, get to the TSA precheck all in my sleep. As I wheeled mum through the area, I tried to sound upbeat and excited... like it was an adventure and she was a little kid. 

She sat quietly on the tram while I held on to her chair.  We got to security and the TSA guy took a shine to her (she is pretty cute), took mum and wheeled her through the lines without blinking an eye. It was magical! 

We had at least an hour to kill in the terminal so I bought her M&Ms, an apple juice and a travel magazine. We eventually lined up with the wheelchair convoy and boarded without incident. I got mum in a window seat, took the middle seat and settled in.

At take off it was clear that she had no idea who I was. It was like a switch was turned off. She turned to me, flashed a sweet smile and asked me where I was from. She told me I looked a little like her husband. (is that a compliment? *!!). I was actually dressed like Kendall Roy (all in black with a black non-logo baseball cap). When I told her my home town was Oakville, Ontario she looked at me in amazement. "That's MY hometown! What are the chances!??"

I laughed out loud. This was going to be a long (but maybe entertaining) flight. 

I pulled out the same travel magazine at least 5 times in order to distract here. Each time it was new to her. She was really loopy! She insisted she knew some of the passengers as they walked down the aisle to the bathroom... And, then she started to cry. I mean, weep! Now, I've seen my mum cry maybe 3 times in my life so this was startling! She's what I call a 'squelcher'. I should know, I'm a squelcher, too (like mother /like daughter). I asked her why she was so sad. 

Mum: I'm not sad, at all. I'm just so happy that the baby is ok. 

Me: What baby? 

Mum: My baby girl, Elizabeth Ann.

She pointed to the flight attendant and said, "that nice lady just told me she's going to be ok". 

WTF. Now, I don't believe mum had a difficult pregnancy with me. So , I have no idea where this was coming from. But, for the rest of the trip she wanted to thank the flight attendant for letting her know that baby was going 'to make it'. I kept holding mum back in her seat telling her that the flight attendant was working and didn't have time to talk to her. 

She calmed down a bit and ate the M&Ms one by and one. She regaled me with tales from her girlhood. I turned in my seat so I could face her and gave my back to the guy in the aisle in our row - who, by the way, manspreadded into my small space the entire flight.  If I wasn't with my mum and completely distracted I would've said something, but I really couldn't handle one more thing. 

We landed. Finally. I wheeled mum to the baggage claim where my friend and ex sister-in-law, Mary met us.  Just seeing her face made my stomach unclench. What a kindness! Kevin had called ahead and asked her to help. She took mum off my hands while I hauled the bags off the carousel and out to the curb where my husband, Bill (5'2") waited with the car. He looked at the enormous bags and took a deep breath. 

Then, as if by magic, an SUV pulled up behind our car and our friend Jimmy jumps out. He had recognized Bill but was at the airport to pick up his wife (who was on the same Tampa flight). He insisted on (easily) swinging the enormous bags into the back of the car.  

As I went back to retrieve mum, Mary gave me a wide yet sly smile. She whispered:

Your mum has a new baby. Did you know? 

Yes, apparently, I've been reborn.