Staying a Week

Maggie’s funeral is next Thursday, so Mark will be staying a week.

David and I have this theory about house guests and that is that, no matter who they are, they should only ever stay 2 days, 3 at a push. So, I text David.

“Mark is staying over a week, he clearly didn’t get the memo.”

“Nooooooo, 2 days, 3 tops.”

“It should be taught in school. It could replace something useless like religious education.”

“Hahahahaha!! Clearly.”

Mark says, “You are coming to the funeral, aren’t you?”

Oh what? Funerals are such a waste of time, especially for someone old and whose been essentially dead for, you know, a couple of years. “Oh, yes, sure.”

Of course, Luke and stepdaughter Jane wanted to come. And Luke booked them exorbitantly priced air tickets. They were the only ones he could get. Leaving the afternoon of the funeral. Both of them just down for the day. It would all become a rush. Mark would have to bolt from the funeral to the airport, I gather, long before he wanted to.

“Why does he do these things without checking with me first?” said Mark.

I’ve never really known why Luke does anything. “He thought he was doing the right thing, I’m sure.”

“Now it is all going to be impossible.”

You’ll have to leave half way through your own mother’s funeral. “It’ll turn out okay, just wait and see.”

“And when I questioned what he’d done,” said Mark. “He got all defensive and said don’t you want me to come to your mother’s funeral.”

What could I say? “I guess it is something he feels he needs to do.”

“They didn’t have to come. It seems stupid to spend all that money.”

Mark has complained about the cold, my ability to build open fires, and the bulldogs snoring, thus far. It's been all drama, but then his mum has just died. Sam and I don't really do drama, it has been interesting.

Ah ex-boyfriends, you can't live with them...