by She’s still “not right”, whatever that means exactly. She needs to go back to the doctor again, but who knows whether she actually will. From what Dad said in his email, the chances that I’ll see them next month have plummeted to about 40%. I’m sure that Mum would prefer not to make the trip anyway, even if she was perfectly well. I think my percentages have been overestimates all along, for that very reason.
Update: My brother called me shortly after I posted that last paragraph. Things don’t look great. I’d guess 25% now. He’s resigned to the idea that his kids might never see their paternal grandparents again, and his daughter may never see them at all. It would be so damn difficult and expensive for all four of my brother’s family to make a trip over there, and my parents mightn’t be all that bothered even if they did. I suppose 25% isn’t zero, but they might already have made up their mind weeks ago regardless. And it is weird and concerning that Mum hasn’t discovered the root cause of her problem. The most important thing is Mum’s health, even if the “family political” implications of it are rather upsetting right now.
