by Mum’s behaviour on Saturday − rolling around on the floor for 30 seconds, screaming and shouting, and saying that she wanted to die − was a classic case of playing the victim and attention seeking. That was clear when I saw her looking at home furnishings online minutes later. She’s been playing the victim for decades, most often with Dad, but he never calls her out on it. There’s no point reasoning with Mum so I’ve just let time take its course. She’s much better now. Mum is intelligent (if by no means an academic), helpful (in her own way!) and very practical. It’s just a shame her emotional IQ, or EQ if you like, is a couple of standard deviations below the mean.
I don’t enjoy staying at my parents’ place anymore. Our lives are drifting apart; a mansion like this isn’t something I’ll ever have or want. The weather has been awful since I arrived. In Wellington I manage to get out even in the wind and rain, but here there’s nowhere to go and nothing to do. My aunt and uncle came over last night for dinner. I get on well with them. Unfortunately the topic of conversation didn’t stray from real estate for the whole time we ate. “How did the Robertsons get seven-twenty for that? It wasn’t even renovated!” Mum said, “If that one on Tancred Street went for 679, how much would we get for this?” I said 680. Even I, with my very limited knowledge of Geraldine house prices, know it would go for at least $800,000.
Packing, which two days ago was finished, has now become unfinished. Mum has bought me some winter clothes and it would hurt her feelings if I didn’t include them. The weight limit doesn’t allow me to take both her stuff and mine. I’m unable to fully leave her behind.
My flight leaves Christchurch at 4:55pm tomorrow. I’m flying with Emirates. My first plane, a 777, makes short stops at Sydney and Bangkok on the way to Dubai. From there I’ll be taking one of Emirates’ extensive fleet of A380s to Heathrow.
I got an email from the marimba teacher asking me how I’m getting on. I’ve missed that a lot − it was the highlight of my week while I had a flatmate. I see the Red Sox have won their last eleven games and have almost wrapped up their division. Won’t it be great to write about travel, language, music, baseball and things that I actually care about? I hope I’ll get the chance. Not long now.
