The Magician's Assistant and the Duck's Back

Angie came to stay a few days. I went to get her because my sister Gina was here from St L. Gina said she'd brought a cow's heart and kidneys, which inticed Angie to come in. Unfortunately for Ange, Gina didn't have a cow's heart. Don't ask me how she knew Angie loves them. At any rate, we all had a nice day at Mom's. Fred came over and then Pat, April and Samuel showed up. (April's due to have a little girl in a week. She's having it induced so that she can get back to teaching on time.) I put in Swing Time (Fred and Ginger) and I think Angie really enjoyed it. She remembers going to the Rialto downtown to see movies like that. She was about 19 when it came out.

Well, I hope I've learned my lesson this time. It's always the same. The first night goes so well and extends well into the second day, so Angie stays another night, which is then disastrous and there's no relief until we're driving away from her home after dropping her off. She did fine until late afternoon on the second day. She tried to take over fixing dinner and the insults (up until then only a spattering here and there) began to flow more freely. I tell you, over the course of three days she told me I was illogical, would never get a job, lived in a dream world, wouldn't ever find a man, couldn't cook, and, to top it all off, that my affection for Mary almost led her to believe I was a lesbian. I felt like the magician's assistant who gets in that box where he sticks swords through her--only it wasn't a trick and I was getting slaughtered! If I balked at an insult, she didn't know what I was talking about or it was only a joke. She bossed us around, telling us not to call the dog "Baby" because we were spoiling it and making us keep the dog outside when she wanted to come back inside. And she repeated the same complaints about her family over and over. It's really no wonder I get a migraine when she comes. I think I can go for a good long time without talking to her again. To end on a good note, I do think I've made progress and don't argue with her like I used to. I just try to let it roll off me like water off a duck's back. Now if I could learn to do that with Dad...

By the way, she talked about these hallucianations she's having. I feel so bad for her and wish someone would do something about it. I'd go crazy if I constantly saw people peeping around doorways. So now she doesn't just hear voices but sees people. She said that one night a little girl crawled into bed with her and she covered her up. When I reminded her about the girl she saw at our door, she just shook her head in wonder, not remember it at all. I think she drinks a beer at night and stays up late so that she'll fall asleep as soon as she lies down.

We were talking about jewelry and she said that Mary should give me her jewelry because who knew what would happen when people came in after Mary dies. I was mortified! I said I knew who was getting Mary's jewelry and till then it was Mary's, not anyone else's. She asked who and I said I was, to which she replied that I should get it for everything I've done for Mary and that she'd make sure that I did, or something to that effect, to which I replied that Mary would probably outlive her. So I guess I make sure I get my jibes in, too, don't I? It just kills me (no pun intended) that people think all the time about who's getting what when Mary dies. The last time that Bettie was here, she let me know that she wanted Mary's grandfather clock and that Mary had promised it to Bettie's mother. I think when Mary passes away I will put everything in storage and leave the country as soon as possible and not come back for a good long time. Who knows what all Mary has promised things to?