the funny part of this story is…

she actually thought
she’d gotten away with something

all weekend long
as the rest of her own motley brood enjoyed their festivities
totally unaware of their matriarch’s current scheeming
and immune to her caustic nature
the nonsequitous twists and turns
of a mind so brutalized
by greed and grievance
gave debbie an amazingly ridiculous
sense of accomplishment

“the pot was surely stirring”
she gleefully thought to herself
“all I need do now is poke the old man”

at the facility
her righteous justification in tow
she marched in like she owned the place
no doubt the old man would be properly primed
ready to follow her sick scenario
of revenge and recrimination

pausing a moment
before entering the old man’s room
she contemplated her enemy
“finally she’ll know” she mused
“finally she’ll get a taste of her own shit”

resting peacefully in his adequate accommodation
the old man smiled
“what a wonderful time i had with dianne’s family” he thought
“what a full and fruitful life i’ve been blessed with”

debbie burst in
cackling the distinctive calling card she routinely passed off as a laugh
with her daughter slinking in furtively behind
“i bet you’re glad to see me” she bellowed and gestured obnoxiously to the visibly annoyed and embarrassed teenager
“look who i brought”

“who are you?” muttered the old man looking at the youth and then up at his daughter
“oh… donna is it time for dinner already? i already ate… had a real nice time with dianne and her family”

“no dad… it’s me, debbie” she replied visibly shaken
“donna passed away two years ago remember?”
debbie was now scrambling for a backup to her completely shattered plans of familial sabotage

“i told you donna i’m not hungry”

“i’m debbie!” she nearly shouted and then stopped, taking now a conspiratorial tone
“say… dad, does dianne still have that old car or yours? you know, the one you were going to give to me so i can give it to jasmin here?”

“i don’t know why don’t you ask her?” said the old man “isn’t it back at the house?”

“we had to sell the house dad” she sighed and then to herself…
“and that bitch thinks he doesn’t have dementia…
sheesh!”

——

m(___)m