Search & Rescue

Today my CioCia Gerry invited mom over for lunch. [CioCia means Aunt in Polish.] At noon CioCia and mom headed out to Olive Garden for a relaxing lunch on a hot afternoon. Interestingly enough, this is one of the few times mom has driven anywhere in the past few months, with the exception of 2 days ago when she ran into the garage courtesy of what call "chemo-haze." Chemo-haze can also be confused for air headedness, ditziness or pure ridiculousness as a result of too many chemicals in the body. Therefore, we were a bit nervous about sending mom on a 20 minute drive alone for lunch. But she is a big girl, so we let her.

At 1:41PM mom text dad, "leaving now, headed home." So when 4PM rolls around and mom is still not home, we begin to panic. Dad calls her phone. No answer. He texts her, still no response. This pattern carries on until nearly 5PM.

We try to think of all the logical reasons she might be taking so long: she saw someone she knows while exiting the restaurant, she stopped at the grocery store to grab a few things, or maybe ran up to Grandma's for visit since she was on her side of town.

Out of fear dad and I begin phoning a few relatives to see if they have heard from her. We call Grandpa, he says he doesn't know where she is but insists we call Grandma on her cell. So we dial up Grandma, who is at work and has no clue where mom might be but instantly grows fearful of the worst. We ring CioCia Gerry who said not to worry; she probably just stopped off at a store.

However, not worrying was not an option. By this point dad may as well have dialed up the milk carton factory and inserted a missing person add with Sue Chase's face on it. To say he was distraught would be the understatement of the century. If you saw helicopters flying overhead it was in an effort to find mom. Okay, I am totally lying about the helicopters. But seriously, Grandma was on the brink of calling all of the local Emergency Rooms.

Dad was just about to send Zach and I out on a search and rescue mission when we heard the car door shut in the garage. Out steps mom, smiling ear to ear, completely oblivious to the 20-some missed calls, 13 voice mails, and at least 12 text messages she had on her phone, which was left in the car during all of the visiting. Come to find out mom did NOT drive the car off the road and into a telephone pole as a result of chemo-haze; rather she stopped over to visit her dear friend, Kathy, and was enjoying iced tea and a delightful conversation on a hot summer's day.