Misty Hill Manor

Thanks, Mom...

The next morning, Bryn was up before her alarm and ready to start her day. After yesterday’s events, Beth hasn’t come out of the house located on her tree. Bryn figures her pride was damaged and she would huff until she was once again respected as the independent pain in the ass cat she was. ‘Keep huffin furball!’ Bryn giggled as she passed the tree and the growling that came from the tiny hole. Surprising, after the weekend she had endured, she was rested and ready to take on the day. ‘Today’ she thought to herself, ‘is the day!’ Her determination was high and her spirits were higher. She felt it in her bones. 

Still giggling and shaking her head at the cat she headed to the kitchen to get her coffee started. “Cant have normal without fuel!” she said to herself. Pulling the hair bow from her hair and shaking the curls out of her long light brown hair. She just turned the corner to the kitchen when she stopped in her tracks. “Again?” She said, sounding defeated and headed back to her bedroom, flipping the cat off as she passed the devil by. “Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow.” Bryn muttered under her breath. She made it to her bed and dug deep under the covers to hide. Beth had somehow found the hidden container of coffee, dumped it to the floor along with the coffee pot, a cup of water in which she had no idea where it came from and a whole container of creamer. WHICH, was in the fridge! “HOW!!” Bryn screamed from under her pillow. Slinging the pillow off of her head she sat up. Reminding herself she would not be deterred from her focus today she stood and stomped back to the kitchen. Flipping the cat off again as she passed her. She grabbed the broom, swept the mess up and tossed it in the trash. Once she was satisfied with the job, she put the broom up and grabbed a catnip play mouse from under the kitchen table. She walked calmly towards the living room grabbing a knife from the cutting board. She walked to where the cat was growling and looked in. “Listen here, you furball from hell.” She put the knife to the mouse's throat. “I’ll do it! Don’t think I won’t!” The cat growled again. She threw the catnip mouse in the hole and went back to the kitchen. Dropping the knife in the sink, she seriously considered calling her sister and telling her to come get this damn cat! Stewing in her own grief, off in her own little world of disgust, Bryn’s phone rang making her jump out of her skin. She fumbled through the pocket of her house coat in which she still hadn’t had time to shed since the evilness called Beth hit in the night. Finally catching hold of the right direction of the phone, she answers “Hello!” in no way intending the tone in which she answered. “Bryn?” Her mother returned. “Oh, jeese. Sorry mom. It’s this damn cat. She is driving me insane!” Robin laughed. “What in the hell does she have to do with how rudely you just answered the phone?” Not even 9 in the morning and Bryn is ready to check out. “Nothing mo…” Robin cut her short “Anyway, the reason I called is I have a friend that works at a retirement home upstate. I remembered her just a few hours ago and..” Bryn’s turn to interrupt, “You woke up before noon? Mom, you ok?” She asked. “You’re not funny, Bryn. Do you want me to call my friend or not?” “Male or female?” Bryn asked. “Listen, I didn’t call you for the fifth degree or all this sass. If you want more info, you let me know.” Frustrated Robin was ready to hang up. “No! Mom. Yes, please! Anything at this point! Thank you!’ Bryn told her hoping she wouldn’t hang up. “Ok, I’ll call you later.” Bryn’s phone went back to the home screen. “YES! Scored a victory! You hear that you flea bitten football! You can’t steal my thunder!” Bryn yelled into the other room. Grinning from ear to ear she set the phone down and out of nowhere hurd a crash. Running into the living room she stopped short, looking dead into the eyes of the devil. Beth was on the top shelf of the bookshelves. Not sure how she maneuvered her fat self up to the top but she sat there. Beth sat there cleaning her paw and then lowering it to drop another glass figurine from the shelf. “Yep, you are going.” Shaking her head she pulled a sock out of the laundry basket that was sitting on the dining table and tossed it at the cat. With grace, agility and an abundance of complaints Beth landed on all fours and ran back to the bedroom. “Hope you get stuck again!” 

Robin picked up her phone and dialed the number she got from the man she met at the bar last night. She wasn’t quite sure how they got around to the subject with the rest of the things she was doing to him, but somewhere during the evening before she left him for home he had mentioned a retirement home and the lady that ran it. He knew the custodian and they had some crazy conversations. Or something like that. She wasn’t there for the conversation but he had a pretty mouth and she listened a little bit. Well, until she taught him it was rude to speak with his mouth full. After that point, there wasn’t much of a need for words. But, in his rambling he did mention the lady that ran the place. 

Robin knew the name. When she got home at 4am, she went straight to her phonebook and found her old friend's number. Hilda Kyteler. She waited long enough to make sure her daughter would be awake and called to make sure she was interested before she put herself out there. ‘Let’s hope she still has the same number.’ Robin mumbled. She pressed the send button and waited. After a few rings, a woman picked up on the other end. “Hello?”

“Hilda?” Robin asked. “Yes, may I ask who is speaking?” Hilda replied, very cordially. “It’s me, Robin Masterson. From Fallbrook. Do you remember me?” Robin responded. “Oh my Gosh! Robin! How are you? Oh, Fallbrook hasn’t been in my ears in years. What a surprise, old friend. How are you?” Robin HATED polite chit chat, as specially with another woman, but she was taken back to a day when she had female friends that were real and not back stabbers. The kind that was ride or die. She was happy to hear Hilda’s voice. “It’s so good to hear your voice. You take me back to the good old days!” She answered. “I’m doing great, friend. How are you, how have you been?” Hearing her old friend’s voice brought her down to earth and to a place of comfort. She could hear Hilda giggle on the other side, probably thinking the same thing. “Just hearing your voice brings me back. I am so sorry I didn’t catch it as soon as I picked up. Been a handful here. Hard to focus.” “It’s ok. I understand, in fact that is why I’m calling out of the blue. You and I both know, I’m nothing if not straightforward.” Robin laughed as she reminded Hilda. “You are so right and it is much appreciated. If there were more people like that these days you and I would be having a completely different conversation.” Knowing the meaning, they both laughed out loud. “Ok, now that I’m thoroughly crying, Robin, what can I do for you?” Hilda asked. “I know, I can’t breathe.” Robin collected herself and cleared her throat. “OK. Let me try again, I understand you might have a position open for a nurse?” “YES! I mean, oh my Robin. Are you serious? Are you looking for work? If I knew you were still a nurse, I would have called you years ago!” Hilda just knew her hopes were looking up now! But quickly diminished. “No, not me dear.” Robin answered. Hilda sunk back, still hopeful it wouldn’t be the neighbor’s kid or some guy she figured Robin could be dating. Robin had probably never changed and never will. But, as a constant in life she could always count on Robin being Robin. “Ok, lay it on me.” Hilda told her. “Well, my daughter. My middle daughter is looking for a new beginning. She worked for an elderly home. She’s in transition. I told her I would reach out to you and check your availability. I thought, what could it hurt? My baby is good at what she does. You and I go way back. It is a win win.” Hilda failed to see where she would win but she didn’t know her daughter either. “Sure, Robin. Have her send me her resume. She can find my info on our website. I’ll contact her. Sound good?” “Thanks Hildy! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. She’s a good kid, hard worker.” Good kid and hard worker in the same sentence has never been good in Hilda’s experience. “Great. I’m looking forward to hearing from her. Stop by and see my sometime Robyn. It would be nice to catch up.” Their conversation went on for another 3 minutes and they said their goodbyes. ‘YES!’ Robyn patted herself on the back and texted the information to Bryn with ‘DON’T SCREW THIS UP’  in all caps. “Thanks mom” was the reply. She really was a good kid, she thought to herself and smirked.