Hello… Welcome back
You are just in time. I was about to start telling you all the story of the Hanky Tragedy.
Find a seat…

Thank you Margo, and Barb and Haagje… You have been my muses… all along! Poseidon will kiss you later!

*****

The Hanky Estate….
Glitter and Glamour, tucked away deep in the Twinbrook swamps.

The golden cage screamed ‘Open my gates, open the gates to the world.’
A world where other people live. A world with fun, love and STUFF…. Expensive stuff….

Here they lived… all three of them.
Ted, Angie and of course Ma, proud mother of her two children. They had lived a very secluded live up to now. The kids were getting restless.

– “You know Angie dear…, your old mother has been working very hard to provide for and give you all the things in your life you need. I think it is time I took it easier. As long as you are doing the home work and keep everything clean… I guess maybe Ted can pitch in here and there?”

– “Hmmm…, Ma… I don’t know if that is such a good idea. That is unless… you are not feeling well. Is there something the matter with you?”
Ma was already on her way out, pretending not to have heard Angie’s reply.

Next day.
It was still very early morning, just around sunrise, Ma was still out.

Angie was up already. After she’d caught her biggest fish ever, she heard a car pulling up.

Ma had been shopping…, proletarian shopping. No clerks around to help…, like do-it-yourself shopping.

The Porsche looked pretty enough to be called hers now.

All it needed was a paint job. Ma pulled up in a Pink Porsche that morning. No one would know it used to be white.
– “…….MA?….”

– “I don’t know how to get him outside Angie, you always have the brightest ideas, can’t you come up with a plan?”
Ma let out a big sob…
– “Whatdayaknow…. Not even the Porsche caught his attention.”

– “Ma…, Ted dislikes people. He wants to stay THERE, in his room. Why would you want him to come out?”

– “I am not getting any younger you know. You two want the best of life! I want that for you too, but there will come a day that I cannot do it anymore.“

“Angie…, I want to have grandchildren. Ted is my oldest. He should go out and find himself a nice young and healthy wife.”

– “Ma… Please…. I am your only daughter. Why are you not in the slightest interested in me finding myself a nice, handsome and rich man. I am not getting younger either, and I am not going to give you any grand babies if I don’t get out of here soon. Ted can make babies until he is too old to hold them, so stop worrying about Ted already!“

– “Besides…, me being away and married… that should give you two more room for your uncontrollable desire for collecting stuff, and then I won’t have to clean this house anymore…, I will have my own to clean.”

Angie could feel anger build up inside of her.
– “Make sure you make the beds too Angie! I am off running some errands.”

As soon as ma went upstairs to get dressed, Angie let out a huge sigh. How long was she going to put up with all of this? When was her mother going to see her as a person, a human being… And yes…, running errands.. Angie knew exactly what that was all about.

As Angie went to make her mother’s bed, she heard the sound of Ted’s TV coming from his room. Time to check on her brother.

He had turned off the TV. Angie gritted her teeth and looked around Ted’s room. There was just the small gnome in the box, keeping Ted company.

– ”So… brother dear, did you have a busy day? You sure look like you have a lot on your hands. Is there anything I can help you with? Like turn the pages of your book?”

– “Fine…, suit yourself. I know ma wants to talk to you. Don’t bother coming down, I am sure you have enough to do.”

Angie was still mad as she heard the upstairs bedroom door slam shut. Ted was leaving his room?

– “…Ted???”

To be continued…