Monday 17 September 2007

Mothers

When I was just a few weeks from giving birth to my middle daughter, I had some car trouble. My gorgeous Jaguar sports car (sadly now sold) developed some problem and as my nearest maternity supply shops are at least half an hour away, I didn't want to risk getting stranded and having to give birth in a multi-story in Newport.
So, against all instincts, I asked my mother to get me a list of items.
Now I know she will opt for the least expensive and of course always the poorest quality item she can find, so I decided to give her a foolproof list.
I telephoned her and made her write down 'Mothercare' at the top of the list and then each item description, catalogue number, size and price.
She read the whole thing back to me, I'd cracked it, I just had to wait for her to deliver the stuff to me. I also told her, to be on the safe side, that she should approach a member of staff on entering the shop and hand over the list.
As my mother lives near Bluewater I had no fear that they would be out of stock of anything.
Well, how wrong could I have been?
My mother arrived, dropped the huge bag onto the table...it said 'Boots' on the side.
"Wrong Shop Mum" I said.
"You told me to go to Boots!"
"No, Mum, Mothercare"
"NO!..BOOTS"
Silence filled the room.
"Oh, well, they're all the same aren't they?" said my Mother realising that causing a scene might set off my labour.

Darling husband kept stifling his giggles, but I knew he was doing it and I was not impressed.
We opened the bag and went through the list.
The Maternity Bra was two sizes too big... "Well it's all they had!"
I was speechless
Composing myself, I delved into the bag again.
I pulled out Toddlers Antiseptic Hand Wipes. "What are these for? I wanted moist toilet tissue!!"
My blushing Mother said, "It's all they had"
What she meant was she was too embaressed to buy anything to do with maternity, babies and normal bodily functions.
The whole bag was wrong, every item in it was wrong. I couldn't make do with any of it, she had gone to the wrong shop and so bought none of the right items.
And, she was furious with me for being so ungrateful that I wouldn't even bother to try and make do with any of it.
I pray I never become like my mother.

3 comments:

Potty Mummy said...

Dear Frog,
do you think that perhaps this is a tactic on her part - like men being rubbish at hanging up washing - to make sure you don't trouble her again with requests like that one? I have a girlfriend (tall, blonde, slim, gorgeous - hate her really), whose mother once gave her a pair of size 16 control top tights for Christmas. Because, she said, Claire had always been well built.
You are not alone...

Iota said...

What did she give Sophie for her birthday? You're keeping us all on tenterhooks.

Pig in the Kitchen said...

A clear argument for never delegating!
Pigx