My Dream Come True

“Ah, damn it,” I groaned as my laptop went crashing to the floor.

I sighed and picked it up, looking around for damages.

“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve done that,” my coworker, Carrie, said.

I chuckled. “Which is why I have an extended warranty on mine.”

She laughed and turned back to her desktop as her phone rang. I looked at mine and rubbed my eyes. It was getting close to the end of my shift and I was ready to clock out and go home. My neighbor said my mother had been wandering in the back yard, yelling and nude. Luckily, she wasn’t insulted and covered my mother before sitting her in front of the TV. My boss would let me leave early but I needed the money.

Just before I logged off my phone, it rang and I groaned loudly. Carrie sent me a sympathetic look as she packed up her purse and I shoved my headset on.

“Thank you for calling HP Tech Support. My name is Rose. How can I help you?”

“Finally someone that speaks English!” a woman shouted from the other end of the line and I rolled my eyes. “You don’t know how many times I’ve called just to get someone who I can understand!”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. “Is everything all right?”

“No! My computer keeps shutting off on its own!”

“Okay. Can I get your name?” I asked, pulling up my call log form.

“Ugh. You people and wanting names!” I arched a brow at my boss. He was listening in with a grin on his face. “My name is Mary Pope. Go ahead. Make fun of my last name.”

“I’d never do such a thing,” I said. “Now, what are you doing when your computer shuts off?”

“I’m trying to play a game my son got me for Christmas! But it says press ‘any key’ so I press the one with the circle thing on it and it shuts off!”

My jaw dropped. My boss had to mute the phone and leave the tank to go laugh. People like her actually existed!?

“Thankfully, this is an easy fix,” I said, rubbing my temples and keeping my voice even. “That button your pressing? That’s what turns your computer on and off. If you press it, it will make your computer go into sleep mode and, if you press it hard enough, it will shut down.”

She didn’t speak for a long time and I thought she had hung up.

“You’re joking, right?”

“No ma’am.”

“I’m going to kill my son!” she screamed and I cringed. “He said my computer was bugged and I’d have to beg you for a new one!” I didn’t know what to say so I waited. “Oh, I feel like a fool. I’m sorry for wasting your time.”

“That’s quite all right,” I said. “Feel free to call back if you have any other problems.”

“Well, do you have enough bail money because I’m about to go commit murder.”

I laughed. “Have a good day, Mrs. Pope.”

She sighed. “You, too, Rose. And thank you again.”

After making sure my phone was off, I turned to my boss. He started to laugh again and he had brought over other managers.

“It’s true!” he said, wiping tears from his face. “Oh my God. You have to listen to this!”

I rolled my eyes and shouldered my laptop back.

“You’re an ass, Mr. Pope,” I said but he laughed more. “That was your mother, wasn’t it?”

“I thought she was joking!” he said. “Oh, man. You can go now, Rose.”

“You’re paying me extra for that.”

As I walked out to my car, I heard him playing the recording. I shook my head. Trevor Pope was a 37 year old child. He knew when to be professional, though, and that’s what mattered when we worked with him. He was also very caring for his employees. When he wasn’t pranking them with a harassed mother.

I tossed my laptop into my back seat and drove home, my mind now on my mother. She was getting worse and the nurse kept coming by the house, pressuring me to put her into a nursing home. I couldn’t do that, though. It had been just me and my mom for 20 years. I couldn’t just toss her in with strangers just because she forgot to put on her panties before walking to the grocery store.

I pulled into my driveway and locked the car. It was nearing five in the morning and I was going to take a quick nap before heading to the local coffee shop. That was the plan, though. When I opened the front door, all was silent. I frowned, wondering if my mom was sleeping. I walked slowly just in case.

I got to the kitchen and ducked when I saw a frying pan swing for my face.

“What the fuck, Mom!?” I shouted, taking the pan from her.

Her wispy white hair was sticking up all over the place and the blue eyes I had inherited from her were narrowed. She had forgotten her glasses again and I shut my eyes wearily.

“Who are you, young lady, and what are you doing in my daughter’s home!?” she demanded.

I put the pan on the counter and leaned forward.

“Ma, it’s me, Rose,” I said clearly.

She frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. “No. My Rose works at a call center.”

“I just got off work,” I said. “It’s five in the morning.”

“Oh! Rose!” she said and hugged me tightly. “Thank goodness you’re home!”

Her breath smelled of alcohol and I tried not to cry.

“Someone just tried to break in!”

“Ma, go to bed,” I sighed. “You look exhausted.”

She sniffed. “Miranda rudely made me go back into the house today!” she said as I walked her to her room. “I was in my own backyard and she forced me inside.”

I shook my head. “I’m going to take a nap then head to the coffee shop.”

She mumbled something as she got into bed and I closed the door, trying not to slam it. I was furious. I got into bed and stared up at the ceiling.

My mother had started drinking heavily five years ago when her lover at the time left her for a young chick he met at a bar. He had reminded her of my dad so much that she took to the bottle quicker than a newborn babe. Then she started coke. Unfortunately, the combination nearly destroyed her liver and she got a replacement, swearing she’d stop. The last two years, though, have proven she hasn’t.

The coke was also killing her brain and, for a while, the doctors were worried she had Alzheimer’s or dementia. Nope. She was just a bottle sucking druggie. I turned on my side and shut my eyes, willing sleep to come.