by just another voice

Created on: October 03, 2008

I called my sister, Margaret, on Friday to remind her that we were all going Aunt Libby's house on Sunday for dinner instead of the normal dinner at Mom's. Margaret - or Maggie as we call her - remembered, and not so subtly reminded me that she hated Aunt Libby, her house and her food. "I know, I know" I tell her for at least the hundredth time. "None of us really like her". We all just put up with her for Daddy's sake.

You see, Aunt Libby is our father's older sister. She was always very mean to our mother because she didn't like the fact that Daddy married her. She even went as far as to start being nasty to my brother, sister and I, suggesting that we would have been better off if we'd had a different mother. While we were little, we didn't really understand what she meant, but, as we grew up, we not only knew what she meant, we realized just how nasty she was and only called and visited her to please our mother and father. My brother, Jake, moved out of state after college so he is not obligated to attend the occasional Sunday dinners at her house, only Maggie and I have to suffer through them. Aunt Libby insists that Jake and his family attend THIS Sunday however.

"Mom and Daddy say this is a very important dinner." I tell Maggie as she sucks her teeth audibly after telling one of the twins to stop biting his brother. We both know that with all of us in our forties, Mom, Daddy and Aunt Libby are all getting up there age-wise. I know that we should be thankful for each Sunday dinner they can share with one another. I also know that I should be honered to spend this time with them. I can't help but to think back to all the awful things Aunt Libby said to and about our family over the years. I tell Maggie in no uncertain terms " This is the last time I'm going to Aunt Libby's for dinner". She agrees and says she's going to tell her on Sunday. We say our goodbye's and promise to kiss each other's kids before hanging up and agree that we will meet at Aunt Libby's at 5:00 Sunday.

On Saturday, as I am getting my son, Brandon ready to go out to play, Jake calls and says he'll be in town by 2:00 p.m. on Sunday and wants to arrive at Aunt Libby's around the same time as Maggie and me. I tell him our plans and also about us not going there anymore. He is with us all the way and says he isn't going anymore either. "How long has it been since we've been there, anyway?", he asks. I think before answering, at least three months for myself and maybe a year for him. I

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