Stop The Madness

They knew the time would come when they'd have to make a decision whether Mom would live with Joe in Boston or move into Shady Acres near Missy.

"I think you're Mother's gone mad!" Dr. G sounded a little crazed himself. Usually he measured his words so carefully. Missy would have thought he'd say, your Mother seems a little distracted or even that she has the beginning of Alzheimers. He sounded so over the top. Was it he who was going mad? "Mrs. O'Brien just handed me a million dollar check!"

Missy was speechless for a minute. "Thank you for calling, Doctor. I'll have to speak to my brother and we'll get back to you."

Thankfully, he picked up on the first ring."What now?" Joe was screaming into the phone.

"What's your problem?" Missy almost forgot why she was calling.

"Father Sullivan just called. Mother sent him a million dollar check." Missy realized she'd better get right over to her Mother's.

""I'll call Aunt Elizabeth and ask her to go over until I can get there. She may have noticed something." Their Aunt lived in the same building.

"Oh Missy, I'm so glad you called. I don't know what's going on. There's a moving van in front of Maureens and a for sale sign on the door. I used my key to go in when no one answered my knocks. There was an envelope with my name on the counter with a million dollar check and nothing else. Has your mother gone mad?"

 Just then Missy's dog Lucky started barking like mad. "Lucky, calm down before I go mad. "Hold on Auntie Liz, while I get the door." There was a delivery man with a huge floral arrangement in the shape of a horseshoe. "Oh God, it's from Mom. She must really have gone mad!" Missy read the card.

"I know you and your brother have been disussing me but you don't have to worry. You know that mad money I keep? You and Joe can split it along with whatever you get for the condo. You know I've been going out on that new gambling boat with my bridge partner, Herbie. Well, we won the big tournament, 10 million dollars. We'll call you as soon as we get settled in Monte Carlo. Of course, I'll be Mrs. Glickstein by then. You may think I've gone mad, but nothing can stop me now."