Mother-in-law

We came to see T only to find out en route that T’s dad died and she’d gone home for the fun’l. Should we continue on or not? T said, Yes, the kids will be glad to see you.Here we are. In the place with the wood-fired water heater, pictured down there somewhere. Got here and the place was warm, so someone had been here and fired up the wood stove in the kitchen. Great.
Phone rings Sat am. I answer and hear: Baba Halya is coming over right now to light a fire for you and make sure you’re ok. She said this about 3 times while I numbly tried to think of something to say. I hang up looking lost and tell Trude. She looks horror-struck.


You need to know something here: how to put it? As Trude said, The last time she came and built a fire in the water heater for us, she wouldn’t leave until we’d nearly HAD our baths. She is quite capable of running her own life and everyone else’s within a 10 mile radius- this is because- well it’s just how it is- and it’s quite typical for older females here. And, just try to picture her with only one eye, because that’s also true.


In she marches…and she’s instantly in control. I’ve brought you some kindling and some apples and some chicken. You need to thaw the chicken and make a soup and eat it. The apples are good for you too- eat them. I’ll build the fire because I don’t want you girls sitting over here in the cold and freezing and you need to bathe…Here I manage to clumsily insert that we have built a fire and we did have baths last night.


Oh- well, you need to have it warm and to bathe in warm water- it’s no joy for me anymore I buried my son 5 years ago but you need to. (Please don’t ask me why that’s relevant- I just know that she was looking at me with 1 peering eye while she said it.)
Yes, thank you- we really can build fires (Per Bergh even taught me how to build a fire using no kindling- you stack it just so- the secret is to get a decent draft going- are you reading this, Far?) Of course this one is no success at all.