Terrifying Tuesday

My Tuesday went well. Things were rocking along. My mom and I had come up with a plan for the new school year. I mean... who was going to take whom where. With 3 kids I can't be everywhere at one time and the girls activities have a couple that are at the same time in 2 different places.

I went and picked-up MI from preschool. When I get back in the car my cell is ringing. I answer... my first reaction was not to since it was an 800 number. I remember muttering in my brain about damn telemarketers. It was not a telemarketer. It was a person from our home security system. We still have 2 houses. The operator told me that there was a medical emergency out at the lake house. I then immediately hung up. I cold knot of dread developing in my chest. I made a point not to freak out. I call Passionfruit's cell phone. No answer. I call his work phone. No answer. Okay. I lost it for about half a second. I start praying frantically. MI's in the back saying, "Daddy's dead. Daddy's dead." It was kind of weird for the child was so matter fact about that. I calm down immediately. I explain to the girls that we have no information and that we can't jump to conclusions. I told them that it could have been anyone out there. I mean the house is up for sale people go in out showing the house all the time. It could even be a friend that we hire as a handy-man. (He sometimes drinks; and he has fallen from the roof before.)

So I'm racking my brains trying to think how I can find out what's going on out at the lake. I don't want to take the kids out there if something really ugly is going down. My first fear was Passionfruit was having a heartattack. Then I remembered that real estate agents are often victims of violent crimes. So I didn't want to take the kids out to where there might be blood and gore. I continue with the plan. Tuesdays is gymnastics for ST and MI. DQ goes to tap at the same time. My mom had DQ. I call mom to let her know that I want to switch out cars with her, and that she needs to pick-up all the kids. Then I call my sister, I Don't Get Mad; I Get Even, if anyone can found out something it's her. I asked her to find a number for someone/anyone in Passionfruit's office. When I Don't Get Mad calls back she tells me that the call was in reference to a one Jim Jones. BINGO! It's our friend! It's not my husband! IDGM tells me that she called the police and they told her it was Jim Jones and that he was taken to the local hospital. She then had called the local hospital only to find out that Jim Jones was released. Here's the confusing fact both the hospital and police said that it had been hours ago.

Next phone call I make is to Jim. He answers his cell. "Hey dude! What's up?" He replies that it's been a shitty day. I told him to tell me about it. He asks where do you want me start? I said, "How about the release from the hospital."

"Hospital?"

"Yeah, the hospital."

"I haven't been to any hospital today", says Friend Jim.

"You haven't?"

"No."

"Okay, tell me about your day from where the firemen showed up."

"Hey! That was really cool! They showed up in 5 minutes. You know I'm pretty sure I punched in the code correctly. Next thing I know the alarm's going off. I talked to the monitoring center. Told 'em who I was and what I was doing out here but they still sents the firemen. And you know what they were all pretty fat (firemen)."

"Really. Normally that towns firemen are pretty buff and cute, too boot."

"You should let potential buyers know how quick the response for the firemen was. It would be a great selling point."

By the end of that conversation I realize that my mom is probably freaking out. I didn't tell her any of my fears but I still hadn't shown up to switch out cars. I go into the gymnastics joint. I find a mother with a daughter about the age of my MI. I ask her if she's going to the same class. They are. I tell her that I'm really not a bad mommy and I don't normally dump my kids with total strangers, but would you mind keeping an eye on my child while I drive off to tell my mom that my husband isn't mortally wound/sick? She said sure. I drive off and find my mom. I tell her everything that happened.

I just wanted to share this rather heart stopping; heart palpitating experience.