A lot can happen between Thanksgiving and Christmas

There is a tone my mother can take in her voice that I've heard only twice in my life.

12 years ago this month;

Answering machine- 'Rob, I need you to call me...click (there was that tone)

Hello mom?
Rob.....we lost dad today
You're kidding (I've always regretted this stupid response)
No I'm not
Wha....what happened
He had a heart attack they think...I need you to fly up as soon as you can
Ok, I'll leave in the morning

Click

Never forget that tone.

The other time was when she asked me to 'come help me get this dog out of the pool'

I was 16, and listening to Ocean Rain (vinyl) on headphones when I heard that one. Our elderly dog had fallen in the pool and either drowned or had some kind of cardiac arrest and then fell in. Under a full moon on a clear indigo Texas night I first pulled my beloved dog out of the pool, and then proceeded to dig a hole in our back yard. (no, this isn't how you are supposed to handle this, and yes I'm sure it's in violation of numerous city and state codes. My mom was raised on a farm, and that's not how they roll out there) So I dug and I dug and we laid to rest Dolly the dog.


I don't want to hear that tone ever again.

R