I feel I ought to acknowledge the date, it being Friday the 13th; but I’m not at all superstitious so, other than, ‘I’m not at all superstitious’, I don’t know what to say about it.
I trawled my archives to see if I’d written about this date before, and all I found was this post from 2009, which starts on Friday 13th. Enjoy.
Friday 13/11/09:
Wonderful son tells doting mother he will be catching the earliest train home from uni next weekend (Sunday).
Saturday 21/11/09:
Doting mother disgorges humongous chicken from tiny freezer; checks every detail of wonderful son’s untainted bedroom; extra-cleans house.
Sunday 22/11/09: 9 a.m.
Doting Mother phones wonderful son to see what time he will be arriving. Calls twelve times until dear son wakes up. Forgets to ask about train times.
Sunday 22/11/09: 11 a.m.
Loving Mother phones dear son to find out about train times. Annoying son answers after thirty-seventh time, claiming to have been in the bathroom. Enraged Mother so angry she can’t hear what inconsiderate brat is saying; he sends a text.
Sunday 22/11/09: 11:30 a.m.
Livid Mother decides to eat way-too-large chicken herself; notices it is uncooked and opts to beat ungrateful offspring with it, if and when he finally arrives to visit the woman who underwent massive weight gain and major surgery to give birth to him.
Sunday 22/11/09: 11:32 a.m.
Suspicious Mother suddenly remembers that she checked the train times herself last week, and the earliest train handsome son can get is 11:38 and thus has no need to wake up early to reassure over-anxious and forgetful mother that he will be home as early as he can.
Sunday 22/11/09: 11:33 a.m.
Contrite mother agonises for many minutes on whether to phone righteously outraged son to apologise; send a grovelling text; or pretend nothing has happened. Ponders the possibility of a terrible train accident that will rob her of the chance to say ‘sorry’ and leave their last conversation as their last conversation. Decides she can’t take the chance and texts wonderful son to tell him to read today’s blog.
Sunday 22/11/09: 13.30 p.m.
Wonderful son arrives home to doting mother. She hopes.
Sunday 22/11/09: 12.15 p.m.
The best son in the world phones to reassure his neurotic mother that he still loves her; to explain that his phone was on vibrate from last night, which is why he didn’t hear it in the toilet; to confirm that he forgives her; and to apologise for missing the earliest train home due to a misunderstanding about Sunday bus timetables, but believes he will get there eventually. Much relieved mother relaxes, knowing now that any train crashes won’t leave her living a guilt-filled life; and retires to the kitchen to swallow chickens and put aspirin in the oven.
Related articles
- Friday the 13th (rozieafzal.wordpress.com)
- Why Friday (the13th)? (1fridayatatime.wordpress.com)
- Fearsome Friday – Paraskavedekatriaphobia or Friggatriskaidekaphobia (usaukwoods.wordpress.com)
The Laughing Housewife 
I like muchly the connection between the cartoon and the rest of this opost! I’m not so sure about Friday the 13th – I hadn’t noticed until you pointed it out, but I’ve just come downstairs after makining ginormous mistakes on my quilt, resulting in having to undo the previous hour’s work and start again. I gave up at that point – now I see there’s no point in trying to buck the luck.
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What do you blame on other dates?!? 😀
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I had completely forgotten that it was Friday 13 until I read your post. I would have been angry mother and then contrite mother as well. The agonies do not end at labor, they do not even end at eighteen. The agonies never end. On a positive note the joy doesn’t end either
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Awful/wonderful isn’t it? 😀
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Funny! I have had misunderstandings also, but nothing like yours!!! Lol.
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Hilarious and apt! It’s Son’s 18th b’day party tonight and I am hiding in my little office!
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hilarious…. but soooo been there
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Vair, vair amoozing.
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Oh the memories that tale brought back to me. Far too many to relate, one day I’ll blog them – better wait until I emigrate first! 😆
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Can’t wait!
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For the tales; not the emigration 😀
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Well I hate to admit it, but i have been the doting mother a few times. These days my kids are the doting person. Dianne
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Friday 13 has neither been lucky nor unlucky for me today… Anyway, love your post! Awful misunderstanding, but I sympathise with the mother 🙂
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That sounds like perfectly normal mother behaviour to me!
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The Buddha says that all suffering (and stuffing ourselves) arises from expectations. Do you see where you went wrong here? 😉
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I do, o wise one 🙂
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Friday the thirteenths aren’t that bad really… I was born on a 13th and occasionally my birthday falls on a Friday. Oddly, I am superstitious slightly… I won’t walk under a ladder, I have to say good morning to a magpie, and have an uncontrollable fear of a mirror breaking on me… Happy Friday 13th! 😀
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I reckon the mirror and ladder susperstitions – and most, probably – came about through coincidence: someone walked under a ladder (pretty stupid thing to do, really) and a tin of paint fell on his head (it had to be a man), that sort of thing.
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ROFL…loved this, Tilly. I can identify with the whole mother thing, though mine have not yet flown the nest…
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Blink, and it will be upon you 😦
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That is too funny (I love the little side trek into the land of he might have a train accident – I do that all the time).
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It’s known as Mother’s Curse.
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Poor neurotic mother :(… Bad son!
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Until you mentioned it, I wasn’t paying attention. But hey you never know, good things do happen on the 13th… can’t think of one right now. 😆
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Patience for me was a virtue, for I read to the end…and happy I did !
Thanks,
Peace,
Siggi in Downeast Maine
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Timeless.
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And all I can think about is the difference a comma would have made to your title.
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😀 😀
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Dear Mrs Tilly B I am still not getting your posts..the only way I seem to get them is if you reply to mine, then I can click on the bit that takes me back to yours….you are clever person..why is this happening,,,what have I done…..it also applies to Granny1947 I can’t get hers either or Gooseyann
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