Germaine opened the door and shook his head.
“Really?” I said. “Do you know how long my flight was?”
“Sorry, Stephen. Even the doctors thought this was the real thing.”
“This makes nine false alarms, Gerry. Nine.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
“Bullshit. I have to be here. We all do. Who does this? What kind of person stipulates deathbed attendance as condition for inclusion in her will?”
Germaine looked at the floor. “Well, you know how she was. Is, I mean.”
“Who else is here?”
“Everybody. Sal drove all night.”
“Well, it’s easy for you. You live here.”
“Easy. Right.”
There’s the makings of real conflct there. And desperate action. And retribution
Better hope there’s something worthwhile having in that will!
Ouch, what a difficult situation you’ve put your characters in, well done! Nine false alarms would drive anyone crazy. I like how we start out sympathizing with the siblings who have to fly all that way, only to be reminded of how horrible it must also be to live with her on a daily basis.
I foresee them helping the matter along… just to get out of all the false alarms. great write
She’s controlling them to the end it seems.Cats have nine live -perhaps this will be their last trip!
And who says the kids never visit? I guess this is one way to make sure they do….
Oh my. I fear she will not be missed when she’s gone. And the pathos of that last exchange–the one who lives there never finds it easy.
What a horrid woman!
And I imagine the fortune must be sizable for all to show their true colours… Hope it’s worth it.
Wow. I hope they don’t discover she is giving everything to her favorite pet and expects them to be the animal’s caretakers.
Maybe if her family paid more attention to her, she wouldn’t have to falsify her impeding death and stipulate deathbed attendance in her will. Loneliness will drive people to some crazy shit.
Great last line. I know how much harder it is for the relative who lives close, even though I’ve always been the one who lives far away. There is so much day to day stuff that they do that goes unrecognized and unacknowledged sometimes.
Sounds like aversion and angst every which way. I wonder if the person with the will has always been such a pain in the neck to her family? Or maybe they’ve driven her to get vindictive? I like the way questions remain as to what’s really going on.
Stipulating that all of you need to be present if you want to inherit anything. What a demanding person she is. Living near the demanding woman would be an exercise in a horror movie. She may or may not be leaving anything worthwhile to all that go along with this demand. I wouldn’t want the old lady dictate to me the conditions of being a recipient to maybe nothing – I’ll pass!