|
8-18-01 - 11:44 a.m. This morning I figured that if I was going to be dragged to the airport, I was going to have company. Rob wasn't happy about having to come, but he got to watch the planes, so he seemed to be a fairly satisfied little boy. George, Sharon, Carrie, Kellie, Ricky, Rob and I all met the evil grandparents (who are only evil to me), whose plane arrive five minutes early at the airport just shy of the scheduled 9:33 arrival time. After much hugging (in which I was shunned until Rob noticed it, too, and made a big deal of embracing me), Gramma K said, particularly to Kellie, Carrie, and Ricky, "I think Grampa has a few little gifties for our favorite grandchildren." Grampa K proceeded to open up his carry-on trunk and take out three small, very nicely wrapped boxes. For Ricky, a light-motion-sound Christmas ornament from Hallmark. For Kellie, a long, silver mermaid necklace. And for Carrie, a pair of dangly pink elephant earrings. (Gramma K said, trying to sound as though she were making the greatest joke in the world, "Or maybe since they're pink elephants, they should go to Laura over here," and pantomimed throwing back a bottle of beer.) There was nothing for me. And it isn't even like I wanted any little present (frankly, the things they got were complete junk), but the fact that they both went out of their way to make sure I knew I wasn't a part of the family, in their eyes, is just ridiculous. Even though it shouldn't hurt, it does. They are Sharon's parents, and Sharon did not give birth to Ricky. George's first wife did, and then died in Ricky's first year of life. So yes, Sharon has been Ricky's mother all his life (she and George wed when Ricky was about a year-and-a-half old) but not technically. Therefore, it seems to me that if I'm not blood-related, and neither is Ricky, shouldn't we both be jilted to one side? I wore my Harvard sweatshirt, sans awards and commendations, and Grampa K noticed it. "Thinking of applying there?" he asked. (Which is bullshit, and the sweatshirt was a gift from Chad, who bought it from Harvard's online store, but I made my point.) Grampa K didn't say much after that, and Rob was sort of tugging my hand as a hint that he wanted to leave, so we did. I fumed a bit in the car as I drove us home. I'm expected at dinner tonight. I think I may just have to respectfully decline.
|