… the incident, or what my mother said about it.
Mother had asked me a few days ago if I could go online to Harry & David's and order a gift basket for her friends Mae and Denny. They have been friends with Mother for over 30 years. They gave Mother $50 for Christmas, and Mother wanted to send something of almost equal value in return.
For various reasons, I didn't get a chance to order the gift basket this weekend. Now I'm glad I didn't.
Mother called today, and I told her I hadn't placed the order yet. Mother said, "I've changed my mind. I'm not sending them
anything because of …" And she said, to my utter shock, "That dumb-a** Denny!"
My mother has never, never,
never called anyone a dumb-a**. I was turning purple to keep from laughing, but I managed to ask why she had changed her mind.
Denny had given Mae something for Christmas that did not fit her. He took her to Penney's so she could exchange it, but she couldn't find whatever it was in her size, so the cashier gave Mae a gift card.
Before Mae got two steps away from the service desk, Denny said, "Give me that."
Mae said, "No, it's mine."
Denny demanded, "Give me that card RIGHT NOW!"
Mae gave it to him and he took it to the men's department and bought himself two pair of pants.
Mother asked Mae why she handed over a gift card that was essentially her Christmas present. Mae said she didn't want to make a scene.
Mother was furious that Denny demanded the card and furious that Mae gave it to him. She was afraid Denny would get hold of the gift basket and not let Mae have any of what was in it, so she just decided not to send it.
I couldn't believe Mae let Denny have the card, either.
But I really couldn't believe Mother called Denny a dumb-a**.
(Just for the record, both Denny and Mae have always been a little strange.)
