The Visitor

I went to visit Mom yesterday. Mom always tells me how much she misses Dad, how she never thought she would outlive him. Well she did. Her family seems to live much longer than my dad's side of the family. As a nice gesture, on my way in the front door, I gave Mom a reenactment of my dad as I remember him. It was not planned, but it worked out. As I was walking in, the screen door snapped back and caught me on my heel. It hurt like hell and I broke out in a string of profanities that would have done my dad proud. Nobody could curse like Dad, but I am trying. I'm not sure if Mom enjoyed the Big Al impression, she didn't say, but I hope it brought back some memories.

We got to talking during lunch and Mom told me that a nice older gentleman had come over to visit the other day. Let me explain a couple of things. Mom lives in 'The Pines', a neighborhood that was built for older people like my mom and dad. Unfortunately, or fortunately, Mom has outlived many of her neighbors so it is sweet that one of the survivors stopped by to visit her.

"He came over, so I invited him in. He stayed much longer than I expected."

"So do you know this guy?" I asked.

"Not really. But we talked for quite awhile."

"You invited a stranger into your house?"

"He's not a total stranger. I know that I've seen him before, around The Pines I think. His name is Mr. Vandenberg."

"Vandenberg? Mom, you know a Mr. Vandenberg" I assured her.

"I don't think so, but I have seen him before."

Quite possibly she has seen him before. The Vandenberg's own the funeral parlor in Tinley Park.