Chapter 24
I sat up straight and crossing my legs, my foot bounced up and down as I scrolled the feedback on Mum’s latest TikTok.
There were tonnes of positive replies to Mum’s video.
Most people seemed to genuinely wish Mum and Jackson well.
But it took a nano-second to spot the first of many negative responses, and sneering, I wondered if these posters knew how predictable they were.
‘This is why pensioners shouldn’t be allowed to drive,’ racerboy said.
Then there were the were repeat visitors.
‘Someone needs to ring the French police,’ DevonshireDave said. ‘They’ll sort her out.’
I shook my head. Still in the basement, I see, you sad little man.
Moving on, my stomach suddenly knotted. I couldn’t believe how low some people would go to make themselves feel better.
‘Talk about having a death wish,’ paparulestheroost said and seeing his comment had spawned its own thread, I questioned what was wrong with humanity.
‘She’s gonna be joining Derek soon,’ fastandfuriousforever said.
‘It’d serve her right!’ user5498612 said.
‘She’s mental. If she doesn’t die, she needs locking up,’ allthingsloveandlight said.
I knew I should stop reading but continuing to scroll I couldn’t help myself.
I’d long learned negativity was an unfortunate reality in the world of social media.
Some might say the norm rather than the exception.
Publicly post something positive and it was game on for the trolls.
People loved to openly mock, act superior or offer unsolicited critiques, even when it came to a poster’s appearance.
‘Aren’t you too old to be wearing lipstick?’ soldiergary asked, proving my point.
I sighed. Taking in Gary’s profile picture and seeing his missing front teeth, the words pot, kettle and black came to mind. Then there were those who got off by spoiling someone’s joy or putting down their achievements.
‘Your French accent’s an insult,’ tigersmithjones said.
Oh, get a life, you moron.
With everyone’s comments swirling around my head, I couldn’t believe people would do this to a seventy-nine-year-old woman.
I felt helpless to protect her and wondering how she was coping with such attacks, I pictured the glint in her eyes and the smile on her lips fade as she read one negative comment after another.
If it was up to me, you’d be deleting your TikTok account altogether.
My words struck and horrified, I realised how harsh I sounded.
I thought it no wonder Mum didn’t want to listen to me.
All I’d done since Dad passed was tell her what to do.
Mum had been right to suggest our parent/child roles had been reversed; me stating an opinion on what she should do with her TikTok being yet another example of me thinking I knew best.
Feeling guilty, I considered some of the other things I’d said of late. You shouldn’t be wasting money. You should be getting out more. You shouldn’t be out in the garden. You should make friends your own age.
I envisaged the Maple Manor brochure; the condescending cherry on the cake. My advice might have come from the heart and was said out of genuine concern but was I really any better than an internet troll?
Swiping out of TikTok altogether, I dialled Mum’s number and listening to the ring tone, prayed for her to pick up.
I wanted to apologise for my behaviour and ask her to stay where she was.
I wanted her to know I recognised the importance of her trip and to tell her I’d drive her to Gisèle’s myself.
The automated answering message kicked in and my whole upper body crumpled. With no other choice, I ended the call.
Staring at the screen, I wished Mum had chosen me as her travel companion instead of Jackson.
If she had, she wouldn’t be behind a wheel, let alone causing havoc on the motorway.
Not only would we have taken a flight, everything, down to the last detail, would have been prearranged.
Most importantly, I considered, we could have got to know each other again.
Pulling out my earbuds, I rose to my feet and glanced around.
The room was almost full of people bedding down for the night and I wondered what was taking Theo so long.
The room doors swished open and as if I’d magicked him, he appeared back from his scouting.
‘At last. I thought you’d gone overboard. ’
‘Shush!’ someone behind me said. ‘People are trying to sleep.’
I scowled. If that was anything to go by, it was going to be a long night. ‘There’s been an update from Mum,’ I said.
‘I’ll watch it later. Come on,’ Theo indicated the exit with a nod of his head.
‘Where are we going?’ I’d already had one surprise too many thanks to our not so delightful sleeping arrangements, and I dreaded to think what was next.
He gathered up our things and headed for the door. ‘You’ll see.’