Sprucing Up
My Mother's sparse gray hair drifts out from her head in long wispy patches, each strand swaying slightly in a breeze I cannot feel.
"Brush me!" she screams. "Brush me, Janet!"
I look down at the wire brush she's given me, its stiff bristles standing out at awkward angles, clearly more suited to scraping rust off a car engine than grooming an old woman's hair.
"Mother, I..." I start, but she whirls around with a speed I no longer thought her capable of and grabs my right hand, the one holding the wire brush.
"Brush! Me!" she cries, jerking my hand toward her head with each word.
Dropping my hand, she pointedly turns her back to me again, and I sigh.
"Go!" she screams again, her shoulders shaking.
Clenching my teeth, I raise the tool to her head and start to brush.
My Mother's sparse gray hair drifts out from her head in long wispy patches, each strand swaying slightly in a breeze I cannot feel.
"Brush me!" she screams. "Brush me, Janet!"
I look down at the wire brush she's given me, its stiff bristles standing out at awkward angles, clearly more suited to scraping rust off a car engine than grooming an old woman's hair.
"Mother, I..." I start, but she whirls around with a speed I no longer thought her capable of and grabs my right hand, the one holding the wire brush.
"Brush! Me!" she cries, jerking my hand toward her head with each word.
Dropping my hand, she pointedly turns her back to me again, and I sigh.
"Go!" she screams again, her shoulders shaking.
Clenching my teeth, I raise the tool to her head and start to brush.
What did you get your mother for mothers day?
Posted by: Enna Isilee | May 14, 2007 at 05:17 PM
A very nice hairbrush.
Posted by: Dean | May 14, 2007 at 07:57 PM
That's was nice, is your alternative reality named Janet? :D
Posted by: Taiger | May 15, 2007 at 10:17 AM
When I was little, I was scared to have my hair brushed. Can you say flashback? I used to have nightmares of hairbrushes eating my hair off and chasing me forever. Thanks for letting me re-live the nightmare. (Kidding.)
Posted by: Burning | May 16, 2007 at 02:20 PM
Just to clarify: I did really have those dreams, etc. I was kidding about the re-living the nightmare thing.
Posted by: Burning | May 16, 2007 at 02:23 PM
I have to say, you are the most morbidly funny person I've ever had the pleasure of reading. You are like Edgar Allen Poe with a sense of humor. But better. I've just read almost all your blogs. I fell on the floor twice. I ran to the bathroom once.
So yes, (guilty!) I am a Shannon Hale fan that found your site. It amazes me that the two of you are married. You're the biggest opposites. Minus the great writer, witty genius traits that you both seem to have in abundance.
And I enjoyed Princess Academy. But I also enjoy your macabre sense of humor and gruesome tales. Let's just say I have a varied reading diet. I love both types of stories and many other, more disturbing (yeah, right) genres. I expect many more disturbing stories in the future. Can't wait till Friday....
Posted by: Burning | May 16, 2007 at 04:21 PM
P.S.-All this comes from the man that Finn (one of my favorite characters) is loosely based on? Wow, as if that doesn't send me reeling. There's a whole new Finn in my head now...
Posted by: Burning | May 16, 2007 at 04:39 PM
Totally agree with you, Burning. Yay Finn!
Posted by: Liz | May 18, 2007 at 11:50 AM
You gotta Finn.
Posted by: Burning | May 18, 2007 at 03:36 PM