Jolene's World: The Scheming Mother-in-Law (Companion to videos #5, #6, & #7)

 Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Bea Buzzerby, Darrel's mother. I love my baby boy, but I know he has issues with his memory which can be crippling at times. I'm thrilled that he managed to make it through college and land a job. (Of course he had help from me and his college friends.) It seemed like he was on the right track up until recently. 

He's become smitten with a girl who's attending college here. She seems nice enough, but she's pretty emotional. She melts down at the smallest conflicts. She also isn't attentive as she needs to be to Darrel's special needs. 

The girl's friend invited me over to have a celebration dinner with Darrel and his new fiancé, but Darrel didn't show up. The fiancé called him several times, but got no response. It was all very awkward, and I was getting worried. Finally, as dinner ended, and I was prepared to go look for him, Darrel showed up.

"I'm sorry Mom, I was reading this new book that just came out that was written by one of my old college friends, and I lost track of time! I checked my phone, but it seems I forgot to charge it, and it was dead. I hope you had a good time."

This fiancé of his should have made sure that phone was charged! What if he misses something very important? I'm getting older and won't be around forever to watch after him. I just don't think this Ashley is the right woman for the job. Whatever happened to that nice girl Darrel brought home over Spring Break a few years back? What was her name? Chen. Yeah, that's it. What happened to Chen? After her visit to our house, Darrel confided in me that he was in love with Chen. 

I met with Darrel for our weekly check-in date and asked him about Chen and his other friends because he hasn't mentioned them lately. 

"Well, I texted them just before I came here for that job interview to let them know what was going on. I haven't heard from any of them since. I think they all ghosted me. I keep forgetting to reach out to them."

"Well, give me your phone and I'll get their contact information. You really should invite them to your wedding. I'll take care of that for you."

"Thanks Mom!"

"I haven't seen Ashley since I went to her friend's house for dinner. Why don't you bring her by this evening?" 

"I will. She's studying right now, but we're gonna meet here in a little while, so I'll bring her by."

"Oh, and I'm thinking of throwing a party for the two of you. I'll invite your friends of course, but does Ashley have any friends I should include?"

"Probably just Jolene and her husband Alden. Ashley's getting pretty tired of her sorority sisters - they drive her crazy, and I haven't hear of any other friends except maybe an ex-boyfriend, but I'm sure she wouldn't want him around either."

"Oh, so she was seeing someone else before you? What was his name?"

"I forget. I'll ask her if you want." 

"That would be good. But don't tell her I'm the one asking, okay? She might wonder why it's any of my business. I'm just curious, you know. This wedding seems so sudden, and I really don't know her at all. I'll see you tonight!"

(Things are falling into place! I'll make sure Chen comes for the wedding, invite Darrel's friends to a big party to meet Darrel's fiancé, and see if I can round up an old flame or two of hers to invite too. Maybe this wedding can be over before it even begins!  Mwah ha ha!)

******

Oh great! I was looking forward to a romantic evening with Darrel, . . . 

. . . and he tells me we're going to visit his mother tonight! Dang it! I had quite enough of the woman the other night at Jolene's! She acted like it was all MY fault Darrel didn't show up on time. I felt judged.

"I just want my two best girls to get to know each other a little better," he said. "You seem a little out of sorts tonight. You didn't run into your ex-boyfriend or something did you? What's his name again?"

"Lane Vogel, and no, I haven't run into him. I'm just stressed out over these upcoming tests and was looking forward to a romantic evening with you. I'm really not in the mood to see your mother tonight."

"But I told her we'd drop by! Can't we drop in for just a few minutes?" he pleaded.

"Okay, but don't expect me to like it!"

I swear we were there no more than a minute when she starts complaining to Darrel about my biting my nails! I'm under a lot of stress here. How is my nail-biting any of her business!

The next thing I know, Bea's gone into some kind of fit, talking to people who aren't even there!

Darrel chose to start dancing and pretend it wasn't happening.

What kind of family am I joining here, anyway?

Now she wants us to come back TOMORROW for a big party with all Darrel's friends. When am I going to have time to spend with my own family? 

I got to see them just briefly when they came into town yesterday. They dropped their bags and the AirBnb, and we went to the festival for a few hours. 

My little sister Candice is a teen now. She has grown up a lot since I last saw her!

My sister Betty said Mom decided to just stay at the house and unwind after her long trip, but would look forward to seeing me soon. 

I wonder how she and my future monster-in-law will get along.

"Are you still competing in pageants?" I asked. 

"Yep, I'm still doing it. Mom makes me practice my music every day. She says winning a pageant will fast-track me in the music career. I guess Momma knows best."

"Betty got 4th place in the last contest," Candice enthused. "She got a bit of attention from it too!"

Dad and Candice decided to turn in early, but Dad called me because the computer broke. I gave him Jolene's number since she's the one with the degree in technology, and she talked him through fixing it. 

Me and Betty stayed at the festival until it closed down. 

I was hoping to spend the whole day with them tomorrow, but I guess I'll make some time for this party. 

Darrel is just clueless when it comes to my feelings. The next day I got to spend a little time with my family before the party. I arrived a little late and the party was starting to wind down. Maybe I'm as bad as Darrel at showing up when I'm supposed to. 

It's just as well. Bea managed to invite my despicable ex-boyfriend Lane! How did she even know about him?

She seemed a little too enthusiastic over the girl who broke Darrel's heart. I swear the woman is crazy. In case you didn't know, Darrel and I first bonded over our broken hearts. 

I told him about how Lane led me on, making me think he would leave his girlfriend for me, . . .

. . . and he told me about his trip to Lucky Palms with his friends, where they all got drunk and he confessed his love for this girl Chen, but then he never heard from her again - and they had been really good friends all through college. 

Wouldn't you know it, Chen showed up to the party, and Darrel lost his mind over her!

I spotted them KISSING - ON THE LIPS as I was running down the block toward the party! KISSING! For crying out loud!

"Honey, I'm here! I made it! Who's your friend? Darrel?  Darrel?"

"Darrel! I'm talking to you! Who is SHE!?"

"It's my friend Chen! She said we've had some miscommunication. She said I broke HER heart, and that was why she ghosted me. She was about to explain it to me."

"I don't want to hear it! The past is best left in the past! We've got our future to focus on now!"

I swear that girl is trying to steal my man! Darrel doesn't seem to know I exist when she's around!

After kissing her for the SECOND TIME  - (that I know of) he apologized to me saying he was caught up in the moment. That he and Chen were really close once and that they had a history. He said I was the one he loved, but when I went to hug him, he balked!

"Not in front of Chen! She came all this way, and I don't want to flaunt our relationship in front of her!" 

"Now cut that out! Where's your sense of compassion? What's wrong with you?"

A few minutes later Bea came out, and it was pretty clear to me who she preferred for her son!

I just had to get out of there. I went to tell my parents about what happened, hoping they could give me some advice.

"Mom, they were right there in front of the house KISSING! The whole neighborhood could see! I feel so humiliated!"

"What about the wedding? Do I go through with it and hope things get better after she leaves? Mom? Are you listening to me?"

"Mom! Do I go through with the wedding or call it off?"

"Give me a minute, I'm thinking."

"Well, if you ask me, he was just plain rude! That was unforgivable!" Betty said.

"Unless he's rich. If he's rich, you might be able to take him to the cleaners in a divorce settlement. Is he rich?"

"He's a school teacher, Betty. No he's not rich. And word around town is his mother isn't either."

"The thing is I want to get married and I want it to last forever."

"I would love to have babies with Darrel. We could have a large family."

"I think I'm getting an idea, but I'm really tired. I need to sleep in it."

"Wouldn't it be cool if Chen met an untimely death?"

"Does Darrel's mother have a garden? We could plant the body there." 

"I'm really tired, Sis. Can we talk about this in the morning?" Betty asked. 

"Sure. I've got to get home. I've got tests tomorrow. Maybe I need to have Jolene look into this Chen character and see if there's any dirt we can dig up on her. I'll ask her tomorrow after school."

School was horrible! I failed both of my tests! Maybe college isn't for me. I'll feed my feelings with a nice plate of onion rings while I wait for Jolene to show up.

To be continued . . .