She picked up on about the fifth or sixth ring. It always takes her a while since there is only one phone in the house, and sometimes she's busy with her daughter. I suspect she also checks to see if she can tell who's calling. (They used to have caller ID, but I don't know if they still do. They don't have long-distance, just phone cards bought at Wal-Mart.)
She was in a good mood, sounded sober and rational, and seemed to enjoy talking to me. Of course there were the usual hints of poverty, references to barely having enough money to pay the house note and the electricity. I never quite know what to say about that. What she wants me to say is that I'll send her money.
I haven't even told her (or anyone else in my family except for my sons) that I've applied for this position here. If I get it, the extra money will come in handy to pay off my humongous student loans, but it will be hard to justify any luxuries at all for myself when I know all too well how bad things are for my siblings in Louisiana. Sally talked about frying catfish and was laughing about our brother's attempt to fry them for himself. He probably did better than I would do. I can't bear to smell fish frying, and I haven't cooked them for decades except for broiled. (Unless tuna salad counts.)
Anyway, I just wanted to add this to my previous post so that I could feel that I had shown Sally in a better light. She really is a loving person, a kind-hearted person, someone who has suffered more than most people suffer in entire lifetimes. I do love her. I even like her (most of the time). I just wish I didn't feel so constantly helpless and hopeless where she is concerned. Dr. S.
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