I know you are crying on the phone, Mom
“I know you are crying, Mom”, I say to the headset thingie-ma-bobbie sitting skew around my ears while Skype dictates the connection I have to my expat family.
From Cape Town to Jo’burg to London to San Francisco (with numerous short-term work-term stops in other places), changing countries is starting to feel like changing undies. Unexpected SA expat life can be confusing when Frisco is a place in Texas, and a barbeque is just not a braai.
“I know you are crying, Mom”, I say to the headset thingie-ma-bobbie sitting skew around my ears while Skype dictates the connection I have to my expat family.
“After we arrived in America I stayed in bed for six weeks – there was just no reason to get up” the expat said, as she showed her annoyance to the waiter at the Tea Shop that sold 37 various teas from around the world. But, of course, there was no Five Roses.
Papers strewn everywhere. Crumbs too. Dishes with left-over food bits inhabit the dining room table, spilt milk in an untouched patch on the counter, coffee dribbles from yesterday dried down the side of the kitchen cupboards under the kettle. Kids? Nope. Just the in-laws visiting from Jo’burg.
“The letter says WHAAAAT?” My usually-very-calm husband screamed into the phone on just another grey-sky day in London.