Can't Stand You

The Honor of Meeting the Biggest Jackass in the World

Edited (5/20/20)

My mom and I began our drive at our anticipated departure time of 2:30. We hoped by leaving early that we would avoid most of the traffic in and around Baltimore, which would get us to the hotel at about 8.

I've lived in the suburbs of Baltimore my entire life and couldn't imagine being anywhere else. I've grown up loving going to the harbor to watch boats come through the port and eating fresh seafood at the stands lining the streets. Field trips in elementary and middle school were always to Washington D.C. since it was only a quick hour's drive, but I always enjoyed exploring downtown with my mom on the weekends when we could stroll through the dozens of neighborhoods.

Traffic was unusually light as we drove by most of the city along the water, passing some of the numerous docks and the aquarium. The Orioles' and Ravens' fields flickered by as Mom headed towards I-83 north.

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?" my mom asked once she had successfully merged on to the freeway.

"Yeah. I wish Dad was here," I confessed. My eyes stayed trained out the window to watch the city slowly disappear from view.

"He'll be with you the whole time, just not in person."

"I know. I'm just glad you're bringing me up there."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm so proud of you for getting where you are. You've worked so hard to get here." We lapsed into silence for several moments before my mom opened her mouth again. "I also need to make sure these coaches don't try to pull any funny business about you being there. They're messing with the wrong people if they try to do that."

I leaned my head back on the headrest and laughed. All my life I've known my mom as being a firecracker when it comes to her job and anything she believed in. Since it's just me and her, she's the one to set things straight with anyone and she was not one to be walked over. "Well, thank you for making sure that doesn't happen."

She nodded her head and smiled cheekily out the front windshield. Sometimes I think she enjoys when someone tries to get in our way because it gives her all the more reason to mow them over and never look back.

After about an hour of driving and looking out the window, I started to get tired. Counting the trees we passed was slowly putting me to sleep, and eventually, my eyelids drooped close.

...

"Hey honey. We're at the hotel," a voice said. A hand rubbed my shoulder as I cracked my eyes open to adjust to where the car was now stopped.

It was now dark outside and a hotel's lights cast shadows across my mom's face as she waited for me to unravel myself from my curled sleeping position.

"I already checked in and they have room service, so we can order some dinner if you're hungry," she said opening up her door to get out of the car.

I stretched my cramped muscles and was met with a loud grumble from my stomach, demanding some food. I pushed open the car door and stepped out in to the humid night air to grab my bag from the trunk. Following my mom through the hotel, she led me down the hall and unlocked the door. I promptly threw myself on to the bed and relaxed into the feather stuffed pillows that were stacked high.

"I don't know why you're so tired when I did all of the driving," my mom said, sitting down on the other side of the bed. "You hungry?"

"Mhm," I mumbled, hoping she understood my muffled answer. From the sound of the phone being picked up from its cradle, I figured my mom had understood.

While I worked on taking off my shoes and getting ready for bed, other than brushing my teeth, my mom ordered our dinner. The kitchen was still making pizzas so she asked for two personal pies: my favorite, Hawaiian, and a chicken barbeque for herself.