"It all started with a whopping price error ” 10/24 The Perfect Storm of Opportunity

[Zookeeperof4]

Wow you know how to leave a trail of readers in suspense. I can see the light blinking in my head and your hands on the phone....

 

[A&Bmama]

The Call


Warning………………………..Warning…………………………..Warning



I don’t want to take anyone by surprise. This chapter is not typical trip report reading. It is a very sad and extremely painful installment.
If you are not in the right place or right frame of mind I advise you to read another report and come back to this when you are able.









I stare at the message light for a long moment. I guess I was hoping it would go away.

For one crazy second I consider ignoring the light and never listening to the message, but I know burying my head in the sand won’t change the situation.

I try to tell myself that I am getting worked up over nothing. Didn’t I just have a message two days ago? It never occurred to me then that anything was wrong. That time the message was from the front desk letting me know that a bag of items we had taken to the pool was left behind. Why is this different? Why am I so scared?

I listen to the message “Hi it’s Mom, call me as soon as you get this message. 902-###-####.

Oh god. Oh no. Why is Mom calling me? I frantically try to analyze the sound of her voice. Her voice isn’t giving up any secrets. Sounds OK I think. Am I being silly for being so freaked out?

I know I’m not.

I know this because my parents have had the same phone number since I was a child. Not something I would forget after 3 days in Florida. No. My mother was distracted, not thinking clearly. The tone of her voice might not have given me any cause for concern but the content of the message certainly did.

Dang it. Dang it. Dang it. Where is my cell? I told her I was going to take my cell to the parks everyday. I hadn’t remembered it once so far. How long has she been trying to reach me?

I run to the suitcase that is still holding my phone. I grab it and turn it on.

Oh lord no.

There is a text message from my brother. It reads. CALL HOME ASAP.

No. Please tell me this is not happening.

I quickly run through possible scenarios.

Maybe something happened to the cat. I know that can’t be it. As much as we love our pet I am sure my Mother would decide that we would have time enough to mourn our cat when we returned home.

Maybe my house burned down. I don’t think that’s it.

My Mother is OK because she is calling.

My Brother is OK because he is texting.

My Father… No, no please no.

I dial the number. My brother answers.

I don’t say hello, I don’t ask how he is. My voice surprises me, it is cold, almost hostile, demanding. I simply say, “What Is Going On!”

He pauses, and in his silence I hear his brain scrambling for what to say. “Um …………..ah…………….um…………..here, I’ll let you talk to Mom.

My Mother is on now, her voice is calm, sort of pleasant even. She asks how we are. I tell her we are all fine. I restrain myself from screaming “tell me, tell me, tell me.”

She asks me if we are having a good time. My voice says yes. My mind shouts, “say it, tell me.”

She asks if anyone is with me.

Oh god, oh god, here it comes. I tell her everyone is with me.

Her voice is quieter now, “Your Father passed away this evening.”
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My Father died.
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I wasn’t there.
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I left on his Birthday.
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I left on his Birthday...
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I am shocked by the calm in my voice. I ask what happened. She tells me that he went out to check if the city had salted their sidewalk, while she was making supper. He came back in and told her that it was salted now and talked to her for a few moments and then went to the living room to wait for dinner. Mom finished her preparations and served up dinner. She went to the living room to tell Dad that it was ready and knew at first glance that he was gone.

She asks when we are supposed to come home. I tell her that we were supposed to leave on Tuesday (today is Friday). I tell her that we are coming home as soon as we can get flights. She gives me a number that she had been given by the funeral home for a special bereavement travel organization.

The rest of the conversation is a blur for me. I know at one point that I knew that I couldn’t sit there and calmly discuss my Dad’s death any longer and I just cut my mother off as she was saying something and said. “I have to go. I’ll call you back.”

I begin to pace the room. I can see that DH has taken the kids into the other room. Through the doorway I see DS sitting on his bed looking glum. DD is sitting on DH lap and is asking what is wrong. I don’t remember if I was crying or not, I might have only been muttering oh god, oh no. I don’t have much recollection.

I hear DH telling DD that Gramps must be very sick and he thinks that he is probably in hospital. DD wants to exactly what is going on. DH tells her he doesn’t know and they will have to wait to talk to me. I want to tell DH but I am incapable of doing anything other than pacing from one end of the room to the other.

Somehow DH is in our room with me now, holding on to me. I think he asked if it was my father and was he in the hospital. I shake my head and tell him that he died. I don’t remember the next little bit. I was pretty hysterical for a few minutes.

Somehow I calm myself. I tell him I want a cup of coffee with lots of sugar and we need to get in touch with Sue because I want cigarettes. I haven’t smoked in years.
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Side note: I had intended to cover more of what happened in this installment. I think it is best if I make the next few installments shorter as it is difficult subject matter and I am finding it a little draining.
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For those who can see this trip report through to the end I promise that by the end of the trip report we will certainly have some happier times and will find some magic along the way.

Up next: Arrangements

 

[thumbelina115]

I am so, so sorry.
What a nightmare for you and your family.

 

[Zookeeperof4]

OMG....okay I am so sorry. And so sorry for pressuring the next installment to happen. As soon as it said the message was your mom I thought please dont let it be your dad..please dont let it be your dad. Then the tears started....

I feel like reaching through this screen to hug you. Amazing how a TR can bring such strangers to have such strong feelings when things happen.

I would like to say I dont know your pain...unfortunately I do. We lost our baby unexpectedly....just like losing your father. The pain will never know go away...it just feels different over time. My family will pray that you think of him with fond memories and know that you did enjoy a birthday celebration with him before you left.
I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[MadiMouse]

First off, let me send my condolences to you and your family. I will be here till the end of this report!

 

[wisegal]

Sorry to hear about you dad.

 

[Amg120499]

I am so sorry. Certainly not the news you want to get anytime, much less on vacation. I can only imagine how hard it must be for your to relive this and write your tr.

 

[Jasperann]

I am so sorry for your loss. I know what it feels like to loose your dad and not being there at the time. It takes a lot of courage to do a trip report that has this painful of a memory for you. I will be here reading until you are finished with it.

 

[hucifer]

It takes a lot of courage to do a trip report that has this painful of a memory for you. I will be here reading until you are finished with it.

I totally agree.

I am so sorry...

 

[Normangirls]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I can't imagine how awful that phone call was. To be in the middle of vacation, fun and laughs and all positive things, and then to plummet down into that shock and grief. Well, I can't imagine.

Of course we're here to the end. Of course, you should write this at your own pace. DIS people are not fair-weathered friends, so know you have our thoughts and prayers.

 

[PrncessA]

Lots of hugs and prayers are sent your way from my family! What a painful thing to have to write about, take your time, we are here till the end with you.

 

[DisEye]

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[loveysbydesign]

I am so sorry for the loss of your dad. Everytime my phone rings and it is my mom I'mm afraid that is what she'll tell me. My dad is 80...I am 35 and the baby of the family and I fear that call.
Hugs to you!

 

[A&Bmama]

I am so, so sorry.
What a nightmare for you and your family.

Thank you. It was very difficult.

OMG....okay I am so sorry. And so sorry for pressuring the next installment to happen. As soon as it said the message was your mom I thought please dont let it be your dad..please dont let it be your dad. Then the tears started....

I feel like reaching through this screen to hug you. Amazing how a TR can bring such strangers to have such strong feelings when things happen.

I would like to say I dont know your pain...unfortunately I do. We lost our baby unexpectedly....just like losing your father. The pain will never know go away...it just feels different over time. My family will pray that you think of him with fond memories and know that you did enjoy a birthday celebration with him before you left.
I am so sorry for your loss.

Don't worry about any pressure.

Thank you so much for you well wishes. It is painful to lose a parent. Shockingly so. Made me feel like an orphan even though I am much to old and I still have my mom. I think there can be no greater pain than losing a child. I pray I never experience it. I am sorry for loss.

First off, let me send my condolences to you and your family. I will be here till the end of this report!

Thanks for reading and for the condolences. Brighter days are in the future.

Sorry to hear about you dad.

Thank you and thanks for reading.

I am so sorry. Certainly not the news you want to get anytime, much less on vacation. I can only imagine how hard it must be for your to relive this and write your tr.

Thank you. It has actually been kind of theraputic (sp?) to write about it.

I am so sorry for your loss. I know what it feels like to loose your dad and not being there at the time. It takes a lot of courage to do a trip report that has this painful of a memory for you. I will be here reading until you are finished with it.

Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad your in it for the long haul because there is still quite a bit more story to tell.

I totally agree.

I am so sorry...

Thanks hucifer. Keep reading there is a parallel between something in your solo trip report and mine. It is still many installments away though.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I can't imagine how awful that phone call was. To be in the middle of vacation, fun and laughs and all positive things, and then to plummet down into that shock and grief. Well, I can't imagine.

Of course we're here to the end. Of course, you should write this at your own pace. DIS people are not fair-weathered friends, so know you have our thoughts and prayers.

Thanks. Death is an awful part of life. It is odd to experience such exhilarating highs then plummet to such lows in a short period of time.

Lots of hugs and prayers are sent your way from my family! What a painful thing to have to write about, take your time, we are here till the end with you.

Thank you for your sentiments, and thanks for reading

I am sorry for your loss.

Thank you for the kind words.

I am so sorry for the loss of your dad. Everytime my phone rings and it is my mom I'mm afraid that is what she'll tell me. My dad is 80...I am 35 and the baby of the family and I fear that call.
Hugs to you!

Its funny, in hindsight I guess I should have been more concerned about his health. Actually I was concerned, I said to Mom on more than one occasion "that man is a walking heart attack." He was overweight and had become very sedentary since he retired. I guess I just thought he would have a mild heart attack and it would be his wake-up call.

Thanks for reading

 

[njtinkmom]

OMG I am so truly sorry for you and your family. Most unfortunetly I can relate because I was in Epcot getting ready to get on Test Track with my then 7 yo dd when I received the same call..... My dad was in the hospital when we left for Disney my uncle and step mom MADE us go for the kids, said my dad would be pissed if we did not go because of him. He was on a ventilator at the time and NOTHING was going to happen for the next 14 days. Well we drove from NJ and two days into our trip my step mom calls and said he regained conscious and wanted to be taken off the ventilator that day, and that the machine was the only think keeping him alive. I remember riding TT in a blur trying to figure out what to tell my dds 7, 4 and 2. We left epcot went back to POP and they were soooo nice, they refunded my room, gave me non-expiration hoppers for that day and the rest of the trip. It was the longest drive home ever, the kids were devastated to leave and upset about their pop-pop, although they did not know the severity....It also took 5 years for me to go back to disney and seeing TT this summer was difficult, memories came flooding back. I feel the guilt that I left him every day, but in my heart I do know he would have been pissed had I not taken the girls.

We are all here for you and keep venting when you can, don't keep your emotions bottled up, it is just not good - trust me I know.

 

[Sneezie]

I am so very sorry for your lost.

 

[MHTeacher]

Oh...I am so sorry. I sat, reading, with tears streaming down my face, feeling your hurt and sorrow through your words. Hugs and prayers to you and your family.

 

[MEK]

I got pretty behind on all my TRs, but I think I am caught up now. I am so sorry to hear about your dad.....that is so sad. How awful to lose a parent while visiting the happiest place in the world. This happened to my coworker's wife a few years ago. I hope you were able to get home in a timely manner.

I can tell that is was difficult touring the parks with so many people. I really think you did a great job keeping everyone organized. I don't know how you managed to eat so little because your meal times were out of synch. I would have been eating everything in sight.

 

[Becx N Gav]

My deepest condolences for you and your family I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I must say though you are amazing to be able to write about this - I can't imagine how hard it is to go through again I do hope you find this helps.
We are all here for you, take as much time as you need. I hope you are able to find some strength from doing this

 

[A&Bmama]

OMG I am so truly sorry for you and your family. Most unfortunetly I can relate because I was in Epcot getting ready to get on Test Track with my then 7 yo dd when I received the same call..... My dad was in the hospital when we left for Disney my uncle and step mom MADE us go for the kids, said my dad would be pissed if we did not go because of him. He was on a ventilator at the time and NOTHING was going to happen for the next 14 days. Well we drove from NJ and two days into our trip my step mom calls and said he regained conscious and wanted to be taken off the ventilator that day, and that the machine was the only think keeping him alive. I remember riding TT in a blur trying to figure out what to tell my dds 7, 4 and 2. We left epcot went back to POP and they were soooo nice, they refunded my room, gave me non-expiration hoppers for that day and the rest of the trip. It was the longest drive home ever, the kids were devastated to leave and upset about their pop-pop, although they did not know the severity....It also took 5 years for me to go back to disney and seeing TT this summer was difficult, memories came flooding back. I feel the guilt that I left him every day, but in my heart I do know he would have been pissed had I not taken the girls.

We are all here for you and keep venting when you can, don't keep your emotions bottled up, it is just not good - trust me I know.

Thanks for sharing your story. It is really difficult to deal with the death of a parent. I took me by surprise just how hard it is. In the natural order of life we expect to outlive our parents and therefore, assume we will deal with their death one day. It's a whole different story when it actually happens though.