Dammit I am not in love with you!!!!

Mommy's Worst Nightmare

"Livvy try and understand. Ronald is the future that you deserve and he is going to be bigger and better than Alexander. You have to think and be practical....."

"Were you being practical when you decided to have your relationships? I don't care what Ronald would be in the future.....because for all I know he is not a part of my future! I don't love Alex for his money or status. I love him for him. Something that you possibly can't grasp."

"Are you satisfied with the thought of spending the rest of your life with an adventure capitalist who may or may not have his assets with him in the future? Would you rather not be with the man who could possibly be shaping many lives?"

"I take offense to being called an adventure capitalist. If I was a capitalist I wouldn't be selling low cost and effective green technology to developing nations all over the world. I am adventurous but not foolish. I do have stakes and interests in other ventures as well. Just because I have money doesn't mean I always will. So obviously I insured my future wealth."

"Thanks for the clarification babe. And what the hell do you mean by 'shaping futures'? Ronald can't shape his own future much less anybody else's. For goodness sake, if you are implying what I think you are implying I should caution you the only thing in his future is a big failure and not a big office. The man can't decide who he is in love with and you expect me to believe he could lead our nation?"

"Matters of the heart are not as straightforward as matters of political interests." To say she said that with confidence would be a lie. A most unconvincing one at that. She sounded nervous and conflicted. Like what came out of her mouth was like a rehearsed dialogue and not something she believed in herself.

"Says the woman selling herself for political gains for her boyfriend." Alex whispered in my ear. Yes anybody (including my boyfriend) could appreciate the finer points of this irony.

"Why are you so set on Ronald? What is it about him that has you so enchanted?" For once and for all, let's hear it from the horse's mouth. I have had enough of pussy footing around the truth that I already know."Why are you so stuck on him like a broken record? Whenever we talk, why does he feature in all your conversations with me? What stupid scheme are you involved in? Because the only time you are so insistent and demanding is when you have some hare brained scheme in the works."

"Oh it's nothing like that...I mean you are my daughter and it's a mother's right to be concerned for her child's future."

"You know if you confessed this instant that you were a lesbian I'd much rather believe that than this farce that you keep trying to feed me. You don't have a motherly bone in your plastic body. So quit harping on about the same. What did you do mom?"

"Nothing a concerned mother wouldn't do. I mean you know the finances aren't what they used to be and I was in dire straits so I took some money from the Dwights for the wedding. And now they want the money back except I don't have it on me. So they wanted a marriage alliance and they would wipe the loan away. I had no choice you see.....and then Ronald said he wanted you as his wife.....you see where I am going with this?"

"YOU DID WHAT?"

In case it wasn't obvious, I screamed. And I think I was loud enough that Mami came rushing in from the kitchen with her hair and apron streaked with flour.

"What happened?" Mami knows I don't scream until my mother does something to push my buttons. "Whats going on?"

"Miss Carter just told us that she fixed Livvy's marriage with Ronald." Alex spat out the words like they were distasteful for him.

"VIRGINIA!" Mami's shocked gasp of outrage was the only thing heard in the parlor. Alex was silently fuming while I think I was in shock.

"Mom I know what I am doing. This is potentially the best marriage offer that she will get and it's beneficial for the family. What's wrong with an arranged marriage? I am doing this for her own good. Plus I don't have a choice. I am chest deep in debt and they put forward this condition......" I swear if she wasn't my mother I would be pulling a Felicity showdown on her face right now. What the hell? Who does that in the 21st century? I am not against arranged marriages. But you don't just auction your kids for gains.

"What is wrong with you? This isn't the 13th Century where you marry off your daughter to whoever offers the highest money! This is marriage and not some business deal. How dare you try and destroy the sanctity of marriage?" Mami never approved of mother's constant affairs and attempts at the altar. She always thought that my mother was never interested in marrying anyone. It was was a publicity stunt." I let you ruin your life but my grand daughters are not going to fall victims to your plans. I have had enough of your social mobility plans and schemes. Listen here and listen well. Livvy will marry whosoever she wishes to marry. No pressure and no persuasion tactics of yours are going to interfere with her love life.  Am I making myself clear?"

Mami has never lost her cool twice in the space of an hour. My mother seriously pissed her off. Usually Mami doesn't interfere in mom's decisions but when she does.....Well lets just say my mom can't ignore Mami's orders. Because pissing off Mami is one mistake that shouldn't be repeated. In baseball terms my mother had already had two strikes against her.

"But mother try to see it from my perspective. I am only doing this for her...."

"I said am I making myself clear?"

"Mom lets talk about this. You'll agree with me..."

"Virginia Carter don't make me repeat myself. Answer the question. Are we clear or not?"

"Crystal."

"Good then. You will go to the Dwights and apologize for raising their hopes up and withdraw this ridiculous proposal right now. And this is an order. If I hear that your stupid scheme is still running....well lets just say there will be an altar and a groom but not in Livvy's future but yours. "

I remember this one threat Mami made. My mother was acting too choosy about her wedding proposals and rejecting them without even looking at the men. Mami got annoyed and finally threatened a wedding with some far off relation who owned a farm and lived in Hickoryville(He lives in a village in Oakhloma). That was the end of the tantrums and my mother finally agreed to get married to Alex's father.

From what I know, the far off relation is widowed and still lives on a farm on Hickoryville. Not an ideal place for my socialite mother. Plus he is still poor as ever. That is the stuff of my mother's nightmares. Living in extreme  poverty and having no money to wastefully spend at all. Its been a long time (atleast 35 years) since Mami threatened mom with rustic wedding bells.

My mother paled under the thick layer of makeup on her face. She knows Mami doesn't make empty threats. So hopefully she will back off for now. Not completely because my mother hates losing and no way is she ever going to let go. Specially since two Senators are involved. But the Hickoryville threat is enough to slow her down. Lets see for how long though.

Honestly I would like to see her get married to or atleast share the same altar with the rustic gentleman. It would be torture for her and pure entertainment for me.