Mar 27 07

March 27, 2007

Ricky and Cheryl. Well, that sums up our day.

Tiffani, Cheryl’s niece who used to live with them, is living in Phoenix now with her biological mother and father. Cheryl received an income tax refund for Tiffani, and has been asking for a couple of weeks if we could take them to Phoenix to give it to Tiffani. Couldn’t they mail it? No, because she was afraid Tiffani’s mother would take it and spend it and not give any to Tiffani. Could they send a money order with just Tiffani’s name on it? Never heard of such a thing. They said Tiffani kept calling and saying she couldn’t buy food and they were all hungry…and bottom line is they finally got to us and we agreed to take them to Phoenix.

We picked them up at 6:15 AM, Ricky, Cheryl, Baby Timmy and Naysha, and arrived in Phoenix about 9:30. Fortunately Cheryl had a letter from Tiffani and so we were able to get directions from Mapquest, because it was clear on the other side of Phoenix where we had never been. We found the place pretty easily, dropped them off for a visit, and just pretty much drove around for about an hour and a half. When we went back, Tiffani’s mother, who is deaf and only speaks sign language, was very friendly and we went outside and took some pictures and had a nice little visit with them. Tiffany and Naysha had gone off to get something to eat, no doubt with the newly delivered money. We waited about half an hour then went to pick them up. On the way back the mom and Naysha and Tiffani were speaking to each other with sign language. At the apartment complex Naysha ran in and then came back and said she was staying in Phoenix until Sunday. She was really excited about staying. I think she misses her mom and dad and sister and little brother (who lives with the Phoenix group also). Finally Ricky and Cheryl and baby are in the car and we head for the next stop. We asked how Naysha would get home from Phoenix and they said she could come home with an aunty who is coming to Phoenix on Saturday. Then they announce they are coming back also with the aunt and staying Saturday night.

Now we’re unhappy. They told us there was no way they could get to Phoenix if we didn’t take them. We even asked if there wasn’t someone who could take them, and they said Cheryl’s aunt would, but she would charge them $200 for the ride down there. So now we said, “Won’t she charge you money for riding down with her?” And Cheryl said, no, of course not, like we’d lost our minds and how could we even ask such a thing. So we spent $70 on gas and a whole day coming to Phoenix really for no better reason than they wanted a day out.

They also said they wanted to go to a mall, so we dropped them off at the Fiesta Mall. We never shop with them. They’re too smart for us. We’re pretty sure we’d buy their next year’s wardrobe and maybe some really expensive furniture before we got out of a mall with them. We took this time to have a lovely lunch at Olive Garden and remind each other that we’re trying very hard not to complain. We then exchanged the table for Dion and Verbena (the one we brought home Saturday that didn’t have all the parts in it), and went to Sam’s Club, Best Buy (sorry Shawn) and KayBee. We bought a portable DVD player for the car, ostensibly for the trip to Salt Lake but really for the grandkids when they go with us, which we hope happens often after the mission.

Got home about 9:00, walked in the house and the phone rang. It was Cheryl. She was crying and said her mother was taken to the hospital while we were gone, but Robert couldn’t understand any more because she was crying. We jumped in the truck and went back up to their house. They hadn’t called the hospital so we did that for them. Apparently her mother fell at Cheryl’s house getting out of their truck. She was in X-ray when we called and another relative was there with her. Her husband was still in Cibecue…not sure why he didn’t go over in the ambulance with her. We left a number for Cheryl to call, and said everything would be fine until morning when the stepdad could take her to Whiteriver. The hospital assured us Mom’s condition was in no way life-threatening. We left pretty pleased with ourselves that we didn’t end up making a run to Whiteriver, but pretty exhausted. This was the first time we’ve ever gone to Phoenix and back the same day and we really have no desire to repeat the experience.

We couldn’t take the table to Dion and Verbena. They weren’t home and we think they must still be in Phoenix with her cousin. They are out of minutes on their phone so can’t check on them and see how things are going.