Ping
Eyes still closed, I wriggled my hand out from under the covers and reached for the phone wondering who would be contacting me at this time of the morning.
Ping
Ahh, I flung back the cover and scowl at the phone, my mothers name flashing up.
Ping
Bloody hell what does she want, I groaned and shuffled round swinging my legs out to meet the cold floor, shivering slightly at the contact, I glare at the phone my thumb hesitating over the message icon before throwing it back on the bedside table, bathroom first - coffee then my mother after.
Ping
Ping
Ping
I heard the phone through the thin walls of my small apartment, shuffling through a morning routine knowing if I didn't do it now I would regret it once I engaged with my mother.
Now sitting with coffee in hand looking out over the small communal garden I opened my messages and relaxed back to read what she had sent.
'CALL ME'
Why is she writing everything in caps, she's such a drama queen.
'WHERE ARE YOU'
Give me a chance it's still early.
'THIS IS IMPORTANT'

Really mother, is it another broken a nail, what do you want to moan at me about this time.
'REALLY THIS IS RIDICULOUS, CALL ME NOW'
Again mother what's the rush.
'I GOT MARRIED'
Oh shit! I set my coffee down and looked at the phone in shock married? I didn't even know she was dating.
I called her.
"What took you so long" she grumbled answering the phone.
"Well hello to you to mother" I replied sarcastically.
"Well" she said.
"Well what"
"Are you not going to congratulate me, I got married"
I scowl at the phone.
"Congrats, who is he?"
"Don't take that tone with me, you ungrateful child" she grated.
I gave a short laugh "what tone mother, I gave congratulations and asked who he was, as I was unaware you were dating seriously" I reply trying to keep my cool with her.
"His name is Henry, we met in Aspen last winter and again recently, he's in oil" she informed me.
"Oil, what's that got to do with anything" I ask knowing full well why she mentioned oil, poor man must be loaded and she's caught him.
"Okay so you've told me now, is that it, can I go" I ask.
"Don't be stupid, He wants to meet you, so we're having a party to share our news and you will be there to meet your new family"
"NO" I exclaim
"This is not a choice Jersey, you will attend..."
"NO" I argued.
"Do I need to send Michael to collect you?" She threatened and I shivered in fear. Michael had been in my mothers employ for as long as I could remember doing her dirty work, enforcing her rules...her punishments.
"When" I whisper but she still hears me.
"I will send you the details, do not let me down or embarrass me" she orders.
"Yes ma'am and for how long am I expected to attend"
"A week should be sufficient for you to meet everyone and then you can go back to whatever it is you do"
"Yes ma'am" and she hangs up on me.
I put down the phone and wrap my hands around my coffee mug staring into the distance trying to get control back of my emotions.
My mother Monica Burr-Ewing had always been able to do that to me, she hated me because I reminded her of my father who had died when I was just a small child, since then she had ignored me unless she wanted someone to take her frustrations out on, but she was too gentile to do her own dirty work, she had Michael for that, he as the one who slapped me when she told him to, locked me in my room without food or drink, hit me with a belt when I once fought back by challenging her and the one to ensure the other staff never got too close.
I sighed I was past this now, independent in the most part, my father had left me a trust fund that I had access to meaning my mother didn't control my life anymore and I had a budding career as a illustrator with steady work coming in, I had a few friends from college who I saw every now and again for coffee and a chat, I had a life and I whist I didn't want anything more to do with her, I didn't want to antagonise her by not coming as I knew the threat to send Michael was a real one.
Ping
I scowled at the phone looking at the details she had sent me before messaging back 'Details Received Mother'