Free News Blues by Marianne Mancusi Page A

happen, Lu?”
    Lulu slumped down on the couch, putting her combat-booted feet on the coffee table. “Dad took off to go be with what’s-her-face.
     And Mom hasn’t been back from shopping.”
    “What?” I asked, alarmed. “She never came back?”
    “Nope. I stayed up ’til like one A.M. last night and there was no sign of her. When I woke up, I was still alone. I decided
     to skip school and wait for her. But she’s not back yet.”
    Fear raced through my heart. This was not good. Not at all. Mom could be lying in a ditch. She could have rented a hotel room
     and committed suicide. She could be dead. My mother could be dead!
    “Omigod. Omigod. What are we going to do?” I asked, not really addressing my sister, since I knew she would have no solution.
     I grabbed the telephone and dialed Dad’s cell.
    “Hi honey, ” he answered. “I’m so pleased to hear from you.”
    “I’m not calling for a friendly chat, Dad, ” I said testily. I was still very angry at him and wanted to make sure he knew
     it. “It’s Mom. She never came home.”
    “I’m sure she’s fine, Maddy.”
    I white-knuckled the phone. “She’s not fine. She’s missing. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”
    “Well, according to my online banking register, it appears to be Hawaii. Oh, no. Wait.” I hear clicking in the background.
     “She flew to Fiji this afternoon.”
    “What? Why would Mom be in Fiji? Or Hawaii for that matter?” I screamed into the phone. This was unbelievable.
    “Well, from what I can see by looking at the charges, it appears she’s shopping.”
    “And we are not to be concerned that our cookie-baking, stay-at-home, never-been-outside-the-continentalUnited States mother
     is suddenly on a globe-trotting shopping spree?”
    “Honey, I’m sure she’s fine. She’s free for the first time in her life and she’s enjoying herself.”
    “Fine. Whatever, Dad.” Furious, I threw the phone across the room. Unfortunately, phone throwing only hurts the phone itself,
     not the person on the other line.
    “So can I live with you?” Lulu asked.
    I sank down into the armchair, head in my hands. What did I do in a previous life to make my karma so screwed up?

CHAPTER SIX
    FROM: “Diane Madison”
    TO: “Madeline Madison”
    SUBJECT: Hello from Japan!
    Hi Sweetie!

    Sorry this comes by e-mail, but you know those foreign phone charges can really add up! I’m at a Tokyo Internet café having
     a grand old time and I thought I might drop you a line. So, how are you? How’s Lulu? Hope you are all doing well.

    Not sure when I’ll be home—having way too much fun! I can’t believe all these years I sat around wasting time raising children
     (no offense, Sweetie), when I could have been traveling the world!!!! Now your father will soon be stuck changing diapers
     again and I’m free to do whatever I want—all on his dime!!! I may NEVER come home.

    Make sure Lulu is doing her homework. And remind her that skipping school just ain’t cool.

    Love you to pieces,

    MOM

    I couldn’t believe my mom was traveling the world and I was stuck taking care of my crazy sister. You had to understand, my
     mother was the most non-travel-the-world type you’d ever meet in your life. And she never, ever shirked from the smallest
     parental duty, never mind getting up one day and abandoning her teenage child. It didn’t make any sense.
    I couldn’t mother Lulu. I could barely take care of myself. Like tonight. I had a date with the surfing Czech. Did I have
     to now make dinner first? Get home in time to check if she made curfew? I didn’t want that kind of responsibility. I didn’t
     even own a goldfish for this very reason.
    Still, what could I do? She was my sister, after all. And despite what a pain in the butt she could be, at the end of the day, I loved her dearly. What was
     I supposed to do, kick her out on the street? Sure, her being here would cramp my