Page 24 of Tequila Tuesdays

Thatweekend,weplayedthe oldest volleyball team in the league. It was a group of retired teachers, and the match had been friendly and civil. There hadn’t been any flair-ups or arguments. Not even any smack talk.

Their coach came over and congratulated us on our win afterward. “You guys are so eclectic and interesting! That was a fun game, even if Stan threw out his hip trying to return your serve.” She pointed at me.

Jaime chuckled. “You couldn’t even be nice to the geriatric crowd.”

“They’re all in better shape than you,” I muttered under my breath.

Frankie laughed and patted Jaime on his shoulder. “I still love you, Jaime.”

On Sunday, there was a birthday lunch celebration for Jonathan I’d been invited to, but I had the morning free.

I needed to check in on Ava, so I walked over to her house after showering. I knocked on her front door and rang the doorbell, but she didn’t answer. Gary looked up at me and I shrugged. When I rang the doorbell a third time, I grew concerned and started having flashbacks.

Not long after my dad died, I sometimes found Ava high or passed out somewhere in the house when her opioid addiction hit a bad stretch. Once, I found her passed out wet and naked lying in her bathtub. It had scared the shit out of me.

The old fear and resentment reared up, but I tamped it down and put in the code to her front door lock. No use borrowing trouble. I walked in and could hear her TV playing in her meditation room. She sat in front of it on a yoga mat with her eyes closed.

Ava had decorated the room in a vaguely Zen style, complete with a fish tank and mood lighting. She had yoga mats and some exercise paraphernalia artfully stacked in a corner. But she mostly used the room to watch golf meditation videos.

AGolf and Life Meditationvideo played on the screen. The scene was an idyllic green golf course, and a smooth, soothing generic female voice intoned golf and life affirmation statements. New-age ambient music played softly in the background.

“You are a focused golfer. You are a confident golfer.” The female voice paused, then continued. “You are a consistent and calm golfer.”

I rolled my eyes. My mom wasnota calm golfer.

“You improve every single day.” Ambient music continued to play in between pauses.

I leaned on the door jamb and listened.

“You have steady, focused breathing. You can visualize your swing.” The voice paused again for a few seconds.

The ambient music continued playing, but the rhythm slowed down.

“Now repeat in your head; I am a focused, confident person. I am consistent and calm. I visualize contentment and happiness.”

My own breathing and heart rate slowed a little as I listened. Maybe there was something to meditation. I still thought the golf affirmation thing was a bit odd, but I knew plenty of athletes who used visualization and affirmation techniques. Whatever worked.

The music slowly faded, and Ava picked up the clicker and turned off the TV. I cleared my throat, and she startled a little.

“I rang the doorbell a few times and got nervous, so I let myself in.”

She flinched slightly but nodded. She knew why I’d gotten nervous. My mom had an opioid addiction, and she’d fallen apart after my father died. She left me to care for her, my little sister, and the house. I’d been fifteen at the time.

“I watched a good segment of that.” I nodded toward the TV. “Maybe it’s not as Age of Aquarius and ‘out there’ as I thought.”

She smiled and tilted her head. “It would do you good. What’re you doing here? I usually have to hunt you down to see you.” Besides my twice-weekly scheduled check-ins with Ava, I didn’t come around a lot.

“Laurel invited me to Sunday brunch at Willa and Fran’s Cafe around noon. It’s Jonathan’s birthday. Do you want to come?”

She perked up. “I’d love to.”

“I think Sheila and Grace will be there.”

She looked at me carefully. “You don’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have invited you if I minded. Just don’t throw food or chew with your mouth open this time, okay?”

She shook her head. My mom usually had impeccable manners, unless she was high or upset. Then all bets were off.

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