It might have been an almost private place to have a meltdown, but there were no passersby, so it was private enough. Camouflaged by a darkened car park, all I could do was stretch across to the passenger seat and hold oldest daughter, Zip, with a very tight hug. Now was not the time to protest about the gear stick digging into my rib cage or the cramp in the leg. Little Miss Mischief sat quietly in her car seat at the back of the car, wondering if she should say anything at all.
I also wondered how many people have had meltdowns in car parks previously and no one was any the wiser as they hurried past occupied cars to the shops.
I was going to offer some mum-wise words, but I wanted to live another day, so I felt it wise to keep those words in my head for the moment.
Zip had it planned it to a tee. A haircut & colour, new shoes, a 'Club Slut White Dress' (her words) to rip apart and restructure to fit in with the theme of the White Ivy Party and take me to a cafe to for a well deserved Chai Latte and a Blueberry Muffin. I didn't know how she was going to fit it all in but she knew exactly which shops that would have these items, and with precious little time to waste before returning home to do this, that and everything else that she needed to do, I wondered if she was going to stop and take a breath at all.
The first hiccup was the hair dressers, they were booked out sold for the next few days, so we tried the 14 other hairdressers in the shopping complex, same story. Zip did have a plan B; me.She'd forgo the cut if I colour her hair while she was making the alterations needed to a dress she couldn't find as of yet. According to her plan the problem was solved, but I did feel a sense of frustration fraying her normally composed, well grounded, sensible demeanour; it was the way her eyelashes fluttered. The rest of the world got to know about it via Facebook Mobile.
Shop after shop we visited, leaving each time empty handed, Zip's pace quickened each time and the eyelashes started to blink at supersonic speed, the text messages came in even faster. She became so fast at navigating the crowds that both Little Miss Mischief and I lost sight of her.
Life has a curly way of not going according to plan.
Sensibly, we went back to the car to wait Zip's phone call, even tribes in the deep heart of the Amazon, not yet discovered, knew she would call sooner or later in distress . Stopping en route for a Michel's Patisserie Chai for me and a blueberry muffin each for my girls, we didn't have to wait too long. In the meantime, while LMM's mouth was occupied by the muffin, I could concentrate on the error of running life and or a business in a too 'Tight Ship' mode. For every great plan to be successful, it must have a true, tried and tested back up plan. The secret is the back up plan, a plan that might not even be used, but that's the secret anyway.By the time she hurried back to the car in crisis mode, and I feared for anyone who might have innocently gotten in the way, she was a mess. She was in the car, head buried in her hands before I could utter a single syllable. She howled about not being able to find a single thing, no new hairdo, on her day off she wanted things to be nice and go according to plan. Everything perfect for the big event tonight.
I raised my eyebrows at calling it a day off. Since when do days off become a chore infested, headache inducing, tear evoking exercise? Since when do days off start at having to get up at 4am?
4am, Zip was up to make another costume that the organiser wanted for another presenter that had come on board. She had arrived home at midnight from the meeting, spent another hour preparing the pieces before allowing herself a small shred of sleep. She had been grinding herself with work, 24/7 for the last 4 months non stop on various projects, commissions and monumental events. Tonight's White Ivy Party was the finale, showcasing her very complicated achievements along with other emerging designers.
With facebook to the rescue, comments came with suggestions to an array of places, one being located 20 minutes down the road. Off we drove while Zip rummaged through the glove box for the stash of tissues I usually kept. I bit my lip for a long moment in anxiety, because I couldn't remember replenishing the tissues. We found the shop, Zip found 3 dresses instantly that she liked, when I found one further inside towards the changing rooms. It didn't fit the short, slutty, white, ready to be ripped apart bill, but it was white and very pretty. Zip's beautiful eye's popped open in delight when I showed her. It fitted like a glove, and she felt some embellishments was all that was needed, like LED lights. The fiery red blotchiness that had just previously occupied her normally ravishing face instantly disintegrated.
She leaped down the pathway towards her little red vroom vroom car, when she stopped, turned and ran back, grabbing me in an embrace that nearly sent me flying backwards. "Thanks Mum, I looove you sooo much" swaying me side to side. "Tomorrow I really am buying you a blueberry muffin and a mega big Chai after Ebony comes in for her fitting".
I know tomorrow morning she will come in after partying all night long at this event, have a shower, then attend to a friends dress fitting, work several more hours on the design before upholding on her promise.
I walked inside and made a very tough decision. I rang Jeana from Jeana's Country Spa. "Hey Jeanna darling, could you book Zip in please for an hour long relaxation facial and a new hair style around 11am Tuesday"
It was a hard, tough love moment but someone has to teach the girl what a day off really is.
The photo's in this blog compliments of 'Featherhead' are off Zip's amazing work. The headpieces are from Featherhead's Philomena Kwok, also a totally amazing designer. Congrats on hugely successful venture!!!
Also thanks to Rebecca, Karen, Dom (staff from Bubba Moe) who as always, go above the call of duty to make things possbile.
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