A Comedy of Errors

Back during the cottage weekend, Lofi and her bf had mentioned that they’d like to go to Stratford to see a play sometime. After some initial investigation it was decided that we’d go see Merchant of Venice this Sunday, July 8th. The plan was to go there on Saturday to take in the sights and sounds of Stratford, spend the night, see the play and then drive back home Sunday evening. Lofi and I must have exchanged about 20 emails finalizing all of this!

All was going well until this morning when I called Lofi to ask what time she’ll be picking me up tomorrow. Her answer – “But aren’t we going on the 21st?”

Well!!!!!

Turns out she’d gotten the dates mixed up, and there was no way she or her bf could make it this weekend. This left me with a ticket booked, and a hotel reservation made but no way of getting to and from Stratford. Fortunately, a quick peek on VIA rail let me know that the train would take me in on Sunday and back to Toronto on Monday morning right in time for work! With a few clicks and my trusty AMEX, I was back in bizz.

Since I’d have an entire evening free in Stratford, I decided to call Jibblet’s parents who live just 20 minutes away and ask them if they’d like to meet up. His mum had left me a message just the night before and it was a good time to call back and check in with them. In the course of conversation, she proposed that she join me for the play and then we meet up with Jiblett’s dad and brother after the show and have dinner together and that I went back to the farm with them for that night. Ecstatic that things were working out great for me after all, I agreed and proceeded to cancel my hotel booking and book the train tickets.

Not even 10 minutes later, I get an email from Jibblett saying he was taking his new girlfriend to visit the parents on Sunday, and guess they’ll have to wait around till his mum got back from the play.

To which I replied – “Um… did they not mention that I was spending the night there?”

Jibblet: No. Oh! This might be a problem.

Me: Duh!

Jibblet: Can’t you stay in Stratford?

Me: Nope. Just cancelled the bookings and there’s nothing else (affordable) available for this short notice.

Jibblet: Can you take the train/ bus home on Sunday night itself?

Me: Nope. The play won’t be finished in time.

Jibblet and Me: THIS IS NOT GOOD.

Well, long story short, we went though all the options. Bus, train, other bus….. None of which were terribly viable. Cancelling my train and play tickets would be just too expensive for me, and besides I didn’t see why I had to have a busted weekend AND bear the costs as well! True Jibblet didn’t have to ask permission to go to his parents’ house, but if taking his new girlfriend there was that important he should have at least MENTIONED it to them! When his mum invited me over at 9 am this morning – no one had any inkling of Jibblet showing up for a visit!

So there we were at loggerheads, neither of us blaming the other, but neither wanted to budge at the same time.

And then, the unthinkable happened.

Jibblet emailed me and said that his mum had called him and told him not to come this weekend!!! She said that she’d made plans with me and that he and his gf could come visit another day.

I couldn’t believe it! Jibblet said he felt like a bear cub whose mum had swatted him away and taken in a fox or badger instead; or perhaps a tiger cub since I am Indian!

I swear, it was not the outcome I’d expected and I cannot believe that I was to have a weekend away after all! If I ever write my best seller, this episode will be recorded under the chapter “My boyfriend broke up with me, but I’m still dating his parents”

In the words of the Bard himself; “All’s Well that End’s well”