The following Saturday evening, Diane D's cell phone rings. She picks up her cell phone, looks at it then speaks into it and says, "Hey Joseph."
"Hello Diane," Joseph says.
"What's going on? How've you been?"
"Oh I've been alright Diane. I just wanted to say that I heard Tony had decided to go along with Dana and her family to Jamaica."
"Yeah he's going along! He's gonna stay with them for a few weeks!"
"Yeah I heard. I heard you were going also. Michael called me earlier and told me that you and he are also going along for the trip to Jamaica."
"Yeah we are!"
"Oh Diane! Teresa is very upset about you and Michael leaving! I mean it's hard enough for her that Dana is leaving for good and now she hears that you're leaving too! It's hard enough for her that you all are leaving and she feels kind of left out!"
"Oh Joseph, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset Teresa! Where is she?"
"She's in the bedroom crying her eyes out! She wants to go on the trip with you guys!"
"Oh Joseph, let me speak to her!"
"I don't know if she's gonna come to the phone Diane! She is very upset!"
"Oh Joseph, do you two want to come along on the trip?"
"I wouldn't mind going along on the trip with you guys Diane, but I'm sure Teresa would love to go!"
"Okay Joseph, let me talk to my Aunt Christine about it first, okay? After I speak to her, I'm gonna speak to my grandfather and ask him about it because everybody is going to stay at his houses! He owns three big houses in Jamaica! That's where my Aunt Christine and her family members live!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. So I'm gonna call up my Aunt Christine right now and then I'm gonna call and ask my grandfather about it, alright?"
"Alright Diane."
"I'll get back to you Joseph."
"Okay Diane. I'll be here." Joseph hangs up the telephone.
A couple of hours later, Diane D sits on the bed in her bedroom. She dials a number on her cell phone.
Joseph speaks into the telephone and says, "Hello?"
"Hey Joseph,” Diane D says.
"Hey Diane! What's up? Did you speak to your Aunt Christine and your grandfather? What's the deal?"
"Well, my grandfather says that no friends can come along on the trip. He says that this is a family matter that we're all trying to take care of."
"What? So what are you saying Diane? Are you saying that your grandfather does not want me and Teresa to come along on the trip with you guys?"
"I'm afraid that's what he's saying Joseph."
"Oh Diane, Teresa is gonna be real heart broken by this! First she's heartbroken because you all are leaving, and now she's gonna be double heartbroken to know that she cannot come along! Oh Diane, I don't know how I'm gonna break the news to her!"
"Let me talk to her Joseph. Put her on the phone."
"Okay. Hold on."
A minute later, Teresa comes on the telephone and says, "Diane?"
"Hey Teresa, what's up? How are you?"
"Oh I'm alright. Well did you find out about the trip? Did you find out whether or not Joseph and I could come along?"
"Well Teresa, I spoke to my grandfather about it a little while ago. He says that no friends are allowed on the trip."
"What? What are you saying Diane?"
"Well my grandfather says that this is a family matter! He says that this is a family situation that we're all going to take care of! He says there's no room for friends right now! He says that we're all going to take care of family business!"
"WHAT! WELL DIANE I MIGHT NOT BE FAMILY TO ANY OF YOU, BUT I DO CARE A LOT FOR DANA TOO! JOSEPH AND I WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR DANA! WE WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR HER WHENEVER SHE HAD GOTTEN INTO TROUBLE! WE WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR DANA WHENEVER SHE WAS HELD AT THE POLICE STATIONS AFTER THE MANY TIMES SHE'S GOTTEN ARRESTED! WE WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR DANA WHENEVER SHE HAD TO GO TO COURT! I EVEN VISITED DANA WHENEVER SHE WENT TO JAIL AND WHEN SHE WENT TO PRISON! I EVEN SENT HER PACKAGES DURING THE TIMES SHE SPENT IN JAIL AND IN PRISON! I VISITED AND STAYED WITH DANA WHILE SHE WAS ON PROBATION DOING WORK AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER! I WAS THERE FOR BOTH YOU AND DANA WHENEVER ANY OF YOU GOT INTO TROUBLE! DID YOUR GRANDFATHER FORGET ABOUT ALL OF THAT?"
"Oh Teresa, I know how you feel! I tell you what Teresa! I'm gonna stop by my grandparents' house tomorrow and speak to my grandfather face to face about this situation, okay? I'm going to ask him once again can you and Joseph come along on the trip!"
"Oh would you Diane? It would really mean a lot to me if Joseph and I could come along for the trip."
"Okay Teresa. I'm gonna stop by my grandparents' house tomorrow and speak to my grandfather."
"Okay Diane. Thanks a lot. I appreciate this."
"That's okay Teresa."
"I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Okay Teresa. See you later." Diane D hangs up the telephone. She continues to sit on the bed and stares into space. She then gets up off the bed and leaves the room.
The next Sunday afternoon, Diane D is at her grandparents' house. She and her grandfather Mike are in the middle of a slight bitter argument as they both come down the staircase with Mike stopping right at the bottom of the staircase angrily shouting, "NOW DIANE, I TOLD YOU ONCE BEFORE AND I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU AGAIN! NO FRIENDS ALLOWED ON THIS TRIP! THIS IS A FAMILY MATTER! THIS IS A FAMILY SITUATION THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO TAKE CARE OF! WE DON'T HAVE ANY ROOM FOR FRIENDS RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO ROOM, DO YOU GET THAT?"
"BUT GRANDPA "
"NOW I'M SORRY FOR THE WAY YOUR FRIEND TERESA FEELS ABOUT THIS WHOLE ENTIRE THING AND I KNOW SHE AND HER BOYFRIEND JOSEPH HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR DANA, BUT EVERYBODY'S FRIENDS CANNOT COME ALONG! I MEAN EVERYBODY'S FRIENDS WANT TO COME ALONG FOR THE TRIP! MISSY'S FRIEND JAMES WANTS TO COME ALONG FOR THE TRIP, LINDA'S FRIEND TERRANCE WANTS TO COME ALONG, LONDA'S FRIEND WANTS TO COME ALONG, LANDA'S FRIEND WANTS TO COME ALONG AND NOW YOUR FRIENDS WANT TO COME ALONG! I MEAN WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK WE'RE RUNNING HERE, SOME KIND OF CLUB MED?
"BUT GRANDPA ….."
"LISTEN DIANE, I CANNOT STOP ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS FROM GETTING ON THAT PLANE WHEN WE LEAVE, BUT IF ANY OF THEM DO GET ON THAT PLANE AND ONCE WE ALL LAND IN JAMAICA, THEY ALL BETTER FIND A HOTEL OR A MOTEL TO STAY IN BECAUSE NEITHER ONE OF THEM ARE STAYING AT ANY OF MY HOUSES! THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU'RE COMING ALONG IS BECAUSE YOU'RE MY GRANDDAUGHTER! THE ONLY REASON WHY MICHAEL IS COMING ALONG IS BECAUSE HE'S YOUR HUSBAND! THE ONLY REASON WHY TONY IS COMING ALONG IS BECAUSE HE LOVES DANA AND THEY'VE BOTH BEEN TOGETHER SO LONG AND DANA IS THE MAIN REASON WHY WE'RE ALL MAKING THIS ENTIRE TRIP EN THE FIRST PLACE! LIKE I SAID BEFORE DIANE, NO FRIENDS ALLOWED ON THIS TRIP, YOU GO IT? NO FRIENDS ALLOWED!"
"ALRIGHT GRANDPA FINE!" Diane D shouts as she angrily walks away with her grandfather!
That same night, Diane D sadly sits on her bed. She starts to dial up Teresa's number. The telephone rings inside Teresa's apartment. Teresa picks up the telephone and says, "Hello?"
"Hello Teresa."
"Hi Diane. You don't sound too happy. You spoke to your grandfather again didn't you?"
"Yeah I did Teresa."
"Well I'm almost afraid to ask you what he said."
"His mind hasn't changed Teresa. He still says no friends allowed on this trip. He still says that this is a family matter and that this is a family situation that we're all going to take care of. He started yelling at me and everything when I had asked him about it again. He started shouting about how everybody's friends want to come along for the trip. He still says that there is no room for friends and that he's sorry for the way you feel about it Teresa. He says that he cannot stop any friends from getting on the plane, but says once the plane lands in Jamaica, all of our friends would have to find a hotel or a motel to stay in, because there's no room at any of his houses."
"Never mind Diane, forget it! I'm not going to go anywhere I'm not wanted or anywhere I have to beg to go!"
"I'm terribly sorry Teresa!" Teresa starts to cry on the phone.
Diane D then says, "I really tried!"
"I know you did Diane. I believe you. But since I can't come along for the trip, I would like to ride with you all to the airport, if that's okay. I would really like to tell Dana goodbye before she leaves."
"Oh that would be wonderful Teresa."
"Do you know what time your flight leaves?"
"I think the flight is gonna leave sometime around 8:45 in the morning. I'm not sure yet."
"Okay, but try to find out for sure, alright? When I ride with you all to the airport, at least it will give me a chance to say goodbye to Dana."
"Alright Teresa. I'll try to find out the exact time the flight leaves."
"Okay Diane. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay Teresa. See you." Diane D closes her cell phone and walks away.