Daughters of Narcissistic Moms Support Group
It's a chilly September evening. In the church basement of Love of Jesus Presbyterian Church, the facilitator, Jody, sets up chairs in a circle. She pushes her glasses up, steps back, pushes a chair this way and another that way, and then breathes a sigh of anxiety. On her clipboard is the flyers she has been handing out and pasting all over Ticking, NJ. She wonders if she should have posted on social media instead. Ugh, I'm so dumb, she thought.
She hears a knock. It's pastor Kim.
Pastor: Jody? Jody right?
He speaks slowly in a heavy accent and smiles. The smile is a bit unnerving. Jody wondered where his wife is.
Jody: Yes. Did you need something?
Pastor: Oh no, just checking in, see how things are going.
Jody: Thank you. Everything is going well, so far. Fifteen more minutes. Hopefully one person will arrive.
Pastor: Good, good. I hope so. Well, I good luck! And feel free to Kakaotalk me if you need anything!
He motions his fingers texting an invisible phone. Jody is going to make sure not to Kakaotalk him unless hell freezes over. She's starting to wish that she brought her guy friend, Brian, along.
Jody doesn't finish bowing her head before he suddenly turns around, that same smile plastered on his face.
Pastor: Ah, Jody, also, just a little reminder, the rent for the space will be due in one month's time. You do remember the contract, right?
Jody: ..Of course, pastor Kim.
She couldn't help grimacing. The very first time she asked him about renting the space for the group, he went into a whole dialogue for nearly 30 minutes about how church numbers have gone down, how real estate taxes have gone up, how his son refuses to help him, and on and on and on. Jody remembers gripping tightly to her purse and sweating for the first time through her fingers. But, this church was her last hope for a space. All of the spaces in New York City were too expensive. He was the only guy who answered his phone, at least.
Pastor: Good. Well, good luck on your little project! Goodnight.
She heard the upstairs door slam as he finally left the building. God. She breathed a sigh of relief.
A couple of minutes later, as she was arranging some of her paper, she heard the door swing. I hope it's not him again. With every step downstairs, she felt that her heart would drop. It's already 2 minutes past and no one is here..
Jody saw a face. She was quite fat and round. She had never seen someone Korean who was so large. If you were that large, it would have been impossible to survive your the comments of your Korean relatives, aunts, uncles, parents, teachers. But somehow, she made it here.
Jody: Hi! What's your name?
Eunice: My name is Eunice...is this the right place for the group? The um, narcissistic mothers group?
Eunice frowned. There was no one else there, and she could almost hear her voice echoing across the chilly basement.
Jody ushered Eunice to a seat, in which she sat down. Eunice looked around, and Jody busied herself with paperwork, and frantically looking at her phone.
To her excitement, she heard the door swing open, and some steps, heels this time, clack clack clack down the stairs.
She was dressed in a black pencil skirt and wore red lipstick that she had just applied in her car.
Jody: Hello, and welcome! What is your name?
Jody stuck out her hand. Ria shook it, as if she was holding a dead fish.
Ria: Is this, the group thing?
Jody: Yes. This is the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers Group. Did you want to...
Ria's phone rang. She turned away from Jody and spoke rapidly. On the other end, she heard a male voice yelling back. They had a back and forth, screaming at each other about bills, or something. Ria clicked it off, tossed it in her bag, and had a seat.
The chilly basement suddenly became hot with tension, as Jody, Ria, and Eunice stared off into space.
The group was off to a great start.
