Mother comes to stay with jilted lonely son
‘I haven’t heard from you in a while, Steven. Is everything okay?’ read my mother’s message. Immediately I was reminded how long it had been since we last spoke and of how I must have been the world’s shittiest son.
I’m that guy who isolates himself when depression and stress take their toll. I don’t think about how long it takes to get back up to speed. All I care about is that nobody feels burdened with me. But when home becomes the problem, a trap for all my prevalent insecurities, I tend to hide at work instead.
My work ethic had already cost me my fiancée, or so I’d thought. She not only took with her the ring I put on her finger, she took it and pawned it so that she could “help” to pay off her secret loser boyfriend’s debts.
How about that? Not only does Carol fall for a bigger piece of shit than I allegedly was, she leaves me for a complete dead loss; a social and emotional parasite who will no doubt leave her in utter ruin. Good luck, Carol. Enjoy that while it lasts.
So I bade good riddance and moved on the only way I knew how. I got sick to death of making myself miserable and ploughed through my work. When my mother got in touch, I was quick to see the light of day. I had a lot of making up to do…
2
I called her. ‘Hi, mum, I’m sorry I haven’t spoken in a while,’ I said, wasting no time.
‘Been keeping yourself busy no doubt; keeping your mind off the bitch?’ she asked.
‘I should have listened,’ I began to apologise. She wouldn’t have it, though.
‘I never really disapproved,’ mum asserted. ‘You were so happy with her.’
‘But you had your doubts…’
‘But I hate being proven right, Steven,’ she said apologetically. ‘Forgive me?’
‘There’s nothing to forgive, mum,’ I assured. ‘It was my choice. And I never stopped loving you or wanting to speak to you. I just didn’t want to appear as pathetic as I’ve felt lately. I don’t like being seen miserable like I’ve been.’
‘I have next week off. I could come and take up some of that newly acquired space of yours,’ she slyly jested. My heart immediately lifted at the suggestion. ‘We could keep each other company. I’m not really getting back into this singles game like I thought I might.’
‘I’d love that,’ I beamed. ‘I could introduce you to a new cuisine I’ve been trying out. It’s called “Sad Beans a la Tin Can”.’
She gasped and struggled then to hold back. I could hear the faint hint of a giggle batting from behind her pursed lips. ‘I’ll cook as always. Want me to bring anything?’ she asked.
‘Just your beautiful self, mum,’ I smiled, and notably for the first time in a while.
3
My mother’s name is Sara. At forty two she’s seventeen years older than me. My father didn’t stick around. Rather than count on the system to raise me for her, she worked her ass off and went to night school to study accounting, and rocketed me through college while working her ass off even harder to provide for the both of us.
We’ve had a unique relationship through the years, growing up, and as an adult. Being that we went through a short line of potential suitors for husband and replacement father figure, I guess you could say I matured pretty quickly, and also grew fiercely protective and loyal to her. We’re also pretty liberal-minded. She had her flings as well as her boyfriends, and so she was never in a position to deny me that either, but it was never a priority for either of us.