I knew we were strapped for money, so when mom came home with a new car one day. I couldn’t understand it and I said, “Mom, where did you get the money?”
She hesitated and then said, “From Colonel Mcteer.”
I got whacked with a jumble of feelings, topped by anger and jealousy. I drew conclusions and it came out as, “You mean you fucked that damned officer for a car?”
She turned red and raised her hand. She’d never hit me as a kid and I don’t know how she stopped from slapping my face at that moment, but she did. She took my arms in her fists and said, “You listen to me Danny, first of all, if I did, it wouldn’t be any of your business, and secondly, it was just a loan for the down payment. I’m tired of getting stuck on the Verrazano Bridge, I’m tired of being a dollar short every month, and I’m tired of not having enough strength to get through the day.” By this time her eyes were welling with tears and I put my arms around her to hug her.
“I’m sorry mom, please don’t cry. I just didn’t want to see you get in a situation…” I didn’t know what the hell to say and I kissed her face and neck a few times and told her not to cry because was it going to be all right. I’d promised Carla I wouldn’t spend any of the invested money, but I told mom, “I have enough saved from the piano lessons for that down payment. I want you to give what you took from the colonel back, okay?”
“But it’s five thousand dollars, Danny.”
“I have it mom; will you do it?”
She said, “How could you have saved so much…but you worked for that money…”
I said, “Don’t worry, I love you…” I called her by the name that always made her smile when I said it, “Gracie-girl.”
She hugged me and said, “I love you too baby, thank you, I’ll give it back. I wasn’t happy about taking it but I…oh, and Danny, I didn’t sleep with him. He just likes having me on his arm at the Officer’s Club, to parade in front of his buddies.”
I said, “I’m glad, mom.” I kissed her lips a little too long and I ran my hand over her waist down her hips. She laughed a little and said, “Danny, I think were getting a little carried away here; let’s go get a cup of coffee.” We sat and talked a while and before she went to bed, I kissed her again and when she pulled back she had a concerned smile as she said, “Goodnight darling.”
During the next months, things went well financially, but Carla wouldn’t let me spend a penny. Everything went back into the pot. When I had enough for a stereo system, she said, “Wait.” When I had enough to pay off mom’s car, she said, “Wait.”
When I looked at the bottom line of the year-end statement, I showed it to Carla and said, “Look at this, thanks to you, I can do something I’ve always wanted to, and that’s buy my mom an apartment in the city. Carla, Do you have any idea how hard my mom has worked over the years? She worked two jobs, she cleans until there isn’t a speck of dust in the house, she cooks, and she never buys herself anything. It’s been a dream of hers to live in the city and take advantage of all the things there is to do here. I listened to you and didn’t say anything about the money, but I want to do this for her, she deserves it.”
Carla said, “Okay, I think it’s time, but I want you to buy two; one for Grace and one for an investment.” I took her advice as I always did.
After putting down a good down payment on the apartments Carla and I picked out, I couldn’t wait to show mom. I asked her to come to the city to see a movie. It wasn’t a usual thing for us to spend Sunday together and she treated it as a special occasion. She got dressed up and made up, and looked great. I said, “Mom, you look spectacular.” She actually blushed.
I wanted it to be a total knockout surprise about the apartments, so we actually did go to the movie first. When we got out, there was a sudden downpour and we ducked into small doorway with an overhang. We were practically belly to belly. I just looked at her. I wanted to kiss her so badly. I brought my face closer to hers and not really knowing how far to go, or what to say, or what to do, I said, “You really do look great mom.” I kissed her cheek. There are different ways to kiss a cheek. I didn’t kiss hers the way a son might give his mother a dismissive peck. I kissed her softly with an open mouth, the way a lover might.
