Chapter 1 Mom
Not too long ago as I was unpacking into my new place, I
came across my old diary that I started when I was about eight years old.
Looking through it, I noticed my gullibility of some of the small things going
on around me at the time. A few things my mother told me later on in life weren't that surprising as a few other details were. So doing my spare time I
started revising my dairy with new info of those great years. About the man
whom I came to call dad was pretty much paying my mother to be his wife.
My great grandparents were originally from Mexico. They came
to America illegally and fell into the cracks of society and were able to stay
in the country. My mother Maria is the baby of the family with an older brother
and a sister. When she was 15 years old my uncle Antonio was in the Army as my
aunt Pricilla was married and living in another state with her husband’s
family. Her dad, Marco was working with the Department of Transportation in
building and maintaining the roadways. Her mother, Camilla was a stay at home
mom.
At 15, my mother became pregnant with me from a classmate at
school. My grandfather almost went to jail when he confronted the boy and his
parents about it. The boy said he was going to support my mother but he quickly
left school. Even the boy’s parents moved away. My grandparent made sure my
mother finished school. Even though mom had to repeat the 11th grade, she did
graduate. No one in the family ever spoke of my biological father. His name
isn’t even listed on my birth certificate.
By 18 she was able to find work at the local hospital and
would eventually become a nursing assistant. The extra income was a blessing
for some time later my grandfather passed away. School for me was Ok. Over
crowded with the typical social structures but I had friends. For my 8th
birthday, my grandmother gave me a dairy. I didn’t think much of it at first.
That is until a few months later when my mother came home unusually happy.
That’s when I started using my dairy to record these moments.
My mother at this time was 25 years old and just a little
over 5 feet tall. She wasn't fat but had a natural muscular built with long
black hair that she usually kept braided up or held together with a scrunchy.
She doesn’t wear makeup a lot because her face was so beautiful that she didn't require it. With our close age she would from time to time talk to me as a big
sister instead of as a mother. I guess as a way to recapture the youth that she
lost from having me.
A man named Marvin in his 30’s was admitted into the
hospital due to a car wreck. With one arm and both legs broken plus cracked
ribs and other major injuries kept him there for a few weeks. Mom would see him
every day as she would change his dressings and clean him up. They talked a
lot. Mom would say that he would flirt with her about taking her away to a
better life. She would laugh it off as a side effect to the medication he was
on.
Plus there was a movie that he would watch over and over
every day on his tablet. It was called Man of La Mancha. A movie mom said that
she could recite passages from it due to the many times she’s overheard it
playing. At home I could hear her singing or humming a few of the songs from
the movie. It felt good to see mamma happy.
For the burden of taking care of me and grandma, we had to
move to a smaller apartment just to make ends meet. My mother grew up fast.
Never got to do the things other people her age were doing. That’s mostly why I
don’t complain or cause trouble for her. I blamed myself for being the mistake
she made. I think mom felt it to from me so every chance she got she would hug
me and thank me for being a part of her life. And for those few weeks she was
really happy to see this man who made her feel extra special.
The day he was to go home my mother dressed a bit more
differently. Working at the hospital there was a dress code on what to and not
to wear but she made a brave effort to look extra nice for him. He was still
weak but an occupational therapist was going to be checking in on him from time
to time to make sure that he was ok. After talking with the doctors and nurses
he went over to the nurses’ station.
While still in the wheel chair he talked with mom. He quoted
a line from Man of La Mancha to her by saying “There is a remedy for everything
except death”. To which mom replied back by saying “Dying is such a waste of
good health”. They chatted for a while as the other hospital staff looked on.
He then handed her a letter and told her not to open it until she was at home.
And with that they parted ways.
Mom came home a little sad but still carried a more upbeat
on life. I think she was in love with him a bit. The other staff members at the
hospital knew that there were a few sparks of interest in the air. Mom found
out that he requested her to take care of him. But the chances that mom would
see him again were slim. After dinner she sat by herself and opened the letter.
Grandma and I heard her gasp as we looked in on her.
In the envelope was a letter that he had written to her.
Also inside was $5,000. Mom quickly scanned the letter and was taken aback by
his generosity. He thanked her for taking care of him by focusing his recovery
on her beautiful smile and charm instead of his physical pain. He said that he
made a few light enquiries with the other nurses about mom and figured the
money would be more useful for her. There was a lot more in the letter but to
this day mom has yet to let me read it.
After many tears, mom said she was happy to have known a man
other than her father who took care of her in her time of need without asking
anything in return. The next day mom put the money in the bank and started
catching up on all of the bills. That night we had a huge meal as mom bought
gifts for grandma and me. I could feel that she wanted to see him again but it
would be doubtful. A few days later she was given an opportunity of a lifetime.
An occupational therapist met with my mother at the hospital
with a new job offer. The time spent with her could be used as credits to work
her way up to becoming a fully registered nurse. She was informed that all her
fees would be paid for and time off to attend the classes she needed if she
would work on the out-patient care and rehabilitation of a former patient.
My mother was left speechless when she found out that the
patent in question was Marvin. The same man she took care of for two weeks in
the hospital is the same man she was going to take care of at his home. Mom
jumped at the opportunity and accepted the offer. As mom described it, yelling
yes across the entire hospital to the offer was orgasmic.
That night mom came home all excited and happy. She hugged
grandma and me so hard that it was painful. Once mom calmed down she told us
everything then spent the rest of the night in the bathroom doing facials,
shavings and other things to look her best for Marvin. At one point grandma and
I heard mamma making strange sounds in the bathroom while she took her bath.
Mom told me later that she had an orgasm in the bathtub from
thinking about him. Even though I’m not that ready to hear certain things, mom
still tells me just about everything. The next morning at the hospital mom met
up with the OT Nurse and they left together for Marvin house. The OT Nurse knew
something was up between the two and tried to keep a straight face about it.
Upon arriving at Marvin’s home, mom’s stomach was full of
butterflies. At one point she wanted to throw up but held it together. They
ranged the doorbell and as the door opened, my mother entered into a place that
in time would become our new home and life.
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