A Summer Fling Turned Upside Down..

When I was in the third grade in Elementary school, I remember being so upset with my mother for making us move so often, that I climbed on the monkey bars. She had warned me, and begged me to never do so. At that moment, I knew why. I was so fearful of the height, that I stayed trapped on the metal bars all through recess.

It was a Do-Or-Die situation once the bell had rung. I had to make the decision of jumping off, or staying up there until someone could rescue me from the fatal fall. Being eight years of age, I didn’t thoroughly think of the consequences and repercussions. So, I chose to jump off.

Unfortunately, I ended up withering on the ground beneath the monkey bars, cradling my arm in pain. I’m not sure how long I was lying there, but before I knew it, I was at the nearest hospital getting a cast on my arm because of a fracture. Everything had been moving so quickly, and I felt as if I weren’t moving at all.

I had that feeling again.

Upon seeing my mother in my Aunt Rhonda’s living room, I felt as if time were continuing without me. She was talking, my Aunt was moving, my mother was moving, my Aunt was talking… Motion was going on around me, and then suddenly I was in the taxi with my mom.

For your sake, I’ll attempt to recall how I came about this predicament.

“Hello, Mother.”

She grinned from ear to ear at hearing this. At once, she had me engulfed in her arms, smothering me with kisses and a tight hug. “Oh, my darling!” she laughed, “You’re so grown!” I returned her affection with a light squeeze of my own. No matter how resentful I was of her, she was still my mother, and I loved her unconditionally.

“You look great, mom,” I said to her, as she leaned back to get another look at me.

“Well, thank you sweetheart. I feel great, and I have so much to tell you.”

She beckoned me to sit beside her on the sofa with her and Aunt Rhonda. I followed, and sat down. “Last I heard, you were in New York. Did something happen?” I asked, glancing between my Aunt and my mom.

They both smiled. “In few words, yes,” my mom replied, while placing her palm atop my hand, “something happened.”

I impatiently urged her to continue. I was worried perhaps something bad had happened. My mother ventured alone. She moved from place to place in solitude, and anything could have happened on one of her many expeditions.

“Isabel, darling,” she smiled solemnly, “I’m married.”

Immediately, my eyes zeroed in on her left hand, where a ring, with a rock the size of my head, lie perfectly on her ring finger. It gleamed against the sun’s rays, mocking me with all its glory. The word ‘married’ repeated in my head like a scratched disk, torturing my very being. My mother…married?

All my life, I heard my mother vow to never marry. It was the only thing she kept her word on. She was faithful to herself, and no man. Marriage just wasn’t heard of; it just wasn’t…

“Aren’t you going to say something?” she asked, patting my hand lightly.

I recoiled quickly, standing in front of both my mom and Aunt, who had looks of surprise. Aren’t I going to say something? Aren’t I going to say something?! What in the world am I supposed to say to news like that?! My mother’s married, for goodness sake!

Before I could control my own thoughts, I was drowned in a massive pool of emotions. My eight-year-old-self resurfaced and I was once again angry with my mother. Unfortunately there weren’t any monkey bars around to hide atop, while I dwelled on how inconsiderate she could be. Getting married without her only daughter? Getting married at all?!

“You couldn’t have waited?” My tone of voice was lower than I expected, and when I stared at my mother for her reaction, I saw realization slowly begin to dawn on her.

“Isabel, under the circumstances, I didn’t have much time to think. It was all very…spur the moment, if you will. But darling,” she grinned, shifting to where she was standing and embracing me once more, “he’s offering his home to you as well. Thomas and I would both be very delighted if you came to live with us.”

“School began two months ago, I can’t just leave,” I glanced at Aunt Rhonda, signaling her to do something. She was looking anywhere but at my general direction…

“Oh don’t worry about your schooling. I’ve enrolled you into a school near our flat. It’s perfect, and you’ll be attending with Tom’s son, Daniel.”

To make matters worse, not only do I suddenly have a step-father, I also have a step-brother. Wonderful, now, all my mother has to tell me is that she’s pregnant. That would just complete this jumbled nonsense she brought at me. Maybe she’ll also mention how they have a golden retriever named Max, and how the family takes walks in the park together. She now has a perfect little family doesn’t she?

Seeing the anger written on my face, my mother’s brilliant smile faded into a frown. “You don’t want to go?” I could hear in her voice the disappointment and the sadness. It was clear as day that she truly wanted me to go with her. Perhaps it’s never too late to have a family. Perhaps that’s just what my mother wanted, a real family.

“When do we leave?”

So this is how I found myself sitting beside my mother in the taxi. Our driver had the same smug look on his face as before, and he too seemed to be drowning out the sound of my mother’s exciting chatter.

She was more than thrilled to hear that I accepted her new husband’s offer to live with them. So thrilled in fact, that she insisted we leave at that moment. Fortunately, my Aunt was so eager to get rid of me; she had already packed my bags. Isn’t she just the best?

Nearing the port, it hit me that we were in the isolated area, where there were rare flights. I wasn’t one for traveling, but I do know that this side of the airport wasn’t often used.

“Are we going the right way?” I asked aloud.

“Of course, dear,” my mother responded.

Before I could reply to her patronizing tone, I saw what was ahead of us. That wasn’t Continental, or American Airlines. No, that was a private jet. How could I tell? Well for starters, the jet had ‘Cross International’ written on the rear. Secondly, I saw no other passengers. If that wasn’t enough clarity, than I don’t know what is.

I knew for fact that my mother couldn’t afford a private jet on her own. The only other conclusion was that my new step-father was more than just my new step-father. He was a name. An important name, from what I could tell.

Taking those steps onto the jet, I felt as if I were signing my soul away. All I thought about was how sophisticated my mother now was. All I could think about was how different my surroundings already were. All I said as I boarded was, “Good-bye, California.”