Penpal

My mother has always been a mystery to me.Most little girls grow up playing in their mothers makeup and clothes to be like them. I never did that or dreamed that. I hardly saw my mom enough to get close. My mother was beautiful and always on the go. She never could quite grasp a hold of her it seemed like so she was always left wondering.

I was raised by my fathers mother in the country a few hours from her mother whom she saw three times a year. Summer, thanksgiving and Christmas were etched into her my soul and I had a routine.

As soon as I would come home from school I would sit in the chair next to the telephone and call my mother. “Pig!” my grandpa would answer the phone as he announced that it was me on the phone. The phone would pass through two uncles and two aunts before getting to her mother who would answer the phone with no emotion. Never any emotion. They would brief discuss my grades and school programs and at that time during my monologue I would tell my mother when the last day of school was to visit. She would always ask if it was accurate and then give an estimate day and time that she would come. She would then give a quick “i love you” and pass the phone to my sister.

To me, my sister was the coolest person I knew. She knew all the latest songs and had the latest clothes and she had even had her poetry published in the Greensheet! Even more than those things, my sister was my direct link to my mother. She always told me about the places my mom took her, or the crazy things she had done. My sister even called my mom “Nini” like the rest of the family. This mother was drastically different than the mother I knew and I was intrigued by her. I admired and looked up to my mother all through her sister’s eyes.

My sister and I used to sleep in the living room at my grandparents house in the summer. Nevertheless, one night my sister decided to rest her hand on a small can of sprite on the table. My grandmother had it on display like one of her figurines. It was not out of place by its uniqueness but I could think that it was a waste to display it on a shelf and not open it. “No we cant open it” my sister said ‘ Sergio sent it to Nini from Germany”. Sergio. My sister had told me all about my mom’s mystery friend Sergio. He would write my mother long letters and would often send her treats from Germany where he was stationed. The miniature Sprit can was just another one of his tokens of love to my mother. I imagined Sergio to be a tall handsome man. He always had on his uniform in my daydreams and only had time for fighting the war and writing my mother love letters. I was very happy for my mother and but she never mentioned him to me

Time and a couple of holidays went by with faint news of Sergio from my sister. It became our secret to talk about my mother (flesh out)

Winter left and came back and my sister phoned me with the news. Sergio was coming! He had finally worked it out somehow to come home and he was coming to see my mom!

I was not due to visit my family until winter break for school, so I squeezed every detail out of my sister that I could which wasn't much. All she knew was that Sergio sent a letter and said that the war was over and that he was coming home.

Of course this was our secret and I couldn't tell my mother that I knew. It took all I had to contain my excitement when I recited my school business and vacation days to my mother. She

The day finally came when my mother picked me up speeding up the driveway. It always seems like she's going to run through the porch. My suitcase had already long been packed and I had a stake out at my bedroom window only leaving to use the restroom or for a drink

She came scooped up my suitcase and with a few kisses to my grandmother and polite small talk, we were on our way. MY sister was by this time a teenager so the long trips to pick me up in the country were not her interest anymore. It's just my mom this time.

As we set off to the city, my mother rolls down her window and has a smoke. Between taps, she asked me about school and the like. I always answered with good not even taking the time to think about my fare. My only focus was getting to my sister and looking Sergio in the eyes finally! We were old friends after all!

We were cruising down the highway listening to oldies but goodies that the station boasted of when my mom broke the silence.

When we get into town, we won't be going to momma and daddys first. She said, with her eyes on the road.

Oh ok. AS casually as I could muster up. OF course I knew why! I had waited for this day

I don't know if Nicole told you but we don't live with momma and daddy anymore. We moved into an apartment with a friend of mine.

Oh ok. Why was I repeating the same thing.What could I say though. Nothing came to mind.

You meet when we get to the apartment.

I could have exploded yet somehow I managed to be cool and ride the rest of the time without floating to the ceiling.

Finally after riding for what seemed like hours, we made it! It was a nice complex. My mother moved quite a bit when we were growing up so I was not moved. I grabbed my suitcase, which was now luggage in the world of Sergio, and followed my mother up the stairs

My mother unlocked the door and I was greeted by my sister and toured her room all in one breath. AS I put my things down, my sister gave me eyes that I couldn't interpret. I was not sure what she was trying to say but before I could ask, my mom called out “ Melba, I have someone I want you to meet”

Before I could process, out of the bedroom walks the tallest, biggest woman I had ever met. She looked like she had a male version of herself somewhere like a twin. Where was Sergio I wondered? Why was I meeting his sister?

“Angela this is Melba.” My mom said with something behind her voice that resembled nervousness.Before I could say anything, she extended her hand and said “Hi Angela, nice to meet you I have heard some wonderful things about you.” I shook her hand avoiding her eyes to hide the question I had. Where was Sergio and why all the preliminaries?

Melba and my mom went into the kitchen and I turned my focus back to my sister. I wanted to know what was going on.

My sister looked at me and mouthed “Thats Sergio.” “ What!?” I said, trying to whisper but failing due to my confusion.

“Melba! That’s Sergio. From the letters? The Sprite can?” My sister had obviously had more time to process the information and was waiting for me to catch up.

I was speechless. My eyes scanned the wall in my attempt to understand how I could be wrong about Sergio. Height, weight build I could understand but a woman! I never would have dreamed. Where did the sergio come from? Why did she sent those letters to my mom hiding her identity? My sister and Melba had more to talk about than I THe related about basketball and

Well the day had to go on. We had an awkward lunch followed by small talk. My sister and I went to her room to play while my mom and Melba went back to normal life in the living room.

The night on rather uneventfully. Dinner can and went more small talk and television happened I

settled into the new life we had with melba. All day I found myself searching for pieces of her belongs around. I saw her uniform and a couple of pictures. I found nothing in the kitchen out of place. I figured her bags would have been in my moms room .and eventually it was bedtime. My mother had to get up early for work. The day seems odd. I wasn't sure if it was because we were at my mom s and not my grandparents or if it was the presence of this stranger. I kept glancing for a chance to see her interact with my mom but it was very neutral \ like an old friend visiting town. Melba walked in the room smiling as she seemed to always do saying goodnight to my sister and I, promising that we would have a good Christmas break. After that she went in the shower, which we shared between the bedrooms. ** My mom came into our room a while later asking was I all settled in. We said goodnight and she went down the hall to her bedroom and closed the door. Just then, Melba opened the bathroom door dressed in a t shirt and shorts and walked to my mothers room closing the door!!

I was floored! Wait, she was not sleeping on the couch! I could not understand what was happening I had so many questions, my head was racing but I managed to fight it all back and ask my sister “ Melba sleeps with Nini”

My sister said, “ Yep.” and left me to figure it out.