Attraction - 18. Chapter 18 – 'The' Thanksgiving

So here's the Thanksgiving. Hope it fulfills the promise of drama everyone expected . Huge thank you to everyone who has liked this story. It's now going to show in the main section. A big shout out to Mann Ramblings.

“Mom! This is Kent. Kent, Mom.”

We were picking my mother up at the San Francisco airport on the morning of Thanksgiving.

“Hello!” she said, giving my boyfriend a cursory smile before ordering, “put the bags in the trunk, Jon.”

I rolled my eyes and gave Kent a ‘told you’ look before putting her (unreasonably heavy) bags in the trunk while he went back to take the wheels. As we pulled out of the airport Kent tried to make conversation,

“How was the flight, M’am?”

“It was long.”

“Eh, Kent, you don’t need to call her M’am. You can call her Anita.”

“No. M’am is fine. Jon, if I need you to speak on my behalf I’ll ask you.”

I had to twist to give her the glare since I was in the front seat.

“And why is that, Mother?”

“Because, my faculties are intact.”

“Huh? No I meant why does he have to address you as M’am?”

“It’s because I do not know this young man yet, and it’s your fault might I add.”

Kent chuckled and I had to turn my glare towards him. He noticed me and tried to mollycoddle,

“It’s fine ba… Jon. We should all get to know each other first.”

“Your Mom and Dad asked me to call them by their names in our first meeting.”

“He always found other kids parents better than his,” Mom told Kent, “right from his childhood. Their moms cooked better, dads were cooler. I guess he was right about the dads… I’m sure he’ll start finding other people’s boyfriends better than you, soon.”

I had to twist again to look back at my Mom. What the hell did she think she was doing? Kent put his hand on mine to ease my befuddlement. “You’ll strain your neck. Look ahead” he said. I complied and looked out of the window, eyes narrowed in anger.

We drove in silence for rest of the way. That was pretty much the tone of my Mom’s visit. Lydia had insisted that my mother stayed in her house and had reserved the guest room for her. I was staying in Kent’s. Trevor and Cara, who flew in with me the previous evening, were staying in Cara’s room. Apart from us, Lydia’s parents were also staying in the house, they were visiting from Philly. Pat’s father, brother and brother’s family were driving down from Carmel, they were not planning to spend the night.

Despite Lydia and Pat’s expectedly warm welcome, my mother retained her frosty demeanor. She was polite on the surface, but ready with cutting remarks.

“Oh, I believe these plants ought to be watered twice a day to not look as pale as they do… Oh, it must be difficult to maintain white drapes clean with all the pollution in the air here.” What fucking pollution? And this was in my presence. I was dying a thousand deaths thinking what she must have been dishing out in my absence. I did not understand what her problem was. She was weird but not lacking in social grace normally. What had gotten into her, I didn’t know.

Finally we all sat down for the dinner, which as expected was a gourmet affair dominated by the largest frigging bird I had seen on a table. Couples were seated opposite each other. I had Cara and Mom on my two sides. Lydia was occupying top of the table with her parents closest to her. Pat was on the opposite end from her with his dad next to him. In front of the old man was Kent’s thirteen year old cousin Tommy. His sister was across from mom, next to Kent. Tommy’s parents completed the set.

Now, there was a situation. Lydia belonged to one of those old money families of east coast. Her father, a stooping grey terrier, had been a pretty successful lawyer (of course). And he was apparently a homophobe. Kent’s sexuality had been a sore issue for that reason and it was for the first time after his coming out that the flock had been meeting like this. So it was a somber occasion which no one wanted to jeopardize.

After we had gone through the main courses and everyone was chatting away to let the food settle in their stomachs before attacking desserts, Cara stood up.

“Everyone, I have an important announcement to make.”

All chatter ceased and eyes turned to her. Kent and I exchanged a smile before gazing up at the blushing girl.

“Trevor and I, we’re getting married.”

“What?” Lydia got up from her seat, “Where’s the ring? I never noticed.”

“That’s because he hasn’t put it on my finger yet, Mom” Cara explained with a laugh to the oncoming Lydia, “I wanted to put it on here, in front of you guys.”

Tommy’s mom did an ‘aww’.

Trevor, who was grinning like a crazy guy got out of his seat and went around the table to his beloved. He took out the ring from his pocket and put it on Cara’s finger without too much ceremony. Then he gave her a brief kiss. Lydia & Tara (Tommy’s mom) were examining the ring while the other men had flocked around Trevor to pat his back. Pat hugged him and said “welcome to the family, son.”

Mom and I were the only people in our seats because we did not have any role to play. Besides, I already knew what was up. Once everyone got back in their seats, Lydia asked my boyfriend, “ You guys knew didn’t you? Kent, when did you learn to keep secrets from your mother?”

Suddenly, Mom, who had not contributed to any conversation so far piped up, “When are you planning to make an honest man out of my son, Kent?”

There was pin drop silence on the table. WTF. I had told her about the situation with Lydia’s father. My eyes did a circle of – my mom, Kent, his mom, her dad, Kent & my mom again.

Lydia tried to cover up awkwardly, “I’m sure they’ll let us know when they decide, Anita. Us mothers can only dream and wait.” She finished in a lilting tone.

“If I were Kent I’d hurry up. My son’s not the most stable of men, he’s has his father’s blood after all. Better trap him when he’s still fascinated with all the glitter.”

I pushed my chair back and got up, “Mom, can I speak with you for a sec?”

“What? Why? I’m not saying anything wrong here.”

“Please, Mom. Let’s talk in the other room.” I turned to address Lydia, “I’m sorry.”

I almost dragged my mother from her seat to the living room. Once there I hissed at her.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Are you on some pills or something? Why are you behaving like this?”

“Watch your tone young man. It’s your mother you are talking to.”

“I don’t give a fuck. You’re trying to sabotage my relationship.”

“Don’t be dramatic Jon. I’m doing no such thing. You’re just being sensitive about your precious boyfriend and his precious moneyed up parents. I googled them all up and I know why you’ve been salivating like a dog after that guy. You don’t need me because I’m not rich enough for you. You’d rather have him, his family and your bastard father than me. Because I don’t have anything to offer you.” By the time she finished she was shouting. Everyone would have heard her.

I was literally pulling at my hair. If it were my house I would have shattered a vase or something. What was wrong with this woman? She’d stopped caring for me from the day her marriage ended. There were only demands for attention, never an act of genuine love. Now she was having trouble seeing me with a chance at happiness?

“You’re unbelievable Mom. Do you know that? It’s because you’re such a pathetic person that no one can be around you. It’s the first time in my life I don’t feel alone. And you have a problem with that. Unbelievable.”

I wished I didn’t, but I started tearing up and my lips quivered. That set my mother bawling. She got absolutely hysterical. Cara, Lydia and Kent rushed into the room. Cara and Lydia took Mom away while Kent took me in his arms. Shit, my Mom and I had spoilt Trevor and Cara’s special day. I was crying as much out of shame as the hurt my mother had caused me.

“Shh, calm down.” Kent cooed.

“I’m so sorry. I hate her. I told you. I told you she should not come. Oh God! What’s your family going to think of me? Oh God!”

“It’s OK. No one’s going to say anything. Don’t worry.”

“They won’t say but they’ll think. They’d already be wondering why you’re with a guy like me. Now this fiasco. Oh God!”

“Hey, hey, hey! Stop it. No one’s thinking all this. What does it matter anyway? I love you. That’s all there is to it.”

“No, no” he did not get it. His family would never see me as worthy now. Not after this.

I disengaged from him.

“I need to go. I am taking her to the airport right now. She can wait in the lounge for her flight or change it. I don’t care. I’ll take the next one out to Portland.”

“There’s no need for that” Kent tried to plead but I was already moving towards the bedrooms. He followed me.

“Jon please. Don’t do this.”

I met Cara in the corridor.

“I’m sorry for spoiling your special day Cara. Hope you’ll forgive me someday.”

“Don’t worry about it, Jon. It wasn’t spoilt. Go take care of her.” She was such a nice girl.

“Is she alone?”

“Yes.”

I did not bother to knock and barged right into the room.

“Pack your bags, we’re leaving.”

She sat up startled, face ugly with her mascara having run. “But my flight is in the morning” was all she could think of saying.

“I don’t care. I’m leaving and you’re not staying here without me. I’ll be back in ten, you better be packed and ready.”

I did not leave her any scope to argue. My tone was definitive. Kent met me outside the room and tried his best to hold me back. His pleading made me take longer than ten minutes to go back to find my Mom. But I did. Pat and Lydia insisted kindly that we did not need to leave. I apologized for spoiling their Thanksgiving, but told them very firmly that we were going. A taxi finally rescued me away from the scene of my life’s biggest humiliation.

So here's the Thanksgiving. Hope it fulfills the promise of drama everyone expected . Huge thank you to everyone who has liked this story. It's now going to show in the main section. A big shout out to Mann Ramblings.