Chapter 16
It's funny how, after things had been going along beautifully, a shattering experience can hit, something that completely changes things.
That was the thought that was running through my mind as I observed the familiar parked car sitting outside our motel room as I made my exit.
The face of the person sitting behind the steering wheel was even more familiar. It was dear, old, sweet Mother, who was always so concerned about what I was doing.
"Come over here, Eddy," she called out to me harshly.
I walked stiffly toward her, my knees knocking in the process.
"Hi, Mom, what are you doing here?" I asked her nervously.
"I should ask you the same question, except that I know," she replied. "It's absolutely disgusting. I saw you out of the corner of my eye having a conversation with Lorna the other day after church. I could just tell from your eye expressions that something was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I was very suspicious. So I decided to do a little checking up on you this week. And I'm so glad that I did."
"Oh, Mom, it isn't what you think," I tried to lie my way out of it.
But I realized I wasn't--likely to succeed.
"You get in that car and wait," she snapped. "I want to talk to Lorna."
"Don't say anything to her," I protested. "Besides, I'm not a little kid anymore. Don't tell me to get inside the car."
"If you're concerned about Lorna, you'll do what I say," Mom said, getting up and exiting the car, closing the door behind her. "I can expose that woman, and don't think I won't, if you push me."
"Oh no, don't do that," I protested.
"Get in that car."
I got inside the car, sitting down. I felt like about two inches tall as I watched my mother storm toward that motel room, opening the door and walking in.
I flinched a little in anticipation of loud voices. I was afraid that Mom would really blow her stack with Lorna. Much to my surprise, though, I didn't hear any voices at all. If Mom was talking to her, she was being very quiet about it all.
A few minutes later, Mom left the room, walking back to the car in a lot calmer frame of mind than she had been in previously.
She got inside the car and started it up.
"That's all taken care of," she said calmly. "Lorna and I reached a little bit of an understanding. The nerve of her, disguise and all. That blonde wig was absolutely incredible. I just told her that if she knows what's good for her, that she'll stop trying to seduce my young son."
"But I can take care of myself," I told her.
"You need contacts with girls of your own age. Anyway, if you're concerned about that woman, you won't do anything more in the future than say hello to her. She's got the message. I won't say a word to anyone about any of this, provided that she leaves you alone. She won't be calling you again."
As we drove out of that parking lot, my heart sank. It was all over. Now I would have to go back to starting from scratch, trying to understand the weird psyches of the young chicks at school.
Even in retrospect, however, I couldn't help but think that it was great fun while it lasted. And I'd known from the very beginning that it couldn't last forever.