I hadn't been back to see Mom for almost a year since I moved to Texas after graduating college and accepting job in Houston. In our last email exchange, Mom said she was in a local theater group and they were putting on a play. I was happy to hear that she had something to keep her interest now that she was all by herself after I left. So I thought it would be a nice thing to fly back on Friday afternoon to see Mom in her play at the local school auditorium that evening.
I was happy that Mom had something to keep her occupied since I moved out and after all those years after Dad split for a younger woman. Mom had seemed so unhappy for so many years and when this job opportunity came that made me move out of state, I was worried about her. But in her latest emails about the theater group she seemed happy again and had found friends. So when I landed at the airport and met her beyond the security lines, she looked to be in a very happy mood, indeed.
"Tommy!" she yelled when she saw me coming through the terminal exit. We embraced and she rubbed my back and kissed me on the cheek.
"Hiya, Mom." I said happily as we broke the embrace and began walking to the parking lot.
I never understood why Dad decided to leave her for another woman and when I saw Mom at the airport she looked beautiful. If she wasn't my Mom, I'd be attracted to her, even though she had turned 51 last November. She was a good-looking woman with a mature but pretty face, auburn air in a short but full cut, bright green eyes, and still had a good figure in her sweater and dress slacks. We exchanged small talk as we drove home and as we walked into the house she said, apologetically, that she had to prepare for the first show of the theater group's premier performance of this new production that I had come home to see.
"Sure, Mom." I said. "I hope you are the star of the show."
"Well, I'm not the star...but it is a featured role." she said proudly.
"Great." I said. "I'll be there at 8 o'clock curtains up."
Mom left at 6:00 PM in her own car and at 7:30 I took the little Ford coupe that was kept in the garage and drove to the school for admittance to the show where my Mom would make her first foray onto the public stage. I took a seat in the middle of the auditorium where I had last sat as a high school student five years ago. The lights dimmed and the show began. The comedy had an extended cast of mostly 60-ish actors and actresses of varying degrees of talent. It wasn't until the second act during a cocktail lounge scene that Mom appeared onstage. But what an entrance she made!
She was playing "Margie", a saucy bar floozy according to the program and when she sauntered across the stage a wave of whispers went up from the audience surrounding me. And no wonder...Mom was dressed in a skintight black dress, wearing fishnet hose, black stiletto heels, and she was wearing a bright silver-blonde wig in a Marilyn Monroe style. To say it was eye-opening was an understatement. Mom's character began vamping around the lounge set, flirting with the male customers, being catty to the females on stage, and finally climbing atop a high barstool where she crossed her legs with a theatrical flair and showed off a long stretch of calf and thigh. I could hear the whispers of reaction and isolated handclaps from some of the men in the audience. I was mesmerized, hardly believing what I was seeing and surprised by my own rapid heartbeat at the sight of Mom's sexy display.
I could hardly concentrate on whatever the scene was supposed to be about and finally Mom's character paired off with one of the male actors and she jauntily walked offstage arm in arm for the implied act of sex commerce. She received a generous round of applause as she exited. Mom did not appear again until the curtain call where she received another loud audience reaction as she took her bows in her sexy attire. Just before the curtain came down, she found my face in the crowd and gestured me to come backstage.
I made my way through the exiting throng and took the stage manager's door to find Mom laughing heartily with the rest of the cast backstage. "Tommy!, did you like it?" she squealed with delight and hugged me again.
"Mom, you were great!" I said as I held her. "The show was terrific." I half-fibbed. When we parted the hug, I was staring right into her heavily made-up eyes beneath the sweeping swirl of the platinum blonde hair. She pecked me very lightly on the lips with her scarlet-glossed lips.
"Thank you, sweetheart." she said. "You're a darling." It was as though she had adopted the lighthearted note of appreciation a real star would bestow on a fan. I smiled and stifled a small laugh. And then the other cast members inserted themselves into our circle and I was introduced to a bunch of people whose names I forgot as soon as I heard them. I watched Mom move among her castmates as they celebrated their performances. From a short distance I was able to watch Mom in the short, tight dress, the fishnets, and the rakish high heels. "Jeezus." I breathed to myself. And then I caught a silent thought in my own head. "What a piece of ass."
We mingled in the post-show party, having some wine and chatting with other castmates, friends and family. Finally, the party began to break up and Mom gave me the high sign that we would be leaving. I was talking to someone when Mom came to my side in a lightweight cover up coat, still in fishnets and heels but the blonde wig was gone in favor of her own auburn hair. We said goodbyes and walked to our cars. "Mind if you drive me home, Tommy? We'll get my car tomorrow morning." Mom said. I held the passenger door of the little Ford open for her and was rewarded by another sight of Mom's glorious, fishnet-clad legs when she scooched down in the low seat.
"I didn't feel like changing...too much nervous energy, I guess." she said with a laugh in the car.
I surprised myself by saying, "You should have kept the wig on too." And we both laughed.
When we got back home, we entered the kitchen through the garage door and Mom said, "Let's have another glass of wine and talk. I'm sorry I was so busy on your first night back home."