We had arrived in Amsterdam to attend my Aunt's wedding. She was going to marry a Dutch guy she met while working there. He owned a fancy spa in Vianen where the wedding would be held.
My mother took time away from work and I skipped a week of classes from college. It was shaping up to be a nice little vacation.
Mom and I spent a day in Amsterdam after arriving, just being tourists and exploring the city.
The next day, Aunt Helen arrived from Vianen to pick us up. My mother gave her a big hug. It had been months since they had last seen each other and they were nearly in tears. They had always been close. I gave Aunt Helen a big hug as well.
The three of us went to our hotel room to get our things. And that was the moment where my mother got the surprise of her life:
"Do you really need all that?" Aunt Helen asked, looking at mom's giant luggage.
"Obviously. This is a special occasion and I need to look my best."
Aunt Helen still looked dumbfounded. "All of that is your clothes?"
"What else would it be?" mom replied, looking slightly confused.
There was an 'oh my god' look on Aunt Helen's face as she put her hand over her mouth. She was clearly surprised.
"I am
so
sorry," Aunt Helen gasped.
Mom squinted at her younger sister. "Why?"
Aunt Helen's entire body tensed. "There must have been a confusion between us somewhere."
"Oh my goodness. Has the wedding been canceled?" mom asked in a state of shock.
"No. The wedding is still going forward."
"Then what is it?"
Aunt Helen gulped. "Well, how carefully did you read my email? I sent you a link to my fiance's spa. How closely did you look at it?"
"I looked through the pictures. It's a beautiful place. Why? Has it been moved to another location? I'm perfectly fine with that. Just as long as you're happy."
"It's still there. The same location."
"Then what's the problem?" Mom asked, eagerly anticipating the answer.
Aunt Helen gulped. "It's a nudist spa."
That was the moment which left me and my mother stunned. Naturally, mom tried acting composed about it. This was a major event, after all.
"Oh, that's interesting. We're all adults here. I wouldn't mind seeing any of the nude guests there."
"I don't think you understand," Aunt Helen said. "It's a nudist wedding. All the guests have to be, well, umm, undressed. That's the whole point of what we're doing."
Mom's eyes widened. "A nudist wedding? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was afraid you were going to act like this."
Mom put her hands on her hips. "Like what?"
"Like
this
," Aunt Helen replied, gesturing to mom's posture. "I was afraid you were going to make a big fuss about it and not show up."
"And when did you plan on telling me? Now?! After I've spent thousands of dollars on this trip?!"
"The nudity requirement was clearly described on that website I sent you. I assumed you would have figured it out."
Things definitely felt tense in the room. After a few more nasty exchanges, the sisters calmed down and apologized to each other. In all my years, I had never seen them fight before. Never. They were always super close.
But it was perfectly understandable that mom would be upset over this. She's not someone who gets naked or lives a free-spirited lifestyle like Aunt Helen does. Mom was a typically stern high school teacher. The prim and proper type. Women like that don't just get naked in front of other people. That's not the way they are.
"Look, I'm really really sorry about this," Aunt Helen said in a somber tone. "This is all my fault. I should have made things clear from the start. I guess I was just afraid that you'd refuse to come."
"This is my fault too. I should have read that website more carefully."
"Please tell me you'll still come," Aunt Helen asked cautiously with an optimistic attitude.
They continued their back and forth exchange and Aunt Helen was adamant that the rules couldn't be changed. Most of the guests at the wedding were also nudists and expected a nudist experience. Mom was clearly devastated by the news and it was obvious that she was about to refuse.
"How about this?" Aunt Helen said. "I'll wait in the lobby. You two discuss this and give me a call when you've made your decision. Okay?"
Mom hesitantly nodded. "Okay."
"Whatever you two decide, I would understand. But I really want you two to come. It's a special day for me. And it wouldn't be right without my older sister and my favorite nephew."
Having said that, Aunt Helen left our hotel room and waited downstairs in the lobby.
"I can't believe it," mom said, shaking her head. "Do they really expect us to be naked in front of each other? And in front of other people? What are they thinking?"
"Mom, we're in the Netherlands," I pointed out. "Things are a lot different over here."
"I know, but they should have a clear understanding about a parent-child relationship. We should never see each other undressed."
"Like I said, different culture."
She shook her head. "Anyway, we're here. I've already spent thousands of dollars and I think we should make the most of it. Amsterdam is a beautiful city and there's a lot of sightseeing we can do."
"You want to skip the wedding?"
"We don't have a choice. You heard your Aunt. It's nudist only. We can always congratulate them after the wedding is over. We'll take them to dinner. It'll still be nice."
"I think you're making a huge mistake."
"Believe me, this is a painful decision," she pointed out. "When we were young, Helen and I always used to discuss our dream weddings. That's all we ever talked about. So I
know
it's a difficult decision."
"Then why skip it?" I asked.
She gave me a sharp look. "I'm doing this for
you
. I'm sparing you the misery of having to be naked around me."
"For the sake of this wedding, I think we can manage."
"I know how boys are. You'll be traumatized for life seeing me naked."
"Really? Guys are always checking you out. You're hot.'
She withheld a smile, "I meant that I'm your mother. It's not right for us to be naked around each other. We'll never be able to unsee it."
"Well, it's your decision. But I think Aunt Helen would be crushed if we weren't there."