“She’s fuckin' what?” exclaimed Alyson.
“She’s flying out here from Atlanta, tomorrow.” responded Jim.
“And when – exactly – were you going to ask me if I wanted to meet her?” asked Alyson, feeling furious at his – what?.. presumption, damn right, she thought who the hell was he to presume she wanted to meet her mother.
He responded to her unspoken thought, “Alyson, I’m your brother, your twin, I know you want to.”
Alyson thought, you know, this twin brain wave stuff could be a pain. He’s right; I do want to meet her. She took a breath and said, “You’re right. Okay, when and where.”
“2 pm, at the airport.”
So, here she was, with Jim… the airport… 2 pm, standing and waiting on the other side of the security barrier. She reviewed in her mind the peculiar relationship mother and son had had while Jim was growing up.
Rather then keep him as her own child, Ellen – or more exactly her mother – had arranged for Jim to be adopted by herself - his grandmother. So, for the first 13 years of his life his grandmother had raised him while his real mother had gone to college, gotten married and then divorced. Jim only knew his real mother as a cousin who appeared occasionally, then disappeared. It was during the divorce that his true relationship to her had come out. The divorce had been significant enough to rate a few inches of column in the Atlanta Journal and a friend at school had shown it to him.
He had confronted his adopted mama/real grandmother with the article when he got home from school that day. She had called her daughter and that evening all three had sat down and thrashed it out. The net result had been that Jim still referred to his mother as Ellen, his grandmother as Mama, and Ellen had begun visiting more frequently.
Alyson saw her first, recognizing her from a photo Jim had shown her. She tried to view her mother, for just a moment, as objectively as she could. Intelligent looks, expensive but not flashy clothing, and physically - a well-shaped body. She nudged Jim and pointed her out with a lifting of her chin.
"Ellen", he spoke just a bit above normal volume as he walked towards her. She turned towards him and then quickly moved. They met, came into each other's arms, and kissed.
Alyson looked on, her amazement growing, as the kiss went beyond a quick kiss between mother and son. Finally they broke apart and Ellen turned to her a little breathless.
"Alyson?" she said, part statement, part query.
Alyson could feel tears start to well up in her eyes as she looked at her mother face to face for the first time in her life. Their arms went out and Alyson and Ellen just held each other, very close.
Finally, with a sniffle, Alyson pulled her head away to look into her mother's teary face. They found they just couldn't talk or let go of each other. With their arms around each other's waist they walked to a quiet section of the waiting area while Jim went to claim Ellen's luggage.
Talking had turned out to be more difficult then the shared emotionalism of the hug, but it finally came in fits and starts. Alyson's talking came down to two main questions - why had Ellen given her up and what the hell was that kiss with Jim all about?
"I'll take the easier question first", said Ellen sighed, and "I gave you up because I was young, selfish and stupid. I was 15 when I got pregnant and, by the time my mother and I got through with the fighting it was too late for an abortion. Because of the possibility of a scandal, mama insisted I not go to the hospital, even when yours and Jim's birth turned out to be a difficult one."
"A scandal, yes, especially with me being black." interjected Alyson.
"Come on Alyson, we didn't know that until you were born. But once you were, well yes, that did add to the problem." responded Ellen. "I was ill for close to 3 months afterwards and mama ended up arranging everything concerning you and Jim. To be brutally honest, afterwards - when I got better - I really didn't object too strongly. Oh, there was yelling and everything with mama, but I think she could tell my heart just wasn't in it. So I went on and worked out my own life, such as it became. The only good part I've had has been watching Jim grow up and even that I almost missed if it hadn't been for the divorce."
"You mean about Jim confronting you and his grandmother about you being his mother?" queried Alyson.
"Yes." responded Ellen.
"Okay," said Alyson, "that sort of answers my first question, but what about the second, that greeting with Jim?"
At that point Jim appeared with Ellen's luggage and in the ensuing move out to Jim's car, the question was put on hold. When they got to Jim's car, Alyson sat up front with him, while Ellen got into the back seat. Once the car got underway, Alyson turned to Ellen repeated the question.
"Is there something going on between you and Jim?"
Ellen looked at her then moved her eyes to look at Jim's reflection in the rear view mirror. He gave her a slight nod. She responded to Alyson.
"Yes, Alyson, there is."
