Chapter 16 - Lucas
Like Josh, Lucas had heard something earlier that was now the basis for his plan to seduce his mother; or at least he hoped so. He and his mother, Jan sat and chatted easily as they always did, eating up the time and distance between the camp and home. As they chatted, Lucas formed his idea, honed and refined it until it was a simple plan. Weeks earlier Jan's mother was over, as she seemed to be most of the time for a visit, and she and Lucas' mother sat in the kitchen and gossiped mostly about the family. Lucas was sitting or rather sprawled out on the couch watching the NRL (National Rugby League) game on TV; his Sharks were playing and winning.
In the kitchen, mother and daughter would smile to each other whenever Lucas reacted to the game, which was most of the time. The couch was positioned close to the kitchen door, and every now and then Lucas could hear snippets of conversation. Most of the time these went 'through one ear and out the other'; until he heard something that would change his life.
It was half time in the live game and Lucas could hear the two main women in his life reminiscing the times and men Jan had dated as a young woman. As each man and event was retold, there would be peals of laughter, especially from Molly, Jan's mother.
"Remember the night Greg pretended his car had broken down in the middle of nowhere?" Molly asked through her giggles.
"Ok, ok, so Greg wasn't a real winner," Jan shot back at her mother and Lucas smiled to himself.
"Most of the men you went out with weren't real winners." This brought loud laughter from Molly, but none from Jan.
"In fact your taste in men had been pretty bad," Molly pushed.
"Well I didn't have much of a role model then did I?" Jan shot back because her parents had been divorced for twenty years.
There was no laughter now from either women. Then in a hushed tone Lucas heard his grandmother say,
"Well at least we've redeemed ourselves in that one." Lucas knew she was talking about him.
"Oh you have no idea mum, he's such a dear. I don't know what I'd do without him," Jan replied just as quietly. Lucas felt himself blush.
"Well you just may have too. It won't be too long before he finds the right girl and leaves," Molly whispered. There was silence.
"Oh now don't go on so Jan. He had to leave sometime," Molly said in a comforting tone. Lucas knew his mother was crying.
"Come on, remember Graham Ashton," Molly tried to change the subject, but there was no reply.
"Oh come on dear, you remember him. He put his hand up your dress after that dance you two went to, and you had to fight really hard to get him off, remember?" Silence, but Lucas felt himself getting angry and wondering where this dickhead lived.
"How do you about that?" a shocked Jan finally asked.
"You told me," Molly said in her defence.
"No I did not mother." Molly was in trouble now; 'mother' had been used. Molly giggled and said,
"Ok, I'll have to come clean now. I use to talk to you after you got home from your dates and were asleep. You talk very freely and clearly in your sleep you know?"
"You asked me and I told you?" asked an incredulous Jan. Lucas was listening intently now.
"Oh yeah, you'd answer anything I asked... truthfully."
"MUM! You had no right to do that," Jan fumed.
"I'm sorry dear, but you did have some interesting things to tell me, and I just wanted to make sure you were ok."
"Bullshit mum, you're just a bloody busybody."
"You know, no matter what I asked you, or how loudly I spoke, you never woke-up?"
"You know I've always been a heavy sleeper?" Jan told her mother. Molly giggled again and brought her hand to her mouth to cover it.
"What's so funny?" Jan asked a little concerned.
"Well when I first started to talk to you when you were asleep, I tried to wake you... you know shake you and push you, quite hard sometimes, but you never woke up. So I suppose I took advantage of you. I am sorry sweetheart."
The rest of the conversation was lost to Lucas as the teams ran back on the field for the second half.
As Lucas and his mother drove home, this little piece of information from some weeks earlier formed the basis to his plan, and tonight was the night to talk to mum -- while she slept. He was very excited. On one hand he had the opportunity to ask those questions Jan would never answer, and on the other hand he hoped to find out from her if she really wanted him -- as Jeremy had said.
So when Jan came to pick Lucas up from camp, he had his plan worked out, but it meant he would have to wait until that night. Therefore, their drive home wasn't as eventful as some of the other guys. They chatted warmly as Lucas told his mother as much as he could about camp without giving the game away, and Jan filled him in on what he had missed at home. A thought occurred to Lucas as they neared their home.
"Hey mum, what sort of relationship did you have with grandma when you were my age?"
"Pretty good, but not as good as you and me; at least I think ours is a lot better," Jan answered easily.
"Why do you think ours is better?"
"Because were more open with each other. Grandma held back a lot of stuff with me that I talk to you about."
"Was she always honest with you?"
'This was a strange question', Jan thought.
"Not always, why do you ask?"
"Because I hate people who aren't honest. You know, like they aren't truthful because they're worried what others would think, or so not to hurt other people's feelings. That sort of thing. I think everyone should be truthful no matter what."
"What about other people's feelings, or where telling the truth could get someone in trouble?" Jan asked her son.
"Then you claim the 'fifth'," Lucas said without hesitation.
