At twenty-two, Robbie still went on holidays with his parents, although his older sister by two years – Jill did not. The family of four had been holidaying on the Gold Coast since the kids were eight and six. However, as long as Robbie could remember their father would spend most of his time at the local bowls club, for nearly the entire holiday of two weeks. Yet, in the past few years his father's time at the bowls club increased, so that he also spent his nights there. Robbie takes up his story.
No sooner had we arrived at our apartment then dad took off for the bowls club. Mum unpacked her and dad's stuff and I unpacked mine. We sat and had a cuppa and mum asked what I was going to do, but I had no idea and asked her. Mum said she wanted to go shopping – she loved it on the Gold Coast, so I said I would go with her. I felt sorry for mum, because dad spent no time with her.
We went to the Burleigh shopping centre. We separated so we could do our own thing and agreed to meet back at the coffee shop in an hour. Too long for me, but too short for mum. We met up an hour later and had coffee then returned to our apartment – still no dad. I asked mum what she had bought, and she was thrilled that I was taking an interest in her shopping she pulled out one item after another. However, when she had emptied all bar one bag, she appeared to have finished showing me. So I asked about the last bag and she blushed and said with a grin,
"I can't show you that stuff."
But I insisted until she said,
"I bought some cloths and underwear, ok?"
Without hesitation I told her, "Well show us."
"I can't show you that," she insisted.
But I pressed and for some reason she said 'ok'. She reached into the bag and seemed to carefully select something and pulled it out – it was a bra. I said,
"Blimey, is that a bra or a catapult?" Mum grinned and blushed again and said,
"Don't be so rude."
But I could see her expression was – well playful, not angry or upset. So I asked her again,
"What else have you got in the bag?"
Mum grinned and asked,
"Why should I show you if you're only going to criticize?"
"Ok," I said, "but can I give you constructive comment?"
I was hoping she would say 'yes' for some reason – we seemed to be connecting on a new level and it was exciting, and I think mum was having a bit of fun too.
"Just constructive, not critical – ok?" mum told me and I nodded my agreement.
So mum reached into her bag and pulled out another bra much like the one before it and I asked,
"Ok, so how come you buy bras like those?"
Mum looked a little surprise and asked,
"What do you mean?" she asked and meant it.
She couldn't see anything wrong with her bras. They were the big, all covering ugly things.
"Well there not very sexy are they?"
I asked her and she looked a bit oddly at me, like I was asking a strange question of her.
"I don't wear sexy, I'm too old. Don't be silly," she laughed at me a little.
"Ok, what else have you got?" and I looked at her bag.
Mum seemed more comfortable with showing me her 'intimates' now, and reached into her bag again and pulled out a pair of big panties. She looked at me waiting for my comment.
"Not sexy," I told her again and she gave me that look of 'as if it should be'.
"Don't you like wearing sexy stuff?" I asked and she gave a little laugh.
"Oh come on, I told you I'm too old for that," she was grinning at me again.
"Yeah, but doesn't dad like it?" I knew I was straying onto very personal ground, but mum just looked at me and sort of snorted.
"He hasn't cared for years," she told me.
I was shocked, both that she told me and that dad had lost interest so early. Mum was only forty-six. I wondered aloud,
"Why would he not care?" Mum answered quickly,
"I don't know, but he just stopped caring about all that years ago."
So I asked,
"Doesn't that bother you," I asked concerned for mum, because I was.
"Yeah it bothers me, but what can I do?" mum asked and I could see her eyes were tearing up a bit.
She asked me like her best friend, so I tried to fill the bill.
"Well you could have divorced him and get a boy friend," I ventured.
Mum looked amused at that idea and said,
"No, I couldn't do that. He's your father and I couldn't break up the family."
So I said,
"Yeah, but you're missing out, or doesn't that bother you too much?"
Mum gave me a sideways look as if sizing me up, but to my surprise said,
"I told you it bothers me."
I had the feeling she was fishing for something from me. I asked her a question that could have killed the conversation right there,
"Yeah I know, but how much does it bother?" and by the look mum had at that question I thought I had be more specific.
"You know, do you get frustrated?" I hoped I hadn't gone too far, but mum answered.
"Really frustrated sometimes," and I could see she really meant it. I decided to find out more.
"Well don't you relieve yourself?" I tried to use my concerned voice. Mum grinned and said,
"Yeah, but you shouldn't, should you?" Mum looked at me as if I had all the answers.
"Of course you should," I told her. "Do you use a vibrator?" Mum shook her head.
"Well what do you do?"
