There’s a low, blood-red moon
tonight. It’s impossible to resist the feeling it’s having an effect.
On John, for example.
John is standing in the middle of
a recreational ground just out of town. The hectic, drunken fuss of the centre
is half a mile east, but you can feel the pull of it in your chest, like the presence
of so much adrenaline has skewed the emotional isobars of the place. Only the
sea is immune, running out flat and mirror-black the other side of the
promenade. Standing like he is, perfectly still and upright, his white t-shirt
ghosting in the strange half-light, John looks like some kind of sacrificial
victim summoned to this place by forces he cannot resist, forces the alcohol
have only helped liberate.
‘Is there someone we can call?’ I
say, carefully hooking the phone from his pocket whilst Rae drapes a blanket
over his shoulder.
‘Mum,’ he says.
‘Okay,’ I say, scrolling through
his contacts. ‘What’s her name?’
He looks at me like I’m speaking
from somewhere deep inside his head.
‘Mum,’ he says.
13 comments:
Of course, lol, why didn't you think of that. :-)
It goes without saying she was listed in his contacts as 'mum'. And guess what - she didn't pick up... :/
I wonder what I am listed as in my kids' phones ?~! Mama-las, my first name perhaps to my stepson... It is indeed fun to speculate what people list their dearly beloveds as in these phones.
I suppose when it comes down to it you'll always be mum (or dad) to your kids. So even though they know your name, when they think of you, or see a photo etc, they'll always say 'Mum'. Which is lovely, really! I was struck by that with this patient - a young man, out on the town, so drunk he had no idea where he was or what he was doing - thinking of his mum.
My mom is listed in my phone by her full name. Hah. I remember once as a youngun, I had been left alone in the car while my mom went into the store (common practice in my family; I only learned through commercials when I was older that it was generally frowned upon in society, go figure). A cop or store security or some sort of authority figure in uniform, not a rapist in a fake uniform lucky for me, happened by and asked me for my mom's name… so I gave him her name. Her FULL name, middle name and all! LOL. She was NOT pleased when she came back out of the store, because they had paged her over the loudspeaker, and she despises her middle name. I was maybe 7 or 8? Possibly younger. I don't remember any siblings with me in the car, so probably younger, maybe somewhere between 4-6.
So yes, she'll always be "Mom", but I know her full name and I'm not afraid to use it, apparently! :D
My siblings have gone into my mom's phone and altered their names in her contacts list, though, so my sister comes up as Julia the Cool, for instance. I have no idea what mine is.
In fairness to John,my mom is also under "mom" on my phone.Mainly because our eldest daughter was named after her,so it avoids confusion.
Makes it interesting when my parents visit as well.
Cass - Well, I wonder what her middle name is? Rumpelstiltskin? Did she get in trouble for leaving you in the car? (I hope she cracked a window for some air, at least - and brought you out some treats). I went out with a girl once who's first name was 'Princess' (don't ask - well, okay, do ask - dreadful parents). Of course she never used it. But I was down the tax office with her once and they called her in using the full name - and everyone looked round, expecting the full tiara &c. If that were me I'd have changed my name long ago. (Imperial Magesticity has a ring to it).
Jack - That's funny. My mum's down as mum, too. No wonder we get in such a muddle.
Of course where I come from, North East its mam not mum, hence the carry on about mother's day cards etc, nobody is mum up here. :-) or depending how exasperated you are lengthened to Mother said in a very pained voice. Lol
That's a good point, H. Thinking about it, if I had to choose, I think I'd go for 'mam' - sounds more dynamic, like blam or wham. 'Mum' sounds too much like glum.
It's funny how the different areas have different slang terms for "mother"-- mom, mum, mam, mummy ("Are you my mummy?" *shudder* That episode freaked the living daylights out of me, and still does!), etc. Sometimes I affect an accent (which, of course, to you guys wouldn't be an accent at all!) and call her "mother dearest", just for fun.
And no, Spence, it's Dee. Much shorter than Rumplestiltskin. Can you imagine a third grader trying to write that on their papers? Sheer madness. And no, I didn't get a treat :( I don't remember if the window was cracked or not. It wasn't summer, so it didn't matter.
Also, I have a tiara that I wear on particularly rough days when I feel like I need a little "oomph" and want to kick ass, but nowhere in my name is there a Princess… unless you count the title bestowed on me by friends, Fibro Princess Warrior. I would take it one step further and carry one of my swords or spears or even a dagger with me along with the tiara, but I can't think that the local merchants or law enforcement would take too kindly to that.
Mommy dearest - *shiver* *images of coat-hangers whooshing down*
I like the idea of a tiara day. I should totally get myself something like that. A pointy hat day (like a wizard, I mean / not a witch). Or a scuba diver kit. When I was a kid I used to walk around with my hands over my face pretending I was underwater - it made everything seem more interesting. :)
Post a Comment