Page 5 of Mama's Boy
Thursday
On Thursday, Chase waited for the inevitable phone call from his mother.Her driving lesson ended at two and it was two fifteen.He sat on the couch readingSports Illustrated, with his cell on the coffee table waiting for it to ring.Aha, there is the phone now.
“Hi, Mom, how did it go?”Chase really didn’t want to ask the question if he wasn’t going to like the answers but he knew he should.He stood and went into the kitchen and held the phone to his ear with his shoulder.
“All right.I took the written test and got a learner’s permit.I drove around an empty parking lot.I did okay.”
Chase was in shock, for his mother, this was a ringing endorsement.Dare I ask, oh what the fuck?“When is your next lesson?”He expected to hear an excuse.Chase went over to his refrigerator and got a bottle of water.
“Tomorrow.”The water slipped out of his hand.
“You have another lesson tomorrow?That’s great.”Chase felt like jumping up and down.Yes!
“Mr.Schwartz said I was an excellent pupil and I picked up on things quickly.”Chase could hear her preen over the phone.
“About Saturday, you don’t need to take me to the grocery store.You said you had a date.Mr.Schwartz is going to take me.”
Really?“I’m glad you made a friend, but if you want him to stick around I’d just go to one grocery store, the meat market, and maybe the bakery.”Chase’s mind screamed,Don’t fuck it up!
“You like my pot roast, don’t you?”
“You know I do.”Please don’t ask me and my date to dinner.
“I’m going to ask Mr.Schwartz if he wants to eat some dinner after the grocery store.I can put it in the Crock-pot.Did I tell you he said he’d have me driving in three weeks?He said he’d help me find a car.”
Chase didn’t want to step on her happy but, “Maybe you and I should get the car, Mom.I know how much you can spend and…”
“Oh, don’t worry.Mr.Schwartz knows how much I can spend.He says I should drive a small car, he recommended a Mazda 2.I think that’s what he said.”Chase could hear her thinking.He picked up the bottle of water from the kitchen floor.
“A Mazda 2 is a small car and probably just what you need.Maybe he knows someone at the dealership.”Chase hoped he wasn’t getting a kickback.
“He does.He retired early and took this job to get out of the house.His wife passed, so he likes to keep busy.He used to work at the dealership.”Chase fumed.Definitely the possibility of a kick back.
“Didn’t I tell you, honey?He owned eight dealerships but he’s retired so his son runs them for him.”
Ducked the bullet.Issue a mild warning, then get the hell out of Dodge.“Be careful, don’t get involved too quickly.”
“Chase, it’s just a little dinner.”Chase stuck the water on the kitchen table and spotted a pencil.He picked it up and twirled it in his fingers.
“It’s okay, Mom, I just worry.”Why am I telling her this, I want to get out from under, don’t I?
“Well, I’m glad you worry, lately I didn’t know what to think.”Edith sniffed.
Ahh…there was the mother he knew and loved.“Have a good time on Saturday.”
“You too.Is it that boy from the supermarket?”
“Yes, Mom, it’s him.”Chase almost broke the pencil.
“Well, be nice.You don’t want to let him get away.You are getting older, Chase.”
Aghhhhhhhhhhhh.“Don’t worry about a thing, I’ll be nice and I’m not that old, I’m twenty-nine.”
“Where are you going?”
“Mom, I’m not fifteen anymore.”Silence.“I’m going to the beach and then out to dinner.”
“Be sure to bring sunblock.”
