My time

These things were placed in my mind, I didn’t just make them up. My mother put these thoughts into my mind. She was avoiding her truth…. 

Back then I had a lot of questions for my mother. I had been babysitting Rod’s kids since they could crawl. Rod was a family friend, what we were told, even got me a job at the print shop as a folder in high school. Before we get into that, keep in mind, Rod was my boss from a young age, babysitting his kids, now working for him at the print shop.

Every summer I watched Rod’s girls, took them to parks, library, pools, walks, etc. I always made sure we had something to do to keep them busy. It was almost like they were my younger sisters, little did I know, that could have been true. The questions I mentioned before, I didn’t ask until I was nineteen, with some liquid courage. 

There were times my mother would come by Rod’s house to “check on me”, always about the time Rod would be home, but not his wife. Many times my mother would say “I’ll meet you at home”, instructing me to leave. I always thought it was weird and asking my dad once why she went over there. Questioning my mother was not something any of us did. My dad only said “we all grew up together, they’ve always been friends”. That didn’t answer my question, but the demeanor he had told me I hit a nerve. 

After moving in with my mom, we had become more like friends now that we lived together without the boys around.  We spent more time together and talk more now. We had to share a bed for a few weeks while I waited for my apartment to be available. During this time, I was wild and crazy going out every Friday and Saturday night dancing!

One particular night, my mother asked me to stay at a friends house that night so her and my dad could have some time together. Since they were separated and “working on things”. So, I made plans to not return that night. While coming home after the club I decided I needed to get something, can’t remember what it was now, and needed to get it before going to a friends house. Now, the club closes at 2:00am and the stop to get food and drive back, it was probably 3:30am when I pulled up the the apartment my mom was staying. When I decided to keep driving right by her car and a truck that looked exactly like Rod’s truck. 

I told my friend never mind whatever it was I needed, it could wait. Never mentioned whose truck was there, and I don’t think she noticed. I was embarrassed not only for me but also embarrassed of my mother cheating on my dad with, of all people, Rod. I didn’t sleep at all that night while my mind raced on what I actually saw. I know what his truck looks like, he was my boss at the time. 

What does one do when they’ve caught their boss, over the years, at their mom’s apartment at 3:30am on a Saturday morning? Can you guess what I did?