Mother's Day 1984 (PG-13)

[cassysj]

I tend to avoid Mother's Day like the plague since my mother died a week before Mother's Day in 1994. This year the days fall the same as they did in 1994. I decided to write a little story for a Motherless Son and a Sonless Mother.


I do not own any recognizable characters no copyright infringement is intended.

Mother’s Day 1984


Mick was driving past Mary Queen of Heaven church when he saw two teenagers knock down an old lady and steal her purse.

He stopped the car and ran after them at vamp speed. He caught up with them and retrieved the purse and left them with a matching set of broken knee caps. That would be their last “successful” mugging.

Mick hurried back to the church and found the lady sitting on the steps crying.

Mick spoke softly and held out the purse. “Ma’am? Ma’am? Is this yours?”

The lady looked at him through teary eyes. “Yes. Thank you so much. How did you find it?”

“I saw them push you down and I drove off after them. “They got away but they dropped the bag while trying to escape. Can I offer you a ride home?” As he was speaking he noticed she was staring at him.

“Mickey?”

“Excuse me.”

“Mickey St. John? Is that you? It couldn’t be. she mumbled. “You must be his son.”

Mick recognized Mrs. Thompson who lived next door to his parents since 1932. “Ma’am I think you have me confused with someone else. Did you bump your head?”

“No. I just scraped my knees. Are your parents Mick and…..what was her name? Caroline, Cora-Bell.

Mick realized it would cause more questions to lie to this lady then go with a version of the truth. His parents had been dead for years and there was no other family.

“Coraline?”

“That’s it!”

“My name is Joseph St. John. My parents were Mick & Coraline.”

“Where were you raised?” Mrs. Thompson asked. “No one ever heard from your folks after the wedding.”

“New Orleans.” Mick lied

“That makes sense. Did you Dad work as a musician?”

“My Dad died a few weeks after he got married.” Mick said smoothly. “My Mom went to live with relatives in the French Quarter.

“How awful!” Mrs. Thompson cried. “Why didn’t she let the family know?”

Mick shrugged. “Until this moment I didn’t know my father had any family.”

Mrs. Thompson frowned “Well, I guess she wanted to start over. I’m sorry to say you don’t have any more family. Your grandfather passed in 1955 and your grandmother, let me see….it must be going on fifteen years. They never knew they had a grandchild. Your father was the world to them. You are the spitting image of him.”

“Can I see you home Ma’am? Mick said politely. He just wanted to get out of this woman’s life as soon as possible.

“Please. She reached in her purse and took out an old snapshot. “This was your father with my son. This was taken just before my boy went to Korea.”

Mick glanced at the picture. Tommy was five years younger, he missed WWII but he was so proud to go off to Korea. He left behind a wife and a six month old baby. He was killed before his first letter got home to his wife. Mick vaguely remembered going to the funeral at his mother’s insistence.

He tried to act surprised. “Wow, I really do look like him.”

She handed him the picture. “You can keep it.”

Mick handed it back to her. “No I couldn’t. It’s a picture of your son and he’s…..”

Mrs. Thompson looked at him suspiciously. “He’s what???”

Mick realized his mistake and covered. “He must live far away or else he wouldn’t leave his mother alone on Mother’s day.”

She smiled. “I try to forget Mother’s Day. My boy died in the war and my grandson in Vietnam. My daughter-in-law remarried and moved to Montana. I don’t have anyone to celebrate with.”

Mick handed the picture back. “Even more so I can’t take it.”

“No I insist. I never would have seen it again if you hadn’t gotten my purse back. Let me give you something from your Dad. Your Grandma was a good friend of mine.”

Mick walked her to his car and asked for directions to her house. He listened to her tell stories about him as a little boy and a young man.

“I guess your Mom had her reasons but she should have called when she found out she was having a baby.” A child can’t have too many people to love them.”

Mick nodded and made sure Mrs. Thompson got into her house safely.

Every Sunday night for the next six months he drove her to Mary Queen of Heaven for bingo.

She died in her sleep just before Thanksgiving.

[francis]

Mick is such a great guy. What a world of pain he has known in his life!

[AggieVamp]

awww This is beautiful - and heart wrenching at the same time Carol. And I know how you feel about avoiding Mother's day - My mother has been gone since 1989. I have a very dear friend who is like a 2nd mother to me & she and my mother would have been the same age who grounds me like a mother. (she also makes me do crazy things like get on stage in a costume at my annual B&B convention ...but that's a whole other story)

Thank you for this beautiful story...

Karen

[Lucy]

and when she died, another piece of Mick died too.
touching....wonderful piece.

[allegrita]

What a beautiful, special story, Cassy. I'm so glad Mick found Mrs. Thompson, and that she found him. What a wonderful gift, to be given that sort of second chance. Losing her would be terribly sad, but I think Mick would agree that the warmth he found in her eyes was worth the pain of losing her again.

[cassysj]

francis - I think it has to be hard for a vamp when people they know are still alive

Aggie - I'm fortunate to have a mother figure as well. My sister is 17 years older than me and truly encourages me in everything including going to the Middle East

Lucy - Thank you.

Alle - It was a nice way for Mick to touch his past

[maggatha3]

What a touching story! Mick found a piece of his past and tried to avoid it , but in the end they kept in touch...and of course she died on him....He loses all those he comes to love..! Beautiful , so beautiful,Carol!

I took the liberty of adding this one to my most favourite Mother Day stories list...
http://moonlightaholics.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=8401
Thank you...

[r1015bill]

Hey Carol,

I understand your feelings about the day. My mother died at Thanksgiving 1988. That's the day that is more painful but I do remember her on Mother's Day too.

Makes sense that Mick would be utterly kind to this woman. She's a connection to his old world that he so misses.