The Day I Made My Mother Speechless

“So, Mary, are you dating anyone?” my mother tried to ask nonchalantly as she passed the green beans.  I had to give her credit; she'd made it an hour and fifteen minutes before prying into my personal life.  It was, without a doubt, a record for her. 

My options were clear. 

I could grab the fork and stab myself in the eye, creating a diversion.  However, I’m sure once the bandages were secure, my love life would be up for discussion again. 

I could admit the truth that yes, in fact, I had been seeing a wonderful man.  The barrage of questions that would follow and my inept answers would no doubt lead to a migraine. I care so much for this man that it seems the only humane thing to do is set him free, otherwise he'd be sentenced to a lifetime of torture by my mother.  Who am I to impose such a punishment on a loving, perfect being? But at the same time I'm torn. Don't I deserve love, too?  Selfishly, I don't want to let him go.  My thoughts and heart are conflicted.

The third option was to lie.  This would be followed by the lecture I knew by heart of my inadequacies in the social world.  My mother would pass the potatoes and tell me how I should have a smaller portion as my hips weren’t getting any smaller.  In her most loving and irritating voice, she'd  tell me how I should reconsider dating that dashing young man, George; after all, fifth cousins aren’t considered close relations. 

Smiling into my mother’s well-meaning eyes, I realized I only one choice really existed.  Tonight I could not bear this discussion.  For once, fate smiled upon me and placed a somewhat evil, but brilliant, thought into my head.  I knew how to thwart the topic.

Scooping a heaping pile of potatoes on my plate, I quite expertly hid the smile as I causually said, “Actually Mother, I’ve been wanting to tell you.  I’m gay.”

WC - 356

Assignment:
Try writing down a lie you told, what motivated you to tell it and the result that came from it. You could also write a scene between two (or more) characters where one considers telling a lie.