The Mother's Curse

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Little Jimmy once again was confronted with his mother’s admonishments. He wasn’t an overly bad child but he was known throughout the neighborhood to be able to weave some elaborate yarns. His tales usually contained more embellishments than truth.~0~

“Jimmy,” she begins, “how many times have I told you...”~1~

Jimmy has heard this speech before. He knew that she would continue on for about two minutes then she would relent of her tongue lashing to ask him about what happened.~2~

“Now if I have to tell you one more time to stay away from those boys... you’ll be grounded for the rest of the summer. So tell me...”~3~

He knew it was almost time for him to start telling his story. Which one would he have the best luck of her believing. Before he had a chance to think his mother stopped talking. A brief pause before she once again spoke his name.~4~

“Jimmy Michael Moore”.~5~

“Ok! mom here is what happened... Honest.” Little Jimmy had both of his arms behind his back. Both of his middle fingers were crossed over both of his index fingers. He looked right at his mother, eye to eye. He believed this added to his believability.~6~

“You see,” he started, “I saw Billy, Hector, Juan and Ricky had this cat. It was a big black cat with four white paws and some white on its chest and the tip of its tail. The cat had great big red eyes and claws four inches long.~7~

“They had the cat in the middle of their little group. Each one of them had grabbed a leg in their hands and one by one they were getting on their bikes.~8~

“When I walked by, Billy, Hector, and Ricky were already on their mountain bikes. Juan was in the process of hiking his leg over the seat.~9~

“I willed for the cat to fight back. I closed my eyes and thought real hard. I saw the cat in my head then I heard what sounded like a baby crying. Then it sounded like someone falling off their bike.~10~

“The crying started to sound more like teeth gnashing, clothes being ripped and flesh being torn apart. I opened my eyes.~11~

“I saw a cat that was bigger than all four of these boys. The boys were in a heap of mountain bikes, shredded clothing, and a puddle of pee and blood.~12~

“You see, mom, I had to go over with them. I did almost cause them to die.”~13~

At that moment the phone rings. Jimmy runs to answer the phone.~14~

“Hello”.~15~

“Hi, Jimmy. Is your mother home?”~16~

It was Mrs. Whitman, the nosey, know-it-all neighbor and Jimmy knew that she was going to tell his mother the whole story about the cat and the bike accident.~17~

“Uhmmm, she’s getting ready to go to the store.”~18~

“Good... I’ll just wait until she comes outside to talk with her.”~19~

“Who is it Jimmy?” asked his mother.~20~

Giving up to defeat he hands the phone to his mother. He then goes to the family to watch a little television before he loses this privilege He knows without a doubt he’ll be grounded because his mother won’t appreciate his story after Mrs. Whitman fills in all of the details of the story. The minute pieces like it was he who introduced the foursome to the cat by throwing the unsuspecting feline at the star-gazing adolescents. She also won’t fail to mention that he also made those boys swerve into Dr. Miller’s parking lot and run into a brand new Lincoln Mercury.~21~

Yep, he was definitely grounded, and this time no matter how close he brings his mother to a nervous breakdown, his sentence will not be reduced. His mother, at the height of her anger uttered the ’Mother’s Curse’.~22~

In a world where magic is more of slight of hand or an illusion the ’Mother’s Curse’ are words that will instill fear into a forty year old son. They are words that may keep a young woman from wedded bliss. Words, and they are simple words with a simple meaning, which I think every mother knows.~23~

And this is when Jimmy’s mom’s shadow appears in the doorway. Sometimes seeing your mother has blocked off you only way of escape is more frightening then the punishment. Her hair looks to be standing straight up in dread locks, the Medusa hairstyle. Her breathing is heavy but more for the effect, then because she is having trouble keeping her temper in check. She has her hands on her hips and Jimmy knows this isn’t a good thing either.~24~

“Jimmy,” she starts off innocently enough, “turn the television off, walk, don’t stomp to your room, and I want you to think of this phrase every time before you attempt to do something you know isn’t right...like throwing cats.”~25~

This is where she voices the ‘Mother’s Curse’ with ease and perfection. She has rehearsed this moment a thousand times before and she was almost elated to be able to be able to use it in a sentence.~26~

“Jimmy Michael, I hope someday, when you grow up, that you have kids just like you!!!”~27~

Jimmy took a deep breath. To Jimmy this felt like the last breath he would ever get to enjoy in his life. He knew that his mother had just cursed him so completely that he would be a fool to ever breath freely again. He wanted to faint to make his mother regret saying those words, that was until he saw the fire in her eyes still. He felt better of it and did what he was told.~28~

Thirty years later, Jimmy is forty without any kids, but he still remembers his mother and the ’Mother’s Curse’... ~29~