The Age
I was a teenager when I found one of my mom’s documents while searching a drawer. Seeing her birthdate, I realized she had lied about her real age her whole life—claiming to be seven years younger.
The Fan
My mom was a huge fan of a male pop singer. (I won’t name him—this was back in the early ’90s.) She had tons of his records and would cheer whenever he appeared on TV. She even claimed to have known him when she was young. One day, coming home from school, I heard noises from their bedroom. To my surprise, the singer himself walked out, fixing his clothes. “Hey kiddo!” he said, then was gone. Mom appeared soon after, hair messy, mumbling that he was in town for a concert and stopped by for a little nostalgia. I was seven and found it a bit odd, but only as an adult did I understand what really happened.
The Cake
Once, I caught my mom pretending she’d baked a delicious homemade cake all day—when in fact, she’d brought it from the bakery.
The Romance Novel
While cleaning, I found steamy romance novels in her nightstand. I remember being shocked when I curiously peeked inside one. At 14, it all seemed gross and I couldn’t understand why my mom needed that. Now that I’m her age and in a marriage lacking tenderness, I get it. Mom’s gone now, but I’ve silently apologized to her many times for judging so harshly back then.
Oops
Mom had me young and was a lively mom. Once, trying to sneak money from her purse, I found a small clear bag with some pills. Since we’d just had a school talk about drugs a week earlier, I recognized them as ecstasy. (I never would’ve guessed she’d be into that!)
Tough Times
After dad left us, we lived modestly for years. I was little when I shopped with mom and noticed her slipping a salami and a few items into her coat pocket instead of the cart. I thought maybe the cart was full. Years later, I realized how tight money really was—so tight that my honest mom had to steal.
The Student
Mom tutored English at home. It was normal to have a student over when I got home from school. She taught in the living room, door usually open—except when Barnabás came. Barni was an 18-year-old tall, handsome guy, and when he studied, the door was strictly closed. Once, I heard strange moans from inside, but mom said they were just listening to a tape. Only later did I realize how much of a "vamp" mom was at 42.
The Dog
Our neighbor by the summer house had a scary dog. It barked and growled at us all day, but mom asked several times to have it chained, and they refused. One day, the dog slipped through the fence and lunged at my little sister. Mom chased it away with a paddle just in time. The next day, I saw her feeding the dog and asked why, since it was so mean. She said she didn’t want leftover cold cuts to go to waste. The following morning, the dog was gone.
The Tutor
My mom—a real Mother Teresa—hired a math tutor for me, Mr. Zsolti, in his fifties, who came to our home and patiently explained math. One day, I came home to find them wrestling on the couch, mom’s legs in the air, sighing, “Oh, Zsolt!”
The Kiss
Mom and my art teacher were great friends. I didn’t mind because I always got top grades in art. But once, I saw them kissing. It was a huge shock and really confused me at nine years old. Summoning courage, I asked mom about it shyly. She just laughed and said they probably just exchanged goodbye kisses.
