Ah, summer holiday at last! A chance to go home and relax for a while.
The freshman year of college had past and it had been a busy year. It marked big changes in my life. Moving into my dorm meant that I was away from home for more than a couple of weeks for the first time in my life. But I didn't really care that much though. It was actually quite nice to live on my own.
I shared my room with another guy, Thomas. We could have been brothers, Thomas and I. We looked a lot like each other and most of or friends called us 'Jason and Thomas, the brothers from another mother'.
Being in the college's Track and Field team, I could combine my passion for sports with being educated. It could be challenging to keep both my physical condition as well as my grades up, but I managed to end the year with very reasonable grades.
Now I was back home for the summer. I enjoyed being back with my mom and dad. And even my kid sister, Tina, who just turned 16. She seemed to have grown quite a bit over the past year and I now longer could call her my little sister.
It was my mother's birthday that day and the house was packed with family and friends of my mom. With my mother being the youngest of her brothers and sisters, most of them were middle aged or past that already, so I was by far the youngest. Not really the audience a 19-year-old man as myself liked the most but hey, it was my mom's birthday so I gladly attended it.
And it wasn't all bad. My uncle and I actually got along very well, both being college athletes. Albeit that my uncle's athletics years were way behind him and 'his six-pack made way for a beer barrel' as he would like to say. But in his days, he was quite a successful linebacker.
"So, you're still in the Track and Field team, aren't you? You still didn't make it to the football team?"
"Nah, I like my bones too much for them to be crushed by some semi-trucks on shoes!"
"Real men are part of the football team, and you know it! Powerful and muscular!" he joked.
"I can see it did you good, although your muscles seem to be hanging quite loose nowadays!"
"That's an investment, smart ass! Do you know how much it costed me to get like this?"
I laughed out load. We always made jokes about each other but I knew he was actually quite proud of me. I didn't have the broad muscular shoulders of the average football player, but I was tall and fit and quite muscular.
I saw his glass and that of other guests were empty, so I asked in general, "Does anyone care for a drink?" I might as well help my mother a bit while I was at home.
I got the guests some drinks and when I returned, I found my seat to be taken by Tina. I looked around and saw an empty chair next to Mrs. Richards. I didn't know her very well, except that she was a friend of my mom's. Mrs. Richards was different than the others. She was somewhere in her mid 40's I assumed, just like my mom and her other girlfriends. But my mom and her other girlfriends didn't really seem to care about their bodies. Yes, they would complain about their weight and discuss the best diets to follow. Just so they could complain a bit more about it being a worthless diet. But Mrs. Richards really took great care of her body. She was fit and slender, with relatively small breasts and hips. Her legs were well toned and slightly muscular. Her long brown hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders. Only her face showed slight signs of her age, with small wrinkles around her eyes.
"May I sit here, Mrs. Richards?" I asked politely.
"But of course! Jason, isn't it?"
"Indeed, Mrs. Richards."
"Please, call me Pam. Al that Mrs. makes feel so old. And it's miss by the way. I'm divorced."
"Thanks Pam, and sorry to hear that." I replied.
"No need to be sorry, that scumbag left me years and years ago. So, how was your first year in college? Your mother told me you made it to the track and field team?" she asked, trying to make conversation.
"Indeed! First year was great, although quite a big change after living with mom and dad for almost 18 years. But I managed not to kill myself!" I laughed.
We talked a bit about college and sports. It turned out that she was in the track and field team as well as a long runner. I told her I was a long runner as well, competing mostly on the 10-milers.
"What a coincidence! I was running the long distances as well, although I mostly competed on the 5 miles. I still run a lot. I like to keep myself in good shape and condition."
That was quite obvious to see. "In my humble opinion, you're doing a great job doing so!" I said a bit shy.
"Why, thank you Jason! That's very kind of you." Pam noticed I started to blush a bit so she chose a different subject. "So, any plans for the holiday?"
"Yes, actually. I want to work a lot so I can hopefully save some money for a small vacation. And obviously I run a lot. I try to run a couple of miles every day to keep in shape."
"Do you plan on going somewhere in particular?"
"Well, somewhere near the sea would be nice, but it mostly depends on the money I have. Can't spend what I don't have!"
"That's true! The beach would be nice though!"
"Definitely! We'll see how far we get."
"Where do you run normally?" Pam asked.
"In and around town mostly. The park is a nice place to run but it can be very crowded."
"Do you have a running partner here?"
"No, not really. None of my friends have the stamina nor the speed to keep up with me. And they're more into watching others sport too," I laughed.
"Maybe we could run together sometime? I know some great routes and can help you stay in shape if you like?" she asked.
"Yeah, maybe!" I replied politely. I wasn't too sure about the idea going for a run with my mother's friend though. I didn't know why, but it seemed a bit awkward.
"Jason, dear. Could you help me for a minute?" It was my mother calling me from the kitchen.
"Oh sorry, Pam. Duty calls!" I apologized to Pam. "On my way, mom!"
The birthday passed on as any other birthday. I helped my mother where I could. The next day, I thought I'd start the day with a nice run. I set a route for myself, put in my ear plugs and put on some music.
"Bye mom!" I said before leaving the house.
"Bye dear, be careful!"
I started warming up, slowly increasing the pace. I liked these early morning walks. It wasn't all that warm yet and the park wasn't so crowded as later on the day. It was a great way to clear my head. As I entered the park to start on my 3rd mile, I saw another runner run towards me. Her long brown hair apparently in a pony tail as it whipped from left to right and her breasts bouncing a bit on the pace of her feet. "Nice," I said to myself, "very nice!"
As she approached me, her face became familiar. My God! It was Pam. I just mistook my mother friends for a young woman!
"Hi, Jason!" she said as we came close to each other. I took my ear buds out and we both stopped to say hi.
"Hi Ms. Rich... eh Pam! How are you?"
"I'm great, thanks. And you? What a coincidence we meet each here!"
