Martin had been invited to a twenty-first birthday party. On the morning of the party day, Susan, his girl friend, had rung to say she was in bed with influenza, and would be unable to accompany him. This was a nuisance because all the others would be paired off, and he would be on his own.
He talked the situation over with his mother, Athena, saying he had a good mind not to go. He could send his birthday gift and make his excuses.
Athena said it would be a pity for him not to go as he had been looking forward to it so much. Would Susan mind if he could get another girl to go with him?
Martin pointed out that all the girls he knew were already going to the party with their boyfriends, and in any case, Susan probably would mind.
Athena took on a thoughtful manner, then asked, "Would you take me?"
Martin was somewhat startled by this suggestion. After all, what boy wanted to take his mother to a party, especially the sort of party this was likely to be? Not wishing to hurt his mother's feelings, he equivocated saying, "I don't think you would like it. It'll be too noisy for you, and there'll only be young people there."
Athena became a little coy, and taking his hand said, "Oh, go on, take me. I'll make myself look especially nice for you."
Martin still doubted the wisdom and went on, "I don't think…"
"Oh, please, Martin," Athena cut in. "Your father hates parties and I haven't been to one in years. He's away for a couple of days, so please, let me go with you."
His mother's pleading voice decided Martin, however reluctantly, and he said, "Oh, all right. We need to be there about 8-30 p.m."
"Thank you, darling. I promise I won't let you down, and I won't interfere with whatever you want to do while we are there."
Around 6 p.m. Athena began her preparations. Martin heard her showering, and this was followed by a long period of shower room occupancy. He wanted to use the shower himself, but it was not until around 7-15 p.m. that Athena emerged. She went to her bedroom and shut the door.
Martin took his shower and then climbed into the rather casual party clothes that are now fashionable.
At 8 p.m., he stood waiting for his mother in the lounge, gazing idly out of the window. Suddenly his mother's voice said, "Will I do." He turned and stood stock still, gazing in disbelief at this strange woman.
It took him a few seconds to realise that he was looking at his mother.
I suppose that most sons do not really take in properly or appreciate their mother's appearance. She is "just mother," and is as she is. Her beauty or otherwise is of little importance, as it is food and comfort that the young brutes want from mother.
Martin saw his mother now, as if for the first time. He had heard people say of her that "she looks ten years younger than her age." At that moment it meant forty looking like thirty. Martin would not have agreed. She looked twenty-five.
She was dressed in a style a little out of date for the contemporary party. She wore a tight fitting cherry red long dress split up to mid thigh on one side, and the thigh it revealed looked particularly interesting.
The neckline had from its inception never approached her neck. It was cut to expose her breasts almost to the nipples, and displayed a deeply indented cleavage that gave some idea of the full breasts it separated. If she was wearing a bra, it certainly not visible, and may I add, in Athena's case, such a garment was unnecessary. The fit of the dress was such that if she was wearing panties, they should have showed through. They did not show through.
Her almost black hair had been split at the back of her head and brought to hang in two soft plaits either side of her face and reaching down to just below her shoulders. She had used a little eye makeup to bring out the lustre in her dark brown eyes and just a touch of lipstick. As he stood gazing at her, Martin smelt the faintest whiff of roses.
Martin finally recovered, and stammered, "M…mother…"
"Will I do?" repeated Athena. Martin let out with, "Mother, you are absolutely…" he groped for the right words and came out with, "stunningly beautiful."
"Coming from a son who didn't really want to be seen with me, I take that as a supreme compliment," laughed Athena. "Shall we go?"
They drove to the party with Martin at the wheel. He felt that he was taking a beautiful and sophisticated woman to some grand occasion. He wondered what the others would make of her. He supposed he would have to introduce her as his mother, especially as quite a few present at the party would know her anyway. But he would have liked to present her as some mystery woman, with the implication they were lovers.
On arrival at the party, there was something of a sensation. The young men kept their eyes glued on Athena, and the young women who were supposed to be their partners for the evening, seeing this adhesion, were somewhat put out.
It is often the case that a woman, arriving at a party with her escort, and finding herself the centre of male attention, is inclined to try to dispose of the official escort. Athena was no different from the rest of her gender in this regard, and so, seeing she was, as it were, a honey pot to bees, she said mildly to Martin, "You go and circulate, darling, I'll be fine."
Now for a moment let us consider twenty-first birthday parties or any other party where youth predominates. Rarely are they used as philosophical debating chambers to discuss the meaning of the universe and the existence of God. True, there may be acts of creation, but they are of the earthly sort. In short, one of the most predominant objectives of youth on these occasions, is to end the evening in a little friendly conviviality with a member of the opposite sex, or, if your taste inclines that way, a member of the same sex.
Martin would normally have expected his beloved Susan to be his partner in post-party coitus, but for this night, the fair one was beyond his reach. His mother he did not consider suitable for such eventualities, and so, being invited by mother to circulate, he hastened to comply.
His hope was that some suitable maiden had arrived at the party unescorted. Knowing he must take his mother home at the end of the celebrations, he added a further hope that such maiden as he found might join him in one of the bedrooms, of which there seemed to be quite a few, before he needed to leave the party
His hunt was in vain. The females proved to belong in one of two categories. First, those who were escorted and whose swains had remained faithful to their charge. Second, those who had arrived escorted, but had been deserted by their erstwhile heroes who had fled to Athena's side. This latter category where far too incensed to be concerned with Martin's requirements, especially as he had brought the honey pot to the party to tempt their escorts.
So, the lachrymose Martin wandered disconsolately with desire in his heart and an ache in his groin.
Throughout his circulation, Martin occasionally saw his mother, who seemed to be getting a little tipsy, engaged in earnest if slightly giggly conversation with various groups of young men. As the night progressed, this group seemed to devolve down to three particular young men who were paying her close attention.