copyright 2002 axel the swede
Jamar slammed the door to the room he had once shared with his brother. He leaned against the wall, his heart racing. His first day home, and already it had started, he thought. One look at his mother, breastfeeding his new sister, had been enough to bring all the powerful feelings back.
He was home to work for the summer in San Diego. The University of Michigan seemed very far away. But, his visions of Brigid Carlson were not dulled by distance. They were so real.
He closed his eyes and let his head bump back against the wall. The arousal he had endured, through stolen glances at Brigid as she breastfed her newborn son, would continue. But now, his summer torture would be at the hands of his own mother. He wondered what offense he had committed against the fates. Why did he long to touch what could not be touched, to taste such forbidden nectar?
Soft knocking on the door brought him back to the moment. “Jamar, you are upset, my son. Please open the door. Talk to me.”
He turned and grasped the doorknob. He willed his body to relax, to assume a calm exterior. Jamar cherished his mother, Amita. She had always been his buffer between him and the father who ruled his sons, and his house, with an iron will.
Jamar looked into his mother’s dark eyes. Like so many thousands of times before, he was taken with her beauty. She was just a bit shorter than Jamar’s five foot, ten inch height. Her dark hair, falling in gentle curls to frame her soft features, had yet to see a trace of gray. Her body, under the loose wraps of her golden colored sari, was the epitome of the female form.
“Here, I made you tea. Sit and drink. Calm yourself. When you are ready, come up to my chambers. We can sit and talk. The light there, this time of the afternoon, is so peaceful.”
He took the delicate cup from his mother’s hand. “I am calm now, mother. I will follow you.”
They made their way through the hall to the stairs. Jamar fell back a few steps to allow his mother to lead the way. As they climbed, he couldn’t help but take in the beautiful flow of her movements. The sari is such an amazing garment, he thought. Wrapped loosely on a mature woman, her physical charms were hinted and teased at, rather than brazenly displayed.
They stepped into the three room suite that took up almost all of the upstairs portion of the house. The first room had a long couch and two comfortable chairs arranged around a low table. Three narrow windows, extending almost floor to ceiling, were covered by dark red drapes. Sun shining from the west gave the room a muted, rosy hue.
“Are we alone, mother?”
She turned to him and motioned toward one of the soft chairs. “Your father has your brother at his new store. We will not see them until late, I think. And, little Niru is sleeping.”
Jamar sat, careful not to spill his tea. “My new sister is a beautiful child. She seems to be a happy little one.”
Amita sat gracefully in the other chair and smiled. “She is a joy to me. I know you were surprised when I told you I was with child again. With you and your brother grown, you must have wondered what we were thinking.”
Jamar nodded. “I confess, Jagdish and I engaged in some speculation.”
They laughed together, breaking the tension that had built up between them. Their conversation flowed after that. Jamar brought his mother up to date on his experiences at school. Amita shared family news from the months just passed. A half hour flew by as mother and son renewed their shared love and mutual respect.
Amita poured tea for both of them. Her manner turned serious. “My son, I sense a sadness in you. What is troubling you?”
Jamar picked up his cup, hesitating as he tried to gather his thoughts. “You know me well, mother. I am not sure I can share my troubles.”
“I saw the look on your face when you saw little Niru suckling my breast. I saw your pain. Can it be feelings of jealousy are filling your heart?”
Jamar shook his head. “No, no, mother. Seeing you and Niru is such a beautiful thing. I love my little sister. She will always have my affection and a big brother to help her any way I can.”
“What then, my son? Why did that sight cause you such pain?”
He knew his only option was the complete truth. His mother would see right through any attempt at subterfuge. She would conclude that he was indeed, jealous. And that would trouble her every time they were together.
Jamar sighed and stared down into his cup. “I fear I have been bewitched, mother. A woman, totally unavailable to me, has captured my thoughts in ways I never believed possible.”
“This woman, she rejects you because of our race?”
“No, mother, nothing like that. She is married and has a child just a month older than Niru.”
“How could a woman in such a position bewitch you? I don’t understand.”
Jamar leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. “I must tell you the whole story, mother. I pray you can help me. I need your wisdom.”
Of course. Please tell me everything. I want to help you. Then I will ask you to hear the truth of our situation here. I hope we can help each other and ease our troubled minds.”
“Is it father? Has he done something?”
“Do not jump to conclusions. Let us deal with your situation first. I want to hear about this woman who troubles your mind. I was wrong to mention the situation here so soon. Please tell me your story.”