Somnolent Strike

Crying

Mom's hands reached out to the drag queen and she looked up at him longingly, a strand of saliva still connecting them. I'd just yanked her away from him by the scruff of her neck. She started crying when I hauled her to her feet and began to steer her in the direction of the exit.

"Nooooo, I wanna stay here. I wanna partyyyyy." She whined.

"Well you can't!" I snapped, disgusted. "Your son is in a bad state in hospital, you slut." 

She stopped and stared at me.

I ducked my head, ashamed at having called her a slut.

Then suddenly she was crying again. 

"I ain't got no son. I'm not o-o-olllld." She sobbed.

"Mom, you've got two sons... and two daughters."

She blinked at me, shivering, wiping the semen off her inflamed lips.

"Vera?" She recognized me and teared up.

"It's OK," I patted her back. "Look, you've got vomit all over yourself. Come here."

I led her to the bathroom, wet a tissue and began scrubbing at her dress. 

She giggled, swaying in her high heels.

"Yuck, look at that  whore. She's so disgusting, getting her own daughter to clean her up. We should call the social services." A woman whispered to her friend, over on the next sink. I wasn't quietly enough, because Mom heard every word.

"Who are you calling a whore?" She went up in the woman's face, threateningly shoving her in the chest.

"Uhm you. Clearly. Have you seen yourself? You look like a whore." To be fair she did a bit, with the sem-

Not the point. 

I took Mom by the shoulders and physically lifted her off the ground and out of the bathroom. She screamed all the way past the exit and out onto the street, vile swearwords that made me feel sick. Her eyes were a black abyss and I imagined them crying black liquid instead of clear tears, her mouth dripping blood; the spit running down her chin a scarlet river.

People were staring now but she still couldn't stop screaming so I put my hand over her mouth.

"Shh now Mom. It's ok, those women are gone now. Everything's alright. You'll be okay. I'll take care of you as usual, yeah?"

She nodded but she still looked dazed, tears dripping down her face. Suddenly she retched and gagged, starting to throw up right there on the street. I held her hair back as she bent over and threw up her guts on the cement. Vomit splashed all around us and people glared but I did my best to ignore them.

When Mom stopped at last I mopped her up with an old scrunched up tissue and put my jacket around her. She tried to snuggle into me but I pulled away, because she was all slimy with vomit.

Her lip wobbled again. 

"No, no, don't cry again. Look we'll go and find a taxi and get you home and then I'll take care of you, ok? Don't be scared, I'm here."

"I love you, Vee." She said, choking on her own spit.

I felt my eyes welling up with tears. She'd never said that before.

"Thank you Mom. It's an honor to hear that."