A Rose By Any Other Name Indeed

A pseudonym will not do him justice.

* * *

After Dad left, Mom dated around for a while. Nice guys, I suppose. Kind of a fast, fun crowd tho. There were a couple of race car drivers, a married guy, and one who wrapped paper around a couple of his fingers and recited a cute poem about crows while he made the paper disappear and then reappear: "Fly away Peter, fly away Paul. Come back Peter, come back Paul."

Mitch wasn't like the others. When she finally brought him home to meet us, they'd already been out on a few dates. I remember padding down the stairs in my pyjamas as they walked through the door after their date. I was curious to meet this man she hadn't let us meet until then.

My first impression was, "My god he's old!" Mom is 30 years my senior. Mitch was 15 years hers. I guess that made him all of 50. But he was an old 50, I think.

His face was round and friendly. Unusual. He wore metal-rimmed glasses too large for his face. What little hair he had left was a browny-grey, combed over thinly across the top of his head.

I don't remember much about the meeting. I think he may have mentioned he owned a sail boat. The prospect of sailing excited me. I think not much later he and Mom went away for a weekend. When they returned he had bought for each of us a drawing tablet and a large, coiled lolly pop. My drawing pad had a hippo on the front of it and was round, shaped like the hippo's rump. The lollypop was twisted white and purple. With those gifts, I was smitten.

What I do remember distinctly is that many years later, when they'd be fighting, arguing, yelling over something, I'd sit in my room listening to the screaming, hoping that if they got a divorce that I could go live with him. He was every bit the father that Dad had never been. And more. He was lovely. Wonderful. I am proud to have had him as a part of my life. I am lucky.

Aside from leaving my father, dating, living with, and later marrying Mitch was the 2nd smart decision my mother made. For that, I give her much credit. We were all lucky to have him.