A STORY FOR MOTHER'S DAY
Patti could hardly believe what her mom was telling her.
It had been a year since her mom had done her nails the first time, showed her how to put on her make-up and dropped her off for her first john.
Happy 12th birthday.
Now this.
"Honey, if we tie your tubes, you won't have to go to school anymore! You can fuck the wallets, and tell them to come inside. Tell them you're safe. Two weeks later, I call them and tell them you're pregnant! They'll pay us a lot of money! And you won't have to see them again. What do you say?" asked Mother.
Patti hadn't actually ever seen a dime of the money her mom pocketed.
"Mom I don't want to go to a hospital", she barely whispered, " and shouldn't I get some of the money-".
Mother turned red with rage.
"How fucking dare you! Do you have any idea what it costs to keep a roof over our heads! Food on your plate! To buy you those sexy clothes! I'M YOUR MOTHER AND YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD DO WHAT MOTHER TELLS YOU TO!" she screamed, well thought Patti, that's what they tell me in school but......
"You want money? Then get your tubes tied!" Mother railed.
When an entire society tells you to obey your parents, it's kind of hard not to.
"Now go to your room and don't come out until you have an answer", Mother ordered.
So off little Patti went. But her head was swarming with ideas and fears- and she did not want to go to a doctor.
She went into her room and thought about the hospital and was afraid. Very afraid.
So she decided to wait until mom was asleep, steal money out of her purse, and leave. She had to think. She had to do something.
And she did. She didn't pack a bag. She took the money and ran.
The money got her to Minneapolis, but she had nowhere to go. Nowhere to sleep. No food. She looked up and saw the sign.
MAGIC FINGERS MASSAGE PARLOR.
She knew she could do that.
She walked in and saw a giant man, maybe 300 pounds sitting behind the desk bored.
"Whaddayawant kid?", he mumbled.
Patti looked at the blue tattoos on his arms in awe.
"I said, whaddayawant?" barking this time.
"A job", she said, I need a job".
"How old are ya kid?" he said while looking up her and down.
"Seventeen" she lied.
"Hot damn!", he said. "We lost a 17 year old last week, we need a new one. Hold on" he said as he walked to the door behind him and opened it, "Hey Maggie, come here. Just a second kid", he said to her.
"Yeah, whaddayawant?", said the woman who came out, dressed only in a see through sheer robe.
"New kid. Show her the ropes.", he barked.
"How old is she?", Madge asked.
Patti stepped up, "I'm seventeen and I want a job".
"Ok, ok. Come on, I'll show you the place" said Madge. "I'm Madge", she said, holding her hand out to shake.
Patti grabbed it and tried to shake it like an adult. " I'm Patti. Patti Poetete.
Madge squinted, "Is that an Indian name?" she asked.
"Yes my dad was Indian. That's what my mom told me anyway", she walked to the back through the door, " I never met him".
"This is the room we change in", said Madge, " go in there and put on a robe."
Patti walked in and picked out a black sheer robe and put it on.
"Honey", laughed Madge, "You have to take your clothes off then put it on".
So she did.
"Great, the wallets like girls who look young and fresh" eyeing her.
"Is this your first time?", she asked Patti.
"Yes, not having sex, but working in a massage parlor", she said.
"We had a guy that came here for rim jobs from the last 17 year old, so he'll be happy to see you!", Madge said.
Patti thought to herself, "What's a rim job?" but said, "Oh yeah I can handle it!".
" You new in town?", Madge asked.
"Just got off the bus. I haven't found a place yet and-" Madge interrupted her. "You can sleep on my couch until you find a place".
Patti was starting to feel happy.
She heard the door open behind her, "Hey kid, your first customer!".
Madge showed her an empty room with the a table in it. "Charge him $25 for a tug, 50 for full on, extra for extras".
Patti panicked. "What's a tug?", she asked.
"A hand job honey. Full on is sex." Madge explained. "The boss takes his cut at the door. It's all yours".
When he left, Patti sat on the table looking at the $50. It was hers.
But she hurt. She hurt bad.
"How'd it go", asked Madge peeking into the room.
"Great. But my butt really hurts" she said.
"He spank you?", Madge asked.
"No, he did something called sodomy and...." Patti didn't get to finish what she was saying.
Madge yelled out, " Hey girls come here!", and started to laugh.
Three girls entered. "This is the new girl Patti, she just did anal for $50! She didn't know what sodomy was!" and the girls all began to laugh.
One girl spoke up, "Honey, that's an extra 50!".
They all, including Patti, laughed.
For a week she crashed on Madge's couch, and under a sofa cushion, she had more money than she had ever seen before. $950.
Madge and Patti drove to work, and saw a dozen police cars around the parlor. Patti froze. Madge grabbed her hand and went back to the car.
"Let's get out of here" she said to Patti as they headed back to the car.
Patti was frozen with fear. She had just realized, she feared cops and jail more than a hospital.
That night, she took her money and went to the bus terminal. She didn't say goodbye to Madge, she didn't know how. She wanted to, but didn't want to answer too many questions.
She called Mother from the bus station.
"Hello", asked Mother.
"It's me, Patti", she almost started to cry.
"Do you know how much money you have cost me this week?", her Mother said barely stifling a scream.
"I want to come home. I'll get the operation", Patti said. "I don't like school anyway".
Mother's voice suddenly grew warm. "Honey, you know I love you. We are family, and families stick together no matter what. Blood is thicker than water!" she said in an upbeat tone.
"Mom, I want some of the money" Patti said, barely believing her words as she said them.
There was a long silence.
"Ok Patti, you get 20% of the money" she said.
"I want 50%", said Patti.
There was an even longer silence.
"If you get your tubes tied I'll give you 50% of the johns money, but I get the payoff money" her Mother said.
"Ok", Patti said. "But mom, what are tubes?" she asked, as the bus to Chicago pulled into the station.