Mother's Vacation

Mother’s Vacation 1946 the warmest May ever in Norway, mother went camping with her lover on an island. I was 8 and could boil potatoes and look after myself, but evenings that had no darkness was long, and this was before TV. A big war had just ended; mother was free to be young. I was reading a travel book “Argentina” when mother came back a bit earlier than planned, she looked radiant and sun tanned. She spoke excitedly about fishing for crabs at midnight boiling and eating them warm. I think she came home feeling guilty for leaving. When she had spoken I continued to read the book about the pampas of Argentine. She could not bring herself to say she had missed me, and I was unable to tell her how much I missed her... Next morning she went back to the island and I boiled potatoes and ate them with tinned sardines and continued to read books about great adventures.