Chapter 1

In 1971 with no consideration for either Mom or myself my father allowed himself to be killed in a work related accident. He had, however, had the forethought to be very well insured with a double-indemnity policy and to be a member of his work's health and welfare scheme. In conjunction with the mortgage insurance on the house this left Mom financially well off and allowed her the freedom to never need to consider going back to work.

Mom's life work then became caring for and indulging me, Johnny, her son and only child. Indulge me she certainly did and, at the same time, she spoiled herself as well and we both became chubby, lazy house-people to whom the thought of exercise never occurred (except in our nightmares).

Eventually, when I was about 11 years old, we travelled to a family get-together and I met a number of cousins and aunties and uncles for the first time. I got quite a hard time from my cousins and I didn't really understand why, but now, looking back, I can see that Mom and I were so completely different and foreign to the way they lived and enjoyed life that we were perceived as not really one of them and in fact we were probably seen as being aliens. I don't think either of us was sorry when the long week-end ended and we returned home to our insulated way of life.

A few weeks after the event a package arrived containing a written report and photos taken at the gathering and I noticed that Mom became very quiet and thoughtful after she had read it and examined the pictures. I think that it was then that it finally sunk home what we had become, fat and lazy and destined to a sedentary (and probably short) life if we didn't make some radical changes to our current life style. When I looked back through the magazine later in life I was immediately aware of what Mom had seen - she looked at least 10 years older than her 29 years and she looked to be about 30 t0 40 pound overweight and decidedly frumpy. I looked exactly what I was, a fat, spoiled, self-indulgent, lazy child rapidly heading for an adulthood in the same vein.

I think that what finally pushed Mom over the edge was a photo of her and I standing beside her cousin and son who were almost exactly the same age as us. We looked a lot older and uglier and it was apparent which pair of us were enjoying life better, even though we were the ones without financial worries. Suddenly our lifestyle changed and we suddenly seemed to be eating salads a lot more and visits to fast food outlets occurred only rarely. Fried food and cakes were an infrequent treat and there was a lot more fruit always available and sweetened soft drinks disappeared altogether. Mom never actually discussed this with me just sort of eased the changes in over a short time and waited for my complaints which she then deflected.

At the same time Mom suddenly started taking a lot more exercise. Initially she began walking to the shops etc that she would previously have taken the car to, and then she began to go walking just because she enjoyed it. Without making demands or ordering me she began to convince me to accompany her and for her sake (and to stop her harping) I did go with her and soon found that it wasn't as hard or bad as it originally seemed.

Results weren't long in coming and Mom rapidly began to loose weight requiring her to regularly update her wardrobe. I was also thinning down and growing taller daily and I was slowly turning from boy into a young man. For the first time I began to appreciate Mom as a woman rather than just a mother, because, as her body fined down and firmed up I became aware of some need deep inside myself. Mom and I had never been particularly shy or modest round the house as there were just the two of us and neither one of us ever went into shock if the other caught us in a state of partial undress. I began to pay special attention to Mom especially if I managed to catch glimpses of her in her bedroom or in the bathroom. Occasionally I managed to see her with just a bra on her top half and I found this to be very, very exciting. The bulge of white flesh showing above the whiteness of her bra had me desperate to see more and I took every chance that I could to catch her fully or partially naked. I had no real success but it wasn't from the lack of trying.