Mom was present.
My first blind date was organized by two moms who could not stand one another. I wanted to write about it before it disappeared from my memory.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Background
As a young teen (13 or 14 years old), my Mom and Daniel's Mom, a boy I went to elementary school with, arranged a blind date for us. They both believed Daniel and I were meant to be soul mates and they would help us fall in love.
Why did they want Daniel and I to become a couple? I cannot speak for Daniel's Mom, but my Mom told me that Daniel was a wholesome, religious boy who showed signs of becoming a successful man who could provide for me financially.
Mom used to believe that money surpassed love. She always told me to search for a rich man who would care for me financially my entire adult life (she did hope I would marry not long after high school).
Apparently, Daniel expressed to his Mom that he wanted to become a doctor. He excelled academically in TAG (Talented and Gifted Education) and had an opportunity to advance a grade level or two in the upcoming school year.
In Mom's eyes, Daniel was the ideal suitor once she learned about his aspirations and academic success.
I do not know why or how Mom convinced Daniel's Mom to agree to a blind date. Maybe Daniel's Mom liked that I was a straight A student, believed Mom's lie about how 'religious' we were, and remembered when Daniel and I were friendly in elementary school.
When asked about going on a date with the other, both Daniel and I said no. We were not interested in dating one another. We were never friends, only friendly acquaintances despite being enrolled in the same classroom for several years.
Still, our Moms decided a surprise day-long blind date was a great idea.
The Date
Mom took me to a restaurant. I thought it would be a fun mother-daughter date, but I was surprised when Daniel and his Mom joined us. I remember Mom excitedly saying, "It's Daniel! Don't you remember Daniel?" Daniel and I did not remember each other.
Both Moms explained that they set us up on a blind date. Daniel and I argued with our Moms. They begged us to give it a chance and promised never to do it again if we were unable to hit it off that day.
Daniel and I hesitantly agreed to continue without argument. After lunch, they took us to the mall, gave Daniel money for the both of us to spend, and told us to enjoy one another’s company until we had to return to them at a certain time. We did not hesitate to get away from our crazy Moms.
We discussed the bizarre situation our Moms put us in and agreed that we had no interest in one another. Neither of us wanted to date or be in a relationship. Daniel was focused on his academics while I was still obsessed with toys and cartoons (I was too immature even in Daniel's eyes).
We split the money, agreed to meet in front of a store before returning to our parents, and went our separate ways. I do not know where Daniel went, but I had a blast at the arcade! Daniel showed up in the arcade hours later, but he did his own thing while I did whatever I wanted on my own.
Daniel and I returned to our Moms together at the time we were told to do so. Our Moms decided we would have dinner from the food court there and end the date.
It did not take long to realize that our Moms spent most of their time together arguing about religion, cultural beliefs, and racial stereotypes. They argued about trivial things like the consistency of cooked rice to outrageous things like which race, and which religion was more superior.
While I cannot recall much, I do remember Daniel's Mom (Korean) telling my Mom that she would rot in hell for being a "fake Catholic." I laughed and immediately got in trouble. As a child and young teenager, I always believed that Mom was a fake Catholic. It was amazing to hear someone else say what I thought, which is why I laughed.
Daniel's Mom also argued that I was not Mom's biological daughter because of the difference between our skin colors. She suggested that Mom stole me from an innocent black couple in the hospital. She expressed how sorry she felt for me when my Mom dragged me down into hell with her.
My Mom (Filipina) screamed a lot of slurs and negative stereotypes. I originally detailed a few things I recalled Mom say, but I edited this post to exclude it in case it would be considered insensitive. I do not agree with most of my Mom's beliefs, especially not any of the insensitive stereotypes she has about people of other races and cultures.
Time spent with both Moms was embarrassing. Security walked past repeatedly, probably anticipating a physical fight to take place. I was surprised both Moms did not throw down on that nasty food court floor. I was looking forward to Mom being arrested. I loved my Mom, but I really loved time away from her.
Despite their obvious hatred for one another, our Moms continued with dinner. Daniel slumped in his seat to become invisible. I kept myself preoccupied with my calzone and the toys I got from the arcade.
I believe they cut our blind date day short since it was mentioned that dessert was cancelled. Our Moms decided that Daniel and I were not meant for one another. They did not ask if we made a connection during the several hours we were supposed to spend together. They simply could not imagine our families being joined by marriage in this lifetime.
I never saw Daniel after that day. If I had seen him later in life, I did not know or recognize him. I hope he is doing well and never allowed his Mom to negatively influence his life's choices.
What's Next?
Now that I got this story off my chest, I wish to put it behind me and completely forget about it. I hope to purge bad memories from my brain by writing about it no matter how embarrassing it is to share such stories publicly.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam