Mud Hens

I hadn’t been naked in front of my mother since I was five years old. This year we took her for her first time to Calistoga. Mum, do you want to try a mud bath? When in Rome, she answered, although she did make it clear to the receptionist, in a low and sturdy tone, I will not remove my wig. After putting our clothes in separate lockers, we wrapped ourselves in beige flannel sheets, donned our hair caps and waited beside the glass brick wall separating us from the variety of offered baths. Are you nervous Mum? Oh no, I’m a trooper. Carmen, our bath guide, led us to the twin tubs filled with the famous black-brown mud, the air, pungent with peat and sulphur. We dropped our sheets and wriggled down into our respective tubs. Carmen gave us lemon ice water in wax cups and laid cool cloths upon our heads. As the moments passed, my limbs jutted out of the mud one by one in an attempt to cool down. Are you alright Mum? Fine, she answered sipping water calmly. A timer rang and Carmen instructed us to sit up and use our arms to push ourselves up and out. I quickly got to my stall and was moving the flexible showerhead to places the sun rarely shines when Carmen asked, Can you please come and help your mother? With Carmen and I on each arm, and another bath guide coaching, we made a few attempts of pulling my mother out, each with a rousing 1-2-3 from me. Then Carmen suggested my mother try throwing her left leg over the side and rolling out, but that would require more arm strength. Finally, Carmen’s eyes met mine and she commanded, You must hook both of your arms under hers and pull. I planted my feet at the head of the tub, hooked both arms, my full, naked chest against my mother’s back and with all my strength pulled as Carmen cheered, Push with your feet, push with your feet. There was an audible pop and out my mother emerged, completely unphased. Carmen led us to our shower stalls, and with the last bit of shyness burning off me like morning fog, I gently sprayed the mud from Mum’s neck, back and legs. My love for her traveled to someplace unknown, twisting my heart in a new direction. I held her hand as Carmen led us to our next station, a pair of bubbling mineral baths, side by side.