mother

THE MOTHER

THE DAY WAS BRIGHT AND SUNNY AND THE MOTHER WAS LISTENING TO MUSIC AS SHE CLEANED HER HOME, SHE WAS VERY EXCITED AS HER LITTLE GIRL WAS COMING TO VISIT HER IT HAD BEEN SO LONG. SHE STOPPED FOR A MOMENT AND REMEMBERED HOW EXCITED SHE WAS WHEN SHE FIRST SET EYES ON HER BABY, HOW SMALL SHE WAS AND SO BEAUTIFUL. NOW SHE WAS A GROWN WOMAN WITH A WONDERFUL WELL PAYING JOB AND A BEAUTIFUL HOME. SHE REMEMBERED WHEN SHE LEFT THAT DAY HOW HAPPY SHE WAS BUT SAD ALSO AS HER BABY WAS LEAVING BUT SHE KNEW WHEN ALL WAS SETTLED SHE WOULD COME AND SEE HER; AND TODAY WAS THAT DAY. HOW LONG HAD IT BEEN SHE DID'T REMEMBER BUT THAT WAS OK IT DIDN'T MATTER. SHE CONTINUED TO SING AND CLEAN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE CHECKING THE CLOCK. IT WAS GETTING LATE SHE HOPED NOTHING WAS WRONG.

THE PHONE RANG AS SHE PICKED IT UP SHE GOT NERVOUS PRAYING ALL WAS OK; IT WAS HER BABY. "HI MOM, I WANTED TO SAY I CANNOT COME TODAY, I BUMPED INTO AN OLD FRIEND FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND WE'RE GOING OUT TO DINNER. YOU UNDERSTAND DON'T YOU?" THE MOTHER WAS SAD BUT SHE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO LET HER KNOW HOW SHE FELT. SHE TOLD HER TO HAVE A NICE TIME AND MAYBE SHE COULD COME SOME ANOTHER TIME. THE GIRL SAID SHE WOULD CALL AND LET HER KNOW THEN HUNG UP.

THE MOTHER STOPPED CLEANING AND TURNED OFF THE MUSIC SHE SAW NO POINT IN CONTINUING, IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME.

SHE SAT DOWN IN THE CHAIR AND TOOK OUT SOME PHOTO ALBUMS AND STARTED FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES--ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE GOT A SHARP PAIN IN HER CHEST, SHE GOT UP MOUTHING WORDS THAT NO ONE COULD HEAR THEN SHE FELL. SHE DIED A SHORT TIME AFTER.

AT THE FUNERAL THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE SOME HER DAUGHTER DID NOT KNOW EVERYONE CAME UP TO HER TELLING HER WHAT A WONDERFUL PERSON HER MOM WAS. ONE MAN CAME UP TO HER AND INTRODUCED HIMSELF HE SAID " I ASKED EVERYONE WHO YOU WERE AND THEY SAID YOU WERE HER DAUGHTER, I'VE KNOWN YOUR MOM FOR OVER 10 YEARS AND I HAVE NEVER MET YOU, BUT SHE TALKED ABOUT HER LITTLE GIRL ALL THE TIME AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE A DAUGHTER SHE HAD LOST AS SHE SPENT EVERY HOLIDAY AT CHURCH LIKE THE REST OF US WHO HAVE NO FAMILIES AND ALL THIS TIME SHE HAD A DAUGHTER, WELL WELL. SO TELL ME WHERE WERE YOU ALL THAT TIME, WERE YOU SO BUSY THAT YOU FORGOT YOU HAD A MOM BECAUSE SHE NEVER FORGOT YOU THAT'S FOR SURE. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED."

THE MAN WALKED AWAY AND THE WOMAN WAS ANGRY, HOW COULD THIS STRANGER TALK TO HER LIKE THAT. LATER THAT WEEK SHE WENT TO HER MOMS' HOME TO CLEAN IT OUT, IN A BOX SHE FOUND LETTERS, PHOTOS, AND OTHER ITEMS THAT WERE HERS' WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG. AS SHE WENT INTO THE BEDROOM TUCKED UNDER THE PILLOW WAS A PHOTO OF HER ON HER GRADUATION FROM COLLEGE ATTACHED WAS A NOTE; SHE OPENED THE PAPER THINKING OF ALL THE NOTES HER MOM USED TO SEND HER. INSIDE WAS WRITTEN " I KNOW NOW THAT YOU HAVE GRADUATED AN MOVED AWAY I FEEL I WILL NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN, I HOPE THIS DAY DOES NOT COME I PRAY TO GOD I AM WRONG. I WILL HOLD THIS PICTURE OF YOU CLOSE TO ME AND HOPE THAT ONE DAY I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN. I WONDER SOMETIMES IF YOU EVER KNEW HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU. STAY SAFE MY LITTLE ONE! MAY GOD WATCH OVER YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE."

THE NOTE LOOKED LIKE IT HAD BEEN OPENED AND READ MANY TIMES AND THEN REPLACED. THE WOMAN SAT DOWN AND CRIED THINKING OF THE TIMES SHE HAD SPENT WITH HER MOM AND HOW AS SHE TURNED OLDER SHE SPENT MORE TIME AWAY THEN AT HOME SHE NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS A BIG DEAL. SHE LOVED HER MOM BUT SHE HAD NEVER TOLD HER AND NOW IT WAS TOO LATE HER MOM WAS GONE. THEN SHE REMEMBERED SOMETHING HER MOM HAD SAID TO HER ONCE; SHE HAD BEEN MAD BECAUSE SHE HAD WANTED TO DO SOMETHING AND HER MOM HAD SAID NO; SHE HAD YELLED BACK SHE WOULD BE GLAD WHEN SHE WAS GROWN AND ON HER OWN THEN SHE COULD DO WHAT SHE WANTED. THINKING ON IT NOW SHE COULD NOT EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THE ARGUMENT HAD BEEN ABOUT BUT DID REMEMBER HER MOTHER'S WORDS AS SHE STORMED DOWN THE STAIRS. " A DAY WILL COME AND YOU WILL BE SO INVOLVED IN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR FRIENDS YOU WILL FORGET ALL ABOUT ME." THE WOMAN REMEMBERED SHE HAD STOPPED LONG ENOUGH TO SAY HER MOM WAS CRAZY PEOPLE DON'T FORGET THEIR MOMS.

THE STRANGE MAN WAS RIGHT SHE HAD TOTALLY FORGOT HER MOM, ALL THOSE YEARS HER MOM STRUGGLED TO DO FOR HER,PUSHED HER TO SUCCEED TRYING SO HARD TO KEEP HER OUT OF TROUBLE AND NOT ONCE HAD SHE SAID THANKS. SHE HAD MOVED ON AND OUT OF THAT LIFE AND NEVER LOOKED BACK AND WHEN HER MOM NEEDED HER MOST SHE HAD PUT HER FRIEND FIRST AND NOW THERE WAS NO WAY SHE COULD FIX IT OR GO BACK AND CHANGE IT. HER MOM WAS GONE AND SHE NEVER EVEN SAID GOODBYE.