Life's Challenges (Chapter Two)

“Son, you are going to have a new mother,” his father had said, bringing a woman into the house, holding her waist tightly. He had been hoping his mother would come back from wherever she was. So when his father announced about a new mother, he hopefully lifted his head to see her. But as he did, his heart sank. So this was what he meant by a new mother. In his heart he had hoped to see a beautiful, gentle woman with a smile that lit up everyone’s faces. But instead, he saw a woman who was not in the least beautiful. She did not seem gentle at all. Her hair was all over her face. Her make up-mostly black and red-practically covered her wild face that should have been fair and simple. Around her eyes were black. Her lips red, outlined with black. Her cheeks, red with blusher. Her clothes were all black, tight leather. The top was so low cut anyone could see what was inside from a far distance and her skirt was too short. Overall, her outfit was not suitable to be seen in broad daylight and from far, she would have looked like she was just wearing her undergarments. To him, she was hideous.

While he made known the woman’s details from head to toe to himself in his heart, his father spoke. “Son, greet your new mother.”

He looked at his father in horror. It can’t be. His father wanted him to greet this indescribable woman as his mother? No way would he. Not in a million years, he promised himself. Thus, he just looked at both of them. From his father to the woman. From the woman to his father and on and on until his father spoke again, in a harsher tone. “Son, greet her.”

He shook his head. “No! I want mummy. Where mummy? I want mummy!”

His father gave a sigh and said something to the woman. She smiled and gave his father a kiss on the lips. They stayed in kissing position for a moment then his father broke off, realizing that he was still there, staring up at them. His father wore an embarrassed expression. He bent down towards him and hugged him. “My boy, you’re a big boy now, aren’t you? Tell me how old are you,” he said, gently.

“Two,” he replied.

“Yes. Now, what I am going to tell you is about mummy, okay son? Now, mummy is far away from us. We will be with her one day. But not now because it is not time yet. So, since mummy is not here, she asked this beautiful lady here to take over her while she is gone. So what do you have to call her?”

He stared into his father’s eyes and suddenly saw an expression in them, but it was gone in a flash. He didn’t understand what was happening. He felt lost. He missed his mother, who had been so loving towards him. Now she was gone and she asked this woman to take over her? No! It can’t be. She would not have known such a woman. He would never accept her. Never. He continued looking at his father, not uttering a single word or moving.

“Son, what do you have to call her?” his father again said, in a voice he had not heard before. So fierce, so harsh, so unlike him in the past.

Once more, he shook his head stubbornly. His father stood up and he felt a sharp pain on his face. He fell onto the floor.


“Greet her! Your new mother. Greet her!”
He saw the woman smiling again. But he could not fathom her thoughts. He stayed on the floor and heard his father telling him, “If you do not call her mummy, you shall stay on the floor like that forever until you do. No food, no water, no nothing.”

And his father pulled the woman out of the room with him.

-------------------------
“Can you be quick? We’re waiting here.” The voice came again.

“I’ll come later.”

“If you say so.”

-brenda-