“It is a son’s duty to take care of his mother. Besides, what if something happened to you out there all alone in the country, as who would even know? I have already made up my mind, so please do not argue, as we have already prepared a beautiful room for you.”
His way of speaking sent a chill down my spine, as it was exactly like my late husband, but I still tried to refuse gently.
“Nicholas, honey, I know you care about me, but I am really too old to change my environment. I will not have any friends there, no garden, and I will be bored to death.”
“What do you mean by no friends, as you will come with us and Hazel can take you out shopping and show you around. Here, I will let you talk to Hazel for a minute.”
There was a moment of silence on the line, and then a clear, gentle voice came on like a fresh spring flowing through the tense atmosphere.
“Mom, it is Hazel.”
“Oh, hello, dear,” I replied, softening my tone.
“Mom, please come and live with us, as our condo is spacious and it will be so much livelier with you here. Nicholas is always worried about your health and he cannot rest easy with you living all by yourself, so you can come here and I will take care of you, we can chat, and it will be so nice, Mom.”
Hazel’s voice had a peculiar persuasiveness, and her warmth and kindness made it impossible to refuse.
I knew this girl had a good heart, but I could still sense the compliance in her words, as the decision had been Nicholas’s and she could only obey.
I sighed, silent for a long moment, while my mind became a battlefield.
On one side was the freedom and peace I craved after so many storms, and on the other was duty, my love for my son, and the fear that if I refused, Nicholas would fly into a rage.
I was terrified of his anger, as I had lived in a hell of anger before, and I did not want to face it again.
“All right, then,” I finally surrendered, “let me pack for a few days.”
“Oh, that is wonderful, and my husband will be there this weekend to pick you up,” Hazel said, her voice filled with joy.
After we hung up, I stood silently in my vegetable garden, and over the next few days, I began to pack.
