"Hello?" I said.
"Sharon? It's John, your neighbor. Your mum is with me," he noted anxiously.
"Wh- What is she doing there?" I stuttered. *coughing noises at the background*
"I found her wandering alone at the park on my way home," he explained. "And are you alright?"
"Pneumonia. Be right there," I slammed down the phone then rushed straight to the door.
While walking over to John's place, with an umbrella in hand and under the sweltering heat, I pondered.....
When I was 40, I was diagnosed with a severe pneumonia. My life have been a constant struggle ever since. Medication became a daily routine and frequent visits to the hospital was a necessity. This also meant that many of my priorities have changed - one of them was looking after my 80 year old mum, who currently stays with her sisters. Mum prefers that, she says. That was some 10 years ago.
I stomped into John's house, feeling slightly infuriated, "Mum, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry. I know you're not feeling well lately and I know you're very busy. I just wanted to cook you some herbal soup," Mum frowned then looked over at her bags of groceries.
"How did you even get here in the first place?"
"I took the bus and I walked. I th- thought I was going the right way.....,"
"Troublesome," I mumbled under my breath.
We hadn't spoken since the fiasco earlier until dinner was served that evening.
While at the dinner table, my grandson took a spoonful of mum's soup and whined, "This is so salty,"
"Oh sorry dear, I must have mistaken the salt for pepper," mum stammered.
"The rest of the dishes tastes weird too," my grandson peered up at me then pouted.
I glanced over at the other end of the table, where mum sat. At that moment, I realized that mum have aged greatly in the past couple of years. She sat hunched and looked frail in that familiar and torn t-shirt of hers. There was a glint of sadness in her eyes, I could tell. She was saddened by her great-grandson's remarks.
But what bothered me the most was that she looked terribly distraught the entire day. She have been knocking over things and squints whenever she stares at something for too long. I decided to turn a silent eye. Mum finished the rest of her dinner quietly and I drove her back to her sisters' after that.
Later in the evening, I received a call from John, my neighbor.
"Hey, how's your mum doing?" he asked politely.
"She's well. A little forgetful and clumsy lately perhaps. So sorry again on the earlier fiasco,"
"Not to worry. Did she tell you about her worsening eye sight?"
"N- No I didn't ask. I know she has age related cataract but that's about it,"
"Sh- Sharon... she told me that she have lost 80% of her eye sight - she could barely see anymore. Her eye sight have been deteriorating exponentially for the past few months. I thought she came to tell you that today,"
I was caught off guard. I didn't know how to react. I hung up, speechless. Then, I started to sob.
Be grateful for all the sacrifices a Mother makes and cherish the remaining moments together without any regrets. Mothers hold their children's hand for a short while, but their hearts forever.
p/s: Mum is perfectly fit and fine and I'm still in my 20's. Happy Mothers Day and I Love You Mum.
*All characters portrayed in this story are purely fictional. Here's a little tribute to Mothers everywhere.
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