They did not have much but what they possessed was enough for the two of them. The little baby grew into a toddler and very soon reached adolescent age. They spend many happy hours together, mother and son in the woods, living off the land without a lot of want in life.
There lived an old lady in the woods by the lakeside in a small but homely cottage. Her husband passed away many years earlier and she stood alone bringing her only child, a son, up in this humble surroundings.
They did not have much but what they possessed was enough for the two of them. The little baby grew into a toddler and very soon reached adolescent age. They spend many happy hours together, mother and son in the woods, living off the land without a lot of want in life.
Then the fateful day had to come when the young boy wanted to see the outside world. And this dream was further given a boost when the postman arrived one day from the nearby hamlet to deliver a letter from his maternal aunty for him to go visit her in that town.
The lady, now grey and stooped from all the years of toil and hardship, resisted giving him permission to go. But he pestered her relentlessly until she gave in, and he packed a humble set of belongings and wandered off towards the direction of the town, bidding his mother farewell.
She wanted to say something to him but never got a chance as he excitedly shot off after a brief farewell to her.
She stood by her door, a little dejected like a mother bird releasing her newborn to the wilds when it started to fly,. But then she held high hopes that he would return home after the stay with his aunt and she would get the chance to say it to him.
Two days went by but he did not return.
Then three days.
Then four days.
Then at the end of the fifth day, he called her to let her know that the aunt had found him a job as a grocer delivery boy and he would be staying there, and before she could say anything, he hung up.
Weeks turned to months.
The boy quickly matured into a healthy young man.
At the end of six months, he called his mother again to tell her that he would be moving to another town, even further away form the woods, to work in the foundry as the pay was more there. As before, before she could say anything, he had already hung up.
She waited patiently to speak to him again.
Then months turned to years.
And one day she received a call from her son, and it had been exactly two years away from home. He had called to tell her that he had found himself a nice homely girl and got engaged. And before she could say anything, he hung up.
The seasons came and go. She grew even older.
Then one unlucky day when she did not wear enough whilst out in the woods collecting edible mushrooms, the cold wind came from the north and took her health away.
She suffered from cold and got a fever. Very soon without medication and attention, and also too weak to tend to her illness, pneumonia set into her lungs. And her condition got from bad to worse until she was gasping for her breath within her humble cottage in the woods all alone.
Within her failing mind, she still remembered that she needed to tell her son one thing and without doing this, she was adamant not to pass away yet.
Two days later, a car pulled up in front of the cottage. Thinking that it was the postman again bearing a letter from her son, she weakly muttered to him to come in as the door was not locked, never been locked.
Then as the door opened, she saw the handsome silhoutte, now a matured man, of her son!
The sudden joy brought tears to her eyes and she forced herself the final attempt to get up from her bed in her trembling, weakened condition. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she smiled weakly at him as he walked towards her, with a happy smile and open arms. Behind him was, she gathered, the girl he spoke of whom he had married and who had given him a lovely baby daughter.
When he saw his mother, he cried out as he was stricken with sorrow to see her in that condition. He embraced her and held her in his strong arms, but it was his mother who said the first words.
"It is alright, my dear son. It is alright! I have you in my arms now. And I am very happy"
He cried as he quietly held her tight against him.
She continued, "It is ok, my dear, you are back again."
He managed to speak in a trembling voice, "Mama, why didn't you let me know? We could have come back to care for you."
She smiled, more tears rolling from her eyes, now twinkling with joy and comfort.
"It is okay, you are back in mama's arms now. And you are such a big boy now."
She saw his wife crying quietly behind him, pitying her plight and helpless as to what to do or say.
She turned to her and said, "It is quite alright, dear. All the mamas in the world loved their children no matter who they are, what they turn out to be or where they may be."
Then the old lady turned back to her son, still in a warm embrace with him, and softly spoke into his ear, "Mama loves you, dear."
He said, "Mama, I know that & I know that."
"Yes, dear, but Mama never had a chance to say that ever since you left me. And I had been waiting all these while to say that to you... that I will always love you."
"Each time time you call Mama, Mama wanted to say I love you to you but you always hang up before I had a chance to say that. But it is alright, I get to say that to you today."
"And Mama loves you, my dear."
Then she grew limp and passed away, eyes dried and smile lingering on her lips.
*****
The message of the story is one must never take the love or the care of someone you love for granted before it is too late or it is lost from you. Appreciate those who care for you and love you, as well as friends who think of you and shows concern for you.What you have today : care, concern, love, friendship, understanding, trust&.all the good and nice feelings, in your life today may not be there tomorrow.
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