Loud bang after loud bang comes from the front door downstairs. I don’t know who could possibly be here on a Saturday morning. Considering no one knows where I live except close family and Hamish.
I pull my tired body out of my warm bed and throw on some sweats. I run down the stairs while tying my hair up into a pony tail so it’s not all over the place. I make my way around the corner to the door and open it slowly to see my surprise guest.
“Mum!” I squeal tackling her with a hug as soon as the door flies open.
“Surprise!” She laughs hugging me equally as tight.
“What are you doing here?” I ask her as we release the hug.
“Well, I haven’t once came to visit you and I want to see what your apartment looks like!” She smiles walking past me into my clean apartment. Lucky I did a quick run around clean last night before going to bed. I can’t stand a messy house, it’s my pet hate.
“It’s beautiful!” She gasps while her eyes wonder over every inch of the apartment.
“Thanks mum.” I smile clicking down the kettle because I know she will want a cup of tea.
“What’s up the stairs?” She asks walking over to the curly stairs in the corner of the room.
“My bedroom, I will take you up there!” I beam running in front of her to lead her up to my room.
“It’s lovely Harmony!” She smiles when we reach the room. She snoops around the room and looks at pretty much everything I own. When she walks back to me I swear I can see tears in her eyes.
‘Mum, what’s wrong?” I ask rushing over to her side. A tear falls down her cheek and I wonder if I have done something wrong.
“I’m so proud of you Harmony. I know your dad and I haven’t been able to support you very well through your life financially and stuff. But look where you have made it too, this is just amazing.” She cries with a proud smile on her face. My heart bursts as she wipes away the supposably happy tears.
“Thank you mum. It means a lot to me. “I hug her tightly.
I know her and dad haven’t always been able to be there for me through my life and I used to resent them as a teenager because of the harsh conditions I lived in. But now I have finally realised everything they ever did was to try to make me happy. They had little to nothing to give to me but they would never give up. My upbringing was harsh and tough. Mum and dad had no money basically and we lived in the tiniest run down house they could afford. Food was strict and there was no luxuries we were allowed. Cher and I only just got to go to school because the government funded our parents, but we were always the odd ones out. Poor, not any rich clothing, no makeup, pretty much nothing. We couldn’t afford that. We would walk to school every day because we didn’t have the money for bus tickets and mum and dad would walk to their low payed jobs.
Maybe that’s why now I am such a pusher to get things in life. To make things happen. Because I know when I get the chance to have a family I want to make sure they have the best life. And when I have enough money I would like to be able to support my parents. They both have been able to pick up their feet since I left because that’s one less mouth to feed and they have moved into a new home. But it’s still no mansion and they still don’t have luxuries.
“Come on, let me make you a cup of tea.” I say pulling away from the emotional hug.
“Alright love.” She smiles wiping the last of her tears and following me down stairs.
I take two mugs out of my cupboards and fill them with a tea bag, hot water and milk. Once stirring them and placing the tea bags in the bin, I sit down on the couch with mum and pass her the cup of tea.
