An Atom Of Life

Questions Answered

“How did you know Uncle Aaron?” – I asked again

My mother just stared at the wall, not answering my question. I was getting impatient and thought of leaving. Just as I was about to stand up to leave, my mother spoke.

“Your Uncle Aaron and I were classmates from High school.” – She said

I knew this part; I wanted to know how she came in the story.

“Tell me the whole story.” – I demanded

“You don’t want to hear this story from me, Josie.” – She replied

“Well frankly mom, you are the only one left who knows the whole story.” – I said, my anger rising. My mother looked at me and tears came into her eyes. I just sat there; I didn’t want my mom to think that I was too young to hear the story. I was old enough and to prove that to her I just sat there until she started her story.

“Aaron loved me, but I loved your father or so I thought. I was young and immature back then, not knowing what I wanted. Aaron and I became best friends although I knew that Aaron loved me but he was quiet just because I used to say that I loved Ulrick. Ulrick was the possessive type, never letting me talk to any other guy.” – My mother stopped here and looked at me, I remained quiet.

“You must be thinking that if Ulrick never let me talk to boys then how did Aaron and I became best friends? Well we used to talk secretly. My relationship with Ulrick was hurting but I never left him, because I thought that I loved him. Aaron always used to tell me that how Ulrick was using me and one day he will leave me for another girl. But his advices fell on deaf ears, I was blinded by love and Aaron was too otherwise he would have left me and found someone who could really make him happy. We both were a lot alike yet still different.”

“How?” – I asked

“Huh?” – My mother said

“How were you two a lot alike yet still different?” – I clarified my question

“Aaron just gave, he never asked for anything. Sometimes he got a little mad on how Ulrick treated me but he never asked for anything. I was the same, I never asked Ulrick for anything. I just like a slave obeyed his every command. But the difference was Aaron was doing it all because of love and I was doing it all because I was afraid of Ulrick.”

“Afraid? I thought you said you were in love with him?” – I asked totally confused

“At first I thought I was, but after the break up I pondered over it and got to this answer.” – My mother replied

“How?” – I asked

My mother remained silent for a few moments and then spoke,

“When a certain someone goes through what I went through because of Ulrick, he realizes something. Everything I did, I did for love. Yet it all felt so incomplete, like there was something missing. I wanted to make that relationship work so much that I was willing to do anything, even if it meant betraying my parents’ trust and becoming his slave.”

“But even after all those things I was never satisfied, part of me knew that what I was doing was wrong but the other part was so blinded by love that it overcame and made me take some really bad decisions. And when I realized it all, it was already too late. My best friend had left me, my family had abandoned me except my mother and I was left there with nothing. Everything was gone, my friends, my family and even my virginity.” – Tears came in my mother’s eyes while saying this sentence.

I couldn’t help it so I went to my mother’s side and sat beside her, patting her on the back.

“You don’t need to if you don’t want to.” – I said