The telephone call

She was the perfect mother. She’d always cared for him and backed him up. She was for him and he was the perfect son. She thought she had an ideal relationship. It was her birthday but the telephone didn’t ring. She felt the most helpless person in the world.

The Happiest Day in My Life

This happened when I was 10. Coming home, I saw mum embracing a man, crying. I was angry, I thought he made her sad. Surprisingly, they clasped me. "Honey, this is your dad returning from the front," mum cried, but those were happy tears. We have had much laughter afterwards.