By all accounts, this was a normal day for Deena. The kids were off to school, and her husband, Frank, was off doing God knows what. Or who.
Deena was
accomplished by anyones standards, but she begrudgingly left her dreams behind
to raise a family. Most of the time, she was ok with being a wife and mother.
But today it just felt like a burden, and a huge mistake.
Deena never
ventured far from home, but today, she just wanted to be free. She hurriedly
got dressed, and decided a day of pampering was what she needed. The ‘poor
little rich girl’ label bothered her, but money was enough to solve all of her
problems today.
Halfway to the
salon, Deena realized she had no cash or credit card in her purse. Her bank was
just down the street, and all worries fell by the wayside as she reached her
destination.
Making her way
to the elevator, she yelled ‘can you hold the elevator, please?’
The elderly
woman on the elevator happily obliged. This woman was worn, and tired. The
years showed on her face, and not in a good way. Deena was immediately drawn to
this woman. She didn’t want to humiliate or embarrass her, but she wanted to
help her. The elderly woman was ashamed of her shabby clothes, and quickly
tried to straighten them. She tried to make herself presentable, but it was an
act of futility.
Deena sensed her
shame, and instantly felt guilty about all of the ‘things’ she had accumulated
in her life. She hung her head, but decided she just wanted to help if she
could.
‘Hello, ma’am’
Deena cautiously said. ‘How are you doing?’
‘Oh, I’m not
doing so well. I’m on my way to deliver my will to a lawyer. I don’t have much
to leave anyone, but still’.
‘Surely, you
have many years ahead of you, ma’am’.
‘Actually,
sweetheart. I am dying.’
The elevator
fell silent, and her words echoed between the women.
‘I’m so sorry.
Is there anything I can do to help you? Anything?’
‘No. Just live
your life. Be happy. People sacrifice things for us to be happy, and we never
know it.’
Again, silence.
Deena so
desperately wanted to be helpful, but did not know how.
‘Ma’am. This is
my contact information. If you need something, will you contact me? Will you do
that?’
‘It’s too late
for me, my dear. God will be calling me home soon. But I thank you for your
offer. You are so gracious. Your parents must be proud’
‘To be honest, I
was adopted. I’ve never known my birth parents. My adoptive parents are the
blessing of my life.’
‘Ah. Just as I’d
hoped’ the old woman whispered.
‘Excuse me? What
was that’?
‘Oh, nothing.
This is my floor, dear’.
Before the doors
closed, the elderly woman stopped.
‘Young lady. I
know you don’t know who I am, but may I please give you a hug’?
‘Yes! I’ve been
wanting to hug you’!
The 2 women
embraced. Neither wanted to let go of the other. They each had tears in
their eyes as they said their good-byes. Unbeknownst to Deena, the old woman
slipped a picture into Deenas’ pocket. They embraced once more, and the
elevator doors closed.
Deena had never
been struck by such emotion. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but decided it
was just one of those things.
On the other
side of the elevator door, the elderly woman was crying tears of joy.
‘Farewell, my
long-lost daughter’ were her last words.
Ambulances
rushed to the site, but it was too late to save her. A crowd gathered around.
Deena, too, was watching nervously. Police arrived to disperse the crowd. Deena
stopped one of the officers to find out what happened.
‘Some old lady
just died.’
Noticing tears
in Deenas’ eyes, the cop asked if Deena knew her.
Holding out the
picture, Deena whispered ‘she was my mother’.
©Antoinette
Davis, October 2, 2019
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