my family

A Story by Rosa Enriquets

Today ill tell you a story of my past

so listen close and settle fast

My father was a very complicated man, he was work oriented and at selfish. My mother, on the other hand was charming, sophisticated and loving. Mother and father had an arranged marriage. At the day of the wedding their parents asked them to take vows. My father was irritated,'' What is this drama! its just a wedding get it over with. I've got other work to do too''.my fathers' mother was very jolly and wise , she would love to speak in rhymes although she wasnt very good at it and said:

marriage is a crucial time

when a couple and two families combine

so forget bout work. its gonna be fine

''Whatever mom i dont have time to waste on these vows my wife-to-be can do so if she likes!''

Mother kept wearing that sweet smile of hers even after hearing father saysuch inconsiderate and mean words.

she took fathers hand and and began saying vows;

i vow to keep my husband comfortable

i vow to walk with him in times good and bad

i vow to stand with him even when everyone turns against him

i vow...

Father had reached his limit of patience,'' Thats enough get through the ceremony quick. I dont like weddings there a waste of time''. Mama must've felt so bad at that time but she still didnt turn her smile into a frown. She looked at him with loving eyes,''I'll do as you tell me to.'' Everyone looked at mother, she was the perfect women married to an imperfect man. Years passed after the marriage and I was born. The first one to see me, to hear me cry was my mother, the first one to hold me in their arms was mother. The first one to kiss my forhead was my loving mother. My father was at that time at a meeting, he was in no rush to reach the hospital to see me or his wife who desperately awaited his arrival. Finally father showed up and held me in his arms..and i have to tell u i still remember that time because he held me so uncomfortably, my soft skin rubbed against his rough coat. Anyways my mother gave me all her love and affection. she had her son to give her company when father wouldnt. i hated it. i would often ask mother;

''mama why do you love father so much when he loves you so little. you dont sleep till he sleeps... you clean up his mess hand him his coat when he is going to office and stay beside him and take care of him when he is sick. papa hardly ever plays with me. im jealous that other peoplE have good fathers who always gO out and play with their children''.

mama would always give the same answer'' my darling joesph, i love you for thinking about me soo much. but im fine its my responsibilty to take care of him . i love him and you alot. dont worry im sure when baba will get time he will play with you. but you should remember to always respect him okay.''

after coming from school id watch my mother welcoming my father home. she would take off his coat and hat, take his bag and files and bring him glasses of water and my father never once said '' thank you darling. i love you'' like they do in the movies.

years passed and passed and i had turned 15. mama and papa were growing older and weaker. mother was 49 and father was52. id come home from college and hug mama but recently she seemed to be getting thiner and thiner day by day. she didnt eat much, she didnt sleeo much, and she looked paler than ever. it hurt me to look at her being so weak in this age and still loving my father so much. one day she couldnt get up from bed. i was really very scared i thought somehting bad had happened to her. i quickly called father and told him to come home. once he came home i told him to check up on mama. father called the doctor but mama refused it saying that she was fine and didnt want to prove any difficulty to him. 2 weeks passed after that and i could almost see mamas bone she had grown so thin. one night she was out in the kitchen to get a glass of water. i saw her and went to help her. mamas hands were trembling she had gotten so weak. i asked her what she was doing so late at night she said'' im taking medicines for your father he has a veyr high fever'' on her wway back she fell i quickly rushed to her and helped her get up. ''im fine, i just slipped. you should go back to your room and go to sleep''

as i headed back to my room she stopped me and said'' joseph i love you and your father more than i love my self''

she quickly turned her face away and went back to her room. i stood there standing for while before going to my room. i heard screams in the morning which woke me up. why is father screaming so early in the morning i got up and went to my parents room .

as i opened the door it felt as if my heartbeat had stopped.father had mother held in his arms very tight and was crying'' im sorry sophia im so sorry, i love you come came back to me'' just that sentence filled my eyes with tears i had started tremnling a feeling of my whole world falling apart came over me i could no loinger feel my legs and fell near the side table of the bed. i held my mother in my arms and cried alot. ''she's no longer in this world...'' i looked at her pale hands and saw a letter. i took it and read it :

dear My world

i love you joseph and i love you james. you both are my world. im sorry for not telling you anything and just leaving this world.i had secrelty went to the doctors for a check up and it turned out that i was anemic. i had taken the blood test twice. the doctor said i must have gotten anemic at childbirth. since i had already taken blood test two times i had lost hope that there could be a cure for this. i never wanted you to worry so never told you.

james please dont blame yourself for this. its not your fault i know that when you read this letter you'll be crying im so happy that i had you in my life. ive got something to tell you it was something i desperately wanted to tell you on our wedding. you know what my last vow was. well the suspense is over my last vow was

i will love my family more than i love myself

i really wanted to tell you this ans finally i have. ive got no regrets now

joseph i know right now you'll be beating yourself over the fact that it was because you were born that i got anaemic. please dont think so my life! i love you and will pray for both of you up here. oh and now that im not there anymore that doesnt mean you stop eating vegetables. eat healthy things and remember to take care of your health, youre a teen now so you'll have many exciting things in life try to make your life as exciting and lovely as you can

joseph. james i love you

you are my life

silence had overtaken the room. i could still see father crying. it was the first time i ever saw papa showing love towards anything. i was sure he was going through alot. i hugged father and tried to comfort him like mother used to,'''dont worry baba your wifes' son is here to take care of you''. i could feel babas tears wetting all my shirt months passed after my mother left this world. fathers personality had changed drastically. he smiles alot talks alot loves alot and plays with me alot. years passed and im 25 on my wedding day.my wife made vows like my mother did but like my silly father i didnt worry about work and instead took a month of from work. years passed further and i love my wife and take care of her alot. i play alot with my two children. rosa and charles. even now i look at the sky and get the feeling my mother is somwhere there smiling at me.