Michael was sitting in his modern apartment, drinking coffee and watching television. Someone rang the doorbell.
“Who could that be?” he muttered in annoyance, placing his cup on the table and getting up to open the door.
“Mom! What are you doing here?” Michael asked in surprise as he opened the door to his luxurious apartment.
Standing at the threshold was his mother, wrapped in a scarf, holding heavy bags full of food. It was clear that she was cold.
“Michael! Something has happened… we need your help.”
“Why didn’t you call me first?”
“Your phone was turned off.”
“I have two phones. This number doesn’t work,” he said through clenched teeth, glancing behind him to see if the neighbors had noticed her.
…Michael had moved to New York, graduated from university, and started his career. He got a job at a bank. He highly valued his new environment and was ashamed of his rural family. He never visited his childhood home and only contacted his family on major holidays. His parents were simple, hardworking, and kind people, but their manners…
Michael sighed heavily, trying to hide his irritation.
“So, what happened?” he asked his mother.
“Son, your nephew is very sick. They don’t have money for his treatment. Please help them,” his mother said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Your brother, when you were studying, sent you almost half of his salary.”
At that moment, the doorbell rang again. Today, Michael was hosting a small gathering for his colleagues.
“Come with me,” he said quickly, leading his mother into the bedroom. “Sit here quietly and don’t show yourself to anyone,” he added before going to open the door.
Michael’s colleague, Daniel, had decided to arrive early to have a quick chat before the gathering.
“The concierge downstairs said that your mother from the countryside came to visit you,” Daniel said with a smile.
“But you told us that your parents died years ago while traveling?”
“No,” Michael answered calmly. “Probably some elderly woman got the wrong address.”
“By the way,” Michael added. “Do me a favor. Run to the store and buy something special for the table. I invited the boss’s daughter, Emily. I have a feeling something good might come of this.” He winked at Daniel and then closed the door behind him.
His mother sat in the bedroom, unsure of what to think.
“Son, what have you been telling people about us?” she asked desperately, tears once again streaming down her face.
“Mom, not now! How much do you need for my nephew’s treatment?”
“A lot, son! Maybe ten thousand?” she asked hesitantly.
“Of course not. Here’s five thousand, and please, don’t bother me again.”
Michael quickly bought his mother a return ticket, put her in a taxi, and said:
“You have to understand that my life is completely different now. We are different people!”
Late at night, when Emily and Michael entered the bedroom, the girl suddenly asked:
“Michael, what are these old things?” She pointed at the worn bags full of homemade country goods.
“The housekeeper left them.”
Meanwhile, his mother was traveling on the train, looking out the window, with tears streaming down her face.
She couldn’t understand where they had gone wrong in raising their son.
