“Hello! I’m here about the room for rent!”
At the door of the flat where Jane lived stood an unassuming young woman in worn-out jeans, an old t-shirt, and well-used sneakers, holding a tired-looking bag. Her light, wavy hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, and she wore no makeup. Her captivating feature was her large, clear blue eyes.
Observing the girl closely, Jane nodded, “Come in!”
“So, here’s the deal, dear: don’t waste electricity, don’t leave the water running, be economical, got it? And keep the place clean! No guests! Any questions?”
The girl smiled and nodded, “Yes, sure!”
“Agreeable,” thought Jane, “A rarity these days… It’s clear she came from the countryside.”
As their conversation unfolded, it became evident that the girl’s name was Elizabeth, indeed coming from a village where her family owned a farm. She was in the city to study veterinary medicine.
“Oh, you’ll be treating pigs then!” Jane concluded, somewhat dismissively.
Unaffected, Elizabeth smiled, “Pigs, cows, horses, even cats and dogs—all animals get sick too.”
“Right, right! No doctors for people, but plenty for the pigs!” Jane scoffed.
In general, the tenant made a favorable impression on Jane: modest, polite, quiet, obedient, tidy—she kept the flat in order, cooked for herself, and even shared her meals with Jane.
Elizabeth excelled at making pancakes: appetizing, thin, like tissue paper, airy and golden. Jane couldn’t resist these delightful culinary creations—they melted in the mouth before reaching the stomach. Jane and Elizabeth could be said to have become friends, spending evenings together over a cup of tea.
They might have continued this peaceful arrangement, with Elizabeth finishing her studies while renting from Jane, but then Jane’s son Michael returned from working up north. A strong young man with rugged good looks (“just like his father,” Jane sighed to herself).
Jane affectionately called her son “Michael” with a touch of French flair. Although he winced at this address, he tolerated it: “She is my mom, after all.”
Having raised him alone, Jane seemed to consider him her possession. That’s why the sight of her son chatting amiably with the tenant in the kitchen, eagerly devouring her pancakes, shocked Jane. Never mind the pancakes, he also seemed captivated by the “little milkmaid.” The realization left Jane sitting stark-still.
“My son has no taste!” The thought stormed through Jane’s mind.
From that moment, Jane grew to resent her tenant: she cleaned differently, spoke differently, even her pancakes seemed less palatable. What scared Jane most was how her son looked at this “plain farm girl” with loving eyes.
“He never looked at me, his only parent, his closest kin, that way!” Jane thought bitterly, shedding tears into her pillow at night.
“An ungrateful snake warmed right here on my chest!” she cried to her close friend, an equally lonely older woman named Irma, over the phone.
“I thought Michael wouldn’t even notice that plain girl! That’s why I let her in! And there she goes, with her big eyes and loose hair, winning him over with her pancakes!”
Irma listened and empathized, offering her opinion: “Watch out, Jane, she might enchant him!”
Irma’s words fueled Jane’s growing animosity and misunderstanding, almost pushing her to a nervous breakdown.
Not that Jane believed in spells or charms—she considered such notions “superstitious nonsense”—but the idea of another woman capturing her son’s attention drove her mad.
Day after day, she agonized over how to separate her son from this “country girl.” Yet, she didn’t plan to act rudely or throw the girl out, at least not then. That, she knew, would only lower her in her son’s eyes and might drive him away.
“No, no! I need to be sly, somehow make that girl appear in a bad light so he’ll turn away from her.”
Jane pondered for days on end how to distance her son from the tenant.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth went about her business, baking pancakes, making stews, pretending not to notice Jane’s piercing stares. Once she asked, “Are you feeling unwell, Jane? You seem sad and pale.”
“Everything’s fine!” Jane grumbled under her breath and retreated to her room, contemplating her next move to rid herself of the “nuisance.” Many thoughts crossed her mind… even the idea of poisoning the intruder. But Jane quickly crossed herself: “Forgive me, Lord! What a sinful thought!”
While Jane plotted, Michael returned home with a ring and flowers, proposing to Elizabeth! This sent Jane into a tailspin—completely losing her grip.
“He had no shame doing it in front of me!” she cried into her pillow all night, “I’m nothing to him! He loves only her!”
Jane furiously wiped her tears and looked out the window… until her glance landed on her bedside table. There lay her emerald earrings, heirlooms from her mother, priceless. She recalled how Elizabeth often admired their beauty with awe.
“I’ll show you!” Jane hissed, grabbing the earrings, wrapping them in a handkerchief, and slipping them into her bag.
Truth be told, Jane barely realized what she was doing or how she would proceed.
The following morning, Jane awoke in high spirits, ready to toss the country girl out for good. Smiling sweetly, she buttered her toast and addressed Michael, “Michael, have you seen my emerald earrings? I can’t seem to find them…”
“Mum, why would I want them? I’m not a young woman,” Michael replied, bewildered.
Jane then turned to Elizabeth with a grin, “And you? Have you seen my earrings?”
Elizabeth blushed deeply—the thought of being accused of theft made her nervous, averting her eyes and near tears.
“I haven’t taken anything,” Elizabeth whispered, choking back her tears.
“What did I say?! It’s her! She pocketed my earrings and sent them to her poor relatives in the village…”
“My relatives aren’t poor,” Elizabeth objected, “We never take what’s not ours. Why do you say that?”
“Why did you?” Jane snapped back, “Return my earrings and get out of here.”
“I don’t have anything of yours… You can call the police if you want!”
“What good would that do? They’ve probably already reached your folks!”
Jane was losing control, spiraling further into insults toward the girl.
“Mum, why are you saying this? Liz couldn’t do such a thing! You must have misplaced them yourself,” Michael interjected.
All three searched the flat thoroughly until Michael accidentally knocked his mother’s bag, causing the handkerchief with the earrings to tumble out.
He stood frozen, holding the earrings.
“How could you, Mum?” was all he could manage, staring at his mother with eyes full of disappointment.
“I just made a mistake, son, I forgot!” Jane tried to excuse herself.
“I saw everything, Mum! You were awful! Liz and I are moving to our own place,” Michael declared.
“Wait, you’ll regret it with that girl!” Jane shouted through her tears.
Michael silently exited the room, took Elizabeth’s hand, and left Jane’s flat.
They rented a place together, married, and lived happily. Eventually, Michael received a call from Irma.
“Mike, your mother is in the hospital! She had a heart attack. She’s crying, wants to see you…”
Upon hearing of Jane’s condition, Elizabeth immediately began preparing steamed cutlets, chicken broth, and pastries, purchasing fruit along the way…
Michael chose not to visit, citing his busy schedule.
When Elizabeth arrived at the hospital, Jane broke into tears. She had hoped her son would come, but instead, that girl arrived—the one who shattered her life and took her most precious treasure.
“Why are you unwell, mum? Here, I’ve brought you broth and pastries… Would you like me to feed you?” Elizabeth offered.
“And why didn’t Michael come?” Jane quietly asked, disappointed.
“He’s very busy at work…”
Jane nodded in understanding and started to cry.
“Forgive me, Lizzy, I was so wrong… Please come back home. It’s so hard without you…”
“There’s nothing to forgive, mum; you simply made a mistake, forgot, got upset… Everything will be fine.”
After Elizabeth left, the woman sharing Jane’s room remarked, “You’ve got a good daughter! Beautiful, kind, considerate!”
Jane smiled, “Yes, she is.”
When Jane recovered, Michael and Elizabeth came to fetch her from the hospital. They continued living in Jane’s flat until Elizabeth finished her studies. They later moved to Elizabeth’s family farm— a spacious home in the countryside.
Jane adored farm life, refusing to return to city living, especially with a new grandchild, little Alex, showered with love. While Elizabeth’s parents managed the farm and Elizabeth treated animals, Michael ran the farm store, Jane poured all her attention into Alex.
Now, one often heard Jane remark, “That tenant was sent by God!”
It’s funny how life turns out, isn’t it?
