While I was away on holiday, my mother called me in a state of utter panic. She was sobbing uncontrollably and completely distraught. I hung up and immediately reached out to my brother to find out what had happened, but he was rather abrupt with me, insisting that I ask Mum myself. He said he knew exactly why she was crying and even hinted she had only herself to blame.
Feeling terribly anxious, my wife and I agreed to cut our holiday short. Even though the train tickets were outrageously expensive, we decided to go back home straightaway.
When we arrived, my mother was still extremely shaken and couldnt calm herself down. We gave her a cup of tea and a bit of valerian to help her settle her nerves, and then she recounted the dreadful episode. Apparently, after shed returned home from work, she was stunned to find my sister-in-law covered in bruises, which worried her all the more since my sister-in-law was expecting at the time. My mother immediately went over and embraced her, asking what had happened. Just then, my brother came home. The moment his wife spotted him, she leapt up and started shouting, accusing Mum of abusing her.
My mother stood there, utterly bewildered and unable to make sense of it all. My brother, believing every word his wife said, was appalled, and without asking for any explanation, he kicked Mum out of the house. Later, he rushed his wife to hospital, where, heartbreakingly, she lost the baby. He refused to talk to any of us, and he harboured a terrible resentment towards our mother. Despite all this, I had a lingering suspicion that the story wasnt adding up, and I chose to trust Mum’s account. Thankfully, the truth eventually came to light from an unexpected source.
As it turns out, my sister-in-laws close friend, who proved to be a decent and honest person, told me what really happened. She revealed that my sister-in-law had been plotting to manipulate my brother into throwing Mum out, and had, in fact, taken deliberate measures to end her pregnancy herself. When my brother finally learned the truth, he was furious and promptly ended things with his wife, throwing her out of the house. He then apologised to our mother from the bottom of his heart.
A mothers heart is endlessly forgiving, and despite everything shed been through, Mum welcomed him back with open arms.
These events taught me that even in the midst of chaos and heartbreak, the truth has a way of finding its voice. And that, above all, a mothers love truly knows no bounds.
