My fathers wife became my second mother
My mother passed away when I was just eight years old. My father fell into heavy drinking, and there were often days when there was nothing to eat at home. I used to beg for food at school; my schoolwork and clothing were in a pitiful state, all of which soon attracted the attention of my teachers.
Social workers visited our house several times, and soon my father was given stern conditions to meet, or else he risked losing his parental rights. Thankfully, my father came to his senses; he stopped drinking, and the later inspections came and went without issue.
Some time passed, and then my father told me he wanted me to meet someone special. He brought me to Aunt Marys. I was reluctant to see her; the memories of my mother were still far too raw, and I did not approve of my fathers decision to see Aunt Mary so soon.
But as we began to talk, I immediately felt the warmth of her kind spirit. I became friends with her son, who was a year older than me, and together we began attending athletics practice. My father was overjoyed that I had taken to his new companion, and within a month we moved in with Aunt Mary. We rented out our old flat to tenants for a bit of extra money.
My father never had the chance to marry Aunt Maryhe died in a road accident, struck by a car driven by a drunk driver. Legally, I was nothing to Aunt Mary, so the authorities took me away to an orphanage. When I left, Aunt Mary promised me that she would get me back as soon as she possibly could.
She kept her word, and two months later I was back in her home. Those two months had been long enough for me to feel the harshness of the orphanage. I was deeply grateful to Aunt Mary for not abandoning mefor being a true second mother. She is a wonderful woman, and her son has become my true brother.
Now, we are grown, with families of our own, but Mother Mary, as we call her, remains the closest person to both me and my brother. Twice a mother-in-law, she has never once quarrelled with her new children, nor have they ever addressed her as mother-in-law. My husband and my brothers wife both call her Mother Mary, out of respect for her kindness and understanding. And every time she hears herself called by that name, a genuine happiness shines in Marys eyes.
