Helping her mother in the kitchen with dinner, Sarah brought up a topic that was always a bit uncomfortable for her.
"Look, Mom, maybe you'll finally change your mind and move?" Sarah said. "Mark and I have talked it all over, and he'd be more than happy to have you live with us."
Sitting down on a chair, Martha gave a heavy sigh and replied, "No, honey. I'm used to my neck of the woods. Besides, all my friends and family are here, not to mention my job."
This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation, and every time, Sarah was met with a refusal. But she wasn't giving up on trying to talk her mother into moving.
Three years ago, she and Mark had managed to settle down quite well in a neighboring city, where they soon bought an apartment. Her mother, however, stayed behind in her old house, wanting no part of any change. Taking advantage of a vacation she'd managed to squeeze out of her boss, Sarah intended to get her way and make sure she didn't head back home alone. Leaning in to hug her mother's shoulders, she added:
"I know, you can't live without your patients. They're like your own children to you, always needing care. Don't think I'm jealous; I just want to point out that it's time you thought about yourself. You've been eligible for retirement for a year now. Tell me, is it really about the money? We help you out, so you could leave the job and finally live for your own pleasure."
Smiling as if there were something funny in those words, Martha said, "You see, you measure everything in dollars and cents, but doing a few good deeds is enough for me."
***
Another attempt had failed, and Sarah decided to leave her mother in peace for a while. Besides, she hadn't taken the time off just to keep rehashing the same old argument. Sitting down happily next to her, Sarah spoke almost breathlessly:
"I actually came alone on purpose. Mark was sent on a business trip, though he really wanted to see you, too. Well, they promised him a nice bonus for it. And where do you think he's going to spend it?"
Martha took her daughter's face in her hands and whispered, "On you, of course. There's simply no other option. I'm guessing he'll buy some expensive jewelry, am I right?"
Sarah gave a playful shake of her head before finally saying, "Not exactly. He's planning a trip abroad. We've been meaning to go to the coast for ages, but there was never any free time. But now the management won't say no—let them just try! By the way, do you want to come with us?"
And once again, they were back to the old subject.
"I knew it, Sarah. I knew you didn't tell me about Mark's trip and your sudden vacation for nothing. Look, try to understand—I can't just pick up and leave everything. This is my home. I'm used to these places, and I want to spend the rest of my life here. As for my work, I'm just glad I can still be of some use. And remember, it's not the job that makes the person, but how they treat people. I work as a simple nursing assistant, and that's fine; I'm respected and valued for my sincerity and kindness."
Sarah felt a bit awkward that things had turned personal.
"Oh, Mom, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong again. You're right—life isn't just about a career. What matters is what's inside, right here." She pressed her hand to her chest and then added, "And if there's nothing there, no amount of status will make a person sincere or kind. On the contrary, they'll be as dry as a bone, or maybe worse, like a man of stone."
Now Martha saw that her daughter hadn't lost her capacity for kindness and empathy. She understood that a person has both good and bad qualities, all so mixed together that you never know when or how they might show up. In her mother's case, Sarah was sure she would never betray or let her down. All those arguments about retirement and rest were just her way of showing she cared. Martha knew this perfectly well, which is why she took the latest talk about moving so calmly.
Having finally finished making dinner, the mother and daughter ate in silence and then went to watch their favorite show together.
***
In the morning, the moment the alarm went off, Martha was already on her feet. Over her many years working as an aide at the hospital, she had grown used to getting up early and getting ready in a matter of minutes. Now, fixing her hair in front of the mirror, she smiled slightly when she saw her sleepy daughter. Sarah was coming out of her room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Leaving breakfast on the table for her, Martha said:
"Alright, I'm off to work. Don't get bored. If it's not too much trouble, head over to the garden—the flowers need watering."
Finally getting her sleepy eyes to focus, Sarah answered through a yawn, "Okay, Mom. I'll also stop by to see Nancy. Who knows when I'll get another chance?"
She was talking about her younger sister who, despite Sarah's success, hadn't wanted to follow in her footsteps and had also stayed in their hometown, just like their mother. In that time, she'd had two children and now spent all her time raising them.
***
When she arrived at her sister's, Sarah couldn't help herself.
"At least you should back me up, because Mom won't agree to anything. Mind you, we're not trying to send her to the middle of nowhere; we want her to come live with us. Let her finally live a carefree life in retirement. What do you say, Nancy?"
Shaking her head like a pendulum, Nancy replied, "You're not going to get anywhere; you're just wasting your time. I've told her the same thing, more than once, but it's no use. You know our mom isn't a nomad; she's not going to go trekking across the country. Once she's settled in a place, she's never leaving. You'd be better off visiting her more often so she doesn't feel lonely."
Sarah gave her a reproachful look but immediately realized that the next question would be out of place. It was clear that Nancy had plenty of her own worries and physically couldn't be with their mother all the time. Sarah, on the other hand, hadn't had children yet, even though she'd been with Mark for four years. But as they say, "Haste makes waste." So, Sarah was in no hurry to become a mother, always putting it off until later. Her sister caught the note of dissatisfaction and immediately changed the subject.
"I hardly ever get out of the house these days anyway; you can see for yourself what I'm busy with. I don't have time to be running around. You're the free spirit—you want a vacation, you take it and head off to the other side of the world."
The conversation about their mother moving faded into the background. And that was for the best; there was no point stirring up what was clearly going to be a failure. Visiting her sister, Sarah felt a certain sense of relief.
"You won't believe how good I feel here. Yes, I have a great job and a loving, caring husband, but I miss just simple, soulful conversation. To be honest, I only see Mark late in the evening when it's already time for bed, or on the weekends, but even then he finds work to do. It's just one routine after another, and there's no getting away from it."
***
Meanwhile, Martha had already finished cleaning several wards and then approached the one located near the surgical block. There, she overheard a strange conversation between two patients.
"Go on, nobody will see. Hide it under your jacket and sneak it in quietly."
Great, the hospital residents had decided to treat themselves to something. It was scary even to imagine what they were trying to smuggle onto the medical grounds. An alarm immediately went off in Martha's head: "I need to keep an eye on this, or there'll be trouble." Without a second thought, she took her bucket to the utility room and then quietly followed the patient who had stepped out of that room. Without much effort, he slipped over to the small shop just outside the gate. He was gone for a few minutes, and when he reappeared, he was carrying a black bag with the neck of a bottle sticking out so clearly you couldn't miss it if you tried. The aide didn't stop him right away; she waited until he had returned to his ward.
A little later, Martha turned up as if nothing were wrong, intending to mop the floor. At that very moment, those two patients were emptying the bottle they'd brought in. As they say, there's no point in fighting it; the truth always comes to light. Taking the glass container from them, the aide poured the contents into the sink and then said:
"I'll let it slide this once, but if you get caught again, I'm informing the chief of medicine."
And who would have thought that one of the patients would have the nerve to get bold?
"I don't think I heard you right. What was that? Someone here thinks they can teach us how to live? You're just a cleaning lady—so shut up and scrub the floors."
With those words, he grabbed a rag from the nightstand and threw it at her feet. Her eyes flashing like searchlights, Martha stepped closer and said just four words:
"We will meet again!"
You could see the patient started shaking at her words, but he pretended as if nothing were happening. Naturally, they filed out of the room and didn't go back in until the aide had finished her work. With her head held high, Martha walked out and, with another flash of her eyes, added toward those two rascals:
"Get back in there, and don't you dare get drunk."
They flew into the room like bullets and even pulled the door shut behind them. Glancing their way, Martha whispered with a laugh, "Can you believe it? Just two days ago he couldn't even get out of bed."
As it turned out, one of the patients had been brought in with a severe case of withdrawal. He could barely speak, let alone walk. But the doctors had worked hard and somehow got him back to normal. And now, look at him—back to his old habits as if he didn't have enough problems and wanted to add more. Martha didn't say anything to the chief of medicine, of course, but she kept a close eye on those sorry patients. The thing was, they still had two weeks of treatment left, and she didn't need any extra trouble in the department. So, to make sure the trips to the shop for hard drinks didn't happen again, she warned the duty nurse she knew. The nurse liked her and promised she'd keep an eye on everything and, most importantly, wouldn't say a word to the department head. It seemed the problem was solved, but the way the patient had treated her stayed in her mind for a long while. It was as if he thought he were the most important person around and could get away with anything. On the other hand, Martha had no moral right to give in to provocation. It was clear the patient wasn't himself; the effects of his binge hadn't worn off yet, so he was just talking nonsense. Holding her head in her hands, Martha told herself:
"Don't worry, Martha. There will be enough patients like that to last you a lifetime."
Truly, if you paid attention to every single one of them, your nerves would never hold up. That was where the strength of her character and the wisdom of her judgment lay. And what her daughter was offering her just didn't fit. You could say the aide was attached to her work with all her soul. She lived for these patients and cared deeply about their speedy recovery.
***
When she returned from her shift, she pulled herself together so her daughter wouldn't suspect a thing. But Sarah understood anyway.
"What is it, Mom? The usual difficult and restless patients?"
Nodding her head, Martha replied, "Well, if you know, there's no point in asking. By the way, did you water the flowers at the garden? Did you forget like I asked you?"
Pointing to her rather dirty jacket, Sarah replied, "There, take a look. I got it all filthy; I'll never get the stains out now. Oh, and Nancy says hi; she's waiting for a visit. You promised her something or other."
***
A week had passed since then. In that time, she and her daughter had gone back to the garden, stopped by to see Nancy, and generally had a nice time. Sarah didn't pester her mother with those nagging questions. It seemed all the i's had been dotted and the t's crossed during her talk with her younger sister. Nancy had made it very clear that their mother had no need for a change of scenery or climate. On this day, Martha was getting ready for work in a somewhat somber mood. Her daughter noticed and couldn't help but ask:
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Shrugging her shoulders, her mother replied, "I think so, but things feel a bit cold inside, as if my heart isn't happy. Maybe the exhaustion is catching up with me, or maybe I'm just getting used to the lack of emotion."
They really should have had a proper talk then, but Martha was in such a rush that she didn't stay for even a minute.
However, a surprise was waiting for her at the hospital: one of those patients who had yelled at her and thrown the rag had mysteriously vanished. The nurses were frantic trying to find him, but all in vain. Well, maybe that's how it was meant to be—who knows? At that moment, it seemed to Martha that she was taking the patient's disappearance quite calmly. She even felt a little scared that her heart wasn't stirred and her soul wasn't crying. There was no spark to ignite her emotions. Remembering what her job was there, the aide took her equipment and started making her rounds. Besides cleaning, she had to provide care and help the nurses; in short, there was no time to be bored. But that patient had certainly surprised her: he hadn't waited for the end of his treatment and had left the hospital of his own accord.
Another shift went by in a heartbeat, as if there had been no incidents at all. Without a second thought, her daughter invited her to the market to buy some meat for meatballs and dumplings.
"Come on, Mom, enough sitting around indoors. You need some fresh air."
It was hard to disagree with that.
"Yes, I suppose you're right, honey. We need to be out among people more often."
Sarah didn't quite understand why she said that. But as soon as they stepped outside, her mother was somehow drawn to go through the garage area, bypassing the daycare center. Even though, logically, there was a straight road from their building to the market. Following her, Sarah tried to understand what was going on. But suddenly, her mother stopped and spoke, pointing somewhere with her hand:
"Look, Sarah, I think someone is lying on the ground. We have to help; what if he's sick?"
At a quick pace, they reached the spot where a strange man in dirty clothes lay motionless. Looking closer at him, Martha covered her mouth with her hand in horror.
"My God, it's him—that patient from room five. Is it really over? Has he finished his suffering?"
However, after feeling for a pulse, she commanded joyfully:
"Call 911 and tell them to hurry, or they might not make it. If you have to, give them my name; they know me well in the department where they'll take him."
Her daughter did exactly that, and meanwhile, the man began to come to. Seeing Martha's face, he mumbled with a trembling voice:
"Even here you won't leave me alone?"
Smiling back, she said, "I told you we would meet again."
Sarah, of course, didn't understand a thing from their exchange, but she didn't press with questions. Soon the ambulance arrived, and the poor fellow was taken to the hospital. He ended up back in the same ward he'd run away from. After going to the market, they headed home taking the shorter route. Her daughter remained silent, realizing that no questions—and certainly no comments—were appropriate right now. She waited for her mother to start talking and finally explain what had happened today. However, Martha wasn't in a hurry to open up either, not until they reached the front of their building and she sat down on a bench. Catching her breath and taking another look inside the bag, her mother said:
"That should be enough meat; we bought extra."
But from her daughter's face, it was clear she was waiting for completely different words. And so, Martha continued:
"You said it was time for me to retire, pensions and all that, but you didn't consider how important it is to always be there."
Sarah had to sit down on the bench too, as the conversation seemed to be taking on a special tone.
"You saw for yourself today how I saved a person, even if he was a total stranger to me. My soul feels and understands everything. Didn't you say the patients could get by without my help? Well, what's your opinion now?"
Sarah could barely keep from crying.
"Forgive me, Mom. I didn't think this job was so important to you. I thought that in retirement you should think about resting, not about how to save someone."
Martha gave her daughter a tight hug and said, "Honey, you know your mother. I can't walk past someone else's trouble; I jump right in to help. That's just my nature. Thank God I passed that trait on to my daughters."
Sarah remembered her mother's words for the rest of her life—that chasing after money doesn't always bring happiness. Sometimes you have to stop and look back to understand exactly what you've been living and planning for all this time. It's quite possible that after such a turning point, a person gains wisdom and begins to cherish every single day they live.
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