New Home

October 23rd is a special day for Marcia. She dressed in her plush denim overalls, sprayed a lavish lavender-scented perfume, oiled and twirled her hair into a nice clean bun and painted her lips with a cherry red lipstick. As she stared at the mirror, Marcia was surprised by how strong and fresh she looked. She hardly looked seventy-five. Perhaps it was her tall and slim stature.

Marcia took the card laying on the table and read.

Happy birthday, mom! We have an amazing surprise for you!

Love,

Mat, Anthony and Jessica.

Marcia smiled. It was the first time her children sent her a birthday card. They have no idea how gratified she is with this thin piece of paper. A smell of burning roast snapped her out of reverie. She walked hurriedly towards the kitchen and grabbed a towel. Marcia opened the oven and was greeted by the sweet scent of burning caramel. She turned the oven off and laid down the nice brown roast in the midst of the kitchen table. Four plates, four pairs of spoons and forks, and four steak knives. She trudged to the fridge and fetched the round confetti cake. Perfect! A sumptuous family dinner in the fall.

A single sound of the doorbell and Marcia was already running towards the foyer. She opened the door and there came her precious children. Mat, a dashing lawyer and her first-born, Anthony, a dentist and a father of three wonderful girls, and of course, her little girl Jessica. Now, a woman of beauty and popularity.

"Mom, it's so great to see you!" Jessica cried. Marcia welcomed her children in a tight embrace. "We miss you so much mom, sorry we didn't come last year," said Mat. "I know, I'm happy you're all here now," replied Marcia. She felt tears lingering in her lashes. "Come sit, there's a fire going, you must be freezing." Marcia gestured her children inside the house. "Brings back memories, doesn't it Mat?" Anthony asked. When Mat did not reply, he called his name again, louder and more pronounced. "Mat?" "Um, yeah, yeah," Mat replied staring at his phone. Anthony sighed. He pushed the pillow on the cushion while shaking his head. Marcia noticed this new tension in their relationship. Mat and Anthony were once inseparable. They played in the garden, at home and even in school. Despite their four year age gap, Mat remained loyal to his little brother Anthony who was once a very shy and isolated kid. "Well, now children. Aren't you all hungry? I prepared some fancy little dinner," Marcia announced. "Oh wow! You have a great timing mom, I just came from a six hour flight, the food in the plane sucks real bad, now I'm starving," Jessica said gleefully. The walk towards the kitchen was a brief one. Without her children, Marcia would walk tiredly from her bedroom to the kitchen stove for like an hour or two. But not today. As Marcia stared at her children taking their seats on the kitchen table, she felt more alive and accomplished. Finally, she is a puzzle with no missing parts.

As Marcia took her seat, the children began to sing her a birthday song. Marcia felt her tears streaked down her wrinkled cheeks. "Mom, we have a surprise for you," said Jessica. "Oh, Jess, I don't need surprises, you three are enough for me..." replied Marcia. Mat cleared his throat. "Mom," he said. "I don't think it would good for you to stay here, alone," Mat added, his voice clipped. Marcia frowned. "So you're staying here with me?" she asked, hopeful. "No mom." This time it was Anthony, his shy little boy who had finally found his voice. "You're seventy-five mom, we cannot just leave you here alone," Anthony said. Marcia noticed her children's glum expression. Or perhaps she was just too blind to notice it earlier. "We're taking you home mom," Anthony added. "Where, your home?" Marcia asked, brows furrowed. Anthony looked away. Marcia felt her shoulders slump. This was not how she imagined this dinner would be. "Haven, mom. Home for the Elderly..." muttered Anthony, his voice so slow, she could barely hear it. "Ha-haven?" Marcia asked, befuddled. She stared at her children, all grown up. Have I done something wrong that urged them to throw me away in a sick and decrepit facility?

"Don't worry mom, it won't be too bad, in New Haven you can make friends, and we can visit you anytime," said Jessica. Marcia felt a growing pain in her chest. She tried to draw a breath and hold on tightly to her chair. "Mom, you okay?" Mat asked. "No," Marcia whispered. "What?" Mat asked. "I said..." Before she knew it, Marcia stood from her chair and said, "No!" She gazed at the blurry faces of her children, her hands trembling as she leaned on the chair. Marcia felt her age doubled a few minutes after hearing the news of her going to the New Haven. "This is my home, I-I-cannot go to the Haven, or-or New Haven, whatever you call it!" "Mom, you are clearly distraught, we understand that, we do, but we just can't leave you here, not now that your health is failing," Anthony remarked.

Marcia stared at her son, bewildered. She still remembered the time when her children used to seek for her consent when going into a party. Now, as she stared at them, she saw her uselessness and fragility mirrored on their glum faces. "So, you're throwing me away, because you don't need me anymore, is that it?" An excruciating silence dominated the room. Marcia felt her children try to cogitate words than would convince her to go. When Marcia could no longer endure the quiet, she sat back in her chair and said, "You cannot confine to a place that I never wanted to go, this is my home, this is what I and your father built," Marcia uttered. Even in silence, she could still hear the sharpness of her voice. Mat met her gaze and said, "Mom, this isn't a confinement. New Haven is a safe place for people your age and-" Before Mat could finish, Marcia sighed and said, "People my age? Children, can't you see? My health is stable, I eat healthy foods, I exercise regularly, and you need not worry about me being alone, I have a lot of friends in this neighborhood!"

"Mom, mom," said Mat. "For once, stop being stubborn!" Marcia stared at Mat, dumbfounded. When did this happen? Her children scolding her for being tenacious. She is the mother, shouldn't she be the one doing the scolding? Perhaps, this is what you get for living too long, Marcia thought. You'll witness your children grow up and be sick of your presence.

Marcia fixed her gaze on Mat. Mat, her first-born, her cleverest child. Outspoken, and headstrong. "You cannot make me Mat," she said, adamant. With that, Marcia stood from her chair and walked towards the door. As she took each single step to her bedroom, she felt her tears gave up from their restraints. She could feel the weakness of her knees, the pain of her arthritis. Maybe, her children were right, she's weak. But she would rather stay in this house alone than being in a place where she knew would weaken her health, and worst, lose herself. Marcia grabbed the cards sent by her children and for the hundredth time she read it with her heart sinking in dismay.

Happy birthday, mom! We have an amazing surprise for you!

Love,

Mat, Anthony and Jessica.

For the first-time, she wondered. Have I been a good mother? She'd seen those people in New Haven. Even from a distance, she saw their sadness written across their frail faces. Maybe, it was from abandonment, or worse, from not being HOME. Marcia wiped her tears with her arms. This place is her home. The last thing in the world she could abandon.

Marcia woke up from her bed. Her eyes, swollen from the last night's tears. Her stomach was growling with hunger. As she walked back towards the kitchen, the first thing she noticed was the roast. Untouched, even the plates were unstained. She took a glass of water from the refrigerator and drank it. When she closed the refrigerator, she noticed a piece of paper under the refrigerator magnet. She picked it up and read it.

Mom, we're sorry about last night. We only want the best for you. If you want to stay at home, then it's fine. We'll try to visit you more often.

Oh, and if in case you're wondering? You are a great mom, and we love you so much.

Ps,

Sorry we didn't eat your roast and confetti cake, we're in a rush last night for the flight.

We love you mom...

-Jessica

Marcia felt her tears roll down her cheeks. She laughed while wiping her tears and clutched the letter to her chest. My home.

-The End-