SHE did not sleep at all that night, the ache in her heart so deep it numbed her mind. She didn’t know what to think or how to process the shocking loss. The hours passed, and then she heard Mother Laila calling her name weakly.
Tina pulled herself together to attend to the old lady, and after giving her her medication, she sat with her for a long while.
“Ah had a bad dream,” she said.

“About what?”
She did not answer for a while, then said, her voice shaking a little, “Is Suraj.”
“What about him?” Tina asked in a quiet tone, a tinge of fear in her heart.

Mother Laila took a deep breath and squeezed Tina’s hand. “Don’t worry, meh chile, everything gon be okay.”
Tina went back to her room and, sitting on the bed, she wondered, What do I do now? Where do I go?
She knew she couldn’t stay at his home for too long because he had told her to move on. It was an unexpected setback in her life, plus she was worried for Mother Laila.
Who will take care of her?

The next morning, she tried not to let her worry show on her face and worked for several hours in the vegetable garden.
She was relaxing on the porch after lunch with Mother Laila, who was taking a light nap, when Suraj’s brother, Sunil, stopped by.
“How everything goin’?” he asked her.

She looked at him questioningly, not sure what he wanted to know.
“Yuh thought ‘bout leaving?”
She looked at Mother Laila, who was still napping and answered him, “Yeah, ah can’t stay hay fuh too long, but ah worried about leaving Motha Laila. Who gon take care of she?”
Sunil took a little while before responding.

“Ah ain’t think about that as yet. Ah gon talk with meh sisters. In de meanwhile, yuh can stay and continue tek care of she because yuh have nowhere else to go.”
Tina smiled wryly at his blunt words but said nothing, knowing they would decide for her to stay only to take care of their mother.
“As much as ah care fuh Mother Laila,” Tina voiced to herself, “and ah feel sorry fuh she because she own children neglecting her, ah have mi life tuh live. Suraj done move on, and I have to tuh.”

As she continued her vegetable garden business, she made inquiries for a room or small apartment to rent. She also scoured job opportunities, but though there were several for maids and salesgirls, the pay was not so good.
“Ah think going into a small business would be ah betta option,” she opined. “But ah would need investment.”
She sighed with a measure of frustration, but she knew she couldn’t give up.

“Ah muss stay strong. Ah muss mek something of dis life then show Suraj ah can be somebody.”
It really hurt her that after two years of using her and betraying her trust, he had moved on with someone else, not caring what happened to her.
Upon returning one day after searching for a place to rent, she saw Mother Laila sitting in the rocking chair on the porch.
“Sorry ah late.”

“Is okay, ah fine, and is a fine day.”
Tina looked at her, a little surprised. The old lady, battling health issues, always had a dull outlook.
“Yuh seem to be in a good mood.”
“Yes,” she smiled a little. “How was yuh day?”

Tina sighed. “Nah so good.”
“Yuh ah wan good gyal,” Mother Laila expressed, “and something good guh happen fuh yuh.”
“Wish ah could believe dat,” Tina said quietly.

That night, since she had read Suraj’s letter, she had a good night’s sleep, for she was worn and tired. The next morning, after breakfast, Mother Laila came out of her room, nicely dressed and walking steadier than usual with her walking stick.
“Hello,” Tina said, surprised. “Wey yuh going?”
“Ah going tuh see ah old friend,” she answered.

“Is somebody taking yuh?”
“Yes, he daughta coming fuh me.”
“Okay. Nice tuh see yuh doing betta.”

Mother Laila’s daughter came by later to see her and inquired about Tina whom she had gone to visit, but Tina couldn’t tell them because she didn’t know herself. They waited for a short while, then grumbled and left without a word on who would be taking care of their mother. They had been visiting her often to pressure her into changing her will since Suraj wouldn’t be coming back.
Tina never heard from Suraj again, and six months after his letter, when she felt she had saved enough money to move on with her life, Mother Laila died.

It left Tina devastated because she had such a close bond with the old lady and had done the best she could for her.
The night before, after giving her her medication, she had sat with her until she fell asleep, grieving that she had to leave her. As she got up to leave, Mother Laila opened her eyes and said in a bare whisper, “Ah sorry what muh son do tuh yuh, yuh deserve betta.”

Suraj did not come to his mother’s funeral, and when he called live during the service, Tina did not speak to him, too overwhelmed with emotion for Mother Laila.
Two weeks later, Sunil and his sisters told her, “Yuh free now to leave suh we can take control of de house and put it up for sale.”
Tina had nodded, knowing she had to leave, but she felt a bleeding pain in her heart at their words. It was a home where they were born and raised, a home with such precious memories of their mother, but all they cared about was money.

But Mother Laila left a shocker when the will was read.

To be continued…