Hold Me Tight

Chapter 1 - MAMA

ATHENA MAE O'STEEN

I was sitting on the train while listening to a sad song when a mother and a child entered. The child sat next to me while the woman just stood there holding on to the handrails as if her life depended on it.

Isn't it like that? We hold on to things as if our life depended on it but the truth is – it doesn't.
All of a sudden, my phone died and I couldn't hear the music anymore, which reminded me to charge my phone next time. I put my earphones in my pocket and looked out of the window instead.
Until I heard how the mother and the child started fighting.

"Mum, am I allowed to play outside?" the little girl asked.
"No, because you said a bad word today." her mother replied sternly. The little girl with blonde curls murmured something that I couldn't understand. But I think her mum understood it, that's why she walked away with a disappointed look and sat on the other side of the train.
"Yeah, just go away. I don't even want to see you in my life anymore." the child shouted. I was really shocked and surprised by the words that just came out from the mouth of that small kid. I just couldn't believe how much our society has changed. So many questions started to pop into my mind after that.

I already knew that it wasn't any of my business but I had to get it off my chest.
"Hey," I greeted the little girl and she just stared at me.
"So, you don't want to see your mum in your life anymore?" she didn't respond and just stared at me blankly again. "Do you actually know how lucky you are to have a mother?" I paused and sighed. "There are a lot of people out there who don't have a mother anymore or who never got the chance to meet her. I know you might not understand everything yet. But you need to know that you are very lucky to have a mum; to have someone who takes care of you when you are not okay, someone who will wipe your tears and tell you that everything will be okay or someone who will hug you tight because she is proud of you. Because not everyone has someone who will do that. But you, you have your mum. She's probably not the best mum but I bet she is trying her best to be the best mother in the universe for you," I glanced at the people around me and saw that they had teary eyes while listening to me.
"I know I am still young and I don't understand a lot of things yet too. But there's one thing that I know clearly – your mother loves you and she just wants the best for you." I tapped the shoulder of the young girl and stood up. "You better go to her and apologize before it's too late." I smiled and got off the train quickly.

"Athena!" a voice called me. The voice was too familiar and it scared me. I knew exactly to who the voice belonged to but it was impossible, I thought.
I turned around slowly and saw my own mother in flesh. I had tears in my eyes and I couldn't believe that she is here, only meters away from me.
"I am proud of you," my mother smiled.

What is happening? Why can I only see her and hear her voice? Everything went blurry except for her.

I ran to my mother and tried to hug her. But I just went through her.

It's been two years and one month since my mother died but I can still see and feel her walking spirit.

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thank you for reading.
i hope you'll have a nice day

happy mother's day!

– kath. (05/14/2017)

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@imkathleenr
@kathmdr_