C5 Elizabeth and her mother

It was on the third day of Elizabeth's punishment. She was completely worn out already. Her legs and hands were begging to rest. Her body ached terribly.

She couldn't feed properly because her appetite was gone such that the smell of food does not arouse her appetite anymore.

That very day, she was done with the morning and first cleaning of the day and decided to rest her body a little as she prepared for the evening and second turn.

As she sat there calmly, her thoughts wandered. She saw herself when she was little.

"Elizabeth!"

"Yes mum," Elizabeth answered her mother, Ms Johnson and ran out of the room to see her mother.

"Come. Come sit with me," Elizabeth's mother said and motioned for her to sit on her laps. Elizabeth loved that. She didn't hesitate a bit.

"U hmm ha ha," laughed Elizabeth as her mother tickled her while she sat on her laps.

"Mum. It tickles, ha ha uh uh ha," she continued to laugh.

"You know mum loves you right?" Ms Johnson asked Elizabeth as she looked into her eyes.

Elizabeth nodded while she twisted her fingers.

"Look at me Elizabeth,"

Elizabeth turned now and faced her mother.

"I love you my daughter, don't forget that. Alright? Do you love mummy?"

Elizabeth nodded again.

"No baby, talk. I want you to say it. Do you love mummy?" she asked again.

"Yes mummy," answered Elizabeth with a big smile as she rounded her mother's neck with her hands.

Tears was now beginning to cloud her mother's eyes.

"Don't cry mum. I love you very much."

"I love you my daughter. Oh my sweet daughter."

Mother and daughter enveloped each other in a hug. Ms Johnson was crying silently.

Little Elizabeth then couldn't understand why her mother cried that day. But it was after some years she understood why her mother cried that day.

Tears had completely filled Elizabeth eyes. She understood why that memory in particular made her cry always. She was young then and didn't understand why her mother behaved that way that day but a week later after that day, her mother disappeared into thin air. No one saw nor heard from her. It was as if she vanished. She was thoroughly searched for but was never found.

Elizabeth remembered how her father told her stories to cover it up. She still wanted her mother then but with time, she gradually adapted and missed her less.

But she couldn't understand why the memory makes her cry now since she didn't cry then but she realized it hurts her most now, maybe because she is now an adult.

Sometimes, she dared to think if her mother hadn't left, maybe she wouldn't have ended up where she was now, maybe she would have been happy.

She loved her mother very much then but now she don't know if she still feel that way towards her. It had been a long time since she left and never returned. It hurts her that her own mother left her that way without considering her feelings.

She afraid the love she had for her had been replaced by hate, betrayal and anger. She wondered if she was still alive wherever she was.

A question popped up in her head, if her mother ever comes back to her, would she forgive her?

She hated this type of questions popping up in her head especially about her mother. She always avoid to think about it.

What if there was a reason that made her take that decision?

"Whatever was the problem or reason she had then, she had no right to leave me and run off!" Elizabeth yelled in anger as she fought with the thoughts and questions popping up in her head. She bursted into another fresh tears.