She Never Sees Her Mother
By Annette Gulati
She never sees her ailing mother. She only listens to her on the telephone, rattling on about the dialysis treatments, the trips to the emergency room, the stabbing pain in her abdomen. Likely the cancer.
She never sees her dying mother, except on FaceTime, in her hospital bed four days before it happens, chattering about vanilla ice cream, cats, and European castles, with the hope and voice of a six-year-old. I’ve lived a wonderful life.
She never sees her dead mother, now silent. Never picks out the urn for her ashes. Never sorts the belongings in her apartment. Never stands around her gravestone with the rest of the family. The world is locked up, and she’s 1,500 miles away—as good an excuse as any. Still, she’s confident the key to unearthing her ailing, dying, dead mother’s love was lost long ago.
About the Author
Annette Gulati’s work has appeared in The Dribble Drabble Review, NUNUM, Five Minutes, 50-Word Stories, Bright Flash Literary, and elsewhere. She’s also written twelve nonfiction books for children. She lives near Seattle, WA. Find her at www.annettegulati.com or on X: @AnnetteGulati.
