Chapter 3
1144 Words
Mosi didn’t know the best way to approach this situation. He knew he couldn’t give too much information but how could he know if the other party was telling the truth?
“How can you prove you are Carmen’s mother?”
“That’s a very appropriate question! If I successfully prove I’m Carmen’s mother will you agree to let me meet my grandson?”
“If you can prove without space for doubts that you are Carmen’s mother I’ll agree to let you visit the house and meet T... him”
Mosi had almost said his brother’s name but he suddenly remembered his initial idea of revealing the least amount of information possible to Elisa. At least until he was sure who she was and that she didn’t have negative intentions towards them.
“How do you suggest I prove to you beyond doubt that I’m her mother?”
They kept eating while they talked but neither of them was being particularly attentive to what or how they were eating. Mosi was using the time while he chewed slowly to decide how to answer to this.
At least Mosi had taken all the bones from the chicken before cooking the chicken rice because he disliked immensely biting on bones when eating chicken. Unless he was eating chicken legs or something he truly hated the bones mixed with chicken pieces.
“That’s not for me to decide but for you to demonstrate. Are you able of proving you are her mother?”
He had to be stiff and hard but he didn’t want to be too overbearing. After all if she really was his grandma he didn’t want their relationship to start on the wrong foot!
“I have pictures of Carmen as a child and teenager before she ran away... Would that be enough?”
My mother ran away? Mosi was speechless. His parents had taught him to be filial. Kids should always listen to their elders since their parents would always want what was best for them. He didn’t know how to answer to that. He had seen a couple of pictures of when his mother was young so he should be able to recognize her.
“Do you think it’s enough with only a couple of pictures?”
He decided to play it safe and find out more information before agreeing.
“I’m also willing to do a blood ritual to prove beyond any possible doubt that I’m Carmen’s mother. But for that I’d need Carmen or her son to help me willingly.”
A blood ritual? Just who was this lady Elisa!? And what is a blood ritual supposed to be?
“I guess we could begin with the pictures then. Any other method that doesn’t require the help of others?”
“Let me look for the pictures, I know I have some with me. Well I’ve got some things that Carmen left behind before running away but I don’t think anyone but her would recognize them. I brought them so she could have them back.”
“Don’t worry, take your time looking for the pictures. I usually like to rest at least half an hour after finishing a meal before doing any kind of labor.”
Mosi was very interested where she was going to look for the pictures. He couldn’t imagine it would be too hard or take too long. Pictures should be in the wallet or something so they should be easy to find.
However what he started witnessing left him utterly amazed. The old lady had an unassuming bag, a very inconspicuous one. It was a messenger bag made of what appeared to be leather, very old looking and weathered.
What had Mosi open-mouthed was that the bag apparently could hold in it more than what would have been possible according to its size. And it didn’t look bulgy or full at all! Elisa was taking out stuff unendingly while she searched for something.
After about 15 minutes and a whole pile of stuff around her she smiled and her eyes lit up with glee.
“I knew I had it with me. I always carry it with me because every once in a while I get nostalgic.”
She had in her hands a photo album, not a wallet or something small like Mosi originally imagined but photo album the size of an encyclopedia. She stood up and walked towards Mosi with the photo album in her hands and sat down right beside him.
“Here, let's check this album together and you’ll get to see Carmen when she was little just as I offered.”
She flipped open the album at around the middle of if and started flipping pages. After she had flipped a couple dozen pages quickly she slowed down.
“This is me when I was pregnant! Don’t I look ravishing? This is Carmen when she was a newborn, oh the memories... She used to cry so much and was so loud, she drove people crazy I tell you.”
“Aren’t there pictures of her a little older? Most babies look the same to me.”
“Yes, yes of course. Sorry for that, it’s been too long since last I checked the album and was lost reminiscing.”
She flipped a couple more pages and said, “Here start the pictures when she was 5 years old and awakened her talent.”
“I still don’t recognize her, it’d be best if you shower me pictures where she is at least 10 years old and until she ran away. That would be the best I believe.”
Mosi didn’t know what Elisa meant when she said the “awakened her talent” part. But he decided it was best to play dumb and ignore that. Things would naturally be explained later on if he managed the conversation carefully.
“Ok very well, I guess it would be hard for you to recognize her any younger than 10. My bad for that. Give me a sec while I flip the pages up to that point.” She started flipping like crazy getting slightly nervous at this young man’s seriousness. He apparently wanted to get straight to the point.
“Here we are! Her 10th birthday party! We did a small celebration, only family and close friends allowed. Recognized her yet?”
“Don’t be hasty now. Show me all you’ve got and I’ll decide at the end.”
Mosi was very interested in his mother’s childhood but he didn’t have much time either. Besides, if Elisa was truly his grandma then they should have time later to check on all the pictures before these ones at the end.
Very well, let's check them together then. I love checking these pictures every once in a while. I truly regret not being a more understanding mother. I understood later on that Carmen running away was mainly my fault.”
They started checking the pictures and after a while Mossi saw a picture that he had seen back home. This more than anything proved to him that Elisa at the very least had the same picture his parents treasured most.
“Tell me about this picture.”
“This one?”
“Yes, that one. Tell me everything you can about it.”
“This picture was taken at the sect’s gathering that happens every decade.”
- Writer
