I was lying on the bed talking with a friend on my cellphone when there was a knock on the door. Dad, who had returned from work around 20 minutes ago, peaked inside and asked me whether I was busy. I replied I wasn't and said goodbye to the friend.
Sitting down on the chair, Dad said: "Your mother called just now. She isn't feeling well and wants you to live with her for some days."
"Is she OK?" I asked.
"Well, she didn't sound fine. Give her a call."
"OK."
I dialed Mom's number as he left the room.
"So you finally got the time to call me?" she said before I could say hello.
"Dad told me you weren't well."
"Yes. Could you come for a week or so? I need you here."
"OK. I've holidays next month."
"No, not next month. I want you here tomorrow."
"But Mom, my classes have just started. I can't come tomorrow."
"I told you I'm not well. You either come tomorrow or don't come at all."
"Lemme ask Dad," I said in an effort to get out of the situation.
"Yes, and ask him to book your ticket for the morning. I want you here before 10. Aunt Klara's coming tomorrow, too."
"Fine. Bye," I replied.
I went to the living room and told Dad about the conversation. I thought he'd call Mom and tell her I couldn't come so soon, but he instead said he'd book the ticket. Dejected, I went back to my room.
I had been staying with Dad and Step-mom for over a year as the city had better schools, and although Mom lived only a thousand miles away, I hadn't gone to see her since moving to Dad's place.
I didn't want to go, but the mention of Klara, who was 40 and two years older than my mother, was making me rethink. She and Mom were similar only physically. Unlike Mom, she smoked and drank, swore like a sailor, and had a string of boyfriends before marrying and settling down. She worked in the town government while Mother worked in the local school.
In the morning, Dad dropped me off at the airport, and I dragged my 18-year-old unhappy self home.
I opened the door and saw Mom sitting in the kitchen. I had expected her to get up and greet and hug me. But she didn't even get up. Another odd thing I noticed was that she had a thick quilt around her stomach, although it was summer.
"You hungry," she asked, stirring her black coffee.
"No. I ate at the airport."
"Have coffee at least," she said, pushing the coffee pot toward me.
I poured the coffee and sat down opposite her.
"How are you?" I asked.
"I've something to tell you. But don't interrupt me until I finish. Just listen to what I'm saying," she said with her head bowed and her deep-blue eyes completely avoiding me.
"Aunt Klara's about to come to take me to the hospital. I made a mistake with someone a while back, and it resulted in this," Mom said, throwing the quilt off her stomach but keeping her head down.
She was pregnant.
But before I could react or say anything, she said: "He's an education department official who was visiting the school for a week. He's married with children. It was just one night of mistake. I told him when, you know, I found out, but he didn't seem interested. At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to keep it and kept delaying it and delaying it until it was too late. Now it's due."
"Mom," I said, angrily getting up from the chair.
Just then, the door opened, and in came Klara.
"Oh, my favorite nephew's here," she commented, pressing her big bosom into my chest and hugging me tightly.
"You have only one nephew," Mother corrected her.
"We don't know that yet," Klara said as she looked at Mom's huge belly with her deep-blue eyes. "OK. Is everything packed? Erik help your mother get to the ambulance. You don't have to come with us to the hospital if you don't want to. You can come in later or tomorrow when your new brother or sister is out. It depends on you," she said as she gathered Mother's things.
Mom placed her hands on the table and got up while I just stood there like an idiot. Then she was wheeled into the ambulance.
I took Mom's car and went to the hospital but didn't get the time to talk to her until later in the evening.
"Who's going to take care of it?" I asked.
"Me. Who else?"
"Does Dad know?"
"Why should he? Did he tell me when he was having an affair with that wretched woman or when he married her? It has nothing to do with your dad."
"I don't think she's wretched."
"So now Samantha isn't wretched, is it? Does she still eat with her mouth open?"
"I think right now you've bigger problems. How did this happen?"
"Don't tell me you don't know how this happens," Mom said, clutching the side of her hospital gown. "Has your father informed the school that you won't be able to come for a few days?"
"Yes, he has. The semester has just started, and I'd like to go back."
"Don't worry about that. You can always transfer here. Go home, rest. Come back in the morning. I'll message you if I want something. Now go home."
When I went back in the morning, she was resting in her bed, and beside her in a crib was a baby.
"Say hello to your brother," she said, giving a wide grin.
"What the... When did this happen."
"Last night. How's he?"
"He's lovely," I said, looking at the tiny baby.
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I didn't want to disturb you. Besides, it happened very quickly. What do you think of the name Bjorn?"
"Just like Grandpa. I like it. So how are you?"
"I'm fine. Call Aunt Klara and give her the news."
So I called Klara and she said she'd pop in to see Bjorn in around an hour. I picked up Bjorn from the crib and we spent the next hour mainly talking about him.
Then Klara arrived and she was overjoyed to see him. Mom and Klara were discussing him when Mom asked me to get coffee as it was time to feed Bjorn, so I left the room and went for a walk.