The Mother's Portrait

A little story for Mothers' Day

The teacher Sami was obliged to marry again after the death of his loving life companion, his first wife. She had left him a small daughter named Samia, whom the father surrounded with care and love, doting on her and attending to her upbringing. His second wife was not ill-natured, nor was she harsh in her treatment of Samia after the fashion of other fathers' wives; it was simply human nature that made Samia loathe the sight of her father's wife, and hate to see her take the place of her dead mother in that quiet, contented home.

Samia grew up, and her feeling of hatred for her father's wife increased day by day. Because of it she began to look upon her father's house as a dark, oppressive place; in her eyes that happy nest had quickly lost its radiance and its cheer with her mother's death, and she began to imagine that there was no room in the place for her alongside her father's wife. So she resolved one day to leave the house, and abandon it to her father and his wife. She went up to her room and began putting her things in order and packing her bag, determined to leave her father's house and never return to it again...

The teacher Sami learned what his daughter meant to do, and it grieved him that his only daughter should leave him; he asked his wife to try to turn her from her resolve. She said: "I have tried many times to win her affection, and to make her understand that we could live together in peace and harmony; but she has always said there is no room for the two of us in this house..." Thereupon the father went up to Samia's room and set about persuading her to stay; but she remained fixed in her opinion, insisting on her idea...

And as Samia was coming down the stairs of the house, she caught sight of her father's wife carrying a drawing in her hand. The drawing drew her attention, and it came as a surprise to her — for it was a portrait of her mother!! Her father's wife had drawn it with her own hand, and had brought it to present to Samia. She came up to her and said: "I know how great your love for your mother is; and out of my great love for you I have made mighty efforts to produce this portrait and give it to you to hang in your room, so that it may go on reminding you of your departed mother..."

A wave of joy and refreshment flooded Samia's face; she was ashamed of herself, and understood that she had been mistaken, and that her father's wife harbored nothing for her but love. At once she stepped forward and said: "Forgive me, for I thought ill of you!" Her father's wife answered: "And my plea to you is that you stay with us!"

Tears of joy streamed abundantly from Samia's eyes; overwhelmed and stirred by the force of her astonishment and contentment, she nodded her head yes, wound two tender arms about her auntie's neck, and kissed her for the first time.

And that kiss was the beginning of a new era in the family, ruled over by love and happiness...