This call shattered the iron door that sealed the memory and struck hard in Abigail's heart.
She was not Stephen, nor was she a man, but this kind old woman stared at her with gentle and joyful eyes.
Misidentified...
But this was no accident, because the gaze was firm and unwavering, without any reversal.
No matter how long the mother looked at Abigail, she always thought that the person standing there was her son.
Some things cannot be held back. They have been accumulated for too long. Even if she keeps her expression from collapsing, she cannot hold back her tears. It seems as if there is a pair of hands pulling Abigail's feet in place, making her
There was no hasty escape.
The old woman put down the sweater she was knitting, tremblingly came over, hugged Abigail, and kept stroking her cheeks with her hands, even ignoring the bandages on her body.
Abigail saw in the other person's eyes the kind of dullness that cannot be escaped in old age, in short - Alzheimer's disease.
Perhaps because she could not accept the death of her child, the old woman chose to forget the faces of her relatives and spend every day in confusion. No one could understand her real pain, even though she seemed so normal on the surface.
This is an incurable disease. It is like a sharp knife, cutting through the memory bit by bit until a blank is left.
"Come in... come in..."
The old woman also had tears in her eyes. She held the hand of Abigail, who almost became her son's wife, and led her through the fragrant garden, stepped onto the clean wooden steps, opened the door and entered the room, walking through
After passing the front hall, we came to the room where Stephen lived when he was a child.
My "son" is coming back to live, but he still has his room.
This is what the old woman wants to express to Abigail.
Opening the door, there was no strange smell in this narrow teenager's bedroom. Instead, the pot of white flowers placed on the windowsill was exuding a faint fragrance.
Everywhere is clean. Even if Stephen rarely comes back to live, his mother has always kept the room very tidy. Everything is where it should be, and there is no mess at all.
"Just come back... Just come back. Stay for two more days. Don't think about your work..."
The old woman asked Abigail to sit on the bed, and she went to fiddle with the copper stove to boil water.
Abigail's eyes kept looking around the room, and she saw the desk covered with mesh cloth, with several photo frames placed on it.
She picked up one of them and saw the smiling boy in it.
Returning to Velen did not really bring peace to Abigail's heart, and she even lost a place to stay.
But here, in Stephen's mother's home, she found the comfort of family affection and a harbor that could protect her from wind and rain.
Even if the other party mistakenly identifies her as his son, even if the other party is already dim.
But so what, in Abigail's heart at this time, she already regarded this mother as her own relative.
…
The other person is Stephen's mother, who is lonely and suffering from Alzheimer's disease. There is no way Abigail can let go of her.
She moved into Stephen's room and decided to take care of the old man for the rest of his life.
She learned about Stephen's mother's name - Adela Mata, an ancient surname different from the Bain people, coming from the lost Nippur culture of the red earth.
In fact, Adela opened a flower shop, just beside the house. She arranged the potted plants that had grown well and took care of them into very beautiful shapes. Different fragrances could be smelled throughout the garden and the store, but they did not make her feel uncomfortable.
People feel choked.
Adela is very knowledgeable in plant cultivation, and Abigail has rarely seen such a wonderful suburban house.
However, the area here is too remote, and few customers visit the flower shop. Abigail has not seen anyone for several days.
During the day, Abigail would help the old woman prune branches, clean fallen leaves, water and fertilize. Although her movements were also inconvenient and her injuries hindered her, she still dressed herself up like a village woman, with a look of exhaustion on her face.
It also has a hint of sweetness.
A break from worldly life, away from its frightening and stomach-churning struggles, was exactly what Abigail wanted.
In the evening, the old man would sit in front of the yard with a rocking chair, wearing a thick cotton coat, staring blankly at the open space.
At this time, it was time for her to fall ill.
When Abigail was by Adela's side, she would always hear her say some inexplicable words in her vague memory.
Adela's perception of time is often confused. One moment, she went back to Stephen's childhood, scolding the naughty kid in a deserted place; the other moment, it was Stephen's boyhood again, when he went to work as a newsboy on the street and caused trouble.
Someone happened to be there, and he was dragged to his home to demand compensation. After a while, Stephen entered the newspaper office and found a new job. He told his mother that he was renting a place to live in the city and might rarely go home in the future.
Chaotic time and consciousness filled Adela's head, but she was not aware of her own problem at all, and her joy and anger were also hidden.
Listening to the other party's nonsense, Abigail learned about Stephen's past and couldn't help but feel even more hurt.
Suddenly, she heard Adela say again: "Adams, the lady from the newspaper office you told me about last time... how is she... how is she?"
Abigail was stunned for a moment, not knowing who the other party was talking about, so she could only answer vaguely: "She...she is doing well now."
Adela opened her lips, her eyes filled with expectation and a bit of inferiority: "You said you like her...but Miss Heman seems to be a nobleman. How could a noble lady like you? Your father
She is a worker, and your mother is from Nippur..."
Hearing this, Abigail froze instantly. She was completely speechless, her lips trembled, and tears fell silently.
Seeing that her "son" was crying because of her, Adela thought it was her fault, so she felt very guilty and held Abigail's head to comfort her.
"Child, my poor child, don't blame yourself for the fate of our family. It's not your fault. As long as you can live, it will be fine..."
The last line of defense was broken by the old woman's gentle comfort. Abigail's crying became louder and louder. Her emotions were like a flood that burst a dam, and nothing could stop her.
…
Return to Renekton.
The waiting days were very difficult. Victor never got any news from Amanda, and he even wanted to go on the road alone.
However, the information about the living dead in Ghana is in Amanda's hands, and Victor doesn't even know where he is going.
If he wanted to set off alone, with the information he currently had, he could only find the location of Smith Manor first, but the woman named Harry was controlled by William's people, so it would be difficult for him to go find her and find out.
At this time, the call from the secret place broke Victor's anxiety accumulated while waiting.
Adolf suddenly contacted him and asked for some help.
When Victor put on yellow clothes and sat in the Taoist temple to communicate with Adolf, he realized that the other party was here to consult for detailed information about Salivan.