Harsh Words From A Son
Nothing Worse A Mother Could Hear
In the small town of Oakridge, amidst the rolling hills of Dunham in East Anglia, lived the Hadleigh family. Albert Hadleigh was a respected blacksmith, known for his fine spears and deathly swords. His wife, Edith, a wool trader was beloved by all and known for her gentle soul and kindness.
To their neighbours and friends, Edith was the epitome of motherhood – a devoted figure who showered her children with boundless love and affection. She was often found in the local market with her only daughter, Mildred, or making wool skins for her two sons, Alfred and Wilfred.
Behind closed doors, a different story unfolded. Edith’s affection for her husband had long since waned, replaced by a cold indifference that left her feeling lonely and unfulfilled. She had high hopes for Albert as he was of royal blood, a kinsman to King Henry of Willowbrook, a border town to Dunham. Albert, instead chose to lead a humble life, opting not to pursue a life of politics and bureaucracy.
Their marriage, once filled with promise and passion, had become a shell of its former self, weighed down by unspoken resentments and unmet expectations.
Alfred, their eldest son, witnessed the strained dynamics within his parents' relationship. He watched his father pour his heart and soul into catering for the family, only to receive little affection in return from Edith. Though Alfred admired his mother’s unwavering dedication to his siblings and him, he couldn’t help but feel a throe of sadness for the unrequited love that defined his parent’s marriage.
On the evening of the town's weekly feast, a heated argument sprung up between Albert and Edith, Alfred could not hold back his frustration any longer. "You're the best mother any son could ask for," he exclaimed, his voice tinged with bitterness, "but I would never wish for a wife like you."
The words hung heavy in the air. Edith’s eyes were filled with tears as she absorbed the sting of her son’s words while Albert looked on, the shock nailed his tongue into silence. Mildred was next to burst into tears as she was overwhelmed by all the chaos as Wilfred looked on in disbelief.
In the days that followed, Alfred grappled with the weight of his words, haunted by the realization that he hurt his mother with words that pierced deeper than any sword ever made by his father. Though he couldn’t change the past, he vowed to cherish the relationship that truly mattered in his own life, the exemplary mother-son relationship he had with Edith.
