Scarlet’s POV

“Hello dear,” My mom said to Pathum once he picked up the phone.

“Hel…lo,” he answered, his voice trembling with fear.

I exchanged a concerned glance with my mom upon hearing the tone in his voice. I hoped that he wouldn’t freak out too much about talking on the phone, but part of me knew my hopes would be in vain thanks to his panic exploding and a storm of thoughts enveloping his whole world.

My mom turned away from me, but I still heard her saying the following words to Pathum.

“Are you scared, dear?”

“Umm..” He raised his voice, but no words came from his end.

“Awww!” I said, giggling a little at the adorable way he stammered.

My mom shot me a curious look out of the corner of her eye, and my expression mainly became blank except for the slightly amused twinkle in my eyes.

Pathum was too cute sometimes.

Mom shook her head before returning to the phone.

“Come on, dear. There’s no reason for you to fear me,” she said in a soft, reassuring voice that I had often heard her use when comforting Abigail. “Do you understand me, Pathum?”

It was a few short moments before he managed to speak again, but it was barely audible.

“Yes…. Mmmm, Mama Scarlet?”

She smiled before schooling her features into a stern look and speaking firmly.

“All right, sweetie, I need you to calm down. We are not going to eat you, and I’m not going to hurt you, either. But tell me, what was that picture about? Were you thinking about self-harm?”

His voice on the other line went silent after she asked him this. He was trying to think of the best answer for her. Mom and I waited for him to answer, with me tapping my foot and shooting the phone with impatient looks.

“I’m so sorry, Mama Scarlet. I was not in the right state of mind,” he managed to say in a small voice.

Mom’s features softened at his tone.

“Oh, it’s okay, dear. But tell me, why did you want to harm yourself?” Mom pressed gently.

I was quite surprised by the way she talked to him. She was calm and collected, her expression compassionate, but more importantly, her voice was soothing.

I’m glad she’s my mom. Frankly, I am proud of her. It's mesmerizing to see her handle a problem in my life as if it were her own.

“Well, I’m scared for my mother’s life, Mama Scarlet. I didn’t know what else to do. It was like I was helpless,” he explained after a few minutes.

Mom took a deep breath, and he continued stuttering, which I think is cute, though I am sure he’s angry with himself.

My mom clenched the phone tightly in her left hand. It was almost like the phone was going to break. She looked at me, a frown marring her lovely features.

I mirrored her expression.

All the while, we were both thinking about how we wanted to help him through this but couldn’t figure out how to do so. It was a very confusing and problematic situation.

My mom looked at me with concern. We wanted to help him, but how?

Mom pursed her lips before replying to him.

“Why are you scared, my dear?”

“Well…. If COVID manages to kill my mom, I’d die myself. It’s not worth living my life without her by my side. She’s been my whole world since I was a little boy.”

His saddened words broke my heart, but I clenched my fist, anger flowing. My mom’s grip on the phone had slackened during the conversation, but now it seemed to have tightened again. She gritted her teeth, her eyes hard and unyielding. When she spoke, it was in a sorrowful tone.

“Do you think your mom would be able to rest in peace knowing that you’ve gone and messed your life up?”

“No, I don’t think so, but I want you to understand that this situation was all my fault! If I had gone to Aunty Nirmala’s instead of her, she would be fine. It would’ve been me!” he replied, his voice agonized.

Mom bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath.

“No, dear, you have got it all wrong. It was supposed to happen. God has His way when He makes plans. You might not see it now, but once you pass this stage, you’ll understand,” she said, trying to be as convincing as possible.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Pathum was not soothed by my mom’s words. It only served to make his anxiety much worse.

“But if I had gone to deliver that package, none of this would’ve happened,” he insisted.

“Don’t say that, Pathum. Please,” Mom replied.

The mind worsens things and shows us something we can't rely on.

Pathum scoffed in disbelief over the phone.

“Nevertheless, isn’t it all my fault?” he asked in such a miserable voice that my mom didn’t know how to respond. All she could do was hold the phone to her ear and listen as he continued his tirade. “I was supposed to go to the neighbour’s. But no, my mom did, and now, she’s at the hospital, suffering from a horrible illness. All because I was a lazy, selfish prick.”

“Pathum, I know I keep saying this, but it’s not your fault, son.” My mom’s kind, soothing voice had me gaping at her in shock.

She just addressed him as ‘son?’ What’s going on, dear Lord?

Whatever she said made us break apart because the next thing he did was cry—we heard him. Are we still going to ignore the fact that she called him son? Maybe that’s why he’s in tears.

It took him a few more minutes to speak, but even then, he was choked up in tears.

“When I last spoke to the personnel at the hospital, they did not have good news for me. They said that my mom’s confused, having trouble breathing and staying awake. It’s so awful! Please stop telling me I’m not to blame for her being sick because I am. She’s in there, fighting for her life and her health because of me. Oh, Mama Scarlet, I’m so scared for her!” Pathum continued to sob while managing to make his voice audible.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as my mom and I looked at each other. I could see the worry in my mom’s eyes. She wanted nothing more than to be there for him, but we were hundreds of miles apart.

It was nearly impossible.

Still, Mom tried her best.

“Oh, son, I wish I was there to hug you and help you see that everything will be alright. Yes, your mom’s not in a good place right now, but trust in the Lord; He has a reason to put her in this position,” Mom explained as comfortingly as she could.

“But why? Why would He put her in such a critical condition?” he asked, his voice breaking on the last word.

I watched my mom shake her head, unaware that Pathum couldn't see it.

“Honestly, Son, I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know the answer. I guess it’s something you’ll need to discover. But to do that, you’ll have to stay alive. Do you understand?” My mom asked firmly, and she heard affirmation from him before continuing in a firm voice. “Scarlet told me what you attempted to do to yourself, and it made me realise that you’re not in a good place mentally. But don’t give up. It’s worth fighting for another day to see the sunrise. So, don’t hurt or kill yourself again. Do you understand me, Pathum?”

When I was finished, he started apologizing profusely to Scarlet and me. It was hard to understand him because he was talking so fast, but we listened to him the best we could. What we could understand broke our hearts.

“Yes, Mama Scarlet, I attempted to harm myself, but I know it was stupid of me to do. I’m so, so, sorry for putting you and Scarlet through this. I dropped the knife, I don’t know how or why I did, but I’m glad. It prevented me from harming myself,” he said, his tone becoming more serene with every word.

I nodded firmly, and with satisfaction on my face. I knew he would listen to Scarlet and I, and stay alive. That was all we could ask for.

“As I’ve said before, Pathum, God’s watching you. He has His plan for your life. Trust in Him to heal your Mom, and trust in Mama Scarlet. I believe the love I’m feeling for you isn’t out of pity, but of purpose, well-being, and the bond you share with Scarlet. I see you as my own child.”

I gaped at her in surprise.

Did she call herself mama?

I was so shocked, I didn’t speak. I tapped my mom’s shoulder, and stared at her, my eyebrow raised in confusion. She crossed her arms and reciprocated the expression.

“What is it, daughter?”

“Did you call yourself mama, or did I hear it wrong, or did you mean it for his mother.”

She chuckled and pointed to herself.

“What? I can’t call myself mama?”

When I looked her in the eye, she seemed so serious. My heart blossomed at the sight of my mom loving my bestie. That was all I could ask for.

Is this a blessing in disguise? First, it was the mess with Victor, and now the coronavirus is infecting his mom. Are these happening because they were meant to bring us together? Is this a part of God's conundrum? I don't know. All that I know is that having some faith will take us on a great journey.

“Are you saying he’s considering you as his mother?” I asked. A second later, I realised the worth of my words.

Oh, God, I shouldn’t have said that. I thought, embarrassed and facepalmed.

Mom smiled but it wasn't a wide grin. However, her smile widened as Pathum surprised us by speaking aloud.

“I might not love you as much as my mom, but I’ll call you Mama Scarlet and love you nevertheless. I’m more than happy to do so.”

A second later, my mom burst into tears of joy, her entire face lighting up. Abigail and I followed, clutching each other’s hands.

We called him to console and stop his tears, but we ended up in tears ourselves. He’s adorable!

Over the next few minutes, Abigail and I talked to him, and he was more responsive now than he had been when he first answered the phone. It was great. He sounded comfortable, but he would’ve freaked out if it had been a video call.

Maybe we could try that another day when he’s in a better mood.

Or maybe today.

I contemplated the thought and typed the message asking him whether he was okay. I would not want to do it if he was uncomfortable. He has had a troubling day, and I do not wish to add to it.

I got a message back a few moments later.

Pathum: It’s nighttime here, but not too late. However, you know that I’m horrible when it comes to taking video calls. I stammer when the other person can see me.

Scarlet: Aww, shut up, Pathum! Abigail here really wants to see how cute you are! She’s thinking I’m exaggerating about it. So, are you going to stand up for me or not?

Pathum: But I’m ugly …

Scarlet: No, you’re not. Now, are you ready? Yes, or no?

Pathum: But Scarlet…..a video call is kinda a big thing. How about we plan this for another day?

Scarlet: Yes, or no?

Pathum: Scarlet…

Scarlet: YES or NO?