My mother was a country woman, yes. But she was the most generous, selfless person I'd ever known. She had never taken a single thing from anyone—least of all from Elmer. Everything she'd ever done for him was pure giving, never asking.
When Elmer was scraping together funds to launch his startup, my mother handed over her entire life savings without a moment's hesitation.
When she learned about his chronic stomach problems, she made nourishing soups and herbal remedies no matter how busy she was, shipping them hundreds of miles to the city.
And this was the woman Elmer called greedy. A woman who had treated him like her own son—reduced in his mouth to a shameless freeloader who deserved to be beaten.
Something inside me went cold. When I spoke again, my voice was quieter, stripped of urgency.
"Elmer, she's hurt badly. I'm telling you—send someone to get her to a hospital. After all, she raised you. That wasn't easy."
He exploded.
"What is wrong with you, Margaret? When has your mother ever raised me?"
"No wonder Lorraine couldn't help herself. With a daughter like you, your mother had it coming!"