Four Slices of Cake

What do mothers mean to us? What do we learn from them and what is our favourite memory with our mother? They are the strongest, most persistent people who never give up, who we can always count on. The next story presents a mother, a hero who lives for her children.

When I was a child, we rarely got any sweets. However, when mom went to the shop, we always looked forward to her return with great expectations. What will she bring us today? Lollypop? Melon-flavoured chewing gum? Or jellybeans?

I remember, one day she drew a deep breath as she left to the shop. All we had was 500 HUF and she wanted to buy bread. I didn’t know how much 500 HUF was worth back in those days, but it must have been similar as it is today: not very much. When mom got home, she put down the bread on the table. She took out two lollipops from her pocket and gave them to us smilingly, then went to the kitchen to cook some potatoes.

I remember, I was 6 years old when I first got a cake. It was a chocolate cake. We bought 4 slices, that was all we could afford. The five of us sat at the table and there was only four slices.

“I’m not hungry”, my mother said.

She lived for us, she always fought and struggled to make things better for us, so that we don’t feel what want is like. And even though in my childhood our family lacked many things I never felt it.

Mom always found a way, even when my father was enraged. She found a way when dad sold everything we had at home. She found a way when dad, drunk, left her with the children, pregnant with the third (me). She found a way when my older sister died, she never gave up fighting for us, even though she also died that day. She stayed here for us, for my older and my younger brother.

I feel so selfish! I never thanked her for all this. Mom, thank you, thank you for BEING MY HERO! You taught me about unconditional love, you taught me about devotion, you taught me to never give up.

Szandra Kovács