daughter again. If she found out that you were not really her daughter it would kill her. So I’m warning you right now, if you tell her that you are not her daughter, then I will go to your house, and I will kill YOUR daughter. Do you understand me? Have I made myself perfectly clear?” Laura’s knees went weak as she almost fell to the floor. This was a threat that she had not expected. She didn’t even have the strength to answer him so she could only nod her obedience.
Like Jekyll and Hyde, Gerhard changed his mood instantly and prepared to unite mother and daughter and excitedly led Laura out into the living room where his mother was waiting eager to see her daughter Christine.
Hilda stood in the center of the room waiting to greet her long lost daughter.
Laura nervously entered, stopped a few feet away from Hilda, waiting for her reaction.
Hilda didn’t smile and throw her arms around Laura as one might expect but she looked Laura up and down very carefully, obviously inspecting her closely to see if this really was her daughter.
“You’ve been gone a long time. Where have you been?” She walked around Laura as she talked. Hilda felt Laura’s hair and squeezed the flesh of her arm. Laura didn’t think Hilda was actually expecting an answer so she kept silent. Her whole body was trembling but if Hilda noticed she didn’t say anything.
“Well you’re rather thin, you obviously haven’t been eating much. Sit down and have some cookies. I made your favorites.” Hilda said this as a command not an invite.
They all sat down and Gerhard breathed a sigh of relief as it became obvious that his mother accepted Laura as her daughter Christine. Laura took a cookie in her hand but her mouth was so dry she didn’t see how she could possibly eat it. Hilda didn’t seem to notice.
“It’s good that you’re back, but don’t expect any fancy welcome home parties.
You really hurt me when you ran away.”
Hilda sat in one of the reclining chairs. Her stomach hung over the sides of the chair. Her gray hair, wild and uncombed, her plump face rather pale and there was a trace of perspiration on her upper lip. It was clear the trip down the stairs was a chore for her. She was wearing a large, flowery dress that had no shape to it, and large slip on shoes. Laura just sat on the couch holding her cookie with one hand looking down at the hand cuff and chain not knowing if she should speak or not. Gerhard sat across from her in the matching love seat, grinning. Clearly he was happy with the situation.
Hilda then began to talk to Laura with a stern voice, “Well, eat your cookie and have some milk, but don’t eat more than one or two. We’ll be having supper soon. I’m making pork chops with apple sauce and scalloped potatoes. I hope you still like them.
Gerhard said you probably have lots of new favorites but I hope you don’t expect me to wait on you and treat you like a princess. Just because you’re chained down here and can’t come upstairs and do the cooking, doesn’t mean I’m going to cook everything you want. I’ll cook what I want and you’ll just have to live with it. Is that clear?!” Hilda glared at Laura.
“Yes ma’am, that will be fine.” Laura whispered.
“Ma’am? Ma’am? What’s this ma’am stuff?” roared Hilda as she threw back her head and laughed. “Maybe that trip you took out into the world actually taught you some manners.”
Laura tried to eat the cookie but she was grateful for the glass of milk because the cookie seemed to stick in her throat. She hoped she would be able to keep it down. She didn’t notice what the cookie tasted like.
“I watched my shows upstairs today while I baked the cookies, but normally I watch TV down here in the afternoon. So you can get used to that. You can watch TV
with me or read a book in your room, whatever you like. We had a maid clean the place for awhile but after Gerhard installed the chain he had her stop cleaning the basement.
Like Jekyll and Hyde, Gerhard changed his mood instantly and prepared to unite mother and daughter and excitedly led Laura out into the living room where his mother was waiting eager to see her daughter Christine.
Hilda stood in the center of the room waiting to greet her long lost daughter.
Laura nervously entered, stopped a few feet away from Hilda, waiting for her reaction.
Hilda didn’t smile and throw her arms around Laura as one might expect but she looked Laura up and down very carefully, obviously inspecting her closely to see if this really was her daughter.
“You’ve been gone a long time. Where have you been?” She walked around Laura as she talked. Hilda felt Laura’s hair and squeezed the flesh of her arm. Laura didn’t think Hilda was actually expecting an answer so she kept silent. Her whole body was trembling but if Hilda noticed she didn’t say anything.
“Well you’re rather thin, you obviously haven’t been eating much. Sit down and have some cookies. I made your favorites.” Hilda said this as a command not an invite.
They all sat down and Gerhard breathed a sigh of relief as it became obvious that his mother accepted Laura as her daughter Christine. Laura took a cookie in her hand but her mouth was so dry she didn’t see how she could possibly eat it. Hilda didn’t seem to notice.
“It’s good that you’re back, but don’t expect any fancy welcome home parties.
You really hurt me when you ran away.”
Hilda sat in one of the reclining chairs. Her stomach hung over the sides of the chair. Her gray hair, wild and uncombed, her plump face rather pale and there was a trace of perspiration on her upper lip. It was clear the trip down the stairs was a chore for her. She was wearing a large, flowery dress that had no shape to it, and large slip on shoes. Laura just sat on the couch holding her cookie with one hand looking down at the hand cuff and chain not knowing if she should speak or not. Gerhard sat across from her in the matching love seat, grinning. Clearly he was happy with the situation.
Hilda then began to talk to Laura with a stern voice, “Well, eat your cookie and have some milk, but don’t eat more than one or two. We’ll be having supper soon. I’m making pork chops with apple sauce and scalloped potatoes. I hope you still like them.
Gerhard said you probably have lots of new favorites but I hope you don’t expect me to wait on you and treat you like a princess. Just because you’re chained down here and can’t come upstairs and do the cooking, doesn’t mean I’m going to cook everything you want. I’ll cook what I want and you’ll just have to live with it. Is that clear?!” Hilda glared at Laura.
“Yes ma’am, that will be fine.” Laura whispered.
“Ma’am? Ma’am? What’s this ma’am stuff?” roared Hilda as she threw back her head and laughed. “Maybe that trip you took out into the world actually taught you some manners.”
Laura tried to eat the cookie but she was grateful for the glass of milk because the cookie seemed to stick in her throat. She hoped she would be able to keep it down. She didn’t notice what the cookie tasted like.
“I watched my shows upstairs today while I baked the cookies, but normally I watch TV down here in the afternoon. So you can get used to that. You can watch TV
with me or read a book in your room, whatever you like. We had a maid clean the place for awhile but after Gerhard installed the chain he had her stop cleaning the basement.
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