“Hello! I’m here about the room advertised!”
Standing in the doorway of the flat where Jane Stevens lived was a typical “grey mouse” character: dressed in some worn jeans and a faded t-shirt, her feet clad in well-used trainers, carrying a rather unimpressive bag. Her light, wavy hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail, and not a trace of makeup adorned her face. The only notable feature about this unassuming girl was her eyes—large, blue, and bright.
After taking a closer look at the girl, Jane nodded, “Come in!”
“So, my dear, don’t waste electricity, conserve water, and be economical with everything, understand?! Keep everything clean! No guests allowed! Any questions?”
The girl smiled and nodded, “Yes, understood!”
“Compliant,” thought Jane, “A rarity these days… You can tell she just came from the countryside.” From further conversation, it turned out the girl’s name was Elizabeth, and indeed she had come from a village where her family ran a farm. She had moved to the city to study veterinary medicine.
“Got it! You’ll be healing pigs!” Jane concluded.
Elizabeth showed no signs of taking offense, just smiled: “Pigs, cows, horses, as well as cats and dogs—all of them! Animals can get sick too.”
“Right, right! There’s no one around to treat the people, but pigs get the VIP treatment!” Jane groused.
***
Overall, the lodger made a pleasant impression on Jane: modest, not pushy, quiet, obedient, tidy. She kept the flat in order, cooked for herself, and even treated Jane to her cooking.
Elizabeth’s pancakes were particularly successful: appetizing, thin as cigarette paper, airy and golden. Jane couldn’t help but reach for more! These pancakes were culinary wonders: they seemed to melt in your mouth even before they reached your stomach.
Jane Stevens and Elizabeth even became friends of sorts, sometimes spending evenings together over a cup of tea.
All might have continued well and Elizabeth could have completed her degree peacefully, living in Jane Stevens’ rental. But then, Jane’s son Michael returned after six months working up north. A robust young man, even handsome (“Just like his father,” Jane sighed to herself).
Jane liked to affectionately call her beloved son the French version, “Michel.” Michael grimaced at this, like he had a toothache, but endured it because, well, “It’s Mum.”
Jane had raised her son on her own, which might be why she considered him her personal possession. So, the fact that her Michel was having cozy chats with the lodger in the kitchen, eagerly devouring her pancakes, shocked Jane. And not just the pancakes! This “scoundrel” was also eyeing the “dairymaid” with great interest. Jane turned grey with this realization.
“My son has no taste at all!” This horrifying thought raced through her mind.
***
From that point, Jane began to despise her lodger: even the floors were cleaned wrong now, her way of speaking was irritating, and even the pancakes no longer seemed as tasty. What terrified Jane the most was the lovestruck gaze her son fixed on this “pale fungus” from the farm.
“He’s never looked at his own mother, his only true family, like that!” she thought indignantly, sobbing into her pillow at night.
“I nursed a serpent on my bosom!” she cried to her close friend—a fellow lonely lady of her age, Irma.
“I thought Michel wouldn’t even glance at her! That’s why I let her in! And now she’s got not only her eyelashes fluttering but also her hair down, and she’s tempting him with pancakes!”
Irma listened, oohing and ahhing, offering her own opinion:
“Jane, be careful, she might enchant your son!” These words added fuel to Jane’s fiery hatred and misunderstanding, nearly driving her to a heart attack.
It’s not that Jane believed in enchantments… she thought all that was “nonsense and barbarism,” but the idea of another woman grabbing her son’s attention drove her mad. She spent her days mulling over how to drive her son away from this “farm girl.” But, of course, she wasn’t about to act like a brute and throw the girl out—at least not yet. Doing that might make her lose her son if he left as a result.
“No, I must be clever, find a way to make her look bad so my son will turn away from her.”
***
Jane spent days pondering how to dissuade her son. Meanwhile, Elizabeth went about her days as if nothing had happened, baking her pancakes, cooking stews, pretending not to notice Jane’s piercing stare. Once, she even asked:
“Mrs. Stevens, are you feeling unwell? You seem a bit sad and pale… and not eating.”
“All is fine!” Jane muttered and retreated into her room to ponder her next move to rid herself of the “wretch”. Her mind entertained all sorts of thoughts, even a fleeting notion of poisoning the impudent girl. But Jane crossed herself quickly: “Forgive me, Lord! Such sinful thoughts!”
While Jane was busy plotting, Michael came home one day with a ring and flowers, proposing to Elizabeth! Jane utterly lost her composure.
“He doesn’t even care that his mother is here, that scoundrel!” she lamented the whole night into her pillow, “I mean nothing to him! He only loves that girl!”
Jane angrily wiped her tears, looked out the window, turned, and her eye fell on her bedside table—her emerald earrings lay there. An inheritance from her mother, they were cherished family heirlooms. She remembered with what admiration Elizabeth had always looked at the earrings and praised their beauty.
“I’ll show her!” Jane hissed under her breath, decisively taking the earrings, wrapping them in a handkerchief, and tucking them into her handbag.
Truthfully, she didn’t quite know what she was doing or what her next move would be.
***
In the morning, Jane woke up in a good mood, intending to oust this farmer’s daughter from her home for good. She arrived at breakfast, putting on a sugary smile. While buttering her bread, she turned to her son: “Michel, you didn’t happen to take my emerald earrings, did you? I can’t find them anywhere…”
“Mum, why would I? What would I do with them—Am I some belle of the ball?” Michael replied, puzzled.
Then Jane turned with a smirk to Elizabeth: “Have you seen my earrings?”
Elizabeth blushed, the mere notion of being accused of theft made her uneasy and tearful.
“I didn’t take anything!” Elizabeth said quietly, choking on tears.
“Well, what did I say?! It was her! She pocketed them and sent them off to her pauper relations in the country…”
“But my family isn’t poor,” the girl countered, “and we’ve never taken what wasn’t ours! Why accuse me like this?”
“Why? Return my earrings at once and get out of my house.”
“I don’t have any of your belongings… You can even call the police if you like!”
“And what good would that do? They’ve already been sent to your family!”
Jane had completely lost control of herself, plummeting deeper into the abyss of insults, unable to stop the stream of vile accusations aimed at the girl.
“Mum, what are you saying? Liz couldn’t have done such a thing! You probably just misplaced them,” insisted Michael.
All three of them searched the flat thoroughly until Michael accidentally nudged his mum’s handbag, and the handkerchief with the earrings fell out.
Michael stood there frozen with the evidence in hand.
“How could you, Mum?” was all he could say, eyes filled with disappointment.
“I simply made a mistake, son, you see, I forgot!” Jane Stevens attempted to fib.
“Mum, I saw everything! You were terrible! Liz and I are leaving to find our own place,” declared Michael.
“Wait, you’ll regret it with that girl!” Jane Stevens shouted through tears.
Michael quietly exited the room, took Elizabeth by the hand, and led her out of Jane Stevens’ home. They rented a place, got married, and were quite happy together. Then one day, Michael received a call from Irma.
“Mike, your mum’s in the hospital! She’s had a heart attack. She’s crying, wants to see you…” Upon hearing that her mother-in-law was unwell, Elizabeth began preparing immediately, making steamed cutlets, chicken broth with pies, and buying some fruits along the way.
Mike didn’t visit his mother, claiming he was too busy.
***
When Elizabeth arrived at the hospital room, Jane Stevens broke down in tears. She had hoped her son would visit, but it was this loathsome girl, whom she blamed for ruining her life, robbing her of her dearest possession, who came instead.
“Well, what’s brought you down, Mum? Here, have some broth and pies,” Elizabeth offered. “Want me to feed you while it’s still hot?”
“And why didn’t Michel come?” Jane asked quietly, disappointment in her voice.
“Mike’s very busy with work…”
Jane Stevens nodded in understanding and wept.
“Forgive me, Lizzy, I’ve wronged you… Please come back, I miss you both so much.”
“Oh, don’t talk like that, Mum, you’re not to blame, you just forgot and got upset! Everything will be fine.”
When Liz left, Jane’s hospital mate remarked: “What a lovely daughter you have! Beautiful, kind, attentive!”
Jane smiled, “Yes, she is a dear one!”
When Jane Stevens recovered, she was taken home by Michael and Elizabeth. They all lived together in Jane’s flat until Liz finished her studies. Then they moved to her family’s farm, where there was plenty of space and work. Jane enjoyed life there so much she didn’t want to hear about the city anymore. Their son, Alex, born in the years following, was adored by all. While Liz’s parents managed the farm, Liz took care of the animals, and Michael ran the farm’s store, Jane devoted her attention to little Alex.
Now, Jane often says, “God must have sent me that lodger!” Life can be funny that way.
