A son is so ashamed of his one-eyed mother that he hides her from the world and refuses to let her come to his graduation.
Most people didn’t know Derek Ryder had a mother. When his friends would talk about his parents, Derek would just shut up. He never invited his friends over to play video games or watch a film.
In fact, from primary schools until his last year in high school, no one ever came over to Derek’s house, ever. When he started dating a girl, he would tell her: ‘Look honey, my mum is very religious, she won’t let me date girls…’ – but it was a big lie to avoid meeting her.
The truth was ugly: Derek was ashamed of his mum. He didn’t want people to know she looked like something out of a horror film. Derek’s mum only had one eye and the left side of her face was covered in scars.
Gail Ryder had been like this since Derek could remember himself. When he was little, he didn’t even notice it – she was just his mum, but as he got older, he started to notice how people reacted to her.
He realised that his mum wasn’t like other people, his mum was UGLY. The first day he went to school he noticed how other mums flinched, even though his mum wore huge dark glasses and a hat.
‘I don’t want you to walk me to the gate, Mum!’ – he said to her that night. ‘I’ll walk myself.’
‘But, darling, all the other mums walk their children to class… You’re just a baby, aren’t you!’ – Gail said.
‘You’re a BASTARD!’ – Derek shouted. ‘I heard Bobby’s mum say that, and now everyone will think I’m a freak too!’
And from then on, Gail never came into the school again. She dropped Derek off and drove away, tears rolling down her right cheek. Her son was ashamed of her, and it tore at her heart.
As for Derek, he was fine as long as Gail stayed out of his public life – he pretended she was a recluse, fanatical religious, anything to keep anyone from finding out the truth.
But when it came time for graduation, Derek found himself in a quandary. He was elected valedictorian, and the principal patted him on the back, ‘Well, I hope we finally get to meet your mum!’ – he said. ‘I want to congratulate her in person!’
His mother? Derek couldn’t bring his mother to the prom! Everyone would have found out! But what could he do? That night he found an agency representing actors and hired an actress.
The woman he chose was the perfect image of the woman he had always dreamed of having as his mum. Beautiful, with a kind face, no scars. Derek carefully explained to the woman how she should dress and what to say, and then arranged for her to be taken away from his home.
When Gail saw Derek in his graduation gown, she gasped. “Derek! Is that today? Oh, give me time to get dressed!”
“Get dressed? For what?” – Derek asked.
“Like for what? For your prom, honey!” – replied Gail.
‘You’re not going!’ – Derek said coldly. ‘I’ve spent my whole life hiding you, do you think I need you to show up on the most important day of my life and show your ugly face?’
Gail’s eye filled with tears. ‘Derek,’ she whispered. ‘How can you be so cruel?’
‘Face it, Mum, you’re a freak, do you understand?’ – Derek shouted. “I’ve been ashamed of you my whole life. I hired someone to replace you, do you understand now?”
Gail turned deathly pale. She nodded. ‘Oh, my son,’ – she whispered. ‘I’m so sorry…’ But Derek had already turned and left the house. Two weeks later, he left home and went to California to study.
Derek never contacted his mother again, but ten years later he was notified of her death. The funeral was organised by her friends, but she left Derek her home and a substantial inheritance.
A substantial inheritance? Derek was stunned. Yes, his mother had paid for his college tuition, sending cheques every month, with letters Derek never read, but he didn’t think there would be anything substantial left.
Derek returned home and met with his mother’s lawyer, Terry Arlington. ‘Well, Mr Ryder, your mother left you almost $700,000 and a house that is valued at over $1.5 million…’
“But… I don’t understand! My mother led a modest life… My father, I think, left her, and gave her nothing…” – Derek exclaimed.
‘It was insurance and compensation, of course,’ said Arlington. ‘You know about it, of course?’
‘No!’ – said Derek, bewildered. ‘What are you talking about?’
“Mr Ryder, when you were three years old, you approached a strange dog in the park. When your mum saw it, she threw herself between you and the animal,” Arlington explained. ‘As a result, she was severely bitten, blinded and disfigured for life.’
‘But… That would have happened to me…’ – Derek whispered, his eyes filling with tears.
‘I always thought your mother was one of the bravest and most selfless people I’ve ever known, Mr Ryder, a true hero,’ Arlington said softly. ‘You must have been proud of her.’
Derek walked out, the lawyer’s last words ringing in his ears. He went to the cemetery, found his mum’s grave and knelt down, tears streaming down his face.
‘Oh, mum,’ he whispered. ‘You saved me and I’ve been so cruel to you… Oh Mum, I’m so sorry…’
From that day on, Derek vowed to hide nothing more about his past. He found one of the few pictures of his mum wearing big glasses to hide her scars and put it on his desk.
Every time he looked at it, he remembered her sacrifice and her kindness and remembered how selfish and cruel he had been to her.
What can we learn from this story?
- Be proud of your parents, no matter who they are or what they look like. Derek was vain and selfish, he treated his mother with contempt because of her ugliness.
- Remorse is a burden that the unjust carry through their lives. When Derek learned that his mother had been mutilated while saving him, he never forgave himself for his cruelty.
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