The Home-Coming

"The Home-Coming" was a melancholy, sad story. A woman who seems to be somewhat elderly is coming home to her native land and is met at the bus station by her daughter. Her daughter has obviously grown into a young woman that this mother seems proud of, but her sadness is palpable as she reflects on the fact that she has missed out on so much of her daughters life while she has been away. It never becomes clear exactly why this woman has been forced to live away from her home and her family, even as she reflects on the fact that her "homecoming" is a bit less than a jubilant celebration. She does reveal that she has been working for a woman (I'm assuming a white woman) and her family, but she never states if this was imposed on her by force, or if this was the job she undertook in order to support her family. The end of the story does seem to be a bit more promising as the young woman's daughter says that their are people waiting to greet them at their intended destination. I wish the story would have continued on because I felt so sorry for this mom that I wanted to read about her having a little bit of joy at the end of her journey.