"George, how could you do that?" asked Sula. In a fluid and easy manner, she dipped the streaky pork in barbecue sauce, wrapped it in a lettuce leaf and put it in his bowl. George and Sula sat facing each other. She spoke to him in a slightly reproachful tone,"You know what her general health has been like these last few years. But you were so angry with her and spoke such harsh words. After you left her that day, she lay quietly in the hotel the entire day and night without eating anything. If something had happened to her, would it have made you happy?"
"It's all my fault", Holley said in a dramatic tone, sitting next to him. Deep in her heart she hoped that Donna would actually fall sick and never recover. She continued,"They quarreled so fiercely because of me. I am to blame."
"Holley." Sula had a gentle smile on her face, but what she said was not gentle at all. "Whatever happened because of you is not something that is reward worthy. Don't be so anxious to take credit for it. It has nothing to do with you specifically but is a general matter between mother and son."
Sula's words made Holley sulk. At that very moment she knew that Sula was a more tricky character than Donna. It was going to be difficult to handle this woman.
After hearing that Donna was not feeling well, George looked worried. He looked at his mother and asked,"Why didn't you call me?"
"Would it have worked to lessen your anger? Would you have come running to take care of me?" said Donna, with a faint sneer on her face.
When she said this, George remembered that she had made many phone calls to him, but he had ignored them in his anger. He could not help regretting his unbecoming behavior.
Holley gritted her teeth. When Donna and Sula had entered the room, she had been having the upper hand with George. But things had gone wrong when Sula began to talk. Just a few words from her had made George worry about Donna's health. Holley knew she had to sway George soon. What could she do next?
George looked at Donna and said,"Mother, if you hadn't been so unreasonable, I wouldn't have gone so far as not to answer the phone."
He sighed,"If Holley had not arranged this meeting today, I still would not have seen you. I know that you have not liked her ever since I started dating her. But I like her. I am so happy when we are together, and I really want to live with her for the rest of my life."
When Donna heard that, she immediately wanted to laugh and ridicule it, but Sula, sitting beside her, pulled her arm gently to remind her that she should be patient and play her cards right.
They had lost so many times that they just could not continue to lose further.
Donna, reminded by Sula, forced herself not to say a word.
Donna's silence encouraged George to talk more. "Mother, even if you don't like Holley, it does not mean that you can go into the ward and beat her up like that. Just look at her face. It hasn't recovered yet. What kind of hatred do you harbour for her? Is your dislike so strong that you could not control yourself from whacking her?"
"It was…" Donna stammered. 'She deserved it!'
Donna thought but thankfully did not blurt out.
Holley smiled and pretended to be very sensible and understanding. She said to George,"It's all right. What has happened has happened. Don't speak of that any more. That injury is trivial. Don't make a fuss about it. It's OK."
She looked at Donna with a deliberately provocative smile.
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