Debou's Correspondence with The Mother

4 January 1950

“Sweet Mother,” I said one day just as I was going out, “You will never leave me.” Right, Sweet Mother? You were holding my hand in yours and you said, “Never” with radiant eyes. “But,” you continued, “try not to misbehave.”

A thought wanted to come out, piercing my heart: “Ma, if your poor child misbehaves some day, you will leave him!”

No, that is not what I wanted to say; I wanted to say: “Do not take advantage of my promise never to leave you to slacken your effort and misbehave.”

4 January 1950