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Summary of "The Last Time I Saw Mother"?

Sarah Gabornes Caridad lives in Sydney with her family. It has been a long time since the last time she visited her homeland-- the Philippines. She writes to her cou…moreCaridad lives in Sydney with her family. It has been a long time since the last time she visited her homeland-- the Philippines. She writes to her cousin/ best friend Mia, and it has been a long time since the last times since she wrote to her mother. And her mother to her. Until that one day when she was summoned to come home. Her mother wants to talk to her.

She went home, finding out that the place where she grew up did not change that much. Since her father died, her mother wanted things to stay as they were, so the memories will at least be preserved. When she visited her mother Thelma in her room, she was told that she was not her child.

The beginning of Caridad's story was told by her biological mother, Emma. It was mostly about the war years: How their family suffered through hunger and poverty and how their family found happiness on simple things. Though facing dark and tough times, their lives were somehow colored with the presence of their father Alfonso. But everything changed with his passing, and Caridad's birth three weeks after her father died. It was then revealed that Thelma offered to raise the child as her own.

Ligaya then tells Caridad that Thelma offered to raise Caridad and provide for her in exchange of financial support for Emma and her family until the children can make lives for themselves. But Ligaya's story was now more on how she married her husband for money, not for love. It was to help her family out of poverty, but Enrique, her husband has always known this.

The last person to tell the story was Thelma. Hers was a story of a middle-twenties woman who was married to a wealthy Chinese family who struggled not only to belong on their family but also to provide an heir for her husband. A child was brought to her home, not knowing that Raoul, her husband had a lovechild with his office mate. When the child dies, she lost her faith on God. But not soon after, her brother-in-law died, and sees the opportunity to take from Emma her youngest.

Thelma asked forgiveness for what she had done. But she sees it as a good deed, as she was able to give not only Caridad a good life, but also gave a good future for her siblings.

Caridad get all the answers to her questions and forgives her mother. (less)

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