An independent woman

Early next morning Susan went to find the address in Jenny's background file. Her house was located in a little village near a large lagoon connected to the Northern sea. It took them no more than 20 minutes to reach this village, but the change in scenery made it feel like they had entered another country entirely. Soon she found herself in front of their doorstep and Susan took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. This was her last chance. Her mother was the only other person who could help Susan convince Jenny and she was to return to England tomorrow at noon.

A few moments of silence passed and just as she wanted to ring the doorbell again, she could hear a key unlocking the door. Susan stood face to face with a gentle woman of short stature. She looked in her late forties, early fifties and matched the description of Jenny's mother perfectly. The woman greeted her in Dutch and looked at her questioningly. Susan woke up from her daze and gestured for the translator to come to the front.

She knew Jenny's mother did not speak English so she came prepared. She hired an Afghan translator who could speak Dutch and English. This way they could use whatever language was convenient. Especially considering the importance of today's conversation, Susan could not risk running into language barrier problems. The translator started the conversation with Jenny's mother, by asking which language she would prefer and she settled on a common Afghan language. Now the real conversation could begin.

Susan began talking and as she spoke, the translator translated her words into Afghan for Jenny's mother. "Hello, my name is Susan Westwood. You don't know me, but I know your daughter. I want to discus something with you and I hoped we could talk inside." As the translator repeated Susan's words in Afghan, Jenny's mother's face showed different emotions. The most strongly present being suspicion. Who could blame her. All of a sudden a translator, a foreign woman and two men dressed in black stood in front of her door unannounced. However, seeing as one of her fellow countrymen was present, she decided to trust them and let them in. Jenny's mother, being the welcoming woman that she is, hurried her guests in and offered them something to drink and some refreshments. After making sure her guests were taken care of, she finally took place on the large one piece couch in the living room. She then gestured for Susan to speak.

Susan began by recalling the events of the past two days. Susan told her that she had met her daughter under the name Jenny at an event for an elderly home and was instantly charmed by her. She had asked Jenny the following day to marry her son and move with them to England. She explained how she had offered Jenny free schooling at an elite school, compensation and even to have her family move along with her. Jenny had rejected it all and even got angry because she thought they were trying to "buy" her. "You see, I am afraid that she is not seeing how this situation can benefit her as well because of her pride. It would take away a financial burden on all of you, present you with many opportunities and could give her a chance at happiness. I hope that as a mother you can see what this could mean for both families"

Jenny's mother did not say a word till Susan was done talking. Even then she was trying to take everything in. Finally she gave Susan an answer. "I understand what you are saying and I can imagine why my daughter rejected you. I have always raised her to be an independent woman and to make sure she never has to ask someone else for money. Over the years this has made her unable to accept any monetary help from anyone. You must understand that even if she goes with you to your country, this habit will remain." After a short pause she continued.