Old Lovers Don't Die Read Online Free Page B

Christian, that made his actions a little easier to accept. Strangely, the discovery seemed to have the opposite effect on his mother and she now refused to talk about his father at all. That was difficult to understand; there had to be something else that he did not understand about his father.
    “You know you don't have to decide on which specialty you want to follow straight away. In actual fact it would be quite a good idea just to gain experience in some other specialties before you make up your mind.”
    “That's what I was thinking about doing when I first decided to go overseas, and it would also give me a different perspective on medicine before I finally committed to surgical training.”
    “Well, I know that’s certainly what many young doctors are doing now, although I think, like your father, you are suited towards a surgical specialty. So where are you going to spend all this time; let me guess... South Africa?”
    Christian looked at his mother and smiled, thinking that she knew him so well, loving the way that her intuition on occasions manifested. Moreover, she had refrained from mentioning Isabella, which she nearly always did whenever South Africa came up in the conversation.
    “In actual fact you are in this instance right but only about the continent not the country.”
    Christian deliberately shortened the sentence so that it did not give the full amount of information, knowing that it would cause his mother, in that very familiar way of hers, to scrobiculate her brow. It was her distinctive way of indicating that she wanted more information but did not know whether it was polite to ask. They stood for a few minutes looking at each other smiling; understanding each other so well. Christian knew she wanted more information, and Renata knew that if she waited long enough, Christian would tell her what she wanted to know. They had played this game among themselves on many occasions over the years.
    “Okay, I give in this time,” said Renata. “So where is it that my adventurer son is intending to go?”
    “Rwanda.”
    Christian looked at his mother, trying to anticipate her reaction. He had been uncertain as to whether she would approve and knew that he would have to give her more details as to his decision. Nevertheless, it was always the initial reaction from his mother which was an indication of approval or otherwise.
    “Having two parents who are doctors and who have a need to both achieve and help people often means that the children of those parents may inherit some of those characteristics. Not always, and in many instances, children with achieving parents feel that they are not a priority. Those children end up with a determination within their own lives to be more family centric. You clearly are the former, and it would be impossible I think for anyone to distract someone as focused as you on what they want to achieve. I am delighted that you are now an independent achieving young man. I was incredibly impressed with the way that you dealt with the discoveries about your father in South Africa. I know that any decision you now make will have much thought behind it, great sensitivity, and maturity as well as having a remarkable chance of being both successful and enriching.”
    Christian got up out of his chair and walked towards his mother. Renata hardly ever used long sentences; her inclination was to be short and to the point. He had heard her lecture during his pathology course in third year. Always succinct, almost surgical in the way that she ensured the information was presented, amongst the forest of histology, she made sure everyone could see clearly the pathological trees. That is how she had always been as a mother, direct and to the point.
    “You know you are a pretty cool mum,” he said as he stood in front of her and took in a bear hug. “You have never said anything like that to me before. That really means a lot to me.”
    Christian rested on his chin on the top of her