The Last Chance

Her mother had called her last week and told her that she was getting too old to be single. She said that if Akiko didn’t find a man soon, she might never get one. She said that Akiko should come back to Japan and find a suitable husband there. Akiko had tried to explain that she was happy in Australia, and that she didn’t want to marry someone just for the sake of it, but her mother wouldn’t listen. She said that Akiko was being selfish and irresponsible, and that she was wasting her time and her youth.

Akiko knew that her mother meant well, but she felt hurt and angry by her words. She wanted to find love, but she also wanted to be respected for her choices. She didn’t want to settle for someone who didn’t share her values and interests. She wanted someone who understood her culture and her language, someone who could make her laugh and feel comfortable, someone who could be her partner and her friend.