Friday, March 7, 2014

My Mom Only Had One Eye

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family.

one-eye-woman




There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

How  could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and  ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, “EEEE, your  mom only has one eye!”




I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my  mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, “If you’re  only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?”

boy-shouting-at-mother




My  mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what  I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her  feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then,  I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was  happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother  came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she didn’t even meet  her grandchildren.


woman-by-the-door


When she stood by the door, my children laughed  at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at  her, “How dare you come to my house and scare my children! GET OUT OF  HERE! NOW!!!”

And to this, my mother quietly answered, “Oh, I’m so  sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address.” – and she disappeared out  of sight.
One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my  house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After  the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.





“My dearest son,
I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.
I  was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not  be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a  constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.
You  see……..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost  your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up  with one eye. So I gave you mine.
I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.


man-crying

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