My One-eyed Mum

My mum only had one eye ... she was such an embarrassment. She ran a small shop at a flea market and collected little weeds and such to sell, anything for the money we needed.

It was field day during Primary school and she turned up. How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out of the class.

The next day, my friends taunted me: "Your mum only has one eye!"

I wished that she would just disappear from this earth, so I said to her: "Mum, why is it you don't have the other eye? If you're only going to make me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?"

She did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I'd always wanted. She didn't punish me; maybe that's why I didn't think that I had hurt her feelings.

That night, I woke up and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Mum was there, crying quietly out of her one eye, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took one look at her and turned away. Something pinched at the corner of my heart, but I told myself that I would grow up and become successful because I hated my one-eyed parent and our desperate poverty.

So I studied really hard and got a place in a foreign university. With all the confidence I had, I left home to further my studies.

Then I married, bought a house and had kids. I was happy and successful. I liked living where I was because it didn't remind me of my past. Until one day ...

What? Who's this? It was my mother, still with her one eye. My little girl was scared of her and ran from the door.

"Who are you? I don't know you!" I screamed at her, as if by saying that, I could convince myself it was true. "How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter. Get out of here, now!"

To this, mum quietly answered: "Oh, I'm so sorry. I must have the wrong address." And she disappeared from my sight. I was quite relieved that she hadn't recognised me.

I told myself that I wasn't going to care or think about this incident. Then I received a letter about my school reunion. I told my wife that I was going on a business trip and headed back for the gathering.

Then, more out of curiosity, I went down to the old shack that I used to call home. There I found my mother, lying alone on the cold floor. She had a piece of paper in her hand, addressed to me.

"My son, I think I have lived long enough. I won't visit you any more. But would it be too much to ask that you come and see me once in a while? I miss you so much.

"I was so happy when I heard you were coming back for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school again. I'm sorry I only have one eye, and that this has always embarrassed you.

"You see, when you were very little, you had an accident and lost your eye. So I gave you mine ... And I've always felt so proud that my son was seeing a while new world with that one eye."

From Starmag