Irritated, the elder boy soon shook her hand off . But she instantly pulled him back and her arm grabbed his neck with a force that was irresistible. After taking a sharp look at her bitter profi le, he observed that it was better not to fi ght against it. Her harsh anger or the increase of her pain was clouding her. She turned away. Her two sons felt more like her burdens now. Because they were what she could see when she looked in the mirror.
Taking a bus was not wise but their only choice. This meant they had to walk a great distance in the rain. Tenderhearted Mei found it challenging to lead her adolescent son, who easily caught cold. Confused and shocked, the boy broke the silence. “Wasn’t it dad’s car coming to pick up us? Why didn’t he stop?” The purity and innocence of his voice, from which she drew comfort in one way and heartache in another, made her imagine a handful of broken glass crushing in her hand.