My One-eyed Mum

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

It was Parents Day at my school and she turned up. I was in Primary six then. How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out of my class.

The next day, my friends taunted me: "Your mum only has one eye!" When i went home, I confronted her and said, "Mum, why is it you don't have the other eye?" 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 did not 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 to have a drink. Mum was there, crying softly out of her one eye. I looked at her and went back to bed. Something pinched at the corner of my heart but i told myself that i would grow up and become successful because i hated our desperate poverty.

So i studied really hard and got a place in a foreign university. I graduated with good grades. I got married. I bought a new house and car. I was very happy with my success. I didn't like to think about my past. Until one day.....

What? Who's this? It was my old 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! How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter? Get out of here, now!" I screamed at her.

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

I told myself that i had to forget this incident. One day, 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, 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 so sorry i only have one eye and that this has always embarrassed you. You see, when you were only a small child, 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 whole new world with that one eye."

(found it in my sister's drawer.. just sharing it)