The Mother With One Eye

李嘉碩

My mother had only one eye. When I was growing up， I hated her for it. I hated the unin-vited attention it got me at school. I hated how the other children stared at her and looked away in disgust. My mother worked two jobs to provide for the family， but I was just embar-rassed by her and didnt want to be seen with her.

Every time my mother came to visit me at school， I wanted her to disappear. I felt a surge of hatred towards the woman who made me the laughing stock of the school. In a mo-ment of extreme anger， I even once told my mother I wanted her to die. I was complete-ly unconcerned about her feelings.

As I grew up， I did whatever was in my power to distance myself from my mother. I studied hard and got a job overseas so I wouldnt have to meet her. I got married and started raising a family of my own. I got busy with my job and family and with providing a comfortable life for my beloved children. I didnt even think about my mother anymore.

Out of the blue， my mother came to visit one day. Her one-eyed face scared my young children and they started crying. I was angry at my mother for showing up unannounced and I forbid her to ever return to my home and new family life. I yelled and screamed， but my moth-er quietly apologized and left without saying an-other word.

An invitation to a high school reunion took me back to my hometown after decades. I could not resist driving past my childhood home and stopping by the old shack. My neigh-bors told me my mother had passed away and left a letter for me.

“My dear child：

I must begin by apologizing for visiting your home unannounced and frightening your beautiful children. I am also deeply sorry that I was such an embarrassment and source of hu-miliation to you when you were growing up.

I have learned that you may be coming back to town for your reunion. I may no longer be there when you come， and I think it is time to tell you an incident that happened when you were a young child. You see， my dear child，you were involved in an accident and lost one eye. I was devastated at the thought of my be-loved child growing up with only one eye. I wanted you to see the beautiful world in all its glory， so I gave you my eye.

My dear child， I always have and always will love you from the bottom of my heart. I have never regretted my decision to give you my eye， and I am at peace that I was able to give you the ability to enjoy a complete life.

Your loving mother."

我媽媽只有一只眼睛。在我成長的過程中，我非常討厭這樣的她。我討厭在學校受到的不請自來的關注的眼神。我討厭別的孩子盯著她然后厭惡地轉過頭去。為了支撐這個家，我媽媽要做兩份工作，但我卻只覺得她令我很尷尬，不想被看到和她在一起。

每次媽媽來學校看我，我都希望她消失。我非常憎恨這個讓我在學校里成為笑柄的女人。在極度憤怒之下，我甚至曾經對媽媽說希望她死了算了。我完全不關心她的感受。

隨著我慢慢長大，我一直盡一切所能去遠離我的母親。為了出國工作我努力學習，這樣就可以再也不見到她。我結婚了建立了自己的家庭。我忙于工作、家庭，為我愛的孩子提供舒適的生活。我甚至不再去想我的媽媽了。

突然有一天，媽媽來看我。她的一只眼睛嚇哭了我年幼的孩子。對于我母親的突然造訪我非常生氣，我禁止她永遠不要來我家，接觸我現在的家庭生活。我尖聲叫喊著，但是母親安靜地道了歉，沒有再多說一句話。

幾十年后受高中聚會的邀請我回到了我的故鄉。我忍不住開車路過兒時的家，在一幢老屋門口停了下來。鄰居們告訴我，母親已經去世了，留下了一封信給我。

“我親愛的孩子：

在開頭我必須為突然出現在你家并嚇壞了你的可愛的孩子們而道歉。在你成長過程中我是如此令你尷尬，讓你受辱，對此我也深深地自責。

我得知你會在聚會的時候回來，但那時候我可能已經不在了，我想是時候該告訴你，在你小時候發生過一場意外。你知道的，我親愛的孩子，你在那場事故中失去了一只眼睛。我無法接受和想象自己親愛的孩子只能擁有一只眼睛。我想讓你驕傲地看看這個美麗的世界，所以我把我的眼睛給了你。

我親愛的孩子，我真心愛你，無論從前還是未來。我從沒后悔把眼睛給了你，讓你能夠享受完整的生命，我死而無憾。

愛你的媽媽。"