Gingerly walking into the dim-lighted house, Aaron saw his father was in the rocking chair without any motion. He slid his steps and came next to the chair and gently lifted the right hand’s forefinger to feel whether there was still breath from the old man.
“Thank goodness, he is still alive!” Alan thought.
For many years, he had to check his father’s vital sign right after coming back from school, just feared that the bedridden man would someday stop heartbeats all of a sudden.
“We can’t have this baby,” cried the mother.
“What do you mean?” The father inquired angrily.
“What do I mean? What would the neighbors think? You’re 67 years old and I’m 59!”
“So? We have 7 children anyway.”
“You think you’re Pablo Picasso? Shame on you! You can’t even paint a freaking cabbage, let alone do something grand. I’ve spent all of my life planting the stupid eggplants and YOUR lame asparaguses! And look at us, still penniless and living under a leaking roofed house without a proper stove!”
“That’s not fair you said that! I’ve tried all I can to raise this family. And look at the kids, they’re all married and leading a life they want.”
“Yeah, only to escape from this hell!”
“What the fuck is wrong with you today?”
“What the fuck is wrong with YOU, not me?”
“I am not going to keep this baby,” sobbed the mother incessantly.
“Well, it’s too dangerous for an abortion at your age. We can keep the baby and then give him or her to the market owner across the street…”
“Congratulations, Madam! You just gave birth to a healthy and handsome baby boy!” said the young nurse while handing over the baby to Mrs. Lee.
Taking the baby into her bosom and stroking the fine and blackish hair of the red- faced baby, Mrs. Lee started crying out loud. The nurse was taken aback and said:
“What’ wrong? Is something wrong with the baby? He is not what you expected to see?
“No, I…I… just cannot believe I could still have a baby at such an old age. And I…don’t know what others would say about this, ‘An old clam makes a young pearl.’ What a dishonor to the entire Lee’s kin!”
…To Be Continued.
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