Book 3 In The Fire, My Mom Chose …
+ 5 Points
Book 3 In The Fire, My Mom
Chose My Sister
Was that me?
So this is what it felt like to be burned alive–my entire body seared with pain.
“Our Jennifer is such a beautiful girl; tomorrow is your birthday party, and this is the dress Mommy bought for you.”
I recognized that dress; my sister had said it cost
ten thousand dollars.
Ten thousand dollars was more than a month’s
wages for our parents.
My spirit followed my sister, and I saw our
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Book 3 In The Fire, My Mom Chose…
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parents fussing over her. In the chaos of the fire, her fingers had been burned, leaving scars that would need treatment at the hospital.
In truth, our family wasn’t wealthy; they sacrificed more to satisfy my sister’s desires.
This two–bedroom apartment had been bought on loan by our parents five years ago to enable my sister to attend school in this area–one room for them and one for my sister.
“Hey, sis, if my classmates see how cramped it is, they’ll laugh at me. Why don’t you sleep in the living room?”
My sister dragged me to the living room, tossing me a blanket.
I wanted to confront our parents, but they said,
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Book 3 In The Fire, My Mom Chose.
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“What’s the big deal about sleeping in the living room? We have it so much better now. Back then, we slept under a bridge. You can’t even handle this little hardship…”
The living room sofa became my bed, and I slept there for five years.
Whenever my sister asked me to clean her room, if I accidentally touched her bed, Mom would scold me: “Your hands are so dirty; you’ll ruin your sister’s bed.”
From that moment on, I never set foot in her
room again.
“Mom, tomorrow I want to invite my friends to a
restaurant!”
Jennifer’s 20th birthday was to be celebrated at
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Book 3 In The Fire, My Mom Chose…
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a restaurant. They were just ordinary workers; how could they afford such a lavish party for
her?
I saw deep wrinkles etched across my parents‘ serious faces. But when they heard Jennifer’s words, their expressions softened.
I had always feared them, never daring to meet their gaze, and I never realized they had a gentler side.
It turned out they were only strict with me.
“Jennifer’s birthday is a big deal; how could Mom forget it? It’s all set; you’ll be the most beautiful one there.”
“Serena had to die at that time–what bad luck.”
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Book 3 In The Fire, My Mom Chose…. 15 Points
I understood that in my parents‘ eyes, I held no significance; my life or death mattered little to them.
As a child, I believed that I was the baby my
mother had carried for ten months. No matter how partial she was to my sister, she still loved
- me.
Dad often said, “Hitting is caring, scolding is
love.”
They would always punish me when I did something wrong, hoping I would remember not to make the same mistake again. I learned quickly, never repeating the same mistake
twice.
The neighbors praised me as the most understanding child, and my parents would
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Book 3 In The Fire, My Mom Chose…
+ 5 Points
occasionally show a smile.
“Who would have thought that such a capable sister would die in a fire?!
I looked at Jennifer’s tear–less eyes, and wished I could poke them out.
