Mothers always worry that their children won’t have enough to eat, that, is why they’d always packed a ton of goodies when their kids go back to school again after a visit home, translated…
Every time I’d walked my children into the platforms, I’d watched them leave, and I’d always felt that anxiety of not wanting them to leave home, but, my children who are very wonderful would turn around and give me a great big bear hug, and that warmth that came from the hug became the driving force that carried me through until the next holiday or weekend we are going to have together. And, all of those worries and how much I missed them, they may just be from my experience of empty nest, and not wanting to see them go.
I’d recalled back to my own college days, every time I’d returned home, I’d needed to, make my way into the cramped up bus, then, take the high speed rails; and, more often, in order to save up the fees, I’d chosen, to take the last bus that ran through the night, and the train would roll into the station at dawn, then, I’d taken a short nap in the waiting areas, waited, for the very first bus to Zhuagnei to come. I’d used to hauling my suitcase into the marketplace, and helped look after the grocery stand that my mother set up, and after the market was closed, then, I’d pushed the cart home with her.
And the vendors or the customers who knew me would always commend me, “you came early in the morn, and knew to come to the marketplace to help your mother out, such a fitting daughter………”, and, all of these praises, in my mother’s ear, she must feel proud I guess! I saw her in smiles, nodded, acknowledge other people, and all of a sudden, I’d felt, that all the fatigue from last night was, more than worth it.
Especially as I saw my mother in front of her stand, giving away the plastic bags, she was getting the food items that I loved, I’d felt so blessed, right by her side.
I’d also remembered very clearly, that my mother knew that every semester, I was only willing to take one trip home, because I didn’t want to spend too much, and as I was about to head up north again, she’d always stow away a plastic bag tied up tightly, with rubber bands, and stuffed it in between my packed up clothes, inside were, those heavy coins, everything she’d earned from her stand in the marketplace. And my mother made precise calculations of the time it took, and string up and cooked the lima beans, so I can have something to munch on when I got hungry on the ride back to school. These couple of years, I’d gotten to understand the thought which parents carried to love their young.
And now, as my own children returned home, I’d thought about how they’d had to eat out every single day, and finally, had the opportunity for some fresh seafood, I’d prepared the freshly caught fish for the meals, but, as my children ate it, and ranted on how they now smelled of fish stink; hearing it, I gloated, and, tried to make up for how my kids aren’t near me that they couldn’t have the foods I’d cooked.
I’d always tried to convince them to bring the local delicacies as well as fruits with them back to school, I’d had this matter-of-fact attitude, said that that high-speed rail was the one hauling it off, that it wouldn’t be heavy; that after they’d alighted the MRT, they will be back in the dorms soon enough.
And my kids, they’d not wanted to, pour cold water onto my heart, and just smiled bitterly and mumbled, that they couldn’t possibly eat all that food, plus, as the other classmates returned to school from home too, they’re, bound to bring even more foods back with them. In the very end, as I’d insisted and insisted, they’d frowned, as they took this baggage that they can’t turn down.
Waited until my children returned to their dorms, I’d immediately saw the notice that my kids posted on Facebook, calling on all their friends, to come and have a taste of the delicacies I’d sent up with them, and, it’d made me proud, that my kids relied on their friends, that they do need to, learn to share.
After my mother died, she’d come to me in my dreams a couple of times, with that smile that she had, seeing me off; I hope, that years from now, I can leave behind, such warming memories for my own children too.
So, this, is the love of a mother toward her children who are away at school, and it’s expected, as mothers all wanted to give their young the best of everything, and, the kids only come home once a while, and so, naturally, the mothers would make a TON of foods, to have them bring back to school, and this act will probably get passed down from this woman’s children to their own young too.