She wouldn’t budge, clinging to my leg. She barely knew Jake; he was always working.
My mom’s face soured with impatience. “What does that man knows about babies, so just carry her on your back, as always!”
Right. I watched Jake hold Tiffany’s son, Mikey, in his arms, entertaining him with a brand–new
toy. He didn’t seem clueless then. If he gave my
daughter half that attention, she wouldn’t be so
<
9:11
scared of him.
994
I ended up strapping her to my back with a sling and getting to work. My back was killing me. Ever since I got pregnant again, my energy had been zero. And now, knowing what I knew,
it was even worse.
I chopped vegetables, tears welling up in my
eyes. Was this it? Was I stuck like this for the
next fifty, sixty years?
I’m only 28. I can’t do this.
After being strapped on my back for such a
long time, my daughter cried, and cried and
cried.
So I carried my daughter into the bedroom,
trying to get her to take a nap.
The girl was asleep in my arms.
<
9:11
994
My mom always ran to my uncle’s house to see Tiffany.
“Tiffany is so pretty, just like a princess. Unlike Ashley, who is always so messy.”
I wasn’t the messy one. It was just that I didn’t have new clothes.
Tiffany and I are the same age, but my mom always gave my new clothes to Tiffany. After she got tired of it, then she would give it to me.
But my mom just said I was ugly and didn’t have any class.
I got better grades than Tiffany, but my mom didn’t compliment me.
“It doesn’t matter how well a girl does at
school, she still needs to marry well!”
<
9:11
994
Then I started dating, and brought Mark home, and my mom invited Tiffany to come and meet
him.
I knew Tiffany had invited Mark out a couple of
times, but he didn’t say yes.
I told my mom, and she said I was just being
selfish.
“Tiffany likes Mark, so why don’t you just let her
have him?”
It was the first time I didn’t listen to her. Mark
and I were getting married.
But my mom got her way at the wedding.
She abruptly upped the dowry, and although
Mark could afford it, he knew my mom was
greedy.
+པ། Pཕ༦ ། ་ཕབད ་༑ ཕ། །
<
He turned and left.
I pleaded with him, but to no avail.
The invitations had been sent and the venue
was already booked, but Tiffany bravely
stepped forward, waiving the dowry, and stole
Mark away.
