Cry Me A Sad River

part 13

Author: Guo Jingming
Translated by: epikey@tumblr

13

Yi Yao cleared the bowls from the table.

Her mother sat on the sofa watching the boring television shows on television. Beside her was a plate of sunflower seeds; she ate it as she watched television, a large pile of sunflower seed shells laid by her feet.

Yi Yao brought out the broom after watching the dishes, pondering about how she should ask her mother for money. "I want money. Give me money." Words like that equated to declaring war in this household.

As she swept by her feet, her mother lifted her feet in annoyance as if Yi Yao disturbed her watching television.

Yi Yao swept a bit before taking a deep breath and saying: "Ma, is there any extra money at home......"

"What do you mean extra money, no money is extra." Standard tone of Lin Huafeng. Ridiculing. Mocking. Sarcastic and spiteful.

Yi Yao suppressed the anger in her heart. Some of the sunflower seed shells were stuck in the space between the foot of the tea table and cracks on the ground, no matter how much Yi Yao swept, they would not come out.

"Can't you eat properly? Dropping everywhere, at least you're not the one sweeping, can't you place the shells on the table?"

"Is it difficult for you to sweep the floor? Oh yo, am I making things hard for you? Do you really think you're something? Taking care of you for nothing, I can even make you lick the ground without fault, let alone sweep it."

"Let's make things clear, how are you taking care of me for nothing?" Yi Yao tossed the broom aside, "Dad is paying my school fees, he gives you an allowance every month, also, I cook and do everything for you, even if you get a domestic helper you'd need to pay her, I......" Before she finished her sentence, a load of sunflower seeds were thrown at her face. The shells fell onto her hair and clothes.

Although they were small and light, feeling as if nothing had hit her face. Yet, somewhere in her body, the pain was real.

Yi Yao dusted the shells away from her hair and said: "Just tell me if there's any extra money, if there is then give it to me, if there isn't then pretend I never asked."

"Just drag whatever you think costs something and sell it! Meanwhile sell me as well!"

Yi Yao scoffed before walking back to her room, the moment before she slammed the door shut, she said to Lin Huafeng: "Haven't you always been selling yourself?"

The door slammed shut.

A cup smashed on the door before falling to the ground in pieces.

People turned weak in the darkness. They become angered easily, they trembled easily.

At this moment, Lin Huafeng was weak and angry and trembling.

The room with the closed door had no sound. The whole house was dead silent.

She got up from the sofa and pushed the few strands of grey hair back in place. She walked silently towards her room. Reaching her hand out to turn the doorknob, her tears fell onto the back of her hand.

Burning hotter than any other time in her memory.

As if a knife was stuck in her heart. Someone was holding the handle in the darkness, stabbing deeply and shallowly through her chest.

A pain so strong she could stop breathing.

What allowance. What school fees. Your damned father had abandoned us long ago.