My mom said, “What’s two hundred dollars good for? Are you giving alms to beggars? If you don’t make up the remaining three thousand dollars today, I’ll hang myself at your doorstep!”
I was about to go get a rope.
Mr. Walker stopped me, shaking his head at me, and spoke gently to my mom, “We can’t come up with three thousand dollars right away. Why don’t you wait a day? Come back the day after tomorrow
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morning, and I’ll definitely have the money for you.”
Lachlan panicked, “Dad! She’s bad! Don’t give!”
I also shouted, “Don’t give it to her!”
Mr. Walker pulled us both aside, “Alright, alright, we’ll give it to her, and then we’ll have some peace.”
My mom grinned, showing her teeth, “Now that’s more like it! I’ll be here first thing the day after tomorrow! If you don’t give me the money, I’ll hang myself at your doorstep!”
With that, my mom left.
Mr. Walker pulled Lachlan and me into the yard.
Mr. Walker said, “I’ve asked around. Your brother’s surgery and medical fees add up to just over a thousand dollars. Your mom is holding onto the money and refusing to pay for your brother’s surgery, insisting on coming to ask you for money instead.”
“We should move away too. We originally thought you might miss your family, so we stayed an extra half month. Now it seems you should come back to our hometown with us!”
Mrs. Walker also said, “After the fire next door last time, we packed up some things. The big items were already sent back home. Now there’s not much left in the house. When the car comes tomorrow night, we’ll leave.”
I looked at Mr. and Mrs. Walker, tears involuntarily flowing down my face.
i cried and knelt before them, “Dad, Mom, take me with you. I’ll work like an ox or a horse to repay you in the future!”
Lachlan quickly helped me up, “You’re my wife! We’ll go together!”
Mr. and Mrs. Walker nodded firmly.
They told me that their hometown was in a big city, with telephones, color TVs, and lots of delicious food.
15
The next day, Ruby came to see me.
Ruby said my brother’s surgery and medical fees would cost five or six thousand dollars. She asked if I would give my brother money to save his life, saying my mom was now borrowing money everywhere, but no one was willing to lend to her.
She also said that Lachlan’s family were all outsiders, and they would eventually leave the town to return to their hometown, and they certainly wouldn’t take me, a burden, with them.
I looked at Ruby, who once longed for the outside world, and for a moment, I didn’t recognize her. I just stared at her blankly.
Lachlan brought in tea for Ruby, but Ruby was very dismissive of him, muttering under her breath that Lachlan was a simpleton.
Lachlan didn’t hear and ran out to buy me bread.
Ruby grabbed my hand and said, “Brynn, we’re both women and in the future we’ll both have to rely on men Lachlan is a simpleton he can’t
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RUDY graDDeu my nanu and said, Brynn, we re both women, and in the future, we in both have to rely on men. Lachian is a simpreton, ne can’t give you happiness, and besides, no one knows what Lachlan’s family does. Don’t let yourself be cheated later.”
“You need to think about your future. Get as much money as you can from Lachlan for your parents. They’re your real family, the ones who gave birth to you and raised you.”
I said, “They beat me. I couldn’t even eat enough.”
Ruby said, “But you’re still alive, aren’t you? You didn’t starve to death. You have hands and feet. Besides, isn’t it normal for men to beat women? Which man doesn’t beat his wife? Even the mayor beats his wife!”
