Mrs. Marta’s house was only two doors down from ours.
When I arrived, I could hear laughter from the patio.
Several women were sitting around a table, drinking coffee.
My mother was among them.
He laughed.
As if nothing in the world was wrong.
When he saw me, his smile froze.
“Son?” Why are you here so early?
I didn’t answer.
I just looked at her.
“Come,” I said. We have to talk.
My tone was so serious that even the other women stopped talking.
My mother frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Now.
We walked back home in silence.
When we entered the kitchen, Hue stood up immediately.
He looked down at my mother.
My mother observed the scene… And then he saw the bowl on the table.
For a second, his face changed.
But he recovered quickly.
“Ah,” he said with a fake smile. That rice was for cats.
I felt anger rise through my chest.
“So… why was my wife eating it?”
My mother crossed her arms.
“Because she’s stubborn.” She always wants to eat things she shouldn’t after childbirth.
“Things I shouldn’t?”
I pointed to the bowl.
“This?”
My mother pursed her lips.
—In my time, women ate much less after giving birth. That is why they were strong.
Hue lowered his head even more.
I saw her.
His shoulders trembled.
At that moment I understood something.
If I didn’t say anything…
