03
Mom and I brought the last dish to the table.
Everyone else was already eating and
chatting.
Aunt Sarah said, “Come on, sis, sit down!
There’s plenty of food!” without pausing in
her task of piling chicken onto Ethan’s plate.
There were always two chicken legs at New
Year’s dinner, and they were never for me.
One was for Ethan, the other for Grandma,
the head of the family.
Mom and I sat at the corner of the table,
closest to the stove.
Convenient for refilling bowls and serving
more food.
<
Midway through dinner, Aunt Carol stood up.
She wanted to give Ethan a New Year’s gift.
She lived far away and hadn’t been home for
a few years.
Making a show of generosity, she handed
Ethan a fifty–dollar bill.
Fifty dollars! I only saw that much money
when Mom paid for my school books.
Ethan grinned as he took the money. I could
only watch.
I was ten years old and had never received a
New Year’s gift from them.
I’d asked for one before, but Grandma had
glared at me and said big kids didn’t need
gifts.
But I was only two years older than Ethan.
I picked at my rice, and Grandma rapped my
く
knuckles with her chopsticks when I reached
for a piece of braised pork.
Even though all the food on the table came
from our house, I wasn’t allowed to have any
meat.
After scowling at me, Grandma pulled two
crumpled twenty–dollar bills from a patched-
up sock.
She gave one to Ethan.
The other went to Aunt Carol’s unborn child,
an “early” New Year’s gift for her grandson,
she said.
Nothing for me. I was used to it.
Mom always gave me five dollars, and that
was enough.
Then Dad pulled out the envelope. He took
out the crisp twenty–dollar bill.
<
I could still see Mom’s fingerprints on it from
the day before.
Dad told Ethan to wish him a Happy New
Year.
Then he gave my hard–earned scholarship
money, my first ever, to my cousin.
I stared at the twenty–dollar bill, tears welling
- up.
My chopsticks clattered to the floor.
Everyone looked at me. I only saw the money. Numbly, I said, “That’s my money. Give it
back.”
Dad frowned and gestured for Mom to
restrain me.
Mom hugged me, promising me a big red
envelope later.
“I don’t want that! Give me my money back!”
<
Ethan quickly stuffed the money into his
pocket, eyeing me warily.
Dad snapped, “Jenny Miller! Are you looking
for trouble on New Year’s Eve?”
Tears streamed down my face. I wiped them
away with my sleeve.
I walked over to Ethan and tried to pull the
money from his pocket.
He clutched it tightly, refusing to let go.
He started to wail, and Aunt Sarah, ever the
peacemaker, said, “Ethan, honey, give it back
to your cousin. Mommy will give you another
one.”
We tugged at the money, neither of us willing
to yield.
Dad’s face grew darker and darker, but I held
- on.
Then he slapped me across the face, sending
me sprawling to the floor.
“You’re the older one! Haven’t you got
everything you need? Fighting with your
cousin on New Year’s Eve!”
I was stunned. I stared up at him, seeing
nothing but fury in his eyes.
Everything I needed? I’d never had anything! I was ten years old, and he’d never given me
a single New Year’s gift.
But that twenty dollars… Ms. Jones gave it to
- me. It was mine.
I had wanted to use it to make Dad happy.
Now, all I wanted to tell him was, “Dad, if you
don’t want my love, please give it back.“
