9
The doctor pushed her away, examining me,
quickly removing the needle.
“Call the blood bank, I have a patient with
severe blood loss, prepare blood, type A,
2000cc!”
Seeing Mom still holding the bag, blocking
him, the doctor raged.
“This blood is useless, it’ll be medical waste.
Snap out of it! Do you really want to lose
both your daughters?!”
Dad, rushing in, saw the scene and slapped
Mom.
“Linda, both daughters are critically ill, are
you satisfied now?”
Mom’s eyes cleared; she looked at my pale
face, crouching and sobbing.
“Oh, how could this happen! Carolyn, Mom
didn’t mean to, look at Mom, okay?”
Dad was already overwhelmed.
His eyes were like he was looking at a lunatic.
“Linda, as you said, fate is fate! I’ve done my
best, what more do you want?!”
He ignored her, taking me to the emergency
room.
Lily didn’t make it.
At the same time, I was unconscious in the
emergency room.
Three days later, I stabilized and regained
consciousness.
Dad brought pig liver porridge for lunch.
The sight of this man made me stare.
He was haggard, his hair a mess, dark circles
under his eyes, a stubble beard, and the same
clothes as three days ago.
He sat by my bed, blowing on the porridge
before feeding it to me.
My only wish on that list seemed to have
come true.
But I felt nothing for this belated fatherly love.
A much heavier cloud hung over me.
“Dad, is Lily gone?”
I turned away, avoiding the spoon.
Dad’s hand froze; the spoon fell, porridge
splashing onto my feet.
“Who told you? …Oh right, you’re twins.”
He answered himself.
The pain woke me from my coma.
I felt a hollowness, a connection with Lily
severed.
I knew the answer.
Dad and I were silent, speechless.
Dad got a new spoon and continued feeding
- me.
I couldn’t eat anymore.
Seeing Dad, I swallowed the porridge and my
words of refusal.
His expression was serious and devout, like
he was repenting.
But I ate with discomfort and agony.
When the bowl was empty, I asked the
question that had haunted me for eighteen
years.
“Dad, why are Lily and I so different, even
though we’re twins?”
Dad forced a smile, telling me stories I never
knew.
