The cage of parents
Chapter One
My mom kept a ledger.
It was a detailed record of every penny spent
raising me.
After yet another fight, she demanded I repay
her.
1
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll pay it all back.”
Even the life you gave me, I’ll return that too.
The hospital called.
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It was a reminder about my fifth chemo
appointment tomorrow.
I glanced at my savings account balance:
$75,128.53.
I declined the appointment.
The nurse sounded incredulous.
“With aggressive treatment, you could live
another year, maybe even longer. If you give
up now, the cancer will spread, and you might
not even have three months!”
I understood, but that $75,000?
I couldn’t touch it.
It was everything I’d saved during college and
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the four years I’d been working.
2
Not a small amount, but I still owed a debt.
To my parents.
Mom had said, “Raising you cost us at least
$75,000. You pay it back, or you’ll be in debt
to us, even in death.”
They had three thick notebooks.
They meticulously documented every expense
since my birth.
A dime for a popsicle, a quarter for a hair tie,
fifty cents for fever reducer, a dollar for a
metal lunchbox, tuition, living expenses…
Everything I’d ever received was clearly
recorded
Added together, the total came to $10,115.96.
“A dime back then isn’t the same as a dime
now. Inflation has more than quintupled the
prices. And there are so many undocumented
expenses: three meals a day, clothing,
housing… money for everything.”
“The time we sacrificed, the sweat we poured
out… you can’t put a price on those things.”
After complex calculations, she arrived at a
specific figure: $75,000.
“Before you throw a tantrum or make
demands, think about what you owe us. Ask
yourself if you even have the right.”
So, I decided to give up on that fleeting
future.
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I’d go back home and hand over that $75,000,
in full.
