Chapter 2 — Childhood Only Has Leftovers

Mom was startled by my eyes, took a few steps back, her voice filled with disbelief: "Is it wrong for us to leave food for you?" "Is that called leaving food? That's leaving a bunch of pots and dishes for you to wash." As soon as I finished speaking, my mother slapped me in the face. She gritted her teeth and said: "Okay, that's good. You're an adult now, your wings are strong. We won't leave any food for you in the future. It's useless to beg." After saying that, she turned around and gathered the pile of dishes and chopsticks that had been placed in the kitchen, intentionally making loud washing noises as if to vent her anger. I didn't turn around, just turned and walked out of the house. From that day on, my family and I were like two rivers with clear boundaries, all ignoring my existence. On the contrary, I feel much more relieved. Because after coming home, there are no more dishes waiting for me to wash, I just need to take good care of myself. Without me integrating, this family is no longer as harmonious as before. One time, my mother sprained her wrist, so she had the habit of leaving the bowl and chopsticks on the dining table. It's always been like that before. There will be people who can't stand it and will naturally clean up, but that person has always been me. In the past, I loved my mother and often thought that if I did one more thing, she would have one less thing to do. But gradually, my mother considered some jobs as my natural obligations. This time I was like them, pretending not to see. Those dishes kept lying in the sink from the previous night until noon the next day. Finally, Luc Nhien couldn't stand it anymore and said to her mother: "Mom, can't you wash it quickly? The kitchen will stink." Mom held her wrist, which was held high, and wanted to stop talking. In the end, she still embarrassedly washed all the dishes. On the first day after my summer job ended, my father came to me. At home, dad is always the majestic patriarch. This is the first time he proactively bowed his head to break the cold atmosphere after a conflict with his children. The hardened place in my heart began to soften slightly. My attitude was no longer as cold as before, I just calmly asked: "Is something wrong?" Dad rubbed his forehead: "You work two extra months in the summer, do you have to earn ten thousand yuan? The current economic situation is not good, the things your sister and brother want to buy are quite expensive. Take that money out first, consider it borrowed from me." In that moment, my whole body felt like falling into an ice cellar. I suddenly burst out laughing. It turned out that the budget for the opening gift was ten thousand yuan. It's not because my parents prepared ten thousand yuan. But because I earned ten thousand yuan. When I spoke again, my voice was extremely difficult: "Didn't you say that I have to think of a way to pay for college expenses?" Dad's eyes were blank for a moment, as if he had just remembered: "Ah, didn't you register for a university near your house? You can go to school and then come home, so you won't need living expenses. In the future, the family will remember to leave food for you." The two words "put aside" stabbed straight into my pain. I just felt a scary burning sensation in my eyes, and then tears fell. Dad's face immediately darkened: "Okay, I don't need your money anymore. We really can't count on you if we have something to do." After saying that, he turned and left. He didn't ask me if I was tired standing and working twelve hours a day. He also doesn't care why I haven't eaten at home these past few days. Just like before, he ignored me, but expected me to sacrifice for this family. That night, I didn't leave a letter for anyone, nor did I tell anyone. I only dragged a very light suitcase, leaving home to go to a life that belongs to me. In that place, I don't need to continue

The custom of eating anyone's leftovers, without the need to clean up any leftovers for any table. This wasn't the first time I ran away from home out of anger. It's that after eighteen years of being ignored, I finally found myself. The first day after I left, the house was peaceful as usual. Only my mother occasionally grabbed my wrist, which was still not completely healed, and then froze. The second day after I left, Luc An noticed something unusual and proactively mentioned me at the dinner table. "Where is sister, why haven't I seen her recently?" Before Mom could speak, Dad spoke first: "Eat, do whatever you want." Mom wanted to say it several times, but in the end she still bowed her head and picked at the rice in the bowl. When the day finally came for me to enroll in my first year of school, it was like my mother had found a reason to break the cold atmosphere. Rarely did she condescend to open the door to my room, wanting to take the initiative to make peace with me. "Isn't being angry enough for so many days?" She pushed the door open. After seeing everything in the room clearly, the blood on her face immediately disappeared, she screamed loudly. "Mr. Luc, come here quickly!" What greeted her was an empty room. Every trace that I ever existed has been erased. Mom opened the wardrobe, inside was clean and empty. She opened the drawer, my passport and ID were also gone.