Chapter 4
[Goodbye Life, Part Three—September 11, 2023—Silent Fatherly Love]
“Why did you cut ties with your dad, isn’t it better to face it together?”
Off-screen, Fiona’s voice asked.
I gave a bitter smile, “It’s not!”
“Why?” Fiona looked puzzled.
I didn’t answer, just took out my phone, found a news video saved three years ago.
On the phone screen, my dad soon appeared.
At 2 a.m., he was wearing a delivery uniform, squatting on the street eating a bowl of plain noodles.
Back then, he was just over 40, with graying temples.
The reporter asked him:
“Sir, why are you just eating a bowl of plain noodles?”
Dad ate with relish, simply replied: “Enough.”
The reporter asked again:
“You’re holding a bag of meat, why not eat it?”
Dad glanced at the meat, his face full of joy:
“Saving it for my daughter’s breakfast tomorrow, hehe.”
The reporter asked once more:
“Why work so hard? Delivering late at night?”
Dad seemed to think of something, the fatigue on his face vanished, replaced by pride:
“My daughter got into a good high school, the best in the province, it costs money hehe.”
The video went silent.
Dad quickly finished the noodles, then rode off on his scooter.
The reporter encouraged: “Sir, keep it up!”
Dad waved, “Just do it!”
The video ended there.
Even though I’d seen it countless times, my tears couldn’t be stopped.
I sniffed, smiled:
“When I got out of school, Anderson would always have dinner ready at home, but one day, I got out early and didn’t see him. I asked where he went, he lied saying he was out with friends having a feast, but he was delivering food.”
“At night, he’d sneak out to deliver once I was asleep, thinking I didn’t know, but I did…”
“Back then I vowed to study hard, get into the best university, repay him.”
“Later… I got in, but I didn’t get the chance to repay him…”
I finished with a smile, but why?
Why does one cry while smiling?
Tilting my head to wipe my tears, I asked Fiona with a sob:
“Fiona, what do you think Anderson would do if he knew I had cancer?”
Fiona couldn’t find words.
“He’d sell blood, sell a kidney.”
Saying this made my heart tremble:
“To save up for my senior year tuition and living expenses, he wanted to secretly sell blood and a kidney, luckily I found out and stopped him by threatening my own life…”
I finished speaking with a smile, but why?
Why do people cry when they laugh?
Tilting my head back, I wiped the tears from my face and, with a voice filled with emotion, asked Fiona:
"Fiona, what do you think Anderson would do if he found out I have cancer?"
Fiona looked at me, speechless.
"He would sell his blood and kidney."
As I said this, my heart trembled:
"When he was trying to save up for my senior year tuition and living expenses, he secretly planned to sell his blood and kidney without telling me. Thankfully, I found out and stopped him by threatening to take my own life..."
I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes:
"Before I left, an angel investor showed interest in his project.
"They say when one person gets cancer, the whole family suffers.
"Do you think the angel investor would still be interested if they knew there was a sick person in the family?"
Fiona's voice trembled slightly: "Nora..."
I shook my head, indicating it was okay.
"Cancer might take my life, but chemotherapy, costing 50,000 each time, would take my dad's life."
Fiona pursed her lips, her eyes starting to turn red.
I sniffled with a smile:
"On the day I left, I used the harshest words to tear Anderson apart.
"He knelt and begged me, saying he'd make a fortune soon and asked me to wait for him for a year. In a year, he'd make me the happiest little princess in the world.
"Do you know how much I wanted to stay and wait for him, year after year, and grow old together?
"But... I can't wait..."
Tears fell like pearls from a broken necklace, dripping down.
I messily wiped the tears from my face and pleaded:
"Fiona, can you release these videos after I'm gone?"
The screen started shaking, and Fiona choked up:
"Nora, you won't die. You can be cured..."
On screen, I swallowed hard, my eyes also filled with tears.
"If you don't promise me, I won't film anymore."
Her crying became more obvious:
"Okay, I promise you..."