How a Mother Shows Her Love | Teen Ink

How a Mother Shows Her Love MAG

By Anonymous

     The trip was 30 miles long, but the mother decided to let her daughter drive anyway.

“Did you bring your phone?” asked the mother as the girl drove up the ramp onto the freeway.

“Yeah,” said the girl.

“Wallet?”

“Yeah.”

“Make sure to take your wallet everywhere. Even into the bathroom when you take a shower.”

“Mom!”

“You don’t believe me? You have to be careful! I’m not going to be there to pick up after you anymore. Don’t let others take advantage of you.”

“Mom, I’m not stupid.”

Several cars behind them changed lanes and zoomed past.

“Why are you driving so slow?” The mother leaned forward slightly.

“What?”

“You’re driving too slow.”

“You always say I go too fast! Now you’re saying I’m too slow?”

“This is a freeway!”

“The speed limit is 65. I’m at 65. What’s wrong with that?”

“You have to go as fast as everyone around you or else you’ll get into an accident. Do you want to get into an accident?”

“I-” the girl started.

“Driving a car is not a joke! It’s your life on the line! You have to pay close attention to everything. How many times have I told you?”

The girl sighed. The mother crossed her arms over her chest. For ten miles, they sat in silence.

“I hope your roommate is a nice girl.”

The girl answered with an imperceptible nod.

“I said, I hope your roommate is a nice girl.”

“Uh huh.”

“I mean, I’m sure she’s a good person. She’s probably nice. Most kids are.”

“Yeah.” The girl brushed a stray hair out of her eyes.

“I told you to clip up your hair. How can you drive with it hanging like that in your face? It’s dangerous. You can’t see a thing.”

“I can see fine.”

“Why don’t you ever listen to me? I tell you something a hundred times and you never listen.”

“I listen to you all the time!”

“You’re still arguing? You always talk back when I tell you that you’ve made a mistake. When you get into the real world and talk back to your boss, do you know what will happen? You’ll get fired.”

“Thanks for the encouragement.”

“What? What did you say? Speak Chinese! This whole time I’ve been talking to you in Chinese and you’ve only spoken to me in English. If you don’t speak Chinese, I’m not going to answer you, understand?”

The girl silently agreed.

“You think that knowing English is enough. It doesn’t matter where you go. Your face is still Chinese. People are going to laugh at you if you don’t know your own language.”

The girl gripped the steering wheel tighter and didn’t answer.

“Don’t hold the steering wheel like that! Really, how did you ever get your license? Move your hands down more - there, that’s right.”

The girl drove the next 12 miles with her hands in the correct position on the steering wheel. She did not open her mouth.

“Do you know where to exit?” The mother tapped her left foot.

The girl uttered a sound that meant yes. Another five miles passed.

“Are you angry?” The mother shifted her weight.

“No.” The girl looked over her shoulder and changed lanes.

The mother watched the green signs rush past. “You’re going to be okay, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, Mom.” The girl exited the freeway and soon pulled into the school parking lot.

“Keep your room clean, okay? Do your homework. Don’t say up too late. Call home sometimes. And don’t forget to eat! Eat a lot, okay? Don’t worry about being fat. You’re not fat. You’re perfect.”

The girl pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine. She sat back and looked at her mother.

“Really?” she said.

“Yes,” said her mother. “Eat as much as you want.”



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This article has 9 comments.


i love this !

This is so realistic!

on Jan. 2 2015 at 8:17 am
Ray--yo PLATINUM, Kathmandu, Other
43 articles 2 photos 581 comments

Favorite Quote:
God Makes No Mistakes. (Gaga?)<br /> &quot;I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.&quot; -Liesel Meminger via Markus Zusac, &quot;The Book Thief&quot;

well of course you won :)

on Nov. 19 2014 at 5:39 pm
dgeileen PLATINUM, Livingston, New Jersey
31 articles 2 photos 107 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.&rdquo; <br /> ― Oscar Wilde

This is so realistic! I can totally imagine my mom saying this to me. I also love the ending!

on Jan. 4 2013 at 7:50 am
In_Love_with_Writing GOLD, Easton, Pennsylvania
12 articles 0 photos 389 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.&quot; Phillipians 4:13

I really liked the way you were able to show the mother's nagging in a loving way and the girl's annoyance as a response. It wasn't overly dramatic (where it could just seem like a yelling match), but was definitely more of a mother-daughter conversation. Great job with it! But instead of surprising the reader far in the story with the Chinese thing, maybe at least give a hint to it earlier. I had already made a connection with characters before so when I learned that they were Chinese, I had to sort of make a new idea of them in my mind. Make sure that the reader is always able to flow right through the story as if they were there, not learning about it.

on Dec. 21 2011 at 1:02 pm
Gabazyzen BRONZE, Bronx, New York
2 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Forget what hurt you in the past, But never forget what it taught you.&quot;

this is so realistic ! a mother always wants nothing but the best for her child and its annoying sometimes lol

coly33 BRONZE said...
on Aug. 4 2010 at 1:33 pm
coly33 BRONZE, Lyndhurst, New Jersey
4 articles 0 photos 76 comments

i dont get what made you stop on the eat as much as you want part but i tottally understand it and i liked but you know the nagging annoyed me and i wasnt even there but still good

:)


Fredwardness said...
on Sep. 13 2009 at 10:02 am
I dont think you just showed how chinese parents are but actually how all parents are even tho they nag you they also love you thanks so much for this, it meant alot to me

Z yg said...
on Dec. 5 2008 at 8:05 am
you really understand chinese,chinese parents are probably like what you write.