A Touching Tragic Love Story
She was standing on the balcony in a plain nightgown, barefoot, with a deathly pale face. Her eyes were closed as she imagined herself jumping from the fifth floor. Tears rolled down her cheeks. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a pair of children playing in the courtyard below.
Back then, she and he were about the same age, inseparable just like those kids. A surge of sweetness filled her heart. She brought over a chair and stood on it, quietly watching the boy and girl playing below. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, causing her face to twitch.
She got down from the chair and silently went to the door. When she opened it, a dark-skinned rural woman stood there.
“Can I use your balcony for a moment?” the woman asked humbly, “I’ve knocked on every door from the second floor to the fifth, and you’re the only one who opened the door…” She remained silent, recognizing the woman as the garbage collector hired by the community.
“I just want to see my two children, the ones playing down in the courtyard. I’m their mother, and I just want to see them…” The woman wiped her eyes as she spoke.
Her eyes moved slightly, then she turned and walked back to the balcony. The woman followed her inside and closed the security door behind her.
The May sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, casting patches of light on the children playing below.
The woman watched them while tears flowed down her face, murmuring, “They’re so good… they’ve grown taller and fatter. The older one is still so naughty!” She watched for a long time, then finally turned to her and said, “They’re my children, twins. I divorced their father. I could have kept them… but I’m uneducated and couldn’t provide for them. I couldn’t jeopardize their future. Their father promised me he would send them to the best school in the city.”
Wiping her tears, the woman continued, “He left me ten thousand yuan and forbade me from seeing them again. But I can’t bear to be apart from them… He moved several times to avoid me, but I finally found them. I don’t want to disturb them, but I think about them every day and can’t stand it. I took this job as a garbage collector in this community just to see them for a few moments…”
Her eyes showed a hint of doubt. The woman went on, “You must wonder why I don’t just go to see them directly… Look how happy they are now. I’m afraid if they knew I was their mother, it would upset them. As long as they are happy, why would I tell them? Don’t you agree?”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Sister, could you let me come to your balcony every week to see my children? I… can do housework for you for free…”
Without hesitation, she nodded.
Meanwhile, under the dense shade of an old phoenix tree, a young man was hiding, peeking up every day even though he couldn’t see anything. The tree’s crown was large and leaves thick, obscuring the view from above. Neither she nor the rural woman could see the young man with tears in his eyes.
Days passed, and she and the woman adhered to their agreement. She often quietly listened to the woman’s chatter and watched her work with sweet contentment. Gradually, her daily life seemed entirely dedicated to waiting for the woman’s visits.
Under the tree, the young man wandered every day…
A month later, the woman rang the doorbell at the appointed time, but there was no answer. Just as she was about to leave, a man in a suit stopped her, introducing himself as a lawyer. He handed her a property deed and a letter.
With trembling hands, the woman opened the letter:
“…Sister, thank you for accompanying me with your maternal warmth in my final days. You’ve shown me a sacred motherly love! I was diagnosed with leukemia half a year ago. I had already lost my attachment to this world… I just wanted my boyfriend to understand that I didn’t leave him on purpose. I left because I loved him and wanted him to move on…
But after meeting you, I realized there’s a love that requires no possession or return… To truly love someone without needing to possess them is like the voice of an angel! I will carry this pure love and happiness to heaven.
By the time you read this letter, I will no longer be in this world. I bequeath this house to you, hoping you can see your children every day…”
Before finishing the letter, the woman was already in tears. She sighed and told the lawyer, “Actually, her boyfriend asked me to do this. I used to stand on the opposite rooftop to watch my children, and he often stood there looking over here. We got to know each other.
Later, he begged me… he begged me to come and keep her company, to check on her every day and tell him how she was doing… He knew about her illness long ago… He suffered more than she did because she refused to see him…”
After speaking, the woman wiped her tears and left. The lawyer, holding the property deed, stood in stunned silence in the hallway…
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
