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My Mother                                        By Wah You Lee                            Contents

My mother was a very important person to me. She gave me my life and raised me. She passed on a lot of her vigor to me. Now that I am 71 years old and reviewing the road, I have passed through, I do not feel ashamed, because I am an aboveboard man. I have to repeat, “Mama, thanks.”

My mother was very concerned about my health. When I was sick, she took care of me day and night. When I was a child, she brought me to the beach to swim. She did not know how to swim; she went there just to accompany and watch me. She encouraged me to do physical work. She always said, “Young men should not save their strength. The strength goes and the strength will return.” So I never avoided hard physical work.

My mother was very concerned with my character. I can remember when I was six years old, one day I cut class and played around. My mother tried her best to let me tell the truth about it, and then she gave me a toy and praised me for admitting my fault. When I was eight, during the Chinese New Year I took the change (little money) to play a game on the street. She was very angry and beat me seriously. (only on the bottom and legs, though. She did not want to hurt me.) From that time, I have known that gambling is bad.

My mother liked to give me food and liked me to share with my cousins and schoolmates. She often said, “Eating by yourself can make you thin and weak; eating together is more delicious.” When the poor relatives came from the country to visit us, my mother could give them money, food, and sued clothes. She told me to have respect for my seniors and concern for my juniors, to say “Hello” and get friendly with other people. It made me want to be sociable.

If I promised to do something for friends, my mother would remind me repeatedly. She also told me to be fair, do not be partial to anyone or anything, especially myself. All these things let me know I should be a responsible and just person.

My mother was a country lady. She never read when she was young, but she attached importance to my studying. She taught me to make exercise books; she watched me doing homework very evening; she often consulted with teachers about my study; she praised me for my progress. She always asked me, “Would you like to be a useful man or an ox?” She meant oxes could only sell their labor. Now, I do not know if this is logical, if it is correct, but at that time, I did not want to be an ox, so I studied hard.

My mother has been gone for more than 40 years. I always remember her and dream of her often. I think human beings should be full of love in their hearts and act reasonably. These concepts came from my mother. She taught them not only by speaking, but also by her actions. Dear mother, thanks, thanks a lot, thanks forever.

I Saw A Ghost                                                                    By Wah You Lee                                      Contents

When I was a child, I heard many stories of ghosts. I knew my cousin, a six-year-old child, had seen a ghost when she was sick. Therefore, I seriously believed that there were ghosts in the world.

I saw a ghost when I was thirteen years old. It was during the Second World War. A nightclub in my neighborhood was bombed and more than a hundred people were killed or wounded. After that, there were many rumors about ghosts in the air. There were rumors that some women (female ghosts) called vehicles to the cemetery; that some men (male ghosts) ate in restaurants at midnight; that dance music was broadcast from the former address of the nightclub, as if a party was being held. These rumors scared me so much.

At daytime, I dared not stay in bedroom alone. At night, I dared not to go to the living room by myself. I had to be accompanied by someone. One night, after I had fallen asleep, I felt as if I had been bound to my bed. I could not move my hands or feet. When I opened my eyes, I sew a woman going out. I could see her back only. She was very tall, wearing an overcoat, and had long, curly hair. But, I could not see the lover part of her body. I shouted loudly and could not stop crying. The next day, I was moved to my aunt’s home.

When I grew up, I did not believe in ghosts as seriously as I had before. I thought that I had seen a ghost when I was a child because I had believed in ghosts and was afraid of them. The ghost I had seen was nothing but an illusion.

Then, around the year 1960, I read some books about the Illusion. One of the theories said that someone could see visions that did not actually exist. Because of the electric wave, it was just like a T.V. giving and receiving through electric shock; the picture is shown on the screen. I believe this. But, why can some people see the vision and some people cannot? I think it is because everyone has a different receiver. For some scientists, it is a big concern. But, it is not my job. I am just interested in thinking about it.

Now I do not believe in ghosts anymore, as I did before. In addition, I am not very afraid of them. Even though there might be ghosts, they are just like people, and are not harmful is you do not invade their space.

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