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    Contents of ESL                           By Lisa Lee

The thunder roared. The lightning flashed, as if it wanted to tear the black clouds. The wind blew fiercely. The rainstorm, like a raging tyrant, wanted to destroy everything on the earth.

            Through the window, Tin Ming sadly looked at his broken plants lying on the flower-bed. Kui Hua was feeding Tin Ming’s mother bitter Chinese medicine. Nursing her sickly mother-in-law, Kui Hua felt much sympathy and anxiety for her. Even though Tin Ming’s father left her and went to Farkei (USA) when Tin Ming was only five, the old woman never complained about her husband. She thought that was her fate and she should bear it. Sometimes, gazing at her husband’s photo, her tearful eyes let out her inner loneliness. So Tin Ming was her whole love, her life.

            In their bedroom, Kui Hua said, “Ming, I don’t know why I feel very nervous, as if some misfortune will happen.”

            Tin Ming held her in his arms and said, “Sunflower, dear, maybe the bad weather makes you fret. Relax, when the storm is over, everything will be fine.

            Kui Hua sighed and nodded.

            Next morning, the rainstorm was over. After breakfast, Kui Hua was washing the dishes, when her father’s neighbor rushed in. He panted, “Kui Hua, hurry up! Go back to see your father.”

            Kui Hua was so shocked that her face turned white. Tin Ming held her at once. The neighbor told them the event in brief. The day before, when Kui Hua’s father heard bout the rainstorm, he immediately escorted his students-14 little boys- to their homes. Then he walked back to his village in a hurry. The rainstorm started. He met a flood when he was crossing a valley. The rushing water pulled him down and he was drowned. Someone rescued him from the flood, but the old man had swallowed a lot of water and his body was cold as ice.

            When they rushed into Kui Hua's home, her father was dying.

            “Dad, Dad!” cried Kui Hua with a broken heart, as she held her father tightly. The old man touched his daughter’s head with his trembling hand, and whispered strenuously, “Dear child, don’t cry. I’ll meet your mom soon.” His eyes turned to Tin Ming. “My good boy, please treat Kui Hua well. She is my…” The old man’s hand dropped down from Kui Hua’s head before he finished his words.

            "Dad, please don't leave me!" Kui Hua screamed and fainted.

            The folks helped Kui Hua bury her father, their respected country teacher. Kui Hua was deeply grieving. She could not eat or sleep and only Tin Ming’s love gradually diluted her sorrow. But she did not know something happened that would change her whole fate.

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