My mom only had one eye. I hated her. She was such an embarrassment.
She ran a small shop at a flea market, selling old clothes and other items to support us. Once, during a field day in elementary school, she came. I was mortified. I threw her a hateful look and ran away. The next day, my classmates taunted me, "Your mom only has one eye?!"
I was furious and wished she would disappear. I confronted her, "Why don't you have the other eye?! You're making me a laughingstock!" She didn't respond. I felt a twinge of guilt, but also satisfaction for speaking my mind.
Despite a pinching feeling in my heart, my hatred for my one-eyed mother and our poverty persisted. I vowed to succeed. I studied hard, was accepted into Seoul University, left home, built a career, got married, bought a house, and had children. I was happy in Seoul, a place that didn't remind me of my past.
That happiness shattered one day with a knock at the door. It was my mother, still with one eye. My daughter ran away, scared. I screamed, "Who are you? I don't know you! How dare you scare my daughter!" She quietly replied, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I must have the wrong address," and left.
Later, I received a letter regarding a school reunion. Lying to my wife about a business trip, I attended. Afterwards, driven by curiosity, I visited our old shack. I found my mother lying on the cold ground. I did not shed a tear.
Then I saw a paper in her hand—a letter to me.
My son,
I think my life has been long enough now, and I won't visit Seoul anymore. But would it be too much to ask you to visit me once in a while? I miss you. I was glad to hear you were coming for the reunion, but I decided not to go… for you. I'm sorry I only have one eye and was an embarrassment.
You see, when you were little, you had an accident and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn't bear you growing up with only one. So, I gave you mine. I was so proud to see a whole new world through your eyes. I was never upset with you. When you were angry, I thought, 'It's because he loves me.'
My son… oh, my son…
Don't cry for me when I'm gone. I love you so much.