The Feeling of Being Loved

190160926 Ella范航

The weather was getting colder, the golden leaves were falling in a hurry; Winter was getting closer, and there would be heavy snow soon. It was freezing cold; people were hurrying past on the roads. and the streets were much colder.

It had been over a month since Mum noticed that Dad was abnormal... ...

Mum and Dad rented a stall near the market to sell fruit to support our family. For five years, whether Spring, Autumn, Winter, or Summer, Dad went to the market at five o'clock in the morning, started selling at seven o'clock, and closed the stall at seven o'clock in the evening, making the days uneventful but fulfilling. Dad was very honest and rarely got angry, and our family was very harmonious. In Winter, when it was five o'clock in the morning, before dawn, he didn't complain even when he was freezing. But during the last month, Dad was always angry for no reason at all. He was constantly restless, and even when he was at home resting, he couldn't stay at home and always wanted to go out. When Mum was cooking, he thought she was making too much noise and shouted at her, “Can you keep your voice down?” She was surprised to hear this, and after a while, she started to shed tears in secret. For many nights in a row, Dad tossed and turned on the sofa, unable to sleep for days.

Dad's recent behavior had upset Mum, and I often heard her sobbing at night. One snowy day, Mum cautiously ran downstairs to Tom's house (who was a good friend of Dad's) and asked him, with a sobbing voice, "Does he not love me anymore? He's been getting angry for no reason these days, and he doesn't even like the sound of my voice when I'm cooking," Mom said, about to burst into tears. Tom immediately said, "He's quitting smoking! Last month, he and I went to buy cigarettes; the price of cigarettes has recently increased, and he was very distressed. Then he went out and saw you buying food and bargaining; he decided to quit smoking to save the family some money. It's the quitting smoking syndrome for him." A long-missing smile appeared on Mum's face, so this is what it feels like to be loved.

Dad's love for Mum was silent and subtle; Dad's love was making a difference for our family, and after that night, we all understood Dad better and loved him more.