The narrator describes how as a child they were embarrassed by and resented their mother who only had one eye. The narrator ignored and was rude to their mother during a school visit. Later, the narrator confronted their mother and angrily told her it would have been better if she died. After the narrator moved away, married and had a family, they were equally rude and yelled at their mother during a surprise visit. Years later, after their mother's death, the narrator discovered in a letter that their mother had actually given her eye to the narrator as a child after an accident, so the narrator could see.

1. My mom only had one eye.My mom only had one eye.
I hated her... she was suchI hated her... she was such
an embarrassmentan embarrassment..

2. She cooked forShe cooked for
students & teachers tostudents & teachers to
support the familysupport the family..

3. There was this one dayThere was this one day
during elementary schoolduring elementary school
where my mom came towhere my mom came to
say hello to mesay hello to me..

4. I was so embarrassed.I was so embarrassed.
How could she do thisHow could she do this
to meto me??

5. I ignored her, threwI ignored her, threw
her a hateful look andher a hateful look and
ran outran out..

6. The next day at school one ofThe next day at school one of
my classmates said,my classmates said,
"EEEE, your mom only has"EEEE, your mom only has
one eyeone eye!"!"

7. I wanted to bury myself.I wanted to bury myself.
I also wanted my mom toI also wanted my mom to
just disappearjust disappear..

8. So I confronted her that daySo I confronted her that day
and said, " If you're onlyand said, " If you're only
gonna make me a laughinggonna make me a laughing
stock, why don't you juststock, why don't you just
diedie?!!!"?!!!"

9. My mom did notMy mom did not
respondrespond......

10. I didnt even stop to thinkI didnt even stop to think
for a second about what Ifor a second about what I
had said, because I washad said, because I was
full of angerfull of anger..

11. I was oblivious to herI was oblivious to her
feelingsfeelings..

12. I wanted out of thatI wanted out of that
house, and havehouse, and have
nothing to do with hernothing to do with her..

13. So I studied real hard,So I studied real hard,
got a chance to go togot a chance to go to
Singapore to studySingapore to study..

14. Then, I got married.Then, I got married.
I bought a house of my own.I bought a house of my own.
I had kids of my ownI had kids of my own..

15. I was happy with myI was happy with my
life, my kids and thelife, my kids and the
comfortscomforts

16. Then one day, my motherThen one day, my mother
came to visit mecame to visit me..

17. She hadn't seen me inShe hadn't seen me in
years and she didn't evenyears and she didn't even
meet her grandchildrenmeet her grandchildren..

18. When she stood by the door,When she stood by the door,
my children laughed at her,my children laughed at her,
and I yelled at her for comingand I yelled at her for coming
over uninvitedover uninvited..

19. I screamed at her, "How dareI screamed at her, "How dare
you come to my house andyou come to my house and
scare my children!"scare my children!"
GET OUT OF HERE! NOWGET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!"!!!"

20. And to this, my mother quietlyAnd to this, my mother quietly
answered, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Ianswered, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I
may have gotten the wrongmay have gotten the wrong
address," and she disappearedaddress," and she disappeared
out of sightout of sight..

21. One day, a letter regarding aOne day, a letter regarding a
school reunion came to myschool reunion came to my
house in Singaporehouse in Singapore..

22. So I lied to my wife that ISo I lied to my wife that I
was going on a businesswas going on a business
triptrip..

23. After the reunion, I went to theAfter the reunion, I went to the
old shack just out of curiosityold shack just out of curiosity..

24. My neighbors said thatMy neighbors said that
she diedshe died..

25. I did not shed a singleI did not shed a single
teartear..

26. They handed me a letterThey handed me a letter
that she had wanted me tothat she had wanted me to
havehave..

27. ""My dearest son,My dearest son,
I think of you all the time.I think of you all the time.
I'm sorry that I came toI'm sorry that I came to
Singapore and scared yourSingapore and scared your
childrenchildren..

28. I was so glad when II was so glad when I
heard you were comingheard you were coming
for the reunionfor the reunion..

29. But I may not be able toBut I may not be able to
even get out of bed toeven get out of bed to
see yousee you..

30. I'm sorry that I was aI'm sorry that I was a
constant embarrassmentconstant embarrassment
to you when you wereto you when you were
growing upgrowing up..

31. You see........when youYou see........when you
were very little, you gotwere very little, you got
into an accident, and lostinto an accident, and lost
your eyeyour eye..

32. As a mother, I couldn'tAs a mother, I couldn't
stand watching you havingstand watching you having
to grow up with one eyeto grow up with one eye..

33. So I gave you mineSo I gave you mine..

34. I was so proud of my sonI was so proud of my son
who was seeing a wholewho was seeing a whole
new world for me, in mynew world for me, in my
place, with that eyeplace, with that eye..

35. With my love to youWith my love to you,,

36. Your mother.Your mother.