Chapter 8 - Mom!

YuShi was scraping the walls. His cheek pressed up against a window pane and he sadly watched his own nails drag on at paint.

Left behind by his cruel father! Dad you lied to me!

He moved his eyes to look behind. The other children – thirteen of them – were playing in the room. Today there was no arithmetic or learning letters. There was only playing and talking.

He was so bored! The only thing he felt interest in doing was dragging his nails down the wall beneath the classroom window.

He wanted to go home! Sitting in his dad's office would be better than this!

The girl next to him tugged on a corner of his uniform jacket. "Will you play with me?"

YuShi stopped scraping and tugged his clothes back. "Ming Ke, I said no," his patience had run off long ago.

Ming Ke grumbled. "You're boring!"

YuShi looked at all the kids around the room. "Uh huh. Go play with someone else." He grew up as a serious person; he helped his Dad at work often. These children only know how to play.

"You're not nice," Ming Ke's eyebrows turned down.

Another boy walked up. Chen Bo stood near them with his chest puffed out and his hands on his waist. "Is he bullying you, Xiao Ke?"

YuShi's face twisted. Dad! Come and pick me up!

He tried to block them both out. "I don't want to play! Go away."

"Then what will you do all day?" Ming Ke asked.

He took the opportunity to complain. "There is no math sums and no reading..." Actually, his reading wasn't good.

"You're too young for math," Ming Ke informed him.

YuShi shook his head, "No. At my dad's office, the teacher sometimes give me lessons."

"You go to your Dad's work?" Chen Bo's eyes were wide. "Wow! I've never been to my Dad's work."

"Oh." YuShi shrugged. He didn't know what other children did, but everyday he usually helped his Dad run the company.

Chen Bo, who spent all his time listening to his mom talking with her friends, pressed himself between Ming Ke and YuShi. He plopped his bottom down, his eyes shining, "My mom said you have to go to work with your dad everyday because you don't have a mom."

'I have a mom', YuShi opened his mouth to scream.

But Chen Bo talked too fast: "What do you do at your Dad's office? My Mommy said Dad should take me to work too but Dad said 'No'." Chen Bo was a little sad about that.

"Um - "

"So what do you do?" Chen Bo wiggled closer.

On the next side, Ming Ke huffed, "Xiao Bo, I was talking to YuShi!"

YuShi wedged himself closer to the wall, almost flat against it. It was the first time he was around so many children and he didn't really know what to do and say.

Dad, Help me! He screamed in his heart. I want to go home.

*CLAP* *CLAP* "Children," Teacher Yi called. "It's time for a break. Let's go outside."

YuShi jumped up. So neither Ming Ke or Chen Bo could talk to him, he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him and was the first to run past Teacher Yi.

Once outside, he ran to throw himself up against the school gate. He held on to the bars hard, wishing to see his dad coming to pick him up.

Instead, the other children from his class plus the other kindergarten classes played behind him and a Mr. Security came to stand beside him.

"Child, you should go to play with your friends," the Mr. Security said.

YuShi ignored him. His eyes glued to the road outside. Dad, where are you?

"Child?" the Mr. Security said. "I will go and get your teacher." Mr. Security walked away.

YuShi, uness he could turn himself into a noodle and squeeze through the bars, couldn't go anywhere. Too bad he was more like a dumpling. He stooped down in the dirt and put his hands on his head.

So this was what being an abandoned child felt like.

How long he sat there waiting, who knew?

The children behind him were noisy but he enjoyed his little quiet place... until...

“Oh! How cute!”

He looked up.

She was standing outside the gate, carrying a pink box in her hand.

YuShi blinked.

She bent low, coming closer to him, the smile on her pretty face widening into a happy laugh. “How are you so cute, Baby? You’re so adorable!”

YuShi was so surprised he didn’t know what to do. He fell back on his bottom, his mouth falling wide open.

She bent lower and leaned forward, putting her hand on her knees for balance. A small breeze blew stands of her hair blew towards him and her scent... YuShi didn't know how to say anything anymore.

“Aren't you a sweet little dumpling.” She waved at him. “Hello darling.” Her voice was gentle and sweet, making him feel warm inside.

YuShi reached for her, his eyes fulling with water.

But at the same time, she straightened, “Little baby, don’t be sad. Where is your teacher?” She looked around.

He wanted to shout "Mom!" but when he opened his mouth he was so confused inside and what came out was a loud: "Waaaaaaaaaah!" and a flood of big, snooty tears.

Not to mention shocking himself – because he wasn't a little baby – his Mom instantly jumped back, her eyes wide and her face serious. She looked around the playground.

"Hey!" Mr. Security shouted. His footsteps pounded the ground as he ran towards YuShi. "Hey!"

Instantly, his mom clutched her box and moved further back, almost stepping into the road. She was scared!

"Sorry!" She called to him and ran away.

YuShi was so frustrated he screamed louder. He yelled "Moooom!" but it was too late. He already scared his mom and she ran away down the street.

He slammed his hands flat on the ground to push himslef up, trying to get to his feet fast. "Mom!" He cried. "Mom, wait for me!"

Teacher Yi ran over. "Xiao Shi!" The teacher tried to hug him.

YuShi angrily pushed her arms away to try to run for his mother. "Mom!" He cried harder and fought off Teacher Yi who kept trying to hold him. "I want my mom! Let go! Mom! Mom!"

Sadly, he was too small and too weak. He was only a little guy, how could he fight Teacher Yi and Mr. Security too? His small hands and legs got tired too fast and Teacher Yi grabbed him up to take him inside.

YuShi bawled his heart out.

"Mom!"