One day many years ago, a teacher was taking a nap at home when the phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and heard a strange, rough voice yelling, “Your child was stealing books, and we caught her. You’d better come quickly!” The cry of a little girl and the scolding of people around her came through the line. She looked back at her daughter, who was watching TV. That’s when she understood what was going on.
Of course, she could have just put the phone down and ignored it or even reprimanded the other party because it had nothing to do with her. But she was a teacher; it could have been one of her students. During the call, she could vaguely imagine that the little girl who had done wrong must have been terrified to face the situation alone. After hesitating, she asked for the bookstore’s address and hurried over.
The little girl was teary and fearful
Just as she expected, a tear-stained little girl stood in the bookstore while the adults around her fiercely scolded her. She rushed up to the poor little girl, held her in her arms, and turned to the salesperson next to her, saying: “What’s the matter? You can talk to me; I’m her mother. Please stop frightening the child.” Amid the reluctant murmur of the salesperson, she paid the fine before taking the little girl out of the bookstore. Then the teacher saw the girl’s face, a mix of tears and fear.
She then took the little girl to her home, tidied her up, and let her go without asking any questions. Before she left, the teacher told her: “If you want to read books, come to my house. I have a lot of books.” The frightened little girl looked intensely at her, then ran away quickly and never appeared again.
Time rushed by like water. Before she knew it, many years had passed by. The teacher had long forgotten this incident. She still lived in the same house and enjoyed a stable and peaceful life.
Years later, the girl returned to the teacher’s home
One afternoon, there was a knock on the door. When the teacher opened the door, she saw a beautiful young woman with a big smile and a bunch of gifts in her hands. The teacher asked: “Who are you looking for?”
At first, the girl was too agitated to say a word. After some time, the strange woman told her story. She was the little girl who stole the books many years ago. She continued to explain that she had just graduated from a prestigious university and had found an enviable job. Today, she came to visit the teacher.
With tears swelling in her eyes, the girl softly said: “Thank God for that phone call I made out of desperation back then came to your home! Although I still don’t understand why you were willing to act as my mother and rescue me, for all these years, I have always had one wish: to call you Mom.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the young woman burst into tears. The teacher’s eyes widened, and she asked: “I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t helped you?” The girl’s face immediately became melancholy. She shook her head slightly and said: “I don’t know. Maybe I would have continued that kind of malignant behavior and perhaps may even have died.”
The teacher’s heart skipped a beat. Looking at the girl’s happy smile, she also smiled. Fortunately, she had made the right choice that day many years ago.
Translated by Cecilia
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