My 6-year-old brother, Mike and I were home watching cartoons while Mom and Dad were out shopping. I went to get some drink and left my brother in the living room. While pouring the drink, I heard something break. I rushed into the living room only to find that my brother had broken my mom’s favorite vase (花瓶). He stood frozen, repeatedly saying it was an accident.

Seeing his worried look, I didn’t want him to get into trouble, and then did what any big sister would do. I helped him fix the broken vase. I quickly ran and got some glue (胶水). Not knowing when Mom and Dad were going to be back, I had no time to waste. I carefully gathered up all the broken pieces on the floor and started to glue them together. It took me an hour to do it but I finally made it. Just when I thought it was over, then came the real disaster.

I did fix the vase. However, I had accidentally glued my hair to it! After walking to the bathroom, I was disappointed to see what used to be shiny and neat hair was now ruined. “My beautiful hair,” I cried. Realizing that there was no way to pull my hair from the vase, I grabbed a pair of scissors (剪刀). With every single hair I cut, I cried again. My hair was ruined and the vase looked as if a wig (假发) were attached to it! Although I promised my little brother that his big sister could deal with it, I had butterflies in my stomach. I placed the vase in the same place but at a different angle, hoping my mom wouldn’t discover it.

When hearing a key turn in the front door, Mike ran away, leaving me alone in the living room.

As Christmas decorations appeared in town, our parents called my two younger brothers and me together. At first, I thought someone had died, because I had never seen my parents look so sad. My brothers and I stood waiting for the awful news.

Mom hugged me as she murmured, “Christmas is going to be different this year. We won’t be having a tree or presents. We can barely afford food.” Dad, resting on the couch, beckoned(招手示意)the boys into his arms. “Things will change when I get back to work.”

My family was poorer than dirt. Dad, the only bread-earner in our family, worked in a coal mine. However, soon after returning to work at the end of a long strike, Dad was hurt in a rock fall that broke bones in his foot. Lying on the couch with the swollen foot high on pillows, he didn’t talk or smile much. There was little to smile about. No work, no income.

At nine years old, I mothered my younger brothers: Rodney, aged six, and Stevie, three. We shared a small bedroom. That night, after our parents’ announcement, we talked.

Rodney began. “Em, did you see how sad Mommy and Daddy looked? I thought Mommy was gonna cry.”

“Me, too. Daddy’s foot’s … this big” whispered Stevie, holding out his arms.

“Yeah ... We’re in hard times,” I said. “It makes Mommy and Daddy sad.”

“But we don’t have to be sad,” I added, hoping to brighten the mood.

“Since there are still several weeks to go, maybe we can do something to cheer them up,” I said with overdone enthusiasm. The boys proposed, “We can take the money from our piggy bank ... earn some more … and surprise them with gifts!”

“I can run errands(跑腿)for Aunt … em … and neighbors to earn money,” I offered.

“Yeah,” Rodney added, “Stevie and I can return bottles and save the deposit money ... instead of buying candy!” He pushed Stevie gently with his elbow.

“Yeah!” Stevie clutched his hands together.

We had a plan!

Until they nodded off, I coached my little brothers (especially Stevie) in ways to guard our secret. “Don’t talk about it during the day.”

We awoke in the morning, transforming from sad children to the secret agents on an important mission!

On Christmas morning, we hurried into the living room and handed the gifts to Mommy and Daddy.

I was born in a small town, and was well fed by my parents. Every day my father worked long hours in a glass factory, so that my family could live comfortably.

However, my father could not earn much money to meet all household expenses. I, who dreamed of becoming a doctor, was just a student of average academic achievement in school, for which I could not get my favorite course to study. Instead, I joined a bachelor’s degree course, completed it, and eventually got a job in a company.

While my life was going on with no dramatic change, my father continued to work in the factory, so that he did not have to depend on me. After one year of work, at my parents’ request I got married to a girl from a neighbouring town, and at the same time got a promotion in my job. In the years that followed, my wife gave birth to three kids and we had a happy family.

However, when I began to earn a handsome salary, I also started to live luxuriously (奢侈地), spending money like water. As a consequence, I was neither able to manage all the household expenses, nor pay for the children’s education and other basic necessities.

It so happened that my father fell sick, and as a result, could not continue his work in the factory. He came to the company where I worked and requested me to give some money for his treatment. I, who was now trapped in financial trouble. shouted at him, complaining, “You never gave me what I needed and wanted, and it took me more than 10 years to get settled. Now, while I am again struggling for money, you are not doing anything to help me, but instead are a burden to me! So, please don’t come to me again.” Hearing these words, my father left sadly.