A few years ago, I had taken a part-time holiday-season job in a video store at the local shopping mall. From inside the store, I’d begun to see the people rushing by outside. Then an elderly woman caught my eye. Although slow and unsure of step, she moved with deliberation (从容), and there was no hesitation in her gestures. The elderly woman had come into the store along with a younger woman who I guessed was her daughter. The daughter was clearly impatient, rolling her eyes, huffing(长吁短叹) and sighing, checking her watch every few seconds.

The older woman then separated from the younger one and began to tick through the DVDs on the nearest shelf, obviously expecting someone else to help. After the slightest hesitation, I walked over and asked if I could help her find something. The woman smiled up at me and showed me a title scrawled (乱涂乱画的) on a piece of paper. It was a bit unclear to make out. Clearly a person looking for it knew a little about movies, about quality. Rather than rushing off to locate the DVD for the woman, I asked her to walk with me so I could show her where she could find it.

Looking back, I think I wanted to enjoy her company for a moment. Something about her deliberate movements reminded me of my own mother, who’d passed away the previous Christmas. As we walked along the back of the store, I introduced her to the different sections: old television shows, action movies, cartoons, science fiction. The woman seemed glad of the unrushed company and casual conversation.

We found the movie, and I complimented her on her choice. She smiled and told me it was one she’d enjoyed when she was her daughter’s age and that she hoped she would enjoy it as much as she had. Maybe, she said with a hint of wistfulness(一丝渴望), her daughter could enjoy it with her own young children. Then, when the older woman’s turn in line came, she paid in cash, counting out the dollars and coins with the same sureness she’d displayed earlier.

As the cashier put the DVD into a plastic bag, I walked over to the younger woman.

The elderly woman moved with her deliberate slowness back to her daughter.

Alessandro Vitale was born in Verona, Italy. As his parents were busy working, they were unable to care for his sister and him at the same time. Therefore, Alessandro grew up with his grandparents.

Alessandro’s grandmother was good at cooking. His grandfather used to take him out for fishing or to his garden in the town. Alessandro’s grandparents greatly influenced him, and he learned many things from them. At a young age, he was introduced to gardening, especially grow-ng fruit and vegetables by his grandfather, and he learned great recipes from his grandmother.

Even though Alessandro got into gardening at a young age, he had to focus on school later. In 2015, he moved to London to work there and left gardening aside. Alessandro did several different jobs after getting there, but he liked none of them really.

One day after working in London for a few months, Alessandro and his roommate went to a supermarket and bought some vegetables. After returning home, they started cooking together. When cutting a red chilli (辣椒). Alessandro saw its seeds. An idea occurred to him that he could grow food himself. He had little connection with nature then and thought the food grown by him-self was much healthier. Moreover, he wanted to take up gardening in memory of his grandfather. But he had never expected his future gardening journey would greatly influence his life and career.

Alessandro planted these seeds in pots on his small balcony. In just a few weeks, Alessandro scaled up his garden and grew more plants. His whole space was filled with plants. He fell in love with gardening and did anything he could to make his garden thrive (旺盛), such as reading various farming books to learn new technologies and skills. Besides gardening, he was also into zero-waste cooking. Thanks to his grandmother’s recipes, he could cook his garden produce in creative ways.

A gift of love

“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked.

When the bundle (襁褓) was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look at his tiny face, she suddenly breathed deeply. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.

Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was spoiled. When her son rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.

He cried out the tragedy, “A boy, a big boy…called me a freak (怪物).”

He grew up, handsome except for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a talent for literature and music.

“But you might look the same as other young people, ” his mother whispered to herself, feeling a kindness in her heart.

The boy's father had a talk with the family physician. “Could nothing be done？”

“I believe I could graft (移植)on a pair of outer ears, if they could be obtained,” the doctor decided. So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for the young man.

Two years passed through. Then, “You're going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret,” said the father.

The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.

Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.

The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come.