My mother wipes her eyes with a folded tissue, and then unfolds it to place it to the side. It looks like she is thinking of reusing it after the tears dry off. Neatly placed tangerine peels are drying on a chipped plate. A pile of tissue papers. I take off my coat, wet with rain. I look around to see if there is anywhere I should hang it, but no luck, so I put it back on.

“Did you recognize me right away?”

“How could you even ask me that. Of course, you look exactly the same as when you were little. Well, your skin was lighter when you were younger. And I see you everyday with the help of the Holy Ghost. I pray for you first thing in the morning every day. Never, not for a moment, have I forgotten you.”

“If that’s true, how come you never came to see me? Never a phone call, not even once.”

“I’ve actually gone to see you multiple times. I really wanted to see you. You just didn’t recognize me. I used to hang around near you and your granny’s house for a while, and by the gate of your middle school, and then your high school. But then I decided that I shouldn’t do that. My worry was that you, a sensitive girl, could get upset at the sight of me or become rebellious. What if that sent you down the wrong path? I decided that I’d wait until you become an adult who could understand my choices. The only thing I could do was to pray for you. If it wasn’t for our Savior, I would’ve gone crazy long ago. Or killed myself. I hope you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, too.”

I forcefully shovel the rice into my mouth, spoonful after spoonful, until it’s all gone. She pulls out some gummies and mints from a first aid kit. They’re the kind that restaurants keep by the cashier. Mother unwraps a mint and places it on my tongue. I’m no longer a child who’d ask for candies, Mother.

“Did you skip the lecture today? You’re majoring in German, right? How is it? Do you like it?You must be reading Herman Hesse, Goethe, all those German masters. But you know, the Bible is much more interesting than novels. There’s a reason the Bible has been a best seller throughout the centuries.”