My mother’s voice rang out sharply, snapping me back to reality. They had noticed me.
The moment my mother saw me, her face twisted in anger.
“I told you not to come, and yet here you are!”
Without a word, I placed a large basket of gold ingots on the ground—the ones I had carefully folded, one by one.
She looked at me with nothing but disgust.
"Take it away. My father doesn’t need your things. Julia has already burned offerings for him. Take it away!"
With a single kick, my mother sent the gold ingots I had folded all night scattering onto the ground.
In the silent mountain, I was the only one left, kneeling in the dirt, rubbing my swollen ankle as I picked up the paper ingots now covered in mud.
Fortunately, I managed to make it down the mountain before sunset.
Today was Memorial Day, and as was tradition, our family gathered for a meal at the old house.
As soon as I stepped into the yard, my mother poked her head out and snapped, "Why are you so late? Everyone’s been waiting for you!"