Two Prayers in Winter
On the day before New Year's Eve, I didn't shut the window all the way, and my little sister sneezed.
My parents kicked me out and ordered me to collect firewood in the dark.
Inside, the family crowded around her, laughing as they handed her presents.
I didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, I slung the basket onto my back before heading into the mountains through the wind and snow.
I didn't find any firewood. I found a man instead.
His leg was wedged in a crack between rocks, bloody enough to scare me. When he saw me, he said in a hoarse voice, "Get me out of here, girl. I can give you whatever you want."
I looked up at him, my eyes finally focusing. "Really? Then I want you to be my dad."