The next selection also has illness and death as themes. Footsteps by Yunny Chen involves a relationship between a man and a woman; long-lived, married, and in the way of this, still secretive about feelings.
There is a difference between the personalities that is made more intense by the difference in their religious faith, by the childlessness which burdened their marriage, by family disapproval, and yet, even though they met through a marriage broker, there is a developed strong bond of love. The wife is dying of cancer, the husband is trying to cope. There is the usual self-protective instincts that illness brings, and the softness of true caring that often only comes out on the bad days, the rough times.
It’s a well written story of love and faith and what two people build together that keeps them together. Nicely done without any overly dramatic scenarios. Through some backstory vignettes, we see what they have overcome and how they’ve established their stand through compromise, the author giving us just enough to set the images of forty years to come to this time where the threat of separation is very real. A good read.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
This, my dear is karma. Or perhaps you’re picking up on my thoughts. You’ll see what i mean tomorrow. Meanwhile, i send such good thoughts your way.
Oh dear, this post may have been thoughtless of me as far as timing is concerned…please say no…