An-Mei hsu

    old me my mot. t mean my mot o talk about. So I kneed me to forget my moto remember not I kneall stairs. ties family tle brother.

    But I often ories of a g o take crong-tle girls imes Popo said aloud to all  of tupid goose, t nobody ed, not even good enougo crack over rice porridge. S ts  steal us ao Popo we were also very precious.

    All my life, Popo scared me. I became even more scared ten o errible stink and tell me stories. quot;An-mei,quot; s;Listen carefully.quot; Sold me stories I could not understand.

    One  a greedy girl ter. ter refusing to say er melon.

    quot;If you are greedy, w is inside you is w makes you always ; said Popo.

    Anotime, Popo told me about a girl en to o refuse ies simple request t a little we ball fell from  poured all h.

    quot;Your os are so busy s everyts pus,quot; Popo told me.

    Rigalked to me about my mot;Never say ; s;to say o spit on your fat;

    ting t o be so still on tless eyes follo tcc. So sometimes,  sc a book t see my face.

    I felt our  my little brot seem to tyard, c. Inside t ies best feating village friends.

    But even my brot aside cyard. Just as it passed our gate, ture of toppled from its stand and fell to ty ground. An old lady screamed and fainted. My brotie slapped him.

    My auntie, old  for ancestors or family, just like our motie ongue like ing silk clotie said our motless s taking ture from o my fat bringing en pairs of silver cicks,  paying respect to my fators. ie of frigie sed t our motsing her bad children.

    And  Auntie alking c a  te and spat on his face.

    quot;You trong  me, but you are not; Auntie said. quot;You are ttle respect sraitor to our ancestors. S even t look doo see ;

    t is and tories Popo taugo learn for my mot;; Popo often said, quot;it is like dropping your necklace do it back is to fall in after it.quot;

    Noless imes to eat anot fruit, o be free of Popo,  c unlucky t s s us. ts I  ch me.

    I ting at top of tairs ood just inside t aller tie, almost as tall as my uncle. Srange, too, like t our sc and bossy in too-tall s hair.

    My auntie quickly looked a call ea. An old servant ried to keep very still, but my  felt like crickets scratco get out of a cage. My mot  me. Eyes t stayed oo much.

    In Popos room my auntie protested, quot;too late, too late,quot; as my mot t stop my mother.

    quot;Come back, stay ; murmured my moto Popo. quot;Nuyer is er is back.quot; Popos eyes  noions, not staying long enougo see anyt of the room.

    I c time, tty e skin and oval face, not too round like Aunties or s se neck, just like t  so float back and fort, dipping cool cloto lay on Popos bloated face. As so Popos eyes, s c it ten dream.

    urned to my room later t afternoon, sanding tall. And because I remember Popo told me not to speak ood te. Sook my o ttee. And t dohis every day.

    My moto loosen my braids and brusrokes.

    quot;An-mei, you er?quot; s look.

    I looked at  inside I rembling. I er melon.

    quot;An-mei, you kno look for fear my  and my brains  of my ears.

    Sopped brus t , I became very still. It o my skin. And to cry, hers voice.

    I able, and I could see my baby brotting on Popos lap, crying eaming dark soup brougo table, voices murmuring politely, quot;C;—Please, eat!

    And talking stopped. My uncle rose from urned to look at tall ood. I he only one who spoke.

    quot;Ma,quot; I  my auntie slapped my face and pusanding up and sing, and I ;An-mei! An-mei!quot; Above this noise, Popos shrill voice spoke.

    quot;? Not an  a numbertake your daugo lift up ;

    Still my moted for me to come. I remember able. Betood t on its  stand—rocking slo t hough everyones anger were pouring all over me.

    terrible t a little c. But it is still in my skins memory. I cried out loud only a little, because soon my fleso burst inside and out and cut off my breathing air.

    I could not speak because of terrible c see because of all tears t poured out to  away.

    Later t nigo me.

    quot;An-mei, listen carefully.quot; one s;An-mei, ton.quot;

    I listened, scared.

    quot;An-mei,quot; sly. quot;Your dying clot fancy, because you are still a c life and you ill o. Your funeral ime for you ;

    And t he burning on my neck.

    quot;Even your motears and left. If you do not get ;

    Popo . I came o find my mother.

    Every nig bot to my bed sat Popo. Ser over my neck from t. Sil my breat and I could fall asleep. In the dead membranes.

    In time, my scar became pale and s is t is o close in on itself, to protect  started the pain.

    I anding by Popos bed  t I came to love t because so me and begged me to forgive . S need to explain t Popo c of t need to tell me ssing to exchis as well.

    o love my motrue nature.  h my skin. Inside my bones.

    It e at nig to Popos room. My auntie said it ime and I must s. I put on a clean dress and stood betie and uncle at t of Popos bed. I cried a little, not too loud.

    I sa and sad. So teaming pot. And t a s test part of ried to close my eyes, but could not.

    And t a piece of meat from ears poured from o the floor.

    My motook  it in t tradition to try to cure  time. Soo tigrying to keep  in. S t nigh her illness.

    Even the pain.

    ter  is s is in your bones. t forget. Because sometimes t is to remember  peel off your skin, and t of your motil thing. No scar, no skin, no flesh.