1. The story began when I was a child;
I was born as a son to a poor family.
Even during meals, we often had a lacked of food.
Whenever during meals, mother often gave me her portion of rice.
While she was removing her rice into my bowl, she would say "Eat this rice, son. I'm not hungry".
That was Mother's First Lie
2. When I was growing up, the persevering mother gave her spare time for fishing in a river near our house, she hoped that from the fishes she had caught, she could gave me a little bit of nutritious food for my growth.
After fishing, she would cook the fishes to make fresh fish soups,
which raised my appetite. While I was drinking the soup,
mother would sit beside me and eat the remaining flesh of the fish, which were still on the bones of the fish which I ate.
My heart was touched when I saw it. I then gave the other fish to her. But she immediately refused it and said "Eat this fish, son.
I don't really like fish."
That was Mother's Second Lie.
3. Then, when I was in Junior High School, to fund my study, mother went to a company to bring home some match boxes to stick them for some income.
It gave her some money for to cover our daily needs.
As the winter came, I woke up from my sleep and saw my mother who was still awoke, supported by a little candlelight and within her perseverance she continued the work of sticking some match boxes.
I said, "Mother, go to sleep, it's late. T omorrow morning you still have to go for work.
Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep, dear. I'm not tired."
That was Mother's Third Lie.
4. Then came the final term exam.
Mother applied leave from her work in order to accompany me.
As the morning disappeared and the rays of the sun was starting to shine, the strong and persevering mother waited for me under the heat of the sun for several hours.
As the bell rang, which indicated that the final exam had finished,
mother immediately welcomed me and poured me a glass of tea
that she had prepared before.
The very thick tea was not as thick as my mother's love, which was much thicker. Seeing my mother covering with perspiration, I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too.
Mother said "Drink, son. I'm not thirsty!".
That was Mother's Fourth Lie.
5. After the death of my father due to an illness, my poor mother had to play her role as a single parent.
By holding on to her former job, she had to fund our daily needs alone. Our family life became more complicated. No days without sufferings.
Seeing our family's condition getting worse, there was a nice uncle who lived nearby came to help us, in some big and a small ways.
Our neighbours saw that our family's life was so unfortunate,
they often advised my mother to marry again. But mother, who was stubborn, didn't heed their advice, she said "I don't need love."
That was Mother's Fifth Lie.
6. After I had finished my study and got a job, it was time for my old mother to retire.
But she didn't want to; she continued to go to the marketplace every morning, just to sell some vegetables to fulfill her needs.
I was working in the other city, often sent her some money to help her in fulfilling her needs, but she was stubborn and did not accept the money. She even sent the money back to me. She said "I have enough money."
That was Mother's Sixth Lie.
7. After graduation with a Bachelor's Degree, I continued my studies to get the Masters.
I got the degree, which was funded by a company through a scholarship program, from a famous University in America.
I finally worked in that company. With quite a high salary, I intended to take my mother for a holiday in America.
But my lovely mother didn't want to bother her son, she said to me, "I'm not used to travelling."
That was Mother's Seventh Lie.
8. After entering her old age, mother got a flank cancer and had to be hospitalized.
I, who lived in miles away and across the ocean, directly came home to visit my dearest mother.
She lied down in weakness on her bed after having an operation.
Mother, who looked so old, was staring at me in deep yearning.
She tried to spread her smile on her face;
yet it looked so stiff because of the disease she was holding out.
It was clear enough to see how the disease broke my mother's body, but not her spirit and love..thus she looked so weak and thin.
I stared at my mother with tears flowing..
My heart was hurt, so hurt, seeing my mother in that condition.
But mother, with her strength, said "Don't cry, my dear.
I'm not in pain."
That was Mother's Eight Lie.
After saying her eighth lie, She closed her eyes forever!
