The Wind Rises When I Miss You

On my seventh birthday, I finally ate myself to 120 pounds.

As I packed my backpack, ready to run away, I was told I was the true daughter of the Prady family.

Jasmine, who had been taken away a short while ago, returned to St. Judes Orphanage and handed me a carved wooden pendant.

Lisa, this is yours. You're the Prady's lost biological daughter.

I quickly shook my head. Id traded it with Jasmine for a months worth of braised pork. Id eaten the pork, how could I take the pendant back?

Not far off, a man roared in fury: "How could she be my daughter? My daughter couldn't possibly look like a pig!"

I turned around at the sound, meeting my father, Jonathan Pradys, eyes for the first time C eyes filled with stark disgust.

The Director replied helplessly, "Mr. Prady, according to the DNA test results, Lisa is indeed your daughter."

The man frowned, walking closer, asking coldly, "Where is that woman? She just dumped you here and forgot about you?"

Was he talking about Mom?

Mom shes still in the hospital, waiting for my bone marrow to save her life.

...

Mom and I had made a pinky promise. I couldn't tell anyone she was sick.

So I just stood there, silently, not answering him.

Dad's face was cold. He looked me up and down. "She really is heartless. She abandoned me because I was poor back then, and now she's abandoned you because you're fat. We're both just roadblocks to her."

No.

Mom didn't abandon me.

I argued back in my head.

Shes just very sick.

The driver, a kind man, bowed slightly. "Mr. Prady, Ms. Jasmine's adoption reception is about to begin."

Jasmine gave me a deep, uncertain look, then got into the car with Dad.

The car started, threatening to drive away.

The Director, panicking, pushed me. "Are you crazy? Why aren't you following them? Since you've found your father, the orphanage is no longer obligated to keep you!"

Because I was so heavy and clumsy, I stumbled and fell. My elbow scraped the ground, and gravel dug into my skin, sending a jolt of sharp pain through me.

The Director, forcing a smile, stopped the car. "Mr. Prady, since you are Lisa's biological father, you can't abandon her again, not morally, not legally."

Dad coldly rolled down the window, his voice strained with impatience. "Find whoever abandoned her here. It has nothing to do with me."

A chill ran up my calf. I looked down. My pant leg had ripped when I fell. A thick, exposed calf. I self-consciously tugged at it.

I knew I was clumsy and fat, that anyone would be disgusted. But I didn't care. I just wanted to save Mom quickly.

Maybe, if I went back to the Prady family, I could find Mom's hospital faster.

I quickly got up, staring at the car with desperate eyes.

The Director held out a document into the car. "We can't find Lisa's mother, but if you intentionally leave her here, it's illegal. We can file a lawsuit..."

"Then go ahead and sue."

"Drive."

The driver didn't move. He hesitated, then spoke, as if prompting. "Mr. Prady... maybe we should take Ms. Lisa back. This is a critical time. A scandal about abandoning a child would affect the company's stock."

The atmosphere turned awkward.

After a moment, Dad impatiently glared at me. "Are you going to get in or not?"

I was a little surprised.

I painstakingly climbed into the luxury car and found a corner to sit in. The vehicle slowly drove away. I didn't lean out the window and wave goodbye to the Director like Jasmine had. The seatbelt was simply too short, digging into me, making it impossible to move.

Dad saw this and let out a cold laugh. "You're just like her. Just as cold, heartless, and greedy for wealth."

I heard the disgust in his voice. But I didn't understand what he meant.

I just buried my head, trying to adjust the seatbelt. A half-melted chocolate bar tumbled out of my pocket and landed by Jasmine's feet.

She was wearing a pair of delicate princess shoes, adorned with pearls, the surface sparkling. I could never wear such beautiful shoes. I was the fattest kid in the orphanage. Any donated clothes or shoes, even the oversized ones everyone else passed on, were still too tight and small for me.

I reluctantly tore my gaze away, stretching my arm to reach for the chocolate.

Dad's dark leather shoe suddenly stepped on the chocolate. "Are you a starving ghost reincarnated?"

My hand recoiled.

A sudden, sour bubble welled up in my heart, then burst. At the orphanage, they called me "piggy," "chowhound," "starving ghost." I was indifferent to words a hundred times worse. But when Dad said it, I felt an inexplicable sadness.

The speeding car finally stopped in front of a grand hotel. Jasmine followed Dad out of the car. His back, in its sharp suit, was stiff. His voice was cold and hard. "Keep an eye on her. Don't let her run around and embarrass me."

"Understood."

Suddenly, it was just me and the driver in the car. He parked the car, glancing at me occasionally in the rearview mirror.

After a long silence, he tried to break the awkwardness with small talk. "Ms. Lisa, the Director said you can eat three children's portions by yourself. Is that true?"

My face flushed, and I twisted my torn pant leg, mumbling, "Uh-huh."

He stared, wide-eyed, but didn't forget to comfort me. "It's good to eat. Being able to eat is a blessing."

He seemed to be talking to me, but also to himself. "Madam... that is, your mother, when she left the Prady family, Mr. Prady didn't even know she was pregnant. All these years, Mr. Prady has been..."

A sudden phone call interrupted him. "Ms. Jasmine's ballet shoes? Yes, Mr. Prady, I'll bring them right up."

He hung up and told me to unbuckle and rest in the car. Before I could react, I saw him hastily get out and lock the car door. I tugged at the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

Time ticked by. Hunger slowly began to gnaw at me. I fumbled in my pocket. The only chocolate bar had been flattened by Dad's shoe. I hesitated, but didn't pick it up.

After a long wait, I couldn't bear the hunger anymore. Auntie Doctor said I had to reach a certain weight to donate bone marrow. To save Mom, I couldn't lose a single pound.

I started searching the car, hoping to find something to eat. In the glove compartment, I felt something hard. I pulled it out and saw it was a spare car key. I tried each button. The car suddenly beeped twice, making my heart pound. I pressed it again, and the unlock light on the door handle lit up.

I took a deep breath and pushed the car door open. I wanted to go straight to the hospital to find Mom, but hunger made my vision blur.

No, I needed to eat something first.

I followed a staircase up, accidentally stumbling into a banquet hall. It was brightly lit, with elegant music floating through the air, mingled with the sweet scent of desserts.

When no one was looking, I grabbed a handful of macarons and ducked under a tablecloth. Eating as I peered out.

Jasmine, dressed in a pristine white ballet outfit, stood obediently beside Dad. Dad smiled as he introduced her to the guests. "This is my daughter, Jasmine."

"Jasmine, say hello to your aunts and uncles."

Jasmine's voice was soft and sweet. "Hello, aunts and uncles."

"Hello, Jasmine. Your dance was wonderful."

"This child must have suffered a lot outside, Jonathan. You really should spoil her."

Jasmine smiled and nodded, every movement refined and graceful. I looked down at my torn pant leg and my stout figure. She certainly looked more like a Prady heiress than I did.

The macarons were quickly gone. I reached out a hand to grab more, but someone grabbed my arm and yanked hard. I tumbled out from under the tablecloth, exposed to everyone's gaze.

A waiter, carrying a tray, looked me up and down. "Where did you sneak in from? Stealing food here?"

"Quiet down, just get her out of here. What if she disturbs the guests?" another waiter said, quickly pulling me up by the arm.

Unfortunately, everyone's attention had already turned my way.

Dad's face immediately darkened. "What are you doing here?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he seemed desperately worried I'd call him "Dad" in such a setting. He quickly looked up and snapped at the waiters. "What are you doing? Get her out of here!"

The several men who had just been talking to Dad gathered around. "Jonathan, who is this?"

My mouth was still stained with macaron crumbs, and my thick calves were exposed. In that moment, I felt like the monkeys Mom used to take me to see at the zoo.

No, a gorilla. Monkeys aren't this fat.

It was Jasmine who reached out and took my hand, diffusing the tension. "She's my good friend from the orphanage. Dad was worried I'd be lonely, so he adopted her to keep me company."

"Dad wanted to surprise me, so he hasn't had time to get her changed yet."

The atmosphere softened slightly. Someone in the crowd whispered, "So Mr. Prady has another daughter? But there's such a difference between the real and adopted heiress. From the same orphanage, one is graceful, the other is mistaken for a thief."

"Must be starving, right? It's rare to see a child that hungry these days."

I had heard voices like that many times.

Since being sent to the orphanage, I had done nothing but eat. Anything edible, I'd throw a tantrum, cry, and make a fuss to get extra portions. Braised pork, the fatty parts other children hated, I devoured it all. My body ballooned like a balloon. But it wasn't enough. I needed to eat more, get fatter.

Families coming to adopt, seeing me at the end of the line, would always ask the Director in surprise if I was really abandoned or if I had a weight-related illness. As if children nobody wanted were supposed to be scrawny.

Eventually, I stopped lining up. I didn't want to be adopted anyway. I told myself, You're doing great, Lisa. You can save Mom. But Mom, why did my chest ache when I saw Dad's disgusted gaze?

The driver bowed repeatedly, apologizing, as he led me away. I spoke weakly. "Uncle, I want to go to the hospital."

He frowned. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

I shook my head. He said he had to ask Dad first. Dad he didn't even know Mom was sick.

I don't know how much more time passed. When they returned, Dad was already tipsy, his eyes bloodshot. For some reason, neither the driver nor Jasmine got into the car. Dad just stood there, silently, staring at me for a long time. I felt uneasy, nervously picking at my fingers. After a long moment, he spoke coldly.

"Lisa. Is that the name she gave you?"

"Uh-huh. Mom said, 'Lisa' means hope..."

Dad scoffed, cutting me off. "You shouldn't have been born into this world. She went through so much to leave me, only to end up with you. She must have hated you."

"That's not true!" I stomped my foot, arguing, but my nose was starting to sting. "Mom loves me most in the whole world!"

Lisa, with her mom by her side, was the happiest child in the world. She would sing soft songs to lull me to sleep. She would kiss my scraped knees better. She would cup my tiny hands in hers, wishing I'd grow up slowly.

Dad's gaze was filled with intense hatred, yet his eyelashes glistened with unshed tears. "Is that so? Then why didn't she want you? Why did she dump you at an orphanage, letting you get into this state?"

"That's because! Because..."

Mom said she would pick me up on my seventh birthday. She didn't come. But I knew she was sick. I didn't blame her.

Dad's voice suddenly trembled, though he tried to control it. "Because she's a completely selfish woman! I gave her everything she wanted, but she vanished with all my remaining money. The rent was due, my company folded, I was like a stray dog with nowhere to go!"

"At 15, a woman claiming to be my mom said she wanted to start a new life with me. I believed her. I gave her all my father's pension money, and then I was homeless."

"At 25, the last thing your mother said to me was, 'Jonathan Prady, even your own mother didn't want you. What makes you think I would?'"

"She said she wouldn't do this to me... She explicitly said she wouldn't!"

"And now, she doesn't want our child either."

Seeing Dad's pain, my chest ached with a dull throb. I instinctively reached out, wrapping my arms around his neck. He froze, then quickly reverted to his cold, disgusted self and pushed me away. "Do you think that will make me want you?"

"You'd trade a valuable pendant for a plate of braised pork. You eagerly left the orphanage when you found out you were the true heiress. Lisa, you're just as selfish as your mother. I've already adopted Jasmine as my daughter. In a while, I'll have someone send you to another orphanage."

As if finally getting some relief, he pushed open the car door and coldly ordered the driver, "Take them back."

I stiffly sat back in my seat, staring blankly at the tip of my shoe. These shoes were so tight. They were so tight, tears welled up in my eyes.

My nose suddenly felt warm. I expertly tilted my head back. The driver gasped. "Mr. Prady! Ms. Lisa is bleeding from her nose!"

Jasmine quickly climbed into the car, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe my nose. From the corner of my eye, Dad didn't look back.

"If she's sick, take her to the hospital. I'm not a doctor."

The driver quickly started the car, speeding to the hospital.

In the emergency room, after a thorough check-up, the doctor sighed. "Little one, you're too heavy."

He mistook the driver for my father. "How could you let her get so overweight? The child doesn't know better, but don't the parents either?"

"Your weight is severely over the limit. Nosebleeds will be frequent. You absolutely must strictly control your food intake and lose weight scientifically! For today, we'll keep you for observation."

The driver nodded, taking notes, then went outside to report to Dad. Jasmine insisted on staying with me. The driver had no choice but to wait outside the door.

We squeezed onto the small hospital bed, just like at the orphanage, where she used to say I was so soft and comfortable to hug when she slept. After a very long silence, she spoke softly, "Are you mad at me?"

I knew she was talking about taking my place in the Prady family. I shook my head. "I wanted to trade the pendant with you. So it's yours." Whatever else she gained from it was Jasmine's own effort.

In the entire orphanage, only Jasmine could dance. She could see a dance move in a picture book and perform it flawlessly. That's how she got the chance to dance at the charity gala. That's how Dad recognized the pendant around her neck as Mom's cherished possession. So, with her dream of becoming a dancer, she embraced the misunderstanding and went back to the Prady family. She never expected the lie to unravel in just half a year.

In the dark hospital room, Jasmine's bright eyes blinked. "Lisa, I'm sorry."

She got up and rummaged in her pocket, pulling out a chocolate bar. "I remember you telling me that your mom would pick you up on your birthday. She didn't come, and I took your dad away. This is from the gala. You can make a wish for your mom and dad to both come back to you."

I looked into her eyes. She nodded firmly. So, I clasped my hands together and made a wish to the twinkling stars and the chocolate bar.

I wished.

That Mom's illness would get better quickly.