Chapter 3

Nora meant what she said. The next day, when I woke up, she was already gone. She’d planned this escape for three whole years.

She wanted to take me with her. I refused, knowing I would only be a burden.

When my mom found out, she was furious. She strangled me, slapped me, even tried to choke me with a rope. Yet, she spared my life because I could still be exchanged for a bridal price in the future.

Lying on the ground, gasping for breath, I prayed for Nora to run far away and never come back.

But she did. She didn’t have her ID, making it hard to get anywhere.

I helped her find the ID, dragging a big package from under the bed, stuffing things into her hands.

"These are what I saved secretly. This biscuit will keep you full, take more. Don't let the apple rot, eat it early, and this..."

"Could you just say something? I went through a lot to steal this from my brother, and I haven't even eaten it myself!"

Nora spoke up, "Nora, I want to take you with me."

I paused, too afraid to answer.

I lay on the ground, gasping for breath, praying that Phoebe would run far away and never come back.

But she did come back. She didn't have her ID card, which made it hard to go anywhere.

I helped her find her ID card and pulled out a big package from under the bed, pressing things into her hands.

"I've been secretly saving these. This biscuit will keep you full, take more of it. Don't let the apples spoil, eat them soon, and here’s this too..."

"Could you at least say something? I barely managed to steal this from my brother, and I haven't even eaten it myself!"

Phoebe said, "Nora, I want to take you with me."

I paused, afraid to answer.

"Staying here leads nowhere. That woman only cares about her son. When has she ever treated us like human beings? If we don't run, we're just waiting to die!"

However, just as Phoebe and I were about to leave, the door opposite suddenly opened. My brother shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Mom, the two burdens are trying to run away!"

Mom rushed out and easily dragged me away from Phoebe, grabbing me by the neck.

"Run? Where to? If I wasn't afraid you wouldn't fetch a good price, I'd break your legs!"

I trembled, but Phoebe was surprisingly calm.

She negotiated with Mom, speaking with reason. Mom's eyes darted around, clearly scheming.

"You want to run, huh? Pay up! I'll pretend I never gave birth to you two brats. Go wherever you want!"

Mom demanded three thousand dollars, which was a considerable sum back then.

Her plan was clear: I was young and staying would only waste food. She might as well make a hefty profit off me and lie to others that her two daughters ran off, gaining sympathy in the process.

Phoebe didn't hesitate to pay her. I knew it was all her savings.

Mom, with saliva on her fingers, carefully counted each bill, grinning wider with each one. She slapped the cash into her hand and pointed outside:

"Alright, off you go! Didn't steal anything from us, did you?"

Phoebe spread out the luggage. Besides a few worn-out clothes and books, there was nothing else.

Phoebe wrote a note saying Mom voluntarily "sold" me to her, marked the amount, then signed and stamped it.

While signing, Mom pretended to wipe her tears: "Why are you being so distant with me? If you miss home, come back..."

Phoebe took my hand and left without looking back, with a sense of finality.

That year, Phoebe was sixteen, and I was twelve. With the few dozen dollars we had left, we bought two southbound train tickets, never to return.