LastChristmaswhilestayingwithmyparentsI36acrosssomeoldlovelettersthatmyparentswroteto
eachother.theseletterswereallpiledupinabasketdirtyand37withdust.38toreadandsortthemIasked
themifIcouldtakethelettersbacktomyIllinoishome.Theyagreed.
AsIcarefullyopenedeachletterallofthem39withageIdiscoveredanewpage40unknowntomein
thisprivatechapterofmyparents’lives.
Myfatherusedto 41inthearmy.Sohisletterswerefulloffrontline(前线)42ofthethingsaboutthewar.
Eachofmymother’sletterswasmarkedwithher1944darkredlipstick(口红)kiss.Iwas 43totheseletters
likeamagnet(磁铁).
JustsixweeksafterourChristmasvisitDaddybecamevery44andwashospitalized(住院).Thistimehe
wasfightinga45kindofwar.AsIsatbyhisbedsidewediscussedthe 46.Hetoldmehowmuchreceiving
thoselipstick-kissedlettershad47tohimwhenhehadbeensofarfromhome.
ItsohappenedthatthenextdaywouldbeFebruary14.Fromthe 48lettersIchosethecardmyfatherhad
sentmotherin1944andbroughtittomyfather’sbedside.
AthisbedsideIjokedwithhimsaying 49 .“TodayisValentine’sDaydon’tyouwanttosentMothera
present?”Hebecamemore50whenIhandedhimtheold51.Hecarefullyopeneditandtookoutthecard
andwhenhe52ithiseyeswerefilledwithtears.
Myfatherinavoicetightwith53readtheloving54he’dsenttomymotherfifty-sixyearsearlier.And
thistimehecouldreadittoher 55 .