“Mom, I won’t come back for dinner tonight,” the girl talked on her mobile as she entered the little canteen. “Just having dinner with friends.”
The canteen owner was having his early supper. As she was a regular customer, he came to take order after she sat down.
“I just told you I’m not coming back! I’ll talk to you later.” Then the girl ended the call.
The canteen owner overheard the conversation and asked, “Why don’t you have dinner at home?”
“Well, I can go home and have dinner any time,” the girl replied.
The canteen owner asked, “Have you ever heard about the story of the boy in the rainy days?”
The girl shook her head, “No, what is it about?”
Then the canteen owner began:
“There was a boy. He would often become sick in rainy days. On those days, his mom would prepare stir-fried eggs with tomatoes for him. For some reasons, he was getting better. As time passed, the boy grew up healthy and strong. His mom passed away. Whenever he missed her, he would make stir-fried eggs with tomatoes. But even with years of attempts, it never tasted as good as his mom’s.
“One day, he found his mom’s old notebook and discovered what was missing: Use only the freshest eggs. Get to the market early, the earlier the better. Other than salt and pepper, also add a little bit of rice wine to the eggs. Don’t cut the tomatoes too small – he doesn’t like it. Don’t forget to tell the eggs and tomatoes to take all the strength that I have and give it to my son.”
After a moment, he said, “It was unconditional love and wholehearted care. So what will you have?”
In deep thought, the girl answered, “Sorry, I think I’ll go home to have dinner.”
The canteen owner smiled as the girl left. He then returned to his table. On the table, there was a plate of stir-fried eggs with tomatoes.
Image of Mothers Day postage stamp issued by Austria in 1968 courtesy: https://www.stampboards.com/