At the same time, it was an unusually sunny day, thinking of the book she begun this morning Professor LiNa focused on heading in the direction of her office that was at end of the hall in the location of the college of the science of National Taiwan University.
Since she had an hour to spare before her next class, she decided not to head out to her car to fetch her coat as she had originally planned because she was been cold in the classroom due to the AC. Dashing into the faculty cafeteria she decided to buy Coke and popcorn combo at the concession stand, taking a quick suck from her straw and scooping up a handful of the bunch of the sweetened popcorn straight off the top of the tub.
Several bits tumbled off the overfilled sides and fell to the concrete floor being crushed by the steps of a person walking by. She loved it. It was so messy and carefree, something that showed her longing for youthfulness.
She went into her office, opened the curtains to her window allowing the warm sun to glide and splash warm pools of color into her office.
Comforted by the cozy and warm afternoon, she pulled out my Ebook and took up reading the book she had started before leaving for work today.
Two chapters and half of her popcorn later, just when she had highlighted some point she likes thinking of adding it to her lesson notes. She saw her parents' names on the screen of her ringing phone, Her stomach clenched.
Clearing her throat, she took a deep breath before answering. "Hello, Mother?"
"Hello, LiNa." Just hearing her mother's voice, frigid and systematic as always, made her heart beats hard in her chest with a mixture of hesitation and pressure. "As you know, your father received an invitation to the annual Taipei business party which will take place at Taipei guest house ."
Swallowing the suddenly bitter handful of popcorn, she nodded. "Yes, he sent it to my mail telling me to attend it on his behalf and I replied to him that I will be busy this weekend.
In the past three years since her breakup from her toxic ex-relationship of seven years, her parents had been forcing her to attend dates and events for her to get attached to a suitable suitor and get married.
Holding her breath, she waited anxiously for her mother to answer.
"You are busy this weekend?" Said her mother furiously.
I exhaled a lungful of air. "Well, I had some student projects I had to cross-check."
"Really?" Do you think you are in a situation to have a careless attitude towards being a spinster and being choosy about your husband at your age, you are almost Thirty-five, thirty-five for God's sake" Her mother's voice becomes loud and her tone suggested she was frowning with her usual pinched-eyebrow expression.
Oh, shit. Mum I …..
"Don't mum me, LiNa you are getting old, and you're… still single, are you not ashamed when you see your colleagues with their husband and children?"
LiNa flushed at her mother's word. Even at thousands of miles from home, teaching at a top-notch university in Taiwan, her mother still has the power to render her into a whimpering moron with her words.
"I..." Fumbling carelessly, she used a paper towel to pat her face free of her popcorn crumbs. Her palms became sweaty, so she rubbed them dry too. "I just meant—"
"Stop being silly. You better postpone whatever you are busy with and attend the event this weekend."
"But mum this is a business meeting..." she murmured
Biting her lip, she tried and reason with her mother, brushing her hair down with her hand so she could conceal her reddened eyes. HA, why did words to defend Herself always fail her whenever Mrs. Xu verbally attacked? She thought
Sniffing in irritation her mother said angrily, hearing the word business. "I just knew studying that rubbish Horticulture would transform you into some kind of bad-mannered fool. You should've listened to us when we tried to steer you toward business administration.
Studying horticulture had been her one great rebellion, and neither of her parents had any point allowed her to off for it. Briefly, she'd been tempted to appease them by going into the business administration, but she'd never been able to betray her devotion to the world of plants and flowers. And the one of the things she hadn't agreed to have led to their ageless disdain.
It didn't seem to matter what she did, though. Neither of her parents had ever been "proud" of her accomplishments despite being one of the youngest lecturers to achieve professorship in The prestigious National Taiwan University. They had never shown approval. They had always pushed for something of better quality.
But their continuous displeasure was becoming tiresome. For once, she wished she could simply be good enough in her parents' eyes.
Sadly, today clearly wasn't going to be that day.
"One would think with you being a professor, you'd be able to increase your understanding of your situation and come up with a solution."
"I will postpone my work and attend the event this weekend, mother —" LiNa tried cutting her off.
"You better do that and do something right for once." Her mother let out an offended breath. "I'll tell your father to send you the invitation card."
She disconnected the line before LiNa could get in another word.
"Crap," she muttered. Who knew how long it would be before her mother calls her again. She knew her mother wouldn't answer if she tried to plead with a convincing expression of regret that didn't actually sound like the apology of a "bad-mannered fool" daughter.
This time when she lifted her face towel, she wiped the base of her lashes instead of her mouth.
Lina had another class to teach in the next ten minutes; she didn't want to show up with wet, swollen eyes and a runny nose. If her parents had taught her something, it was that a dignified impression meant everything.
But damn it, she wished she knew why she let her mother's words always get to her.
She should have been used to her chilly, detached, and haughty treatment by now. Yet she still ached for a little bit of affection from both of her parents. Several things she did were to win their love. But she couldn't give up trying. Because honestly, if a woman couldn't get her own family to care about her, who would?
After putting her cell phone and Ebook reader away, she fastened her bag and brushed stray crumbs of popcorn off her lap. Acting as if nothing was bothering her, she packed the rest of her snack away and returned to the science seminar hall to finish her last three lectures for the day.
The afternoon dragged by, and more than once, she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from thinking about the conversation she had with my mother. But the conversation with her mother distracted her mind from the class she was teaching.