He and She: Part 2

"Mother?"

Mother glanced back. "Son! How do you know I'm standing outside here? I've told no one that I climb up this fence and almost jump down to crash myself on the road."

"I heard your sobbing. It's quite loud."

"Is it?" Mother bent down and wiped her tears with her skirt with one hand gripped tightly to the fence.

He nodded. "Are you alright, mother?

"Don't you worry, dear. I'm fine. You should go back to sleep."

"I wasn't sleeping. It's 3 o'clock in the evening."

"Really? Shoot! I should buy myself a watch and use my eyes properly. Why don't you go watching your favourite cartoon on the television? It's good for your brain." Mother tried to push her mucus up from flowing heavily by her fingers now. But, it's flowing freely through her hand.

"Mother, we don't own a tv."

"But, our neighbour, Mr. Gowdy owns one."

"He won't allow me to join him watching tv. I heard he left Mrs. Gowdy for turning off the tv on dinner time one night."

"You won't turn his tv off right, honey?" Mother bent her body again and wiped the mucus with her skirt. He could see the bright yellow skirt became darker slowly.

"Uh-oh," he shook. "Plus, I don't have the remote."

"Mr. Gowdy must've hid it under his flabby armpit."

"How do you know, mother?"

"Well, I don't really know about it. I'm just guessing."

"Are you going to jump, mother?" he asked by watching only half of mother's soles stepped on the edge.

"That was the plan," she said. "But, it's quite high. I wonder why we moved into a house on the thirteenth floor."

He shrugged.

They both silent. Only the wind whispered.

"So, when you are planning to jump?"

"I wasn't planning when I'm going to jump. I only plan to jump."

"I see." He sat down, putting both palms under his chin. "Did you plan when you are going to come back after jumping down? Because I'm hungry."

"I think..." She bent down once more to wipe the flowing tears and mucus with her skirt but failed. Mother fell down from the thirteenth floor balcony, straight to the road with a 'splat' sound.

He turned to the clock on the wall. "I hope she doesn't take too much time to come back."