Short Story: Sweet, baked eggs!

Shu Mei tiptoed across the kitchen, careful to pass by the door to her parents’ room, the toilet, into the kitchen without making a single sound. It was the time of night where the moon was at her greatest height, where the surrounding areas to the bungalow house situated near a tiny road in Singapore, were extremely silent.

It was the time when everybody was asleep, but the tiny little girl was still wide awake. Her keen and eager eyes were the signs that this 7 years old girl would most likely not be in bed anytime, soon.

“I am not a naughty girl, God; I just want to give my mummy a surprise.” Shu Mei uttered when she noticed that the face of a crucified Jesus was staring sternly out of a picture-frame carefully placed on one of the wall that led to the kitchen area at her. He seemed to be reproving her, questioning why the little girl was out at bed so late at night.

“Mummy loves eggs.” Shu Mei smiled as she carefully took out two eggs from a near-by basket. “I shall give mummy a surprise.”Mrs. Chen aroused from her sleep by a nightmare which she had of being pursued by a robber, who was out to rob her of all her money.

“I had a nightmare,” Mrs. Chen mumbled to herself. The woman was about to go back to sleep when she noticed that the light outside her bedroom was not switched off. Opening her bedroom’s door, Mrs. Chen noticed that the door to her daughter’s room was not shut, and the light of the kitchen was being switched on.What could that trouble-maker be up to, Mrs. Chen thought to herself in anger, as she walked to the kitchen.

“What are you doing!” The woman shouted at the little girl as she smelt the odor of burnt eggs arising from out of the oven in her kitchen area. Mrs. Chen hurried to the kitchen and found two eggs being placed inside the oven, and they were burnt.

“You naughty girl!” Mrs. Chen shouted in anger as she slapped the hand of her young daughter and proceeded to shut down the oven. “What do you think you are doing! This is not funny and this is not a game!”

Little Shu Mei burst into tears, frightened by the outburst of her mother’s anger and sad that her kind intentions were being treated so harshly by her own mother.

“I am only trying to bake some eggs for you,” the little girl replied, in the midst of her sobs.

“Bake some eggs?”

“It is mother’s day, tomorrow, and you said that you love to eat eggs.” The little girl explained as she wiped off the tears from her eyes.Mrs. Chen burst into laughter.

“You don’t bake an egg, silly girl. You cook it, boil it or fry it. But you don’t bake it.”

”You don’t?”

“Yes, you don’t. No one ever bakes an egg.”

“But you bake a cake.”

“That is different.” The mother said, as she drew her little girl close to her side.

“I am sorry, mummy. I want to give you a surprise.” The little girl’s head was looking at the ground.

“It is all right, darling. I love your baked eggs. Mummy is sorry for scolding you.” Mrs. Chen gently stroked the hair of her little girl.

“But you can’t eat them,” said the little girl, sadly.

“Yes, I can. And they taste wonderful.” Mrs. Chen replied, lightly tapping at the heart of her little girl.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” Shu Mei said, with a smile.