深圳南山麒麟中学 谢沛儒

    Xie Peiru, Shenzhen Nanshan Qilin Middle School

    Every day after school while I am doing my homework, I wait for the sound of the key going inside the keyhole. When I hear it, I know my dad is back home.

    When my dad enters the house he usually plays with his iPad Mini as he lies on the sofa until dinner is ready. After dinner he lies there again. He does not really talk. I feel like he is always tired and prefers to be in silence. I really want to tell him about the things that happened during school and enjoy a father-and-son conversation, but I am afraid I will bother him. I wonder what my dad does every day. He seems really exhausted.

    But even though he is tired from work, he wakes up every morning and drives me to school. As he doesn’t need to go to work right away, he often goes to the park for a quiet stroll.

    Sometimes I believe my school day is much longer than my dad’s work day. I also need to do four hours of homework every day, but I don’t seem as worn out as he does. I often complain that my father is lazy. But my mother tells me: “Your dad is hardworking and has a lot of pressure from work. Every day he must work on many things. He is not lazy, he just wants to provide us with a good life.” Perhaps I need to be more reasonable and less judgmental of my dad. After all, my dad is a good dad.

    Now I am starting to understand my dad. But dad, I don’t need a lot of money in life or a larger house, I just want you to spend more time with me. I only wish that someday we can walk and chat on a cozy, sunny morning.