A Single Wife

by CHOU DAIMAO

“I rose to his bait.” Judy said, turned her face to the window.

“Really? You think so?” I murmured, couldn’t find a word to comfort her.

We sat in a Starbucks Coffee in Aberdeen Center, the biggest Chinese shopping mall in Vancouver. Costumers came in and out, talked and laughed. Most of them spoke Chinese. I enjoyed the smell of coffee and the familiar sound of language.

As her friend, I had known Judy more than ten years. She used to be the most beautiful girl in our university, but now she liked a flower after the rain.

Outside, it was still raining. The radio said it was the 29^th raining day in January, a new record in the history. So that people called Vancouver the capital of rain; Chinese people called Vancouver the capital of unhappy housewives because so many women, like Judy, lived here with their children but without their husbands.

Judy was a news reporter in China, but now she became a typical unhappy housewife. Five years ago, she immigrated to Canada with her two daughters but her husband didn’t come with them. He said that when he earned more money he would come to reunite.

“I didn’t want to immigrate anymore. It was him. He persuaded me strongly to immigrate. He said it is good for our daughters. He promised me he would come as soon as possible!” her eyes watered.

Actually, I could image what was happened. Her husband, Jiang, with a body well-proportioned, about the middling, a pair of intense big eyes, especially, was an owner of a big factory, had become the target of many pretty girls.

“Maybe he is busy.” I lied.

“Busy for what? For his lovers? Until now I realized that he set me up! He deliberately sends me to Canada. I am so fed up! I hate him!” She tried her best to stop tears.

He hadn’t come to see them for a long time. Even I didn’t believe he had no time.

“Why don’t you leave him earlier if he doesn’t love you any more? You are only 32 years old. Everything could restart, right?” I asked.

I divorced with my husband recently because I found he had other women.

“We are different, Lucy, although we are same age. You have a job, no child, and your English is better than me. I need his money to support the house, the car, and our daughters.”

“Well, do you want to go back to China?” I asked.

“Yes, I prefer to go back, but my children don’t want, they love here. What can I do? With things as such, I’ll have to let things slide.” She gazed dreamily into the distance through the window, muttering to herself.

Gray, everything looked gray in the rain.

“Stay or leave?”

It is not only Judy’s question, but also many Chinese new comers’.

“Di-Di, Di-Di.” Suddenly, her cell phone sounded. She quickly picked it up and looked at the new message.

“Sorry, Lucy, I got to go. My friend is waiting for me.” she looked down the floor.

“That’s o.k. Go ahead. Have a good time.” I said.

“Why did she appear coyly?” I thought, “Did she have a boyfriend?”