The message was short. I read it three times: "Hey, Mom, can I come to see you guys?"I wrote back: "Yes!”He said he hoped to make it in time for dinner.　

 I made a quick run to the market, put sheets on the guest bed and set the TV to record the Warriors' game, so if traffic was awful, he wouldn't have to miss the first half. Then I began cooking, cleaning, watching the clock and listening for his footsteps coming up the walk.

 It's called waiting. I'm good at it. When he was a newborn, I'd wait for him to go to sleep. Soon then I'd stand by his bed waiting for him to wake up. I waited, as he learned to do things like walking , talking and feeding himself; throwing a ball, riding a bike and reading a book.

 I waited for him to start preschool, primary school, middle school and college.

 I waited with dread for him to start driving. And I waited up every time he came home late.

I wait for my son to grow up, but that doesn't mean the waiting game is over. It never really ends.

 Mothers wait for all kinds of reasons—good news or bad, happiness or heartache. But the waiting is soon forgotten, usually, the minute a long awaited child walks through the door.

 My boy will be here soon. But if he's late, I can wait. I'm good at it. And he's worth it. I will always leave a light on for him. 

      There were three big fish in the lake. One of them, Demo, was wise; another one, Jimmy, was half-wise; Martin, the third one, was stupid.

Some fishermen came to the bank of the lake with their nets. The three fish saw them.

      Demo decided at once to leave, to make the long and difficult trip to the ocean. He thought, "I won't discuss with these two about this. They love this place so much that they call it home and will stay on. How silly they are! They still haven't realized we are in great danger now. Their ignorance will cost them their lives."

      Seeing the wise fish had left, Jimmy thought, "My guide has gone and now I've lost my chance to escape." He felt sorry for it and then thought, "What can I do to save myself from these men and their nets? Perhaps I should pretend（假装）to be already dead, giving myself totally to the water." So he did that. He went up and down with the water, helpless, within arm's reach of the fishermen.

      "Look at this! The best and biggest fish is dead." One of the men lifted him by the tail, and threw him up on the ground. He rolled（滚动）over and over and moved secretly toward the water, and then, back in.

      The third fish was aimlessly jumping about, trying to escape with his speed and cleverness. The net, of course, finally closed around him, and as he lay in the hot frying-pan bed, he thought, "If I get out of this, I'll never live again in the limits of the lake. Next time, the ocean! I'll make it my home."

    At midnight Mr. King coughed again. He got up and took some medicine. Before he lay down again, he smoked. And he couldn't go to sleep any longer. He found the medicine book and began to read it. He was afraid he had lung(肺) cancer (癌). He seemed to see death was waiting for him. Tears(眼泪) ran down his face. He didn't see his wife was standing by him.

    “What's wrong with you, dear?” asked the woman.

    “Nothing,” the old man answered and covered his face with his hands.

    The old woman opened the book and understood at once. She said, “You must stop smoking right now.”

    “I began to smoke when I was nine, you know. How can't I do that?”

    “But I think health is more important.”

    Mr. King coughed again and his wife said, “Go to see a doctor tomorrow. He will be able to help you, I think.”

    The doctor told Mr. King to have an Xray examination(检查) of his lungs. And then he looked at the Xray carefully for a long time.

    “Tell me the truth, doctor.” said Mr.King, “Do you see any shadows(阴影)in my lungs?”

    “No, I don't see anything.”

    “Yes?” the old man said happily. “Really?”

    “Yes. Your lungs are turning black. How can I see any shadows?”

    It is very cold outside. There comes a black car and it stops in front of a supermarket. A young woman is in the car. She is very hungry and wants to buy a hamburger to eat, but she doesn't want to go out on a so cold morning. At that time she finds a little boy playing in the street

    "Come on, boy!" she says to the boy. "Do you know how much a hamburger is in the supermarket?"

    "Two dollars each," the boy answers.

    She gives the boy four dollars and asks him to buy two hamburgers. "One is for you and the other is for me," she says.

    Some minutes later, the boy comes back. He is eating a hamburger. He gives the young woman two dollars and says, "Sorry, there is only one hamburger left."