Su Lu

Over ambitious tiger moms – that is what we had in common, that is what brought us together.

The pearl skinned Chinese girl with silky straight hair and the brown Indian with a coarse curly mop became inseparable friends.

Until the day my father returned to India.

But the miles would not break our bond and I swore to return to San Francisco for grad school.

When I got accepted at SFU, Su Lu was the first person I told.

When I landed in SFO it was Su Lu’s mom who received me.

Yes, that was surprising. I thought she hated me!

We reached the familiar red door with the red lanterns and I could almost picture Su rushing out with her beautiful hair streaming behind her.

I was led into Su’s room where she lay, thin, pale, robbed of all pearly sheen, and her hair, O my God her beautiful hair, gone, all of it.
She smiled gently at the unasked question in my eyes, and replied, “I had to do it after the chemo.”

 

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Written for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers week of 24-Jan-2017 with a photo prompt by Singledust.