Nina covered her ears and screamed hoarsely at Abby: “Ah… hold on! Don’t go!”
Meanwhile, Lanky, who was entangled with the counselor, noticed that Nina’s calf was bleeding from a shard of broken car light, and she was calling out for Abby, who lay on the ground, barely alive.
Lanky recalled that when he had just chased out, the counselor was already in the car trying to leave, and Abby had blocked the windshield; unable to move forward, the car had to reverse. Seeing Lanky chasing after, the counselor panicked and slammed on the gas, completely forgetting that Abby was still in front of the car. By the time the vehicle ran over Abby’s small body, no amount of slamming on the brakes would be enough…
Accompanied by Nina’s heart-wrenching screams, nearby neighbors were awakened, some calling for an ambulance, others reporting to the police, and some throwing punches at the counselor. But no one approached Abby, who lay in the blood; after the violent impact, his internal organs were ruptured, blood streaming from his eyes and nose… it was clear he wouldn’t survive…
Soon, the ambulance arrived at the scene, still trying to revive Abby, as if there was still hope for him. The police also arrived, but what they carried were black body bags.
To Nina, this was particularly ironic: “Since everyone knows he will die, why bother with the pretense of trying to save him?”
The adults around seemed to hear her, yet also seemed not to hear, continuing with their tasks. It was as if as long as they stood on their moral high ground, collectively condemning the counselor, they could consider themselves the righteous side.
After the incident, “Goodwill Orphanage” could no longer operate. Most of the children were transferred, leaving only Nina and Lanky, who were eventually adopted by Luka’s grandparents.
However, this arrangement did not last long. Luka’s parents failed in their business in the mainland, divorced, and remarried. This left Luka, now in middle school, unable to understand! Fortunately, his grandparents still cherished him, and the family also included the understanding and mature Lanky, along with the increasingly quiet and steady Nina. The five of them continued to live a calm life until the eve of Lanky’s enlistment…
On the eve of Lanky’s enlistment, Luka’s grandfather fell ill, suffering a stroke that left half of his body paralyzed. Luka’s grandmother was also diagnosed with heart disease as a result, which forced the family, who had finally settled down, to face the dilemma of caring for the elderly.
Since Luka’s father divorced Luka’s mother, he had not returned to Taiwan, and in recent years, he hadn’t even sent money for living expenses. Upon hearing that his father was ill, he seized the opportunity to wire a sum of money to Luka, making it very clear that he was severing ties. Luka was in his third year of junior high, preparing for the entrance exams, and had no time to play games with his father across the strait; meanwhile, Lanky happened to receive his military enlistment notice. He originally planned to serve first and then return to study part-time for university, leaving the entire financial burden on Nina.
The money sent by Luka’s father was enough for his grandparents to find a nursing home to spend their remaining days, but it also indirectly told Luka, “From now on, your life or death is none of my concern!” With his father acting this way, he dared not expect anything from his remarried mother.
