That afternoon, the company suddenly lost power and the boss allowed us to leave early at 11 a.m.
I thought it was a good opportunity to give my wife a little surprise. On my way home to Guadalajara, I stopped by a supermarket near Mercado San Juan de Dios and bought a box of rather expensive imported milk. The doctor had said that after delivery, drinking that type of milk could help her recover faster. I imagined the smile on his face when he saw me arrive earlier than expected, so I was quite happy.
When I got home, I noticed that the door was ajar.
The house was strangely quiet.
Maybe the baby had fallen asleep after crying a lot. My mother had probably gone out to exercise in the nearby park or was chatting with the neighbors, as she used to do in the mornings.
I quietly walked in, set the milk crate on the table, and headed to the kitchen with the intention of heating up some food for my wife.
But when I got to the kitchen door…
I stood completely still.
Hue was sitting in a corner of the table, hunched over, in a furtive and hurried manner.
In his hands he held a large bowl.
He ate very quickly, almost devouring every spoonful. As he ate, he wiped away his tears with his hand. From time to time she looked at the door, as if she was afraid that someone would discover her.
I frowned.
Why was he eating in secret?
Was he hiding something from me that was not healthy?
I quickly entered the kitchen and asked in a stern voice:
“What are you doing eating in secret like that?” Are you eating something you shouldn’t be eating again?
Hue was so startled that he dropped the spoon on the ground.
When he saw me, his face turned pale.
He quickly tried to cover the bowl with his hand and said stuttering:
“A… Love… why are you home at this hour? I… I was just having lunch…
I didn’t say anything. I reached out and snatched the bowl from him.
And the moment I looked inside…
I felt my heart stop.
There was no normal food inside.
It was spoiled rice mixed with dried heads and fish bones, something that wouldn’t normally even be served to a person.
My whole body froze.
So…
Why did my wife have to eat something like that, in secret?
At that moment, a terrifying thought began to form in my mind…
The silence in the kitchen became so heavy that I could almost hear my own breathing.
I looked at the contents of the bowl again. The rice was dry and slightly yellowish. The fish heads had dull eyes and the bones protruded like small white needles.
That wasn’t food.
It was… garbage.
I slowly looked up at Hue.
“What is this…?” My voice came out lower than I expected.
Hue didn’t answer.
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