As an undergraduate at his second-year university, James Clarke was very keen to have a pair of Nike James , when He see the other students so handsome wearing Nike air Jordan , he was not only very envious, but also want to have a pair of shoes like those . However , James Clarke was born in a poor family . His father had passed away several years ago .His mother only got more than 200 yuan per month for the living benefit after she had laid off , also relying on odd jobs to earn money to subsidize the family. His sister also was in middle school , It was an extravagant hope for him in terms of brand-name shoes. It is inconceivable for those who was from well-off family in terms of the 150 yuan  per month of his cost of living, but he is content to this .

Whenever his mother went to his school to visit him , she always wore clean and decent dress, although most of them were old clothes of a few years ago, which was smoothed over with an iron . Mother used to say: " I’d like to wear decently and clearly when I visited my son in his school , or else I would lose face for my son . His mother took with more delicious food each time ,all of them were his favorite food which  were cooked by his mothers personally. The procedures was so complicated to cook : First, mix the flour and eggs into a smooth paste  , secondly, then add water and suger,  and then flatten the pie dough into a dough with rolling pin, and finally divided into a pawn as a bar or block , and then bake in slow fire and cooked in the wok, it took a long time to make it .

His mother visited him in his school on one occasion .  During their conversation, his mother was so attentive that found her son often pay attention to feet of the other students from time to time . No one had more acquaintance with James Clarke than his mother .

His mother said: "The gym shoes of others wear look good, what brand they are ?" James Clarke said: " Nike Air Max 2003, they are so expensive to me ."
His mother said: "How much are they ?" James Clarke said: "They are more than 200 yuan, mother, I do not need a pair of shoes like that , don’t the white shoes I wear look very good as well ?" His mother said: "You are a good and sensible boy , I would buy a pair of shoes like that brand for you if I make much money one day in the future .

Soon after his mother left , she entrusted someone to bring a pair of Nike Basketball , However ,James Clarke was not pleased with the thought of a mother gray hair.  In the memory of his childhood, the mother was a very beautiful woman . The heavy burden of living made her look like a 50-year-old lady , He pledged that he must study hard so that he would offer his mother a better life in the future .

On a winter vacation ,  James Clarke took the train back home. 3 hours later, the train arrived with the advent of night . His hometown was just under a heavy snow, and the road is so slippery. James Clarke went into a store next to the train station , he was going to buy a pair of pure wool scarf to his mother using the money saved for months , he felt ghastly when he thought of the mother's neck scarf, which was acrylic bought at the time she married .
His mother still wore it even though It was so old-fashioned.

James Clarke walked away from home in the near alley .He saw a large number of people said something , A fat man said: "This old lady is in madness
with the thought of making money , isn’t she ? she not only work a lot in the day ,but also pick up rubbish in the evening .”  A thin man said:" You do not have the least idea of the truth . She is very poor old woman , her husband died at an early age , and she has laid off . she has to work hard to pay for the two children’s education . She has no choice but to work harder . James Clarke walk toward them was shocked after having a look at her. A old lady in shabby cotton-padded jacket passed out next to the garbage can with paper scraps, cans, plastic bags of article rag hold in her hands . The people around her tried to stretch out their hands to help her . James Clarke threw away his baggage and burst into tears suddenly , then threw himself on his knees in front of the old lady who is right his mother and said “ Mom , Are you OK ?” .Let me carry you on my back home . He gently tapped off the dust from her mother and took out that neck scarf which bought just now . The mother said :” Why don’t advise me in advance so that I could pick you up at the railway station .”

The people around them quietly went away , some of them heave a sigh while tears running down others' faces .This is the first time James Clarke carried his mother , he feels his mother very emaciated, she is so thin and she still has to support the family . His mother said: "My son, I can go, put me down and I am able to walk myself " "No!" James Clarke said with tears in his eyes whatever his mother said ..

The night had closed down , the lights were flashing in the distance, they went on the way home which was not far away from here .

                                                 Jimmy  02/14/2009