On the four-block walk to our house，I plotted my revenge. I would slam the front door upon entering，refuse to return her hug when she would rush over to me，and vow never to speak to her again.
The house was empty when I arrived，and I looked for a note on the refrigerator that might explain my mother’s absence，but found none. My chin quivered with a mixture of heartbreak and rage. For the first time in my life，my mother had let me down.
I was lying face-down on my bed upstairs when I heard her come through the front door.
“Robbie，”she called out a bit urgently，“Where are you?”
I could then hear her darting frantically from room to room，wondering where I could be. I remained silent. In a moment，she mounted the steps—the sounds of her footsteps quickening as she ascended the staircase.
When she entered my room and sat beside me on my bed，I didn’t move but instead stared blankly into my pillow refusing to acknowledge her presence.
“I’m so sorry，honey，”she said，“I just forgot. I got busy and forgot，plain and simple.”
I still didn’t move.“Don’t forgive her，”I told myself，“She humiliated you. She forgot you. Make her pay.”
Then my mother did something completely unexpected. She began to laugh. I could feel her shudder as the laughter shook her. It began quietly at first and then increased in its velocity and volume.
I was incredulous. How could she laugh at a time like this? I rolled over and faced her，ready to let her see the rage and disappointment in my eyes.
But my mother wasn’t laughing at all. She was crying.“I’m so sorry，”she sobbed softly，“I let you down. I let my little boy down.”
第一章 Forgotten and Forgiven (2)
She sank down on the bed and began to weep like a little girl. I was dumbstruck. I had never seen my mother cry. To my understanding，mothers weren’t supposed to. I wondered if this was how I looked to her when I cried.
I desperately tried to recall her own soothing words from times past when I’d skinned knees or stubbed toes，times when she knew just the right thing to say. But in that moment of tearful plight，words of profundity abandoned me like a worn-out shoe.
“It’s okay，Mom，”I stammered as I reached out and gently stroked her hair，“We didn’t even need those cookies. There was plenty of stuff to eat. Don’t cry. It’s all right. Really.”
My words，as inadequate as they sounded to me，prompted my mother to sit up. She wiped her eyes，and a slight smile began to crease her tear-stained cheeks. I smiled back awkwardly，and she pulled me to her.
We didn’t say another word. We just held each other in a long，silent embrace. When we came to the point where I would usually pull away，I decided that，this time，I could hold on，perhaps，just a little bit longer.
忘记并宽容
佚 名
那天下午，我坐在砖石教学楼的二楼的窗台上，心情随着每辆车子驶过而越发低落下去。今天是我盼了几个星期的日子：帕斯小姐的四年级毕业舞会。帕斯小姐从周一就开始在黑板上倒计时，我们这些9岁小孩们盼着周五舞会的到来简直等得要造反了。
当帕斯小姐要求家长赞助饼干时，我开心地给我妈妈报了名。妈妈的巧克力饼干在我们小区声名远扬，我知道它们肯定会在我的同学中引起轰动。但是已经两点多了，她的身影还是没有出现。别人的妈妈来，放下她们赞助的饮料、饼干、土豆片、杯仔蛋糕和布朗尼蛋糕（一种巧克力蛋糕），然后走了。可我的妈妈却在活动当时不知去向。
当我孤单单地凝视着街道时，帕斯小姐对我说，“别担心，罗比，她很快就来了。”我看着墙上的钟，正好看到黑色的分针指向半点。
在我周围，喧闹的舞会开始了，但我还是不想离开窗台。帕斯小姐使尽浑身解数想让我从那儿走开，但我还坚守着，期盼着那熟悉的家庭轿车出现在拐角，载着我那理应窘迫不安的妈妈，怀里还有一罐她那著名的饼干。
三点的钟声很快将我从思绪中唤醒。我沮丧地将书包从课桌里拖出，脚步拖沓地走回家去。
走回家要经过四个街区，我琢磨着发脾气的办法。我进门时会将大门狠狠撞上，等她冲过来拥抱我时，不回应她的拥抱，而且再也不和她说话。
等我到家时，家里空无一人。我想从冰箱上找到个能解释妈妈失踪原因的纸条，但什么也没有找到。我又气又恨，下巴都哆嗦了起来。有生以来第一次，我的妈妈让我失望了。
当我听到她从大门进来的声音时，我脸朝下趴在楼上自己的床上。
“罗比，”她喊着，声音中带着些焦急，“你在哪儿？”
我接下来听见她疯了似的从一个房间冲到另一个房间，看我在哪里。我不出声。接下来，是她上楼的声音。她的脚步声越来越快。
当她进到我的房间，坐在床边，我一动也不动，直勾勾地盯着枕头，无视她的存在。
“真抱歉，孩子，”她说道，“我忘了。我一忙起来就忘了，就是这样。”
我仍然一动不动。“不能原谅她，”我告诉自己，“她让你丢脸了。她忘了你。罚她。”
接下来我妈妈做了一件完全出乎我意料的事。她笑了。我能感觉到她的身子在颤抖，起初她的笑是无声的，渐渐地动作幅度越来越大。
我疑惑了。这个时候她怎么笑得出来？我转过来看着她，让她看清楚我眼中的怒气和失望。
可是妈妈并不是在笑。她是在哭。“真对不起，”她轻轻地啜泣着，“我让你失望了，我让我的小宝贝失望了。”
她伏在床上，像个孩子似的哭了起来。我被吓呆了。我从来没见过妈妈哭。在我的概念里，妈妈都是不哭的人。我不知道当我哭的时候，她是不是也是这么想的。
我拼命回想过去当我蹭破了膝盖或撞伤了脚趾时她对我说过的那些抚慰的话，那些时候她总是会说出最恰当的话。但是面对这个泪水涟涟的场面，那些深邃的话语，就像丢掉的一双旧鞋那样弃我而去了。
“没关系，妈妈，”我边支支吾吾地说，边伸手轻抚她的头发，“我们其实不需要那些饼干。有好多好多吃的。别哭了。没关系，真的。”
我的话让自己听上去是那么干巴巴，却让我的妈妈坐了起来。她擦擦眼睛，一抹微笑从她泪痕斑斑的脸上浮现。我也傻傻地冲她笑着，她一把将我拉到了怀里。
我们没有再说一句话。我们只是静静地拥抱着。当到了按惯例我会松开的时候，我决定，这次，我可以就这样，也许，再久一点点。
实战提升篇
核心单词
reign [rein] n. 统治；支配
forlornly [f[5lC:nli] adv. 可怜地；孤苦伶仃地
dejectedly [di5dVektidli] adv. 沮丧地，灰心地
revenge [ri5vendV] v. 替……报仇；报复，
incredulous [[in5kredjulEs] adj. 不相信的；怀疑的
desperately [5desp[ritli] adv. 绝望地；拼命地
embrace [im5breis] v. 拥抱；包括，包含
实用句型
I could then hear her darting frantically from room to room，wondering where I could be. 我接下来听见她疯了似的从一个房间冲到另一个房间，不知道我去了哪里。
①现在分词wondering在句中作状语。
②frantically狂暴地，疯狂似地，是由frantic加表方式，程度的副词后缀ally构成的。类似的词还有 conditionally 有条件地；systematically有系统地等。
翻译行不行
1.我们期待着她的来访。（look forward to）
2.开始我们用手工工具，后来才有了机器。(at first)
3.这些新法令本应该起到防止犯罪的作用。(be supposed to)
