Mandylamented，“HowdoyouknowthisisthebestformeIouldhaveledanotherlife.....”l

“Idon‘tthinkit‘stherightattitudeforlife.Itseemsyouwillalwaysberegrettingoveryoureahandeveryhoieordeision.”Therewasanedgetohisvoie，buthestayedool，“Stopomparingwithothers‘livesandstopmoaningformore.Thefishermanandhiswifeshouldhavebeenontentedwithwhattheyhavereeivedfromthegoldfishandthey‘dbetternotbegformorethantheydeserved.”

Mandyremarkedwithadangeroustone，“AreyoutellingmeIdon‘tdeservethebestoflife”() ()

Loksensedsomething，“Don‘ttwistit.YouknowwhatImeant.Youwouldneverbeabletofigureoutwhatthebestiswhenyouweresixteen.”

Mandymurmuredasifshehadbeeninadream，“HowIwishtobesixteenagain，arefree.”

Lokamenearertoher，andhuggedher，leavinghiswheelhairbehind，“Thepointis，whateverhappenstoyou，fromnowontosixtyorninety，youwillalwayshaveus.”

Mandyburstintotears，“Ihavenothingeptyouandthekids.Ifeelold.Thisworldlooksatmewithviiouseyes.”

“Youanalwaysountonus，”Lokpromised，“Igiveyoumyword.There‘snopartingofusuntilonedies.Staypositiveandherisheveryminute.”

MandyleanedagainstLok‘sshoulder，totallyforgettingheshouldnothavestoodupandsupportedherweight.“Iwon‘tfallforit.TheylookasifworriedformebutIguesstheyreallyenjoyedthemselvesseeingmealmostrashed.”

shelookedatLokandwassuddenlystartled，“Iwasalmosttakenin.......Ishouldn‘thavetoldthemhowIbrokedown......Iwouldneverletthemreeivethewrongmessageasifmylifewereajoke.”

“Don‘toverrespond.”Loksaid，“Theyareyourfriends，andtheyshowedonernsaboutourlife.Themorepathetiwelook，thefunnieritwouldbewhentheyknowwhatwe‘rereallylike.”

“Yes，someofthemdidtrytoruinmyself-esteemandnearlyonvinedmetopitymyself.Howanonebesomean”

Loksuggested，“I‘veomeupwithanidea.Whydon‘tweholdaparty”Hehesitated，“Doesanyofthemhaveafamily”

“No，noneofthemdo.Peopledon‘tgetmarriedthesedays，Iguesstheyareafraidtogiveommitments.”Mandyformedasmileasthoughshefeltsorryforherfriends.

“So，thatsettleseverything.”Loksmiledbak，“Weinviteabunhofkids.”

“DoweknowotherkidsbesidesthoseinOsar‘skindergarten”Mandyasked.

“Oh，ofoursewedo，”announedLok，“Thereareplentyofkids，Asian，Latino，andblakinthehildren‘shospital.Thiswillbeafund-raisingpartyfordisabledhildren，andmeaswell.”Loksatbakintothewheelhairasquiklyashiskneesallowedtoarryhim，whihamusedMandylikehell.

“Sinetheyaresokind，suretheydon‘tminddonatingsomedollarsforthegoodourse”Lokquestioned.

“That‘sreallynieofyou.Allofmyfriendswouldbeverythankfuliftheyareofferedahanetoshowthattheyreallyareforthehandiapped.”Mandybitherlips，tryinghardnottolaugh.

“IsuddenlyrememberIhaveoneortwoaquaintanesonthepress.”Loksneered，“Theywoulddietoseemeonthemoveagain.”