A Water Spinach Plant

A lonely woman, a regular street stall, a woman with no one to rely on, a woman who's lost her husband and children? A dilapidated tiled-roof shack? And the only patch of water spinach she has left?

She sets up a stall to sell water spinach. Even without her husband and children, she has to keep living. Real life is terrifying, but as long as she has the confidence to carry on, there's no need to worry about what the future holds.

A novel that's almost starkly realistic (Water Spinach), showing how hard it is just to get by. Think about life's cruelty, about the merciless passage of time. How does a woman with no home face the hardships of her life? Even when she truly feels there's no hope left, she still chooses to keep living. Yes, to keep living, and to make it through this life.

Whether the ending is happy or sad, at least I can say I stood strong and made my way through this world.

Please enjoy this short story, Water Spinach.

(Water spinach is said to be a heartless, hollow vegetable. Its white flowers are called funeral flowers, flowers for the dead. And yet a woman who has lost all hope really does depend on water spinach to get by. The story begins simply, honestly, and tragically.