It moved me to tears…A true story, written by my wife

— “Mom, where am I from?”

— “Do you see the big hole on that Longan tree?

— “Yes, I saw it”

— “You were from there.”

— “What? So, is that tree my mother, not you?”

— “I’m your mother, but if you are naughty and misbehave, I’ll send you back to that tree hole. ”

1996, her grandfather died, she came back to her village for the funeral. On the funeral day after the ceremony, her mother told a story that she and her other families never known: her mother’s father was a fortune teller and was very popular in his lifetime. About 10 days after she was born, her mother was told by the father that she would give away this new born daughter. Of course, her mother had the biggest reaction and said “no, she’s my daughter, I won’t give her away even our life is difficult”. The father said: “It may not happen now, but one day.” He stopped a second, “maybe after 10 years, you would let her go”.

If there is anybody believes in god, he or she must believe that everything has been arranged by god, including our fate. But her mother didn’t believe in god. As time goes by, her mother forgot about the conversation, and she slowly grew up.

She had a difficult but good childhood. She went to primary school, middle school. And she thought her life would be like other girls: finishes high school, find a job, marry a local man, and then have a baby. That should be a normal village girl’s life like. But everything changed in the summer of 1989.

She was very happy that day, because her Chinese test got a very good score. She arrived home with a big smile. She saw people that only would come on Chinese New Year, her uncle and his wife who lived in Zhuhai, sat on chairs and were talking to her parents. She was afraid of them because in her memories, this couple was always in bad tempers and, because they were rich, the way they talk showed that other people were in a low class and they were in a much higher class. They gave her a huge smile that never happened before and greeted her. She gave them a smile, unwillingly. Suddenly she felt the living room turned darker and cooler, she had a shiver and felt uncomfortable.

Her mother also smiled to her and said:

— “Come and say hello to your uncle and aunt, they are waiting for you.”

— “They are waiting for me? Why?”

— “They need someone they trust to live with them. They both are too busy at work, and your cousin, you know, she is too young to look after herself after school.”

— “Yes, and?” she was confused, that’s nothing to do with her, right?

— “They want you to move to Zhuhai and live with them. Go and pack some cloths, you need to leave soon.”

— They forgot she was also a child, not even 15 yet. :”But why me? What about my school?”

— “They had considered your elder sister; they prefer you rather than anyone else. Don’t worry about your school, we’ll inform your principle, and, you’ll study in Zhuhai.”

— “But….”

— “No but, go and pack”.

She slowly turned around and went upstairs to her bedroom. Standing at the bedroom door and looking at this small room: the only bed that she had shared with her two sisters for over 7 years; the wardrobe with their cloths was standing there; the comb they used everyday was on the desk. Her tears fell off slowly. “I thought I was a good girl; I did things you asked me to do, yes, my study wasn’t good, but I’ve tried my best already. I did make mistakes, but I changed after you told me. Now you are sending me away, you are sending me back to the tree hole. Why? ”

She could do nothing but leaving this home, the home she lived for almost 15 years, and she even had no chance to have a dinner with her family before she left. Sitting in her uncle’s car, she waved to her parents and sisters: “Good bye my home, good bye my dear families”. She passed the bamboo thicket; her primary school; the village entrance; the dragon trees; her middle school, and passed her city eventually.

She didn’t know what was waiting for her in Zhuhai. She would never predict that this strange city would change her life, totally and painfully.