The sun was setting as Mei walked the streets of Beijing. Her bare feet were dirty and her hair was a mess. From a distance she heard her ‘auntie’ from her home, Jai Li, calling her name. Mei knew she was late for dinner, so she ran along the sidewalk towards the shelter.
“I’m sorry Auntie; I was just taking a walk.” She bowed past Jai Li and into the house where nine other children were waiting around the table.
“Mei, where’ve you been? You know we’re not allowed to start dinner ‘til everyone’s here,” a girl at the table said. Mei took a seat and the children began eating. Not long after, all ten girls were tucked into bed.
In the dark of her room that she shared with four other girls, Mei was thinking to herself. It’d only been 6 months since the war between China and the U.S. had ended, and although the Chinese won, there was still unimaginable damage done to the city and the country in general. Thousands of children had lost everything- from their home to their parents and there were more orphanages in China now that there were 50 years ago, when girls were unacceptable and the law was one child per family. A bevy of children lived in each house that was still standing, thus creating numerous orphanages. Mei was sixteen. She was a strong girl- personality wise, amicable and placid in the toughest of situations. She was independent, practically raising herself as her father served in the military and her mother was a high official in the Chinese government. When the war began the first building to get bombed by the U.S. was her mom's building. She didn't survive. When the war truly broke out, Mei was informed of her father’s death as well. The death of her parents was more unheralded than it should have been- the Chinese knew that the war was coming. Mei was sure she could take care of herself, but after 3 weeks on the ruined streets, she knew she needed to find someplace to at least stay. Her mother’s good friend, Jai Li, immediately took her in, along with 9 other girls who’d been orphaned after the war. And although Mei thought about her parents all the time, she couldn’t cry, ever. The death of her parents was a silent event in her life, past now, and she refused to look back. The girls in this orphanage were younger than her; she felt the need to be grateful that she was old enough to understand what had happened and move on from there; lucky that she wasn’t a poor nine year old girl who’d just lost the only family she’d ever had, for the rest of her life. Mei had decided that she would stay here with Jai Li to help with the girls for as long as she needed; after all, she owed her.
In the morning, Mei was awakened by the running of little feet all throughout the house and the bedroom. Mei groaned and stumbled down the stairs to see if breakfast needed to be made.
“‘Morning, Mei,” Jai Li said. “There’s a package for you.”
“What?” Mei said, rhetorically. She walked over to the tiny kitchen table and picked up a small brown box. To Mei, it was addressed, without a return address or name. Mei carefully lifted each of the flaps to reveal a paltry trinket- a jade dragon statue amidst the tissue paper filling the box. She lifted the tissue paper as well to find a letter.
Dear Mei,
We’re writing to you to ask if you would like to come to Michigan in America to live with us. We heard about your mother and father and after a lot of investigation we were able to find your location. We hear you are staying with a woman named Jai Li? We have sent her a personal letter concerning this situation and she also has received a return address and phone number as well. Please consider our offer, as it is our duty to take responsibility of you now.
Yours truly,
Aunt Julina and Uncle Matthew
Mei was hesitant the moment she began reading the letter. As she got to the end of it, she was more confused than ever. Where did this ‘aunt and uncle’ come from? Why did they suddenly care about her? How would she get to America? How is Jai Li going to respond? Did she even want to go and live with her ‘aunt’ and ‘uncle’? Mei walked into the living room where Jai Li was; she had already read the letter she’d received. Jai Li looked up at the sound of Mei’s footsteps. She looked expectant.
“So… you’ve read the letter,” Jai Li said. Mei nodded.
“And?” Jai Li inquired. Mei shook her head and sat down beside her.
“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of this so-called family and I’ve never been far from home. I like staying here with you and the little girls, and… I’m scared to leave.” Jai Li contemplated the situation for a moment and looked to Mei.
She said, “Mei. You’re sixteen. You’ve been through a lot and I know that you’re comfortable here- you’re always welcome. But… just think… this could be a new experience for you, a chance to kind of start over completely. You could leave this place and get what you need as a young woman- you could have a family again. And you could take the time to figure out who you are.” Jai Li was sincere in her words.
“But, what about you? And the other girls… I couldn’t just leave.” Mei hoped to alleviate the stress from Jai Li in raising nine children; it was the least she could do.
But Jai Li shook her head and said, “Don’t worry about us. Help is on the way and besides; we’re doing just fine now. Go. Go and live your life.”
Mei was torn, but that afternoon, she walked down the street to the supermarket and used their payphone. She dialed the numbers, hands shaking, and asked for “Miss Julina”.
“Hello?”
“Hello… Aunt… Julina? This is Mei.” There was a slight pause at the other end of the line before Mei’s ears exploded with the sound of her Aunt’s exclamation.
“Oh my! Darling, I knew you’d call. Will you come?”
Mei sighed deeply and said confidently, “Yes. I will.”
That night, Mei packed her bags as Jai Li went to the post office to pick up the tickets that’d been sent in advance. Three days later, Mei was on a plane, for the first time ever, on her way to a country across the sea. Her mind was so cluttered with thoughts and emotions, but she did not show it. She just smiled and waved at the passengers nearby.
It took twelve full hours to get from China to the United States. Around 1 a.m., Mei woke up feeling as if she were flying out of her seat. She thought it could be motion sickness but as she woke entirely, she recognized screaming and announcements over the intercom. She was being told by the flight attendant to put on her oxygen mask- the plane was going down. She didn't comprehend at first, but when she realized what was happening, her first thoughts were, We are all going to die. She reluctantly put on the mask, trying to calm herself as her whole body shook with fear. She sat in her seat the way the rest of the passengers sat, although most had family, children, or loved ones to comfort or say goodbyes to. She had no one. But it’s good that I’m not saying a final goodbye like the rest of them, she thought. I’ve already said goodbye to ones I love most.
The plane was descending. And no one could do anything about it. The pilot’s voice was attempting to be soothing over the intercom, but still women and children screamed and men were solemn with silent tears. Mei could feel the plane being navigated through the air- but its speed was irrevocable. She gasped as an acute pain shot through her head and her ears popped so she could barely hear anything. All the passengers braced themselves for the impact of the water. Some held themselves tightly against their own seats, hands on the armrests, and some hugged the back of the seat in front of them- Mei was frozen. There was a sudden crash, an effluvia, and a bounce; Mei fell to the floor and held on for dear life. The plane was filled with screams and shouts, but Mei tuned them out. She was going to die.
“Hello there. Are you awake?” A soft hand brushed Mei’s hair away from her face. She blinked, slowly, as her eyes darted around, trying to figure out where she was. She tried to sit up, but couldn’t get the strength. So she just lay there, breathing. Mei closed her eyes again for a while.
A little while later, she didn’t know how long, she was awakened by little feet and concerned voices. Why didn’t Jai Li wake me? Mei thought. But as she really opened her eyes, she remembered she was not at Jai Li’s home. The gears were turning in her head as she recalled the details of her life. The war was over. Her mother was dead. Her father was dead. Jai Li had taken her in. She’d received a letter. She had boarded a plane. And then the plane crashed.
She took a moment to look up, and found herself staring into the eyes of the boy whose hand had brushed her face earlier and whose hands were holding her head now. She didn't bother asking who he was, just gave him a curious, questioning glance. He cleared his throat and said, "Uh... hi. I'm... Greg.”
“What’s going on? Where am I?” Mei asked.
“Well. Firstly, who are you?” Greg asked.
“I’m Mei.”
“Hello Mei. We’re in a small county next to Sacramento, California called Redwood County. We’re at the recreation center. Your plane that crashed… few survived; as it hit the water, most of it was anulled, and you were a lucky one.” As Mei processed what Greg had told her, a nurse walked over. Greg helped her sit up. She immediately noticed the families disseminated around the room.
“She woke up, hmm?” The nurse glanced at Mei. Greg nodded. She turned to Mei and said, “What’s your name?”
“Mei.”
“Well, Mei, we had you checked and you’ve got a minor concussion- but you should be alright. Let us know if there’s anything we can do for you or if something feels wrong or bad. You were so lucky to have such a minor injury.”
Still mulling over the information, Mei stumbled getting up. Greg held her by the arm and said, “Careful, it’s been awhile since you last stood up- and the plane crash didn’t help.” Mei was on her feet at this point and said, “I need some air.” She looked around for an exit to the large room that she now noticed was full of people on makeshift beds and medics walking around. The nurse nodded to Greg and Greg said calmly, “Would you like me to take you for a short walk?” Mei, without thinking, nodded.
“So. You’re from… China?” Greg asked Mei. The two were walking through an arboreal park just across the way from the recreation center of the town. The sun was out, as it was midday, and the air was gentle and refreshing- just what Mei needed. They walked slowly down a small path through the trees and small clearings. Mei, still slightly unsteady, kept a hand on Greg’s arm just in case, and he walked beside her, asking questions.
“Yes.”
“And you speak fluent English?”
“It become mandatory when I was in the fifth grade to learn the English language. So… yeah, I speak English.” There was a moment of silence, which was nice because neither of them needed to say anything.
“Were you… affected…by the recent war?” Greg asked, hoping he wouldn’t offend her. Mei was quiet for a moment, not because she was offended, but because she was trying to remember, again, what’d happened.
“Yes. My parents died. And… I’m going to Michigan because my relatives that I’ve never heard of or met wrote to me so I could live with them.” Greg did not know what to say, so neither of them said anything else.
They sat at a park bench and just looked around, admiring the random cumulus and cirrus clouds in the otherwise clear blue sky. Mei had never been in America before. Although the park was nothing extraordinary, Mei was grateful for a moment to just sit back and feel the moment- along with realizing what was happening in her life. The blades of grass swayed as the breeze picked up and gave Mei goose bumps on her arms. The sun was blinding and finally Greg said, “Do you want to head back?” Mei nodded silently and they started towards the building again.
“I’m not sure what we’re going to do,” the nurse was saying to Greg, “We don’t exactly have a place for her to go right now. The other people have family nearby or someone with them, but she doesn’t.” Mei overheard the whispering conversation in the hall as she sat in the room that she’d first woken up in. A few minutes later, Greg reappeared in the room with the nurse.
“Mei, right?” the nurse said. Mei nodded. “Hi. We’re not sure where to send you right now, dear, we can’t get you on any flights right now to where it is you need to go… so Greg’s family has offered to let you stay for the night or until we make arrangements- his father is the mayor of this county and they have a daughter whom you can room with and such.” Because she barely had a choice, Mei was grateful for Greg's benevolence and agreed to head home with Greg.
Being 17, Greg had a license and was able to drive Mei all of three miles to get to his house. Although brief, the ride was quiet and a couple of times Greg looked in Mei’s direction because she was so quiet. When they arrived at a small, white ranch on a simple street, Greg and Mei were greeted at the door by Greg’s parents. Mei was escorted to Greg’s younger sister, Mary’s, room and was asleep before she knew it.
Morning came quickly and Mei woke automatically at 7:30 am. The family was in the kitchen.
“So, Mei, we got your information from the airport about your flights and where you were heading after you landed in California. Unfortunately, the soonest flight we could get to Michigan isn’t until tomorrow morning. So… I assume you’ll spend another night with us, if that’s all right with you. It’s certainly alright with us.” Mei nodded to the man, assuming it was Greg's father, who was giving information and the offer. Greg was sitting at the table with his family- the four of them smiled at her. “Um. Sure. That sounds… very nice. Thank you for your hospitality,” she said politely. She shared an interesting, unfamiliar, meal of pancakes for breakfast. She hung around in the kitchen while Greg did the dishes because Mary had disappeared. Also, she had overheard his parents telling him to take care of her for the day as they headed off to work.
The next morning, Mei had said goodbye the Greg’s family and hello to the flight attendants on the plane to Michigan. The entire plane ride she felt sick to her stomach with motion sickness and paranoia, but washed away the nausea with thoughts of her new family she was going to meet.
“We are preparing for landing- please turn off all electronics and be sure that your seat belts are fastened,” the pilot said.
Here is where I will call home, Mei said to herself as she exited the plane and entered the Detroit airport. Soon after, she was greeted by a young man and woman who recognized her. She’d been through a lot already, but by now, Mei knew she could embrace anything that life threw at her.
“I’m sorry Auntie; I was just taking a walk.” She bowed past Jai Li and into the house where nine other children were waiting around the table.
“Mei, where’ve you been? You know we’re not allowed to start dinner ‘til everyone’s here,” a girl at the table said. Mei took a seat and the children began eating. Not long after, all ten girls were tucked into bed.
In the dark of her room that she shared with four other girls, Mei was thinking to herself. It’d only been 6 months since the war between China and the U.S. had ended, and although the Chinese won, there was still unimaginable damage done to the city and the country in general. Thousands of children had lost everything- from their home to their parents and there were more orphanages in China now that there were 50 years ago, when girls were unacceptable and the law was one child per family. A bevy of children lived in each house that was still standing, thus creating numerous orphanages. Mei was sixteen. She was a strong girl- personality wise, amicable and placid in the toughest of situations. She was independent, practically raising herself as her father served in the military and her mother was a high official in the Chinese government. When the war began the first building to get bombed by the U.S. was her mom's building. She didn't survive. When the war truly broke out, Mei was informed of her father’s death as well. The death of her parents was more unheralded than it should have been- the Chinese knew that the war was coming. Mei was sure she could take care of herself, but after 3 weeks on the ruined streets, she knew she needed to find someplace to at least stay. Her mother’s good friend, Jai Li, immediately took her in, along with 9 other girls who’d been orphaned after the war. And although Mei thought about her parents all the time, she couldn’t cry, ever. The death of her parents was a silent event in her life, past now, and she refused to look back. The girls in this orphanage were younger than her; she felt the need to be grateful that she was old enough to understand what had happened and move on from there; lucky that she wasn’t a poor nine year old girl who’d just lost the only family she’d ever had, for the rest of her life. Mei had decided that she would stay here with Jai Li to help with the girls for as long as she needed; after all, she owed her.
In the morning, Mei was awakened by the running of little feet all throughout the house and the bedroom. Mei groaned and stumbled down the stairs to see if breakfast needed to be made.
“‘Morning, Mei,” Jai Li said. “There’s a package for you.”
“What?” Mei said, rhetorically. She walked over to the tiny kitchen table and picked up a small brown box. To Mei, it was addressed, without a return address or name. Mei carefully lifted each of the flaps to reveal a paltry trinket- a jade dragon statue amidst the tissue paper filling the box. She lifted the tissue paper as well to find a letter.
Dear Mei,
We’re writing to you to ask if you would like to come to Michigan in America to live with us. We heard about your mother and father and after a lot of investigation we were able to find your location. We hear you are staying with a woman named Jai Li? We have sent her a personal letter concerning this situation and she also has received a return address and phone number as well. Please consider our offer, as it is our duty to take responsibility of you now.
Yours truly,
Aunt Julina and Uncle Matthew
Mei was hesitant the moment she began reading the letter. As she got to the end of it, she was more confused than ever. Where did this ‘aunt and uncle’ come from? Why did they suddenly care about her? How would she get to America? How is Jai Li going to respond? Did she even want to go and live with her ‘aunt’ and ‘uncle’? Mei walked into the living room where Jai Li was; she had already read the letter she’d received. Jai Li looked up at the sound of Mei’s footsteps. She looked expectant.
“So… you’ve read the letter,” Jai Li said. Mei nodded.
“And?” Jai Li inquired. Mei shook her head and sat down beside her.
“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of this so-called family and I’ve never been far from home. I like staying here with you and the little girls, and… I’m scared to leave.” Jai Li contemplated the situation for a moment and looked to Mei.
She said, “Mei. You’re sixteen. You’ve been through a lot and I know that you’re comfortable here- you’re always welcome. But… just think… this could be a new experience for you, a chance to kind of start over completely. You could leave this place and get what you need as a young woman- you could have a family again. And you could take the time to figure out who you are.” Jai Li was sincere in her words.
“But, what about you? And the other girls… I couldn’t just leave.” Mei hoped to alleviate the stress from Jai Li in raising nine children; it was the least she could do.
But Jai Li shook her head and said, “Don’t worry about us. Help is on the way and besides; we’re doing just fine now. Go. Go and live your life.”
Mei was torn, but that afternoon, she walked down the street to the supermarket and used their payphone. She dialed the numbers, hands shaking, and asked for “Miss Julina”.
“Hello?”
“Hello… Aunt… Julina? This is Mei.” There was a slight pause at the other end of the line before Mei’s ears exploded with the sound of her Aunt’s exclamation.
“Oh my! Darling, I knew you’d call. Will you come?”
Mei sighed deeply and said confidently, “Yes. I will.”
That night, Mei packed her bags as Jai Li went to the post office to pick up the tickets that’d been sent in advance. Three days later, Mei was on a plane, for the first time ever, on her way to a country across the sea. Her mind was so cluttered with thoughts and emotions, but she did not show it. She just smiled and waved at the passengers nearby.
It took twelve full hours to get from China to the United States. Around 1 a.m., Mei woke up feeling as if she were flying out of her seat. She thought it could be motion sickness but as she woke entirely, she recognized screaming and announcements over the intercom. She was being told by the flight attendant to put on her oxygen mask- the plane was going down. She didn't comprehend at first, but when she realized what was happening, her first thoughts were, We are all going to die. She reluctantly put on the mask, trying to calm herself as her whole body shook with fear. She sat in her seat the way the rest of the passengers sat, although most had family, children, or loved ones to comfort or say goodbyes to. She had no one. But it’s good that I’m not saying a final goodbye like the rest of them, she thought. I’ve already said goodbye to ones I love most.
The plane was descending. And no one could do anything about it. The pilot’s voice was attempting to be soothing over the intercom, but still women and children screamed and men were solemn with silent tears. Mei could feel the plane being navigated through the air- but its speed was irrevocable. She gasped as an acute pain shot through her head and her ears popped so she could barely hear anything. All the passengers braced themselves for the impact of the water. Some held themselves tightly against their own seats, hands on the armrests, and some hugged the back of the seat in front of them- Mei was frozen. There was a sudden crash, an effluvia, and a bounce; Mei fell to the floor and held on for dear life. The plane was filled with screams and shouts, but Mei tuned them out. She was going to die.
“Hello there. Are you awake?” A soft hand brushed Mei’s hair away from her face. She blinked, slowly, as her eyes darted around, trying to figure out where she was. She tried to sit up, but couldn’t get the strength. So she just lay there, breathing. Mei closed her eyes again for a while.
A little while later, she didn’t know how long, she was awakened by little feet and concerned voices. Why didn’t Jai Li wake me? Mei thought. But as she really opened her eyes, she remembered she was not at Jai Li’s home. The gears were turning in her head as she recalled the details of her life. The war was over. Her mother was dead. Her father was dead. Jai Li had taken her in. She’d received a letter. She had boarded a plane. And then the plane crashed.
She took a moment to look up, and found herself staring into the eyes of the boy whose hand had brushed her face earlier and whose hands were holding her head now. She didn't bother asking who he was, just gave him a curious, questioning glance. He cleared his throat and said, "Uh... hi. I'm... Greg.”
“What’s going on? Where am I?” Mei asked.
“Well. Firstly, who are you?” Greg asked.
“I’m Mei.”
“Hello Mei. We’re in a small county next to Sacramento, California called Redwood County. We’re at the recreation center. Your plane that crashed… few survived; as it hit the water, most of it was anulled, and you were a lucky one.” As Mei processed what Greg had told her, a nurse walked over. Greg helped her sit up. She immediately noticed the families disseminated around the room.
“She woke up, hmm?” The nurse glanced at Mei. Greg nodded. She turned to Mei and said, “What’s your name?”
“Mei.”
“Well, Mei, we had you checked and you’ve got a minor concussion- but you should be alright. Let us know if there’s anything we can do for you or if something feels wrong or bad. You were so lucky to have such a minor injury.”
Still mulling over the information, Mei stumbled getting up. Greg held her by the arm and said, “Careful, it’s been awhile since you last stood up- and the plane crash didn’t help.” Mei was on her feet at this point and said, “I need some air.” She looked around for an exit to the large room that she now noticed was full of people on makeshift beds and medics walking around. The nurse nodded to Greg and Greg said calmly, “Would you like me to take you for a short walk?” Mei, without thinking, nodded.
“So. You’re from… China?” Greg asked Mei. The two were walking through an arboreal park just across the way from the recreation center of the town. The sun was out, as it was midday, and the air was gentle and refreshing- just what Mei needed. They walked slowly down a small path through the trees and small clearings. Mei, still slightly unsteady, kept a hand on Greg’s arm just in case, and he walked beside her, asking questions.
“Yes.”
“And you speak fluent English?”
“It become mandatory when I was in the fifth grade to learn the English language. So… yeah, I speak English.” There was a moment of silence, which was nice because neither of them needed to say anything.
“Were you… affected…by the recent war?” Greg asked, hoping he wouldn’t offend her. Mei was quiet for a moment, not because she was offended, but because she was trying to remember, again, what’d happened.
“Yes. My parents died. And… I’m going to Michigan because my relatives that I’ve never heard of or met wrote to me so I could live with them.” Greg did not know what to say, so neither of them said anything else.
They sat at a park bench and just looked around, admiring the random cumulus and cirrus clouds in the otherwise clear blue sky. Mei had never been in America before. Although the park was nothing extraordinary, Mei was grateful for a moment to just sit back and feel the moment- along with realizing what was happening in her life. The blades of grass swayed as the breeze picked up and gave Mei goose bumps on her arms. The sun was blinding and finally Greg said, “Do you want to head back?” Mei nodded silently and they started towards the building again.
“I’m not sure what we’re going to do,” the nurse was saying to Greg, “We don’t exactly have a place for her to go right now. The other people have family nearby or someone with them, but she doesn’t.” Mei overheard the whispering conversation in the hall as she sat in the room that she’d first woken up in. A few minutes later, Greg reappeared in the room with the nurse.
“Mei, right?” the nurse said. Mei nodded. “Hi. We’re not sure where to send you right now, dear, we can’t get you on any flights right now to where it is you need to go… so Greg’s family has offered to let you stay for the night or until we make arrangements- his father is the mayor of this county and they have a daughter whom you can room with and such.” Because she barely had a choice, Mei was grateful for Greg's benevolence and agreed to head home with Greg.
Being 17, Greg had a license and was able to drive Mei all of three miles to get to his house. Although brief, the ride was quiet and a couple of times Greg looked in Mei’s direction because she was so quiet. When they arrived at a small, white ranch on a simple street, Greg and Mei were greeted at the door by Greg’s parents. Mei was escorted to Greg’s younger sister, Mary’s, room and was asleep before she knew it.
Morning came quickly and Mei woke automatically at 7:30 am. The family was in the kitchen.
“So, Mei, we got your information from the airport about your flights and where you were heading after you landed in California. Unfortunately, the soonest flight we could get to Michigan isn’t until tomorrow morning. So… I assume you’ll spend another night with us, if that’s all right with you. It’s certainly alright with us.” Mei nodded to the man, assuming it was Greg's father, who was giving information and the offer. Greg was sitting at the table with his family- the four of them smiled at her. “Um. Sure. That sounds… very nice. Thank you for your hospitality,” she said politely. She shared an interesting, unfamiliar, meal of pancakes for breakfast. She hung around in the kitchen while Greg did the dishes because Mary had disappeared. Also, she had overheard his parents telling him to take care of her for the day as they headed off to work.
The next morning, Mei had said goodbye the Greg’s family and hello to the flight attendants on the plane to Michigan. The entire plane ride she felt sick to her stomach with motion sickness and paranoia, but washed away the nausea with thoughts of her new family she was going to meet.
“We are preparing for landing- please turn off all electronics and be sure that your seat belts are fastened,” the pilot said.
Here is where I will call home, Mei said to herself as she exited the plane and entered the Detroit airport. Soon after, she was greeted by a young man and woman who recognized her. She’d been through a lot already, but by now, Mei knew she could embrace anything that life threw at her.
