Thursday, May 11, 2006

this is my Ling, this is her story...


Joe stepped slowly towards the small field of delicate bushes where a large gathering of Chinese women plucked off tealeaves into their baskets. He squinted against the sun to look for the woman he traveled miles to see – the one he has yet to meet. His vision narrowed towards one of the younger women who gave quick glances into his direction.

“Is she the one?” he thought, as he walked towards her.

His shoulder-length hair, tight orange shirt and brown bellbottoms didn’t match the plain traditional Chinese villager outfits that were the popular choice on this side of the world. Although viewed as stylish in Canada, awkward looks from people at the airport and on his way to the country side told him fashion is outweighed by function here.

“What a funny-looking man,” Ling thought as she subtly watched the foreigner make his way towards her. Her braided hair gently wrapped around her neck as she quickly and carefully pulled off the small leaves. Long braids were typical on women who worked in the fields because if someone was bitten by the lethal tree snake, the long braids were quickly cut off and tied around the limb to stop the poison from circulating.

The calluses on her palms showed many years of hard labour despite her young age. At age 6 she was forced to baby-sit her brother all day, even while attending school. When he cried, made noise, or needed to be fed, she had to leave the class. Three years later, when her brother was old enough to start school on his own, her baby-sitting years continued with a new baby sister to take care of. Despite her lack of attendance in class, by the end of junior high, Ling was one of 14 students in a group of over 60 who qualified to go to high school in the city. Her hard work and late nights catching up with the rest of the class had finally paid off. Finally, she could have a proper education like her older sister... or so she thought.

Ling was the second daughter of the Gan family and therefore, predetermined to be unloved because of China’s demand for sons; especially since the first child was a girl, the hope for a son amplified for the second child. As a result, from birth, Ling had been pushed into the laborious role of a male without the love and respect that came with it. Hence, when the time came, her acceptance letter and her dream of having proper schooling were torn up by her mother, who already signed Ling up to raise an ox for their neighbour. This was a typical job for young teens that lived in poor families. The long, uneventful hours of tending to the beast gave families enough money to provide one more meal with meat per month.

After 2 time-consuming years of ox-watching, the 14-year-old went off to another village to churn tofu for another 2 years. The daily consumption of soy bean products made her skin radiant and smooth. When she returned home, she had developed into a beautiful and slim young lady. For the next few years, she worked part-time as an assistant to the town doctor and also began to work on the field gathering tealeaves.

Along with her attractiveness, everyone in her community knew she was hardworking and an obedient daughter; the characteristics of a good wife. So, when Ling’s grandfather was approached by an old family friend with news that his friend’s cousin was looking for a wife in China, Ling’s name sprung to mind.


To be continued...