I left early one morning to go to the market, as I always did in the morning to get fresh food for dinner. I left with only my wand and some coins in my pocket.
I didn't come back.
The only problem was, you see, I didn't know where to go. In China you couldn't go to a homeless shelter and say, "Eh, give me some food, and clothes and a bed for free." In China if you had nowhere to go, you were out of luck.
I slept one night in the streets, one cold, wet night. With my little money I bought some water chestnuts when I got up. Oh, I was so hungry, I made those chestnuts last all morning.
I could have gone to a communist place that helped women out of feudal marriages. But Dou's were too friendly with the communists, and my marriage wasn't really feudal. I was all alone.
And then I heard a whisper from a corner, "Eh, little sister, are you lost?"
It was a plump Chinese women with a broad face and large feet. She wore Chinese clothes but somehow she didn't look as if she belonged. She had a crooked X hanging on a chain around her neck.
The woman pulled at me, and led me to a corner. "You in trouble with communists?"
I didn't ask her how she knew. Looking back, long way from now, I think she could tell I wasn't working class. I had nice clothes from Dou's and a pretty voice, and very tiny feet. Maybe she could tell I was rich.
"There's a place," the girl said. You picture her, anh, don't you like a mystery hero in a big movie. Whispering from the shadows, giving me safety. But I tell you, it was not like this. Not romantic at all--the girl smelled like sour meat, and had a very bad voice, very rough. "This place where westerners go, and they rescue you, they rescue anyone, as long as you do certain things. But it's very dangerous. It's on the edge of town, not fashionable but very clean. Follow me."
And I did. You see now you say, "Wah, don't follow strangers, might get killed." But then, that mystery place was my only hope. I followed that girl through the streets, past the peddlars until I got to a very dark part of the city. The girl looked round very secretly and tapped on door one, two, three times.
"The bread is ready," she said. And then the door opened.
See how secret! Just like those spies you see in movies. There was a lady, very funny looking. She was foreign with brown hair; a very large woman, except for very tiny feet, maybe size 3 or 4.
"Lucy," she said to the girl beside me. And then she started to speak in something I didn't understand. Later I found it was English.
The next days, were blurry, not real. I remember being given new clothes, taking a bath, having something to eat.
You see, this is how I learned my English, how I learned about Christ. And this is how I met Luling.
I didn't come back.
The only problem was, you see, I didn't know where to go. In China you couldn't go to a homeless shelter and say, "Eh, give me some food, and clothes and a bed for free." In China if you had nowhere to go, you were out of luck.
I slept one night in the streets, one cold, wet night. With my little money I bought some water chestnuts when I got up. Oh, I was so hungry, I made those chestnuts last all morning.
I could have gone to a communist place that helped women out of feudal marriages. But Dou's were too friendly with the communists, and my marriage wasn't really feudal. I was all alone.
And then I heard a whisper from a corner, "Eh, little sister, are you lost?"
It was a plump Chinese women with a broad face and large feet. She wore Chinese clothes but somehow she didn't look as if she belonged. She had a crooked X hanging on a chain around her neck.
The woman pulled at me, and led me to a corner. "You in trouble with communists?"
I didn't ask her how she knew. Looking back, long way from now, I think she could tell I wasn't working class. I had nice clothes from Dou's and a pretty voice, and very tiny feet. Maybe she could tell I was rich.
"There's a place," the girl said. You picture her, anh, don't you like a mystery hero in a big movie. Whispering from the shadows, giving me safety. But I tell you, it was not like this. Not romantic at all--the girl smelled like sour meat, and had a very bad voice, very rough. "This place where westerners go, and they rescue you, they rescue anyone, as long as you do certain things. But it's very dangerous. It's on the edge of town, not fashionable but very clean. Follow me."
And I did. You see now you say, "Wah, don't follow strangers, might get killed." But then, that mystery place was my only hope. I followed that girl through the streets, past the peddlars until I got to a very dark part of the city. The girl looked round very secretly and tapped on door one, two, three times.
"The bread is ready," she said. And then the door opened.
See how secret! Just like those spies you see in movies. There was a lady, very funny looking. She was foreign with brown hair; a very large woman, except for very tiny feet, maybe size 3 or 4.
"Lucy," she said to the girl beside me. And then she started to speak in something I didn't understand. Later I found it was English.
The next days, were blurry, not real. I remember being given new clothes, taking a bath, having something to eat.
You see, this is how I learned my English, how I learned about Christ. And this is how I met Luling.