We were only married two weeks, for two weeks I was Mary Smith, a normal, happy young girl. For two weeks I was so glad, so happy.
I sometimes wonder, what if I hadn't found that man on the streets? What if we were never caught? But then I have to stop myself from wondering or else I'll lose myself in a whole ocean of what-ifs. So I don't think about that. But sometimes at night, when the moon is full I have to think, I have to give in and wonder, what if.
That day me and Lucy went, looking for more people to bring. Then we saw a man; very nice clothes, clean but poor looking. Obviously a man we could make a Christian. We went up to him, and said ,"Come with us." And he did. We brought him to the house. And then two days later the communists came.
Oh, what a bad man he was! Gone and told communists so he could get a little bit of money. We were all sleeping and then BOOM--ten, twenty men, come in, with knives and guns and--oh god.
It is hard to talk about. I do not remember much. I do remember Lucy, pulling on my hand saying, "Mary, Mary, we must go!" I looked at Harold. "Go, go!" he said. "Here!" It was a beautiful necklace with cho beads on it. "You are like those beads. Beautiful and priceless, but many layers. Keep on to this." And then Lucy was pulling me, and we leapt out the window and the next day we were on the streets.
I found out later those communists, they killed everyone. Everyone. They killed Harold. I was alone, with just Lucy. We were so scared, didn't know what to do. And then Lucy said, "Eh, you were married to a Britsh man. Why don't you see if we can move to Britain?"
So that's what we did. I don't know how we got tickets out. But in a month me and Lucy were on a ship. When we came to the important British people asking silly questions about forms they asked for my name.
I had given this thought on the ship. I had had a lot of names, but now, I did not want to keep Mary. I would be Cho Chang. You know what that is? Yes, can mean coral necklace, but it has more meanings deep down. Free hope. That is what I wanted, that is what I told the British officials. And I made my name, Cho, come first, always put myself first, not my father or mother in law. Because then I knew I had a child and I wanted to give that child all of my best intentions. You know what Cho-Ah? That child, that was you.
You see I had you, and I tried so hard to be British. Lucy, she change her name to Luling so she can be like me, she didn't like Britain, after few years she say, "Wah, why stay here? I going to America." And she did. And now she lives in perfect house with perfect daughter. But I am happier because I have you, my free hope.
I got a wand even. England was so funny to me, everything magic or not. I have idea, why it's not so important in China. In China even meinlul's are magical, in China there is something in the air, in the sea, in our deepest hopes that breathes magic. You don't understand but someday you will. You will go to China and see a Chinese sky and stand on Chinese land and feel the magic run through you. You will throw your head back and laugh because you will be full of free hope.
I sometimes wonder, what if I hadn't found that man on the streets? What if we were never caught? But then I have to stop myself from wondering or else I'll lose myself in a whole ocean of what-ifs. So I don't think about that. But sometimes at night, when the moon is full I have to think, I have to give in and wonder, what if.
That day me and Lucy went, looking for more people to bring. Then we saw a man; very nice clothes, clean but poor looking. Obviously a man we could make a Christian. We went up to him, and said ,"Come with us." And he did. We brought him to the house. And then two days later the communists came.
Oh, what a bad man he was! Gone and told communists so he could get a little bit of money. We were all sleeping and then BOOM--ten, twenty men, come in, with knives and guns and--oh god.
It is hard to talk about. I do not remember much. I do remember Lucy, pulling on my hand saying, "Mary, Mary, we must go!" I looked at Harold. "Go, go!" he said. "Here!" It was a beautiful necklace with cho beads on it. "You are like those beads. Beautiful and priceless, but many layers. Keep on to this." And then Lucy was pulling me, and we leapt out the window and the next day we were on the streets.
I found out later those communists, they killed everyone. Everyone. They killed Harold. I was alone, with just Lucy. We were so scared, didn't know what to do. And then Lucy said, "Eh, you were married to a Britsh man. Why don't you see if we can move to Britain?"
So that's what we did. I don't know how we got tickets out. But in a month me and Lucy were on a ship. When we came to the important British people asking silly questions about forms they asked for my name.
I had given this thought on the ship. I had had a lot of names, but now, I did not want to keep Mary. I would be Cho Chang. You know what that is? Yes, can mean coral necklace, but it has more meanings deep down. Free hope. That is what I wanted, that is what I told the British officials. And I made my name, Cho, come first, always put myself first, not my father or mother in law. Because then I knew I had a child and I wanted to give that child all of my best intentions. You know what Cho-Ah? That child, that was you.
You see I had you, and I tried so hard to be British. Lucy, she change her name to Luling so she can be like me, she didn't like Britain, after few years she say, "Wah, why stay here? I going to America." And she did. And now she lives in perfect house with perfect daughter. But I am happier because I have you, my free hope.
I got a wand even. England was so funny to me, everything magic or not. I have idea, why it's not so important in China. In China even meinlul's are magical, in China there is something in the air, in the sea, in our deepest hopes that breathes magic. You don't understand but someday you will. You will go to China and see a Chinese sky and stand on Chinese land and feel the magic run through you. You will throw your head back and laugh because you will be full of free hope.