Jacob's Ladder
"Give him your future too. He'll make you strong enough to live it."
Mei Ling remembered the red hue of the lucky lì xì envelopes that were always warmly handed out by the elders, and the snap of the firecrackers as she and her family celebrated the Lunar New Year.
The sky was engulfed in tongues of orange as men with guns burned the rice paddies and thatched homes of their kinsmen. The Perfume River was on fire.
Yellow was the color of the nurse's hair that comforted Mei Ling as she was brought into the American base in Saigon. At first the foreign language and faces terrified her but the smiles eased her worry. That and the chocolate of course.
Green comprised the soldier's uniform, many of them not much older than boys, but they teased her, gave her cookies and called her "May Day" as she ran amongst them. She and the other children often clamored around them patting their pockets for candy. Her favorite was a dark skinned soldier called Jacob. His hair was curly and she loved to play with it. The little ones captured the men's hearts with their innocence and gave a face to the terrible war they were fighting.
A yawning, empty blue sky was the only terrible thing she saw as she was falling hundreds of feet from the helicopter with Jacob's desperate hand reaching out to her. He had promised her sweets, cartoons, but most of all a loving home with him, but now she was going to die. A rush of air (a brush of wings?) and suddenly she was caught into thiên sứ Claire's strong arms. Her hope flew away with the last American soldier.
After the men with guns took her away, Mei Ling is adopted by the Gustersons. The first thing she is presented with at the airport where they meet her is a purple stuffed animal. Her new family is loving but still she wonders about Jake and Claire. Chicken noodle soup replaces phở, Cinderella is saved instead of Tam, Mei Ling's life is spent exploring this brave new world.
Years passed. She is grown now, inspecting the brown walls of the home for abused and orphaned children at 801 Cedar St. Jacksonville, Florida. The young executive director hoped to provide the same love to the young ones that had been given to her during her childhood in a ravaged homeland. She knew the joy that a smile could bring to a terrible situation, but today is a happy day. She's told there's a surprise waiting for her downstairs.
An African American woman with more grey hair than black is beckoning her downstairs. There is a soft lilt of a lady's laughter. Was that an Irish accent? Mei Ling turns the corner and sees a sight of a thousand dreams.
Mei Ling Gusterson sees nothing through the blur of her tears, but would recognize the man standing before her no matter how many years had flown by. It was a miracle, a genuine miracle, she thought as she embraced Jake the soldier. Jake the lawyer now spends his days defending others in a courtroom rather than on a battlefield, and he couldn't be more proud of his May Day.
For this one, colors came easily as a theme. What really struck me about this episode was the look of pure joy on his face when he found out that Mei Ling was alive and the one in charge of the new children's shelter.
More to come. Please review,
Grignard