Separations

Rita 王艳玲 210111024

With a cry, this remote village welcomed its first new baby of that year.

Parents and relatives were brightly smiling for the birth of this child. Only the baby cried.

The day the baby was born was a snowy night, so his parents named him "Xue Ye".

After this child turned one year old, the parents said to the family: " We have to make some money to assure him a better education.”

On a breeze morning, his parents left the small village with their luggage. This one-year-old kid was kept by his grandmother; he watched the back of his parents fade away until he could not see them anymore. Every year, he was accompanied by his grandmother, and he saw off his parents, watching their distant backs, just like what when he was one.

This was the beginning of many separations in the little boy’s life.

In this remote mountain village, Xue Ye spent his childhood, and ushered in his adolescence. Gradually, he was not sad every time he watched his parents leave as when he was a child. At the same time, Xue Ye had also reached the age of junior high school. However, there was no junior high school in this small mountain village; the only junior high school was in the county, located 70 kilometers away.

But Xue Ye was not willing to go to the county to study. He said, " Grandma is getting old. If I go to the county, who can take care of her?

"Grandma looked at Xue Ye and said:" You are a filial child, but you have to study; only by doing so will you find a promising future.” Xue Ye was thus sent to the county's junior high school. He could go home once every half a month.

Life went on so flatly.

On the day of graduation, Xue Ye made breakfast early, reminded his grandma to have breakfast, and then sat on the car of his neighbor, setting out to the county to get the grade notice. Grandma went out to see him off, and he waved vigorously: " Grandma, remember to have breakfast! I'll be back later!" He sat in the car, watching his grandma's figure leaning against the door and shrinking from view into a small black dot.

After the class meeting, Xue Ye finally received his grade. He looked at the mark above, and thought to himself that: “It is not bad. Certainly, I can attend the high school in the county. Grandma will be happy.”

Then he heard someone calling out his name. His classmates turned to look at him. He shouted back, " Here! What's up!”

"Your grandmother is dying! Go home! We have already informed your parents!”

Xue Ye clutched the notice paper in his hand and ran out like a gust of wind.

Things after that moment became dim in Xue Ye’s memory. He remembered that he came home and saw grandma's calm face —— like the day she sent him away to junior high school. Then his parents came back and held his grandmother's funeral. He could not remember anything. His ears were full of cries from himself and others. Until the day grandma was buried, he suddenly woke up again and cried at the top of his lungs.

And this was the second separation in his life.

After the funeral, his parents asked Xue Ye to go to the city with them, for the teaching quality was much better in big cities. Xue Ye shook his head. His voice was hoarse. Speaking became a little difficult for him. His parents came and talked to him many times. His father even got angry. But Xue Ye still objected to it. He said in a hoarse voice, " I need to be with grandma.”

His parents had no choice but to complete the entrance procedures for him. And they left again. On the day high school started, Xue Ye went to his grandma's tomb. And he burned his notice paper in front of the tomb. He promised his grandmother that he would study hard and be admitted to university.

High school time passed quickly, Xue Ye was tired every day, but he still went home every holiday to clean grandma’s tomb.

On the day of the college entrance examination, the parents who were supposed to be working showed up outside Xue Ye’s school with a baby in their arms. The parents came up with the baby and said to Xue Ye, " Have a look at your little brother! You were too busy with the college entrance examination so we didn't tell you about his birth. Your little brother is only six months old!”

Xue Ye felt perplexed. But he looked at the baby as his father spoke accordingly.

His father said a lot. He wanted Xue Ye to name his little brother. He said that Xue Ye’s mother was resigned now and dedicated to take care of his brother. He also said something interesting about the baby. His mother was to the side and playing with the baby. Xue Ye listened quietly.

When he was back to the small village, Xue Ye went to grandma's tomb again and sat for a long time in silence. In this summer evening, a light whisper was blown away by the wind.

One morning in July, Xue Ye came to his grandmother's tomb with his luggage. He said to his grandma that he was going to college, and he would come back to her on the holiday.

Just like he watched his parents leave when he was young, his grandmother also watched Xue Ye leave the small mountain village.（王艳玲）