Chapter 32
An Unforgettable Children’s Day
While the fifth child, Guang-yi, was in primary school, his father and mother were doing everything they could to earn money so the older brothers and sisters could study in Taipei. Though young, he was very sensible; he discussed things with his brother two and a half years older and rarely bothered his mother.
I worked by day and altered clothes at night, often not resting until eleven or twelve. The children saw that and seldom troubled me. I knew I was not doing my duty as a mother and felt ashamed. For the five children’s futures I had to short-change the younger ones; the little brother did not grow up cupped in the palm like other families’ youngest.
Before the last Children’s Day of the fourth child Guang-de’s Year Six in primary, I had a sudden idea—to give the fourth and fifth a Children’s Day unlike any before. The eldest, Guang-hua, was already in his first year at university. When he came home on leave I discussed it with him: “Next time, could you set a day to take the two younger brothers to the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park and the zoo? This year is your second brother’s last Children’s Day—next year he goes to junior high. Do you think Mum’s plan is all right? Do you have time?”
The eldest strongly agreed, but neither younger brother had travelled far before. We fixed the next Sunday. The eldest would leave from Chengchi University, ride more than two hours on the Zhinan Route 2 coach to Tamsui railway station, and wait for his brothers. I sent the fourth and fifth to Laomei bus stop on the Highway Bureau Tamsui–Jinshan line, with one hundred dollars I had scraped together with difficulty in my pocket. I told them: “When you see your big brother, give him the hundred dollars so he can take you out.” As they boarded they said, “Mum, see you tonight.” The fourth added, “Mum, don’t worry—we will be careful and come back safely.” So the Year Six brother set off with his Year Three brother.
Watching the brothers leave so happily, this mother’s heart went with them. All day I was somewhat distracted until the sky darkened in the afternoon and the two children returned safely.
“Brother took us to the zoo all day, and at the Children’s Amusement Park he played every ride with us.”
The fourth was delighted. He also told me: “Brother borrowed a camera from a classmate and took lots of photos of me and my brother. When he comes home next time he will bring the pictures.
And Mum—I’ll tell you: when Brother put us on the bus he told me to remember to get off at Laomei stop and not ride past it. My brother and I were so tired; once the bus moved it rocked us and we wanted to sleep. We agreed to take turns sleeping so one of us could watch the stop signs outside. My brother slept first; I counted how many bridges from Tamsui, because the piers are numbered. In the morning I had noted that before Mingde Village was Bridge No. 22, so on the way back we only had to recognise the numbers to know we were nearly home. Sometimes I dozed off and jerked awake, afraid we had missed our stop. Sleeping and waking like that, we finally got home.”
When he finished, he and his brother talked happily about how their brother had played with them. Hearing them so glad, I was comforted.
The eldest had fulfilled a wish for his mother and made up for the regret that she could not look after the little brothers properly in ordinary days. It was the brothers’ first trip far from home alone, and they came back safe and smooth—I give sincere thanks to God for keeping them safe.