SHORT STORY

 Her name is Yu Yuan. She was born November 20^th 1996 in She Cuan Province, Suang liu sub distric, Sang Xin Zhen Yun Ya Chun Er Cu city, RRC.  She lives with her father, Liang Chiang. Yu Yuan is a smart small white girl. Her teacher and friends likes her very much due to her achievement. She ever won an English speech contest that was held  in her city. Some presents and certificates from the contest have arranged orderly in the big round brown teakwood cupboard. Her father is proud of her. He has known her when she was kid. She has shown her ability to speak in front of the people. She wasn’t ashamed toward them. She becomes proudness for her dad. Liang Chiang memorized her alone in her bedroom. He tried to remind what happened few months ago.

      A  tall young man wore a long sleeves dress walked along the small path in his village. He looked so tired. It seemed that he had stepped  more than twenty kilometers. Stopped and sat in the big tree. He took out something in his backpack. A loaf of bread and a bottle of water accompanied him to lunch. After few minutes a rest, he continued his trip. He stopped in a small wooden home. It wasn’t big enough but It looked clean and tidy. He entered and sat on the simple sofa and slept.

      His name is Liang Chiang, 30 years old, no married and lived alone. He works in a snack company. He usually walks to his work but he never complains. He always receives what God has given to him. He enjoys his life cheerfully.

      It was a bright day. Liang Chiang will go to work. He prepared some food and beverage in his bag. He was ready to go. Locked and turned off the lamp in and outside his home. He walked hurriedly when his friend greeted him. “Morning, Liang!,” a tall young man said to him. “You look so hurry now, “ he added. “Yup, I am afraid to come late to my work. My manager will be angry to me, “Liang replied. “Ok, Be careful on the way. Without turning over his head, he continued his trip. After walking five minutes, he felt that he heard a strange voice. He was little bit fear about it but He stood up and took attention what it was. He listened seriously. He stepped slow but sure to that voice. He tried to look for it but he didn’t find it. Without taking care of it, he started walking when he saw something under the big tree. A small brown bamboo basket were there. He thought that the voice might come from it. Approached and saw what it was in it. He tried to open the thick blue wool blanket. He surprised when he knew that there was a cute baby in it. She looked thin, dirty and thirsty. Liang was silent for a while. He didn’t know what he will do. He thought that how cruel a mother that lied her baby here. If he let her there, she must die. If he brought her at home, the neighbor would mock him due to bringing a baby that didn’t know where she came from. Those sentences were stuck in his mind. It was impossible for taking her to his work. Eventually he decided to carry her home.

      He put the basket in her bed and took her out. He found a piece of paper under her body. It wrote “ November 20^th at 12 a.m. He believed that it was day and time when she was born. It seemed her parent noted it. That was a little baby that was found by Liang Chiang and he gave her name “Yu Yuan”.

      Day by day, month by month and year by year were passed. Liang Ciang took care her well. He considered her as his daughter even though he never married. He always took attention much. When He worked, he always brought her there. He never left her alone. He always asked her to everywhere. He didn’t care when the people around him talked bad about her. He felt that The God will give HIS hand to her.

     Yu Yuan grew to be a beautiful and smart girl. She looked cheerful everyday. She always greeted politely to everyone she met. She never missed her smile. Smiling was accompanying her day by day. Her neighbor started loving her much. She never complained though she hadn’t a mother. When she saw her friend having a mom, she just smiled and thanked to the God that she had a great father. She trusted that there was a happiness beside the sorrow. She was 10 years old at that time. She showed that she was a smart kid. Her teacher and friend liked her. She becomes an icon for her school because she always won some competitions that was held in her city. One of the proudness in her life is she ever won English Speech Contest among the elementary school in her city. Her father was rightfully proud to her.

      In the bright day, The birds were perching on the tree and sang a beautiful voice. The people had done their activities. Some of them were going to the rice field and the others went to the traditional market. Liang Chiang also did the same. Before going to work, he prepared some meals for his daughter’s breakfast. He took a lunch box and put some food and beverage. Open Yu Yuan’s bag and put it there. “Yu Yuan, where are you, sweetie?” , said Liang. “I am in the bathroom, Dad, “replied Yu Yuan. “Come on honey, don’t take a bath too long or you’ll be late to school, “Liang said. While her father were being his room, he was hearing Yu Yuan’s screaming. “Dad……Help me please. I am bleeding, “She yelled. Liang went hurriedly there. He shocked when he saw Yu Yuan kneeing down on the floor while holding her nose that was taking out much blood. He embraced her and said,” What is going on my honey?’. “Are you all right?’. “I’m scared, dad, “She cried. While whispering some words, he tried to make her calm. “take it easy, my sweetie. Be calm, please. Everything is going to be all right. You do not need to go to school. I’ll ask you to see a doctor. Without taking care of blood in his clothes, he brought her to the hospital nearby. Arriving there, the nurses gave some hands to her. There were a lot of blood out from her nose. The nurse couldn’t stop it. She took her to Emergency room when a doctor came and examined her. He gave an injection to prevent the blood out from her nose. A few minutes later, It worked. The blood stopped out from it. She looked quite and smiled. She turned over her head to see her father standing at the corner of the room. “Dad, I am OK. Don’t be worry to me, “She said for making him calmly. Then The nurses cleaned some blood on the floor and changed Yu Yuan’s dress. Liang Chiang came nearer and kiss her cheek. “You’ll be all right, my daughter. You can stay here for a while and I will see the doctor to ask about your condition, “ He whispered. Yu Yuan only nodded slowly.

      Liang went to the doctor’s room and asked about hers. He sat on the small black iron chair. It seemed that the doctor had waited him. “Doctor, what is up with her? Is she all right?” ,He asked him seriously. Took a deep breath and The doctor said, “You must be patient to face this. Your daughter got a serious disease. It is impossible for her to heal from her disease. “What!! Liang looked shocking to know his answer. “Sir, would you speak clearly? I don’t know what you are talking about, “Liang asked. Your daughter got a blood cancer. It is attacked her immune so she is easy to be weak and sometimes she will take out much blood from her nose. It is one of the danger disease in the world. She can only stay a life two year but if more than 2 years, It is a miracle. We don’t know our dead, It is  the God’s secret but It is a medical prediction, “The doctor added. Hearing the doctor’s explanation, He just kept silent and some tears were rolling down in his cheeks. He didn’t believe what he talked about hers. “Sir, how the way to make her pain light? Are there some medicines to keep her fresh and healthy?” ,Liang forced the doctor to look for the solution. “Yes, of course. I write the prescription and you may buy them in the drugstore. Don’t be late to give her those medicines unless It will be fatal to her, “The doctor said.

      Liang brought her home. On the way home, Yuan asked about her disease to him but her father didn’t give the answer. He didn’t want her thinking about it. He just smiled and stated that she will recover from it. Arriving at home, Liang asked her to take some rest in her bed while he went out to buy some medicines.

     Month has passed fast and Yuan still consumed her medicines. There were many kinds of her medicine but she must drink them. Her father had spent much money for them. The box of medicines was about eight hundred yens. They were for a month. The neighbors had known about hers but they didn’t want to tell her truly. They can just give them a favor in food and beverage not for the money. Liang thought that they had given much help for him. He thanked to the God that he had a nice and generous neighbors.

      One year passed and Yuan still drunk her medicines. She had known that her father spent a lot of money to buy them so that’s why she didn’t want to make him disappointed. She never forgot to drink them. One day, when Yuan went outside for playing with her friends, she got an information about her. She knew that she got a blood cancer and It can’t be healed. She will die after two years. She looked gloomy and came back home to see her father. She arrived at home when her father prepared some lunch. “My beloved father, I need to talk with you. Could you sit with me now?” , she asked. “What is going on, my sweetie?. Are you OK?” , said Liang. She added, “Dad, I know that you have taken care me till now. You have given much attention and you always love me. Thanks, dad for all. I can’t take it anymore, “She cried. I know if I don’t  stay longer in the world. I’ll die due to being a serious disease. I can’t stand to see you in suffered for getting some money to buy the medicines for me. You have spent a lot and now you may stop to do so. I don’t want to make you in trouble. Hearing those, Liang embraced her and said something to make her strong, “Listen to me, my daughter. I don’t care how much money I spend, I want you to be a healthy kid that can play with your friends, run and enjoy your life outside there. So rely on me that I will fight for you. Take it easy, I am crazy for you much. Die and live belong to our God. Just believe to HIM. HE will give you some helps. Don’t be worry.

      Two years had gone. It was a prediction time for Yuan. The doctor predicted that Yuan can’t stand more than two years but his prediction was wrong. Yuan is still alive.

One night, Yuan couldn’t sleep well, she felt that her body was weak and couldn’t wake up from her bed. She took a piece of paper and wrote something there.

She had written the letter when she got a fever, so weak, took a long deep and she was silent, no moving. Her dad didn’t know when she was dead. He knocked the door and tried to call her. He felt that no answer inside. He opened the door and he astonished to see her lying on the bed without any moving. Liang yelled and embraced her body.

      Someone called out Liang when he reminded about a sorrowful story of his daughter, Yuan three months ago. He stood up and went to the door and opened it. He was a close friend of him. He has come his home since his daughter was dead. He just wanted to make him forget the sad event that ever happened in his life.