Tuesday, January 08, 2008

A Little Girl's Call of Duty


Xiao Dongxiang (little winter aroma) teared when she talked about her mother.

Lei Dongxiang is a 12 years gril who lives in Group 4, Shidi Village, Daxi Town, Jiuyang County of Chongqing. Her Dad died when she was 5 years old, left her a mentally disordered mother and a retard big brother Lei Maolin. From then on, 5 years old Dong Xiang took the duty of taking care of her family.

Dongxiang remembers the morning when her mother was found dead outside two years ago. She died when fell to a dig. "I felt my brother and I were doomed. Although Mom never helped but cause trouble, but when she died, I found totally lost. When Dad died, I knew we still had Mom. When Mom became crazy, I knew the family would rely on me. However, when Mom died, I knew we couldn't live without Mom, but we have to."

"Now I realized, although Mom was crazy, she still loved my brother and me. Now that I couldn't do anything for Mom. Mom is no longer here. I have to take good care of my big brother so that my Mom is happy looking down from heaven."

Dongxiang's 18 years old brother is retard. Dongxiang had to keep an eye on him all the time so that he doesn't make trouble or hurt himself.

Every morning, Dongxiang will get up before the day break, make breakfast and make sure big brother eat his. Then Dongxiang will walk 1 hour to school. She is a 5 grader. Coming back from school, she will do homework and cook dinner for the family. She does not have lunch at school. On Weekends, she washes clothes. Her brother always has many clothes need to be washed, as he always makes them dirty.

Last year, the brother fell ill again. Dongxiang rush to help, but the brother slapped her and beat her, as he always did when ill. Later, the brother saw the marks on Dongxiang's arm and asked her what's it about. After learned what had happened, the brother said, 'I don't know what I did. Please don't get close to me if I fell ill in the future. I will get better in a while'. This is the first time her brother said something that's so intimate and touching. Dong Xiang had a good cry in his arms.

A few nice people had offered to adopt Dongxiang. Everything Dongxiang would ask, 'can my brother come with me?' When she learned it's not a possibility, she determined to live with and take care of her brother all by herself.

"I used to thought my crazy Mom was a burden. I knew I was wrong when Mom died. Now I no longer think my brother is a burden". Dongxiang sometimes discussed stuff with her brother. "Although he doesn't understand, but in the least I have someone to talk to".

Dong Xiang's hobby is drawing. She drew a lot of paintings of her Mom. She has little memory of her Dad. She said her Mom was the most beautiful Mom in the world.

source: small people who touched China

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