Laura is led by second paternal uncle up the stairs to her parents’ apartment. Her parents are teachers at the university, and the apartment housing is given by the university. Laura shyly looks down as the door is opened.
“Hey, you guys. Here is your daughter,” uncle says.
“Thank you,” Dad says.
“OK, I’ll go now,” uncle says. “Bye Laura.” Uncle leaves.
“Laura! Come in!” Mom says.
“Do you want to lie down with us?” Dad asks. Laura only looks down. Her parents take it as a “yes,” and they lie down on the bed, Dad on the left, Laura in the middle, and Mom on the right.
“Here, Laura, eat this cracker,” Mom says as she takes a cracker from the bedside table.
Laura starts moving the cracker towards her mouth. Half-way to her mouth, Dad examines her and says, “Laura, don’t eat the cracker in bed.” Laura is already moving the cracker to her mouth. The thing with three-year-olds is that they don’t know how to follow a “no” command. Even some adults can’t do it. They need a “yes” command, a suggestive one as to what they should and can do instead of what they shouldn’t do. Once in a while, you might meet a three-year-old that can follow a “no” command, but that would take much will and smarts. The three-year-old would have to be enlightened.
Laura opens her mouth, puts the cracker a third of the way in, and bites down. Mom looks at Laura and becomes displeased with Dad. “Divorce!” Mom announces.
Laura Liu is your average three-year-old simple girl, living at Ning Da University in Yin Chuan, China. Her parents are young, loving to Laura, and very well-educated. Dad always has his nose in a book. When Dad and Mom were in English class at Ning Da, Mom was second place, the first place only to be taken by Dad. Dad met mom when they were both tourists. Mom was really unhappy one day and swam to the middle of a lake, to be saved by Dad. This is like the saying, “The hero saves the beauty.”
Laura’s parents had her, and when Mom was in the hospital with her, she was still studying for the finals in her class. She had Laura, went straight to the final, and passed it with flying colors. Grandparents live really near the university, and aunts and uncles, except for little uncle, who is a sailor, all live in Yin Chuan. Laura has an unusual English name that everyone calls her by, even though children are usually named Chinese names in China. That’s because Mom loves the United States and hope to go there someday, and because Mom’s Canadian friend suggested Laura to her. Mom is really careful with Laura and takes care of her hair and teeth very delicately, feeding her special food for the teeth when she was a baby and shaving her head to make the hair grow faster.
Dad says Laura never cries as a baby and toddler, very obedient and tractable. The only time that Laura cried was when she was being weaned off of Mom’s milk. Mom offered a story that when she was two-years-old, they were in front of some treats at a stand. Laura wanted to buy the treats, but Mom says she’ll leave the bicycle they were on behind if she buys it. Laura cried and didn’t want to leave behind the bike, a very responsible girl, so they went without the treat. Laura can sometimes remember bits and pieces from when she was a baby, but that day when her mom said “Divorce!” will be imprinted in her mind forever. Sometimes it’s really funny, because the things a young child remembers, even her parents doesn’t remember anymore. And when Laura mentions to them years later, they will be really impressed.
In her memory, on that day after Mom suggested divorce, Laura’s parents left her all by herself in the apartment. Laura is left to draw. She dials paternal grandma’s number: 3087821. Laura was rebuked one day for hanging up on someone. The caller asked to speak to her grandma, Laura says OK, then not knowing that the caller was supposed to stay on the line, Laura puts the receiver back. Grandma rebuked Laura for doing that and taught her how to use a phone and made her memorize her phone number.
The phone rings. Grandma picks up on the third ring. “Wei! Who is this?” Grandma says in the most carefree, sing-song voice.
“Grandma, this is Laura.”
“Oh, Laura! You must be at your parents’ apartment! What are you and your parents doing?”
“I’m drawing. My parents are gone. Grandma, what does ‘divorce’ mean?”
“Did your parents say they’re going to divorce? Oh my poor, poor Laura! It means they’re going to separate!”
Laura suddenly stops eating any solid food after that. Her parents are going to divorce because she ate food, so Laura never wants to eat anything ever again. The only thing she takes, after her parents did trial and error, bringing her every kind of food there is, despite much wheedling and coaxing, is juice and pureed fruit shake.
“Look at what you’ve done, Janet! Laura is not eating anything because of us!” Dad exclaims to Mom.
“Laura, dear,” Mom says, holding up her chin in her hand, “Will you eat something if we promise to be together?”
“No eating for Laura! If I eat, Mom and Dad will separate!”
“Laura, have you ever heard of malnutrition?” Mom asks.
“What’s that?” Laura asks.
“Malnutrition is when you don’t have enough nutrients in your body and your brain and body stops functioning. You start losing concentration, your hair will fall out, and your teeth will rot. Do you want to have malnutrition?” Mom asks.
“And eventually, when you don’t eat for long enough, you will die. That would be suicide, where you kill yourself. And killing yourself is the greatest disrespect to your parents. Listen to us and take care of your precious life that we have bestowed upon you. Tell me you want to be filial pious,” Dad pleads.
“Yes, I want to be filial pious. I don’t want to die,” Laura relents. “But will you please stay together for me? I love you both very much and I want us to be together always, happy always!”
Mom and Dad look at each other. “OK,” Mom says, smiling at her.
“We’ll stay together for you, honey,” Dad says at the same time.
Laura, Mom, and Dad each learn a valuable lesson today. Laura learns to take no-commands seriously, to respect her life, and to avoid malnutrition, but most of all she learns that happy endings do exist. Dad learns the amazing love and will that a three-year-old can have. Mom learns not to easily say “divorce.” Mom and Dad make a pact to never ever mention the word “divorce” ever again.
