I Will Always Remember You - Hmong Sad Love Story

Chapter 1: Orphan Kid

When I was just a baby, my parents always fought and argued every day whenever they talked. So one day my mom was so fed up, she took me away from my dad and I grew up not knowing anything. I didn't even know who my dad was. I was always everyone's slave and was hated by many because I was half an orphan. My mom never took care of me, she would always leave me with some random elders and tell them to care for me until I grow up to be 18 so I can go anywhere I want to go. Whenever I get hungry, I always have to take what's left at the table whenever everyone is done eating. As the years went by and I was already 10 years old, the lady that took care of me would force me to go farm at the field with her. Let's call that lady "Shoua." As abusive as Shoua was to me, she was the only lady that was willing to take care of me and let me stay at her place with all her kids and husband. I had to obey everything she told me to do or else she would spank me and threatened to throw me away. She would force me to eat mostly corn and old fruits. One day, she told me to go get water from the river for them but the bamboo was too heavy by the time I put water inside it and there were too many rocks in the way so I slipped and fell down halfway to the house. Shoua saw me fall, so she walked up to me with a very angry look on her face. "You fucking brat, why did you pretend to fall and drop all of the water that we needed!? Do you want to get hit?!" She says yelling at me. "I'm so sorry Mrs. Shoua, there were too many rocks in the way so I tripped and fell." I couldn't even finish my last sentence before she started hitting me and yelling at me again. Her kids were there watching, they never cared to even help. She wouldn't even call me by my regular name, instead, she calls me "Brat" or "Maggot." There would be times where I get very sick but no matter how sick I was, Shoua still continues to order me around and even hit me if I ever tried to disobey her. I was basically nothing but a dog to her. "Hey childrens, don't play with that orphan kid over there." She said to her childrens. One time I got very hungry so I asked her for food but she just threw down a finished corn and some bones at me making me eat it. The only thing I can do is beg for food around the neighborhood. Shoua is already over 30 years old and her kids are around my age. I felt like each day that went by was going to be my last but of course, I won't die knowing that this was only the beginning of my long and torturing life. Even dying was better at this point. Shoua would usually say things to me like "No wonder your mom left you, you're just nothing but a no life human that can't do anything to help anyone." But the stuff she says is mostly true so I can't get mad at her either. One day, Shoua took me and her kids to the farm. One of her sons sneakily came up to me and said, "Hey Cheenou, let's go to the river and catch some fish." I look back at him with a confused look not sure what to say back. "But we're going to get in trouble by your mom and we can't goof off. " I said. "Don't worry, we'll take responsibility for it." He said back. I thought again and agreed with him. We all went into the woods and found a little creek that possibly has some fish in it, we played and swam in it for what felt like an hour before hearing Shoua yelling from behind us. When she got to where we were, none of the kids was talking or moving. She yelled at me asking if I was the one who took them here but I said. "It wasn't me who took them here, it was your son's idea and he even told me he will take responsibility for it." Shoua then went to face her son and kindly ask "Tong, is what Cheenou is saying true?" Tong then looked around before looking at me and finally replied "Nope mom! It was Cheenou's idea. He was the one to take us here and told us he will take responsibility for it." All the kids turned against me and pointed at me. I couldn't do anything but just felt so betrayed that I couldn't talk back or do anything. "Well Cheenou, first you lied to me and now you accused my son, I will hit you hard and you won't be able to sleep in our house tonight, take your stuff and go sleep with the pigs outside." I didn't think she meant it but when that night came she really made me sleep outside. That night felt like an eternity, it was so cold outside, and hearing all the dogs barking made me feel even worse because I was so scared. I cried and cried but no one heard, there was nothing I could do other than crying to myself and asking myself why am I living in such a horrible life.