I Will Always Remember You - Hmong Sad Love Story

Chapter 2: A New Start

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. Whenever I cried, I always felt like someone was hugging me and watching me but I thought maybe I was just overthinking. When morning came, I can hear the chicken and rooster crowing. It was time to get up so I opened my eyes and saw that a lot of families were going to the farm. "I thought you already died but looks like you still know how to wake up huh." Shoua says while walking up to me with her kids behind her. "Mrs. Shoua, I'm very hungry, can I eat some food?" I asked. "An orphan like you knows how to get hungry too? Why don't you just go stay with pigs and eat with them too. You are an animal just like them so eating their kind of food won't kill you." Shoua said back. I tried to fight back my tears from dropping. After another day at the field, I did the best I can do to help but I felt very sick and ill. So I decided to rest at the farmhouse but one of the kids probably went to tell Shoua because after 12 minutes of resting, I saw Shoua and her kids coming up to me. "You lazy brat! Who told you you can come sleep here like that! I took you here so you can help us farm, not to come and sleep!" Says Shoua. "Mrs. Shoua, I feel very sick and light-headed, may I rest here for right now?" I said back. "Absolutely not! Since you really want to rest here, then you can sleep here tonight. Me and my kids are going home." Shoua says. I tried to move but I was too ill to move. I couldn't get up no matter how much I tried. "Hey mom, let's go home and leave Orphan here since he wants to sleep here." One of her daughters' said. Shoua then took her kids and left me lying there all alone. I couldn't do anything. I felt tears coming out my eyes as I just lay down there and cried. Night came and I felt very scared. The farmhouse was not like any other farmhouse you see. They had a bed to sleep/sit on during the day and only covered the top so it won't be hot during the day after farming. Enough space for everyone to rest and eat after a while of farming. The farmhouse wasn't covered on all four sides so anyone that walks by will see that it's a good place to stop by and rest but not a good place to sleep. It was dark and I was so scared. I thought to myself what if a tiger comes and eats me or a rotten ghost comes and haunts me. I was so scared I called out to my mom and dad but they weren't there. Nobody was in sight to help me. Owls hooting and winds blowing made me even more scared. I grabbed a couple of chopped woods and put them in the fire so the fire won't die. Even when I didn't know my ancestors, I prayed to them and god that they would watch over an orphan like me and fell asleep. Morning came and I felt like my sickness was going away, so I thought to myself that even if I stay they won't love me so what is the point of staying. I then gathered as much strength as I could and walked out of the farmhouse. I walk away from the farm not caring about what will happen to me or how I will die. I didn't care anymore, I had enough of this. I don't even know where I will run or even go to anymore. All I know is, I am going to die even if I decide to stay or not. As I walked further away, my vision was getting more and more blurry. I forgot when I even fainted but when I woke up, I was at someone's house. I opened my eyes feeling very light-headed as I looked around the room to see an old man walking over to me."You're awake now?" He says to me. "Y-yeah, where am I and who are you?" I say. "I found you passed out in the field out there so I took you here to rest." He says. I scanned around the place and slowly got up as I walked around looking everywhere. "Are you the orphan kid that everyone hates?" He asked. "Yes, that's me, how did you know?" I say looking at him. "Who would let any of their young boys go out and faint in the middle of the field in the early morning like that?" He says. "I got nowhere to go. The people that took me in, abused me every day and night and made me sleep out in the cold like this when I was about to die." I say looking down. "Poor you, orphan kid, what's your name?" He asked. "My name is Cheenou," I say. "My name is Va, but the youngins like you can call me Grandpa Va." He says. "Thanks Grandpa Va, for saving my life out there and taking an orphan kid like me in." I say. "No problem Cheenou, feel free to stay at this house for as much as you need." He says. "N-no Grandpa Va, I'm just an orphan kid that has nowhere to go and if you keep me with you, others will look down on you and disrespect you." I say. "Don't worry Cheenou, I will keep you safe and treat you better than your previous family but only if you have a deal with me." He says. "What deal? If it's something an orphan kid like me can do then I will do anything I can, as long as I got a place to stay and eat." I say. "That's perfect, the only thing I want you to do is to take care of my cows and help me hunt animals, then I will take care of you." He says. "But I don't know how to hunt or anything. I'm just a stupid kid with no knowledge." I frown. "And that's why I will teach you how to do everything one by one, son." He says. "Thank you so much Grandpa Va! I promise that I won't fail you!" I say.