SIXTEEN- BJYX

7. Petals

I spotted a child sitting all alone, bent as if she were writing something.
I knelt down to reach to her level and asked her name gently.
"A-Chen." She said.
"Well, A-Chen...what are you drawing? " I asked her.

"I...am drawing a flower." She said as she continued to colour the petals with different colours.

"It's preety." I said as I placed my hands under my chin and watched her.

A beautiful scenery...an innocent child immersed in her world.
And suddenly remembering what was missing, I took out my Polaroid and snapped a picture.

'Take a picture, it lasts longer.' My mind repeated as I carefully placed the picture in my purse.

"A-Chen, are you going to give me this picture?" I asked her playfully.
She finally looked up at me, nodded, then turned to continue to colour attentively as she pursed her lips, afraid that the petals would go out of the line.

"Thank you. A-Chen is so smart. Who taught you to draw?" I asked her not actually expecting an answer.

"Uncle Zhan." She replied happily.

Uncle Zhan...couldn't be Him, right?
But...it could be him..and I smiled at the thought of how sweet He was.

The little girl then finally looked up and gave me the picture that she had been working on.

She motioned her hand calling mentor come closer, and as I did, she whispered, "Jiejie, Uncle Zhan told me to show him all that I drew next time he comes. But don't tell him that I gave you this one."
And she motioned her hand in a zipping style.

Children were so innocent. I smiled as I played with her pigtails.
"Jie won't tell Uncle Zhan that A-Chen gave me a flower. Now, for working hard, let me give you a prize." I said as I searched in my bag for a lollipop.

Her face brightened as she took the lollipop. She was at the most only 5.
The rest of the day went well, as I ran around with the kids.
Happiness.

When Aunty Biyu came out, she was horrified to see the children rolling on the grass, covered in dirt.

She lectured the kids for getting their clothes soiled.

Feeling a tug on my shirt, I looked down to see A-Chen.

Aunty Biyu softened as she saw her.
"She doesn't like to talk much. After her Mom passed a year ago, she was brought here. Poor thing." She sighed.

After learning that she didn't have a mom, just like me...My heart felt even softer for her.
No one would understand the pain of not having a Mother better than myself.

And at that moment, I was so grateful to Dad for never abandoning me because there wasn't Mom around.

4pm was high time for us to leave.
'How time flies when we are happy' I thought.

Somehow a thought that I'd be going home and be around Dad comforted me. These children on the other hand, had visitors to visit them, play with me, give them gifts...but at the end of the day, they were still parentless.

Xing-Ge watched me hesitantly move my eyes from the gate as those curious eyes once more peeked outside.
I had promised to come back, and I was going to do it soon.