"How could you forget?" My mother screamed at my father.
"I don't know it must have slipped my mind." my father
replied . "How
are we supposed to support this family?"
" We could sell the beautiful silk quilts you and Chen make.
You know how
much silk sells for here in China." My mother and father
are in a huge fight
because my father forgot to plant the rice in time for crop season.
"Chow come here." My father yelled to me.
"Yes father?" I said when I got into the kitchen.
"Chow, you are my only son. I need you to find work to help
support the
family. Your mother and sister can't work because of their bound
feet, and I
didn't plant the rice in time for crop season. So tomorrow you
and I are
going to go into town to find work, ok?" my father said thoughtfully.
"Ok." I answered.
Papa
and I got up early today to go to town to find work. After
hours of going into shops and walking the dangerous streets of
Burma, Papa
came out of a shop and told me that he had found a great job for
both of us.
and the guy who gave us the job, Chang Tao, told us that we
could also sell the quilts that my sister, Chen, and my mother
made for a lot
of money. My father and I were so pleased with our success that
we sang the
whole way home.
One
day when Papa and I were on our way to work we saw a group of
coolies who had refused to work and, who were yelling dirty things
at
everyone who passed them. As we passed them they started yelling
dirty things
at us, and criticizing us and everyone else who passed them who
looked
wealthy enough to own coolies. My father was just standing there
absorbing
the abuse, but I couldn't take it any longer.
"At least we are free and have houses that we can call our
own." I
yelled. At that instant a coolie turned around and punched me
right in the
nose. Then all the coolies started to turn on me and they all
stared hitting
me, and screaming at me. I must have fallen unconscious, because
the next
thing I knew I was in my bed with my Chen, and my mother dabbing
my wounds
with wet towels, and saying healing prayers. My mother had put
my golden
Buddha next to my bed.
"Buddha will protect you from infection, and help you heal."
Chen told
me. Then my father came into my room and took my hand.
"Let me tell you something my father told me when I was a
little boy."he
said calmly.
"If you are patient in a moment of anger, you will escape
100 days of
sorrow. Those wise words have kept me out of trouble. I hope that
they will
keep you out of trouble too." he said with a stern look on
his face.
"They will." I said. And they have. I haven't gotten
in trouble since.
Now I am back up on my feet again and our job is working out great!
Next
year my father will plant the crops in time and I will keep selling
porcelain, and silk and we will have more money than we ever did.
Life is
great, and I have my dad to thank for that.