continued from part 2




Our guide in Caleb's province shared with me that she was adopted herself when she was abandoned 21 years ago in the rural countryside of the Hubei Province. The woman who found her kept her for a few months but she became pregnant with her own biological child at the same time that the grandmother in the home became ill.

It was too much of a burden for their family, so they ended up giving her to a neighbor woman. This neighbor worked at a school in Wuhan with our guide's adoptive father. He was the head master at the school and had one biological son who was already grown. He was allowed to adopt his new daughter since adopting her was not breaking the one child policy.

He was already 56 years old at the time of the adoption and his wife was 46. From the time he was 30 until he was 50 he had been in prison due to the Cultural Revolution. When the Revolution started, he was an educator and also had previously tried to go to Taiwan because he wanted to emigrate to America. Those were both two huge strikes against him so he was put into prison for political reasons.

Our guide told us that her father is still very loyal to the Communist party even after having spent 20 years in prison. When I asked her what HER feelings were toward Chairman Mao, however, she said, "I feel he is only one step above Saddam Hussein. Many, many people died as a result of his actions."

To say I was shocked to hear such strong words out of a Chinese citizen's mouth would be an understatement. I don't doubt there are many who have such feelings, but was truly surprised that she would be brave enough to say them to me. It made me pause, but made me inwardly happy to know that there are people out there willing to be honest about what they feel in a country where individualism and forthrightness are not always valued.

She told me on the second day of meeting me, "You are a dragon lady." When she spoke these words I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or not, but she told me it was a compliment and that it meant that I was forthright and strong in my opinions. She smiled and said, "I am a dragon lady as well."

Because of people like her I have hope. Hope that through courage and faith the world can become a better place. Hope that someday the Raymonds of the world (I wrote about him here) will have a private time to grieve their losses rather than having to put on a fake smile and go to work the same day that their mother passed away. Hope that "dragon ladies" will continue to stand strong and voice their opinions about the injustices within their own countries, as well as other countries all around the world.