Five minutes before my meeting with the management of a Japanese company, I was sitting in front of my computer, staring at the screen and stressing out on the stocks that I liked but never seemed to work out.
My office phone rang. As soon as I picked it up, a loud child’s voice rushed to my ear: “Auntie, I got 91 on math, 94 on Chinese and 96 on English.”
It was my seven-year-old nephew in China who has just finished his 1st grade, who I could never get to the phone to even say hi to me. Whenever my mother asked him to the phone, he’d yell, I am tired, or my legs hurt, or just turn a deaf ear and focus on the TV.
It was such a pleasant surprise. I was so happy to hear from him. He pronounced his scores in Mandarin, not our local dialect, clearly very proudly but tried his best to contain himself and sound cool.
I couldn’t help but exclaim: “I am so proud of you, Tiantian! Is Mom happy?”
“So-so..” he said. I laughed secretly, he sounded like an adult.
“What should auntie give you as a prize?” I asked. I know he’s living in the shadow of his aunt who always scored 100 in every subject back in school and has to bear the comment from his illiterate grandmother who doesn’t really think he is that smart.
“Oh, just taking me to the Hainan Island should be enough…” He is not a greedy boy at all. For years he’s been drawing the palm trees and beaches of Haihan, a tropical island in the southeast of China. And for years I have been promising to take him there, but my American life has always kept me from fulfilling that promise.
“I want to take a boat.” He said. He’s never been to the beach, has never taken a boat. Something so common for an American is a luxury for a boy in the countryside in China.
“Ok, Auntie promises you that we’ll go to Hainan this October, and I’ll teach how to build a castle with sand!” I told him, very seriously and solemnly.
It’s just a simple call from my little nephew, but I am amazed how much it impacted me throughout the entire day. I walked more briskly and went to my meetings with a fine mood. Somehow I had more energy and more smiles on my face. Sometimes it’s that simple.
It’s nothing extraordinary at all, but I cannot help but sharing it with you. It just makes me really happy.
I’ve just finished your book early this morning. I like your story as well as your bravery to share the private life. Having to say, I chanced upon your book and picked it up with curiosity simply because of its name “A Tiger’s Heart” is related to this tiger year, and my yearly wish to be a tiger early in 2010 as a good start for my ambitious career. I have never finished such a book written in English until borrowing “A Tiger’s Heart” from the library. I believe your way of expression and the background of the stories are full of Chinese style which I am familiar with lead me to continue late at night. Thanks for sharing your stories and inspiring so many of us who are still fighting for a better and free life to live as well as finding the personal value.