An Adoption Story

Two days ago, an older woman and a little two-year-old girl arrived at the orphanage.  We were told they were going to be sleeping in our room for a couple of days.  I was confused at first, but like most times of confusion, I just went along with it.

The next day, I asked around, and discovered that this little girl was from another orphanage, but was born in Zhengzhou.  They came to apply for a passport, because she was going to be adopted by an American family in a month. 


Of course, I don't think the little girl understood any of this, or what exciting adventure was around the corner for her.  She just knew that she was in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people, but that her ayi (who she called mama) was with her, and that made it ok.  "Zamen bu pa," she would repeat whenever she was scared.  "We are not afraid."  


Before she goes to America, I wonder if her ayi will remind her of this mantra.  I wonder if the Ayi will need a mantra of her own.  "Zamen bu shangxin." "We are not sad."

I think being here has shown me that there's another side to the adoption story.  A couple adopts a child and they live happily ever after.  The End.  But there's also an ayi, or a teacher, or a director, or a volunteer, who is so happy that this child is getting this amazing opportunity for a new life, but is also extremely heartbroken that they will probably never see this child again.

Before they left to go back to their own orphanage, the ayi told the child to say, "qu meiguo yi hou, wo zhao ni."  "When I go to America, I will look for you."  

I doubt that will happen, but it's a nice thought.