Le Na
in
- The Chinese New Year
in
Lunar
P.Krishnamoorthy
Hong Kong, the pearl in the Orient, was bustling with various events to welcome the LUNAR – The Chinese New Year. Lunar - the year of Goat, was believed to bring peace and prosperity to mankind. The multi-color festooned decorations mainly with red as the main symbol of the festivity, were displayed in all the buildings of Hong Kong. The events programmed for the occasion include the dazzling dragon and lion dances combined with shows of martial arts and games. In short, New Year beginning was well celebrated, as the community was looking forward for this occasion.While the city of Hong Kong was rejoicing the occasion with all joy and splendor, the rural side of islands were similarly believed in the Lunar sentiments with all sincerity for a better tomorrow. Among the many island settlements around Hong Kong, the island of Cheung Chau, where waterfront a bustling area, streets and alleyways those make up the village, was filled with old Chinese-style houses. The main occupation of the people was fishing and the streets close to the waterfront smelled with dried fish. The 90-year old Fang was living alone in one of the old houses. Her thin wrinkled brown skin concealed the color of the protruded bones. The close wrinkles on the cheeks and the deep furrows on her brows with sunken eyes reflected the extensive sufferings she had gone through for her survival. They were the unwritten lessons for others to learn about life.
Li Na was the only daughter for Fang; two decades before, at the age of ten, she left her mother and disappeared on a similar Lunar’s Day. She went for a swim in the waterfront but never returned home. In spite of all attempts, she was never found either alive or dead. Though a period of two decades had elapsed, Fang strongly believed she would return on some Lunar’s day. In spite of age-related ailments, Fang was able to survive all these years, only with the conviction and strong will that Li Na would return to her. Since then, any Lunar’s Day was a painful day for her, for she would hope Li Na would come back on that day. When that was not happened, she suffered a temporary mental melancholy and later recovered to her earlier conviction. When the whole community was rejoicing the day, she was emotionally sad. As every year, Fang was preparing herself with that hope on that Lunar’s day also. She came out of the house and looked in all directions to see whether there was any sign of her coming. At last, there appeared a silver lining in her hope. At a distance one country boat was sighted with two people on board, sailing towards her home. She was in all smiles, for she hoped Li Na was in the boat. Her hope and faith finally had the reality. As it was coming near her house, she saw a lady in the boat. Yes! After many years Fang was able to see Li Na in flesh and blood. A glimmer of light radiated from her eyes, that were followed with tears of joy since their separation. The tears that welled up, vibrated in her throat and finally burst into uncontrolled emotions.. Li Na alighted from the boat with lots of tears and cried “Mom ! I am able to see you at last”. She held her hands firmly and quivered warmly. Fang was totally perplexed at her physical transformation that years brought in her. She was a blooming beautiful lady and no more her teen’s features in her.
Fang’s eyes were filled with tears of joy when Li Na hugged and kissed her Her joy knew no bounds on seeing her. It was worth a wait all these years. A new spirit emerged in her and energized her healthy, and all her ailments that bothered her, had vanished at that time. Once the mind was clear with happiness, the body responded with the same spirit. Fang was listening to Li Na’s past years’ experiences and struggle since she left Fang at ten. She was in tears when Li Na narrated how she was swept away by the water current, then rescued in coma stage and then taken to Canada by a Canadian couple. She was hospitalized until she regained her conscience with total memory loss. She was fortunate to get back her past memory in a road accident after many years. Fang was extremely happy when she knew that Li Na was doing the noble nursing profession.
With the network of her foster parents Li Na tried her level best to trace and contact her mother in Cheung Chau village. But to no avail as no definite information was available. She was still optimistic of seeing her in the village. With this hope she even brought her visa papers and ticket to take her to Canada. She visited the village on a Lunar day when local people converge for celebrations and rituals, in the hope she could get some information from them on her mother’s whereabouts. Providentially she saw her even before the boat reached the shores.
All through the night, the mother and daughter were conversing on their interesting and stressful past life. Since Fang experienced only solitude and seclusion all these years, Li Na’s return made a great impact on her. After their discussion on their past personal problems, Li Na was inquisitive to know more about Lunar, as she was witnessing the gala festive mood of the people during her travel. Fang was also in the mood to outline the salient features of the Lunar event.
All through the night, the mother and daughter were conversing on their interesting and stressful past life. Since Fang experienced only solitude and seclusion all these years, Li Na’s return made a great impact on her. After their discussion on their past personal problems, Li Na was inquisitive to know more about Lunar, as she was witnessing the gala festive mood of the people during her travel. Fang was also in the mood to outline the salient features of the Lunar event.
She detailed the Lunar celebration extended to traditional fortnight from February 19th. From the first day till the end, the celebration included traditional rituals, festive attire, strict observance of diet restrictions, fireworks, prayers to the deities of Heaven and earth, visit to Che Kung temple, offerings to God of wealth. On the concluding day the Lantern Festival would be celebrated and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns. During Fang’s narration , Li Na showed intense interest over the sanctity of the rituals. According to her, none of these was adopted and followed in western world, as they believed in practical and materialistic living. Their deliberations were then diverted to their future plans. Li Na insisted that her mother to go with her to Canada and she brought all the papers for her immigration. But Fang resisted and expressed her willingness to stay in Cheung Chau for her lifetime. On both sides there were extensive arguments for and against it. Li Na was upset with her mother’s conviction to stay in Cheung Chau alone as she felt her mother was bearing the cross all these years. She allured her with the offer of free best medical help and better living conditions in Canada. To avoid confrontation and end their lengthy arguments and to satisfy Li Na, Fang had open-ended the conversation. They had burnt the midnight oil by the time they retired to sleep.
Li Na got up the next morning and saw her mother still sleeping. She sat outside to plan the winding up operations in Cheung Chau. Since the last night discussions, in particular to mother’s stay, was open-ended, she was more hopeful on her mother’s final decision to travel with her to Canada. As the last straw, the incentive of free medical facility and to be with her, she was confident that her mother would accept her offer. In another couple of days, she had planned to leave Cheung Chau with her mother. She had already bought necessary tickets, clothing and other requirements for her mother’s travel. She was even surprised when her mother accepted them willingly with delight. Fang even enquired about the flight and travel details. Li Na felt happy and completely convinced that her mother would go with her to Canada. After their dinner, they went to sleep.
But Fang was not able to sleep. The decision to go with Li Na was pondering in her mind. Though Li Na was happy to take her, Fang’s nostalgic memories tormented her. She cannot forget the difficult days when she and her husband had to live hand-to-mouth in the village.. After the birth of Li Na, they were able to see some extra money coming in through a different employer. Alas, their happiness was short lived, as her husband one day met his end in a typhoon on his way home. Following this tragedy, Li Na’s sudden disappearance on a New Year’s day was a real blow to Fang. Her all efforts to trace her proved futile.
She sensed Li Na’s optimism to take her to Canada. But she was apprehensive of this proposal. According to her, in the spectrum of human feelings, optimism had different dimensions. While it was positive in most of the instances, at times it concealed or camouflaged the future reality. There were many questions brooding in her mind. Just for staying with Li Na, was she justified to leave her present home that made her survive so long even in times of acute adversity? Would Li Na’s foster parents in Canada accept Fang’s presence along with them? After Li Na’s marriage in future, would the wedded couple relish her presence with them? If these were not happening, in case of necessity for her sustained survival, whether she would be able to work there at her old age? Though these appear hypothetical, they remained unanswered to her. She was not interested in a life to be decided on merely optimism. Her resolve became stronger to stay in her present home. Her long cherished sentiment to live and die in the same abode in her last days, finally tipped the scale and with that decision, Fang went to sleep.
The next morning Li Na prepared the first green tea and wanted to give it to her mother. She came to her bedside and found her sleeping, She was not inclined to disturb her and decided to serve the tea later. She came out and watched the rising sun and the eastern crimson horizon that was really a celestial splendor. Li Na sat on the wooden bench and started thinking about her mother’s comfort in the long flight, and her adaptability to the severe winter on arrival there. Presuming that her mother might have woken up, Li Na came again to her bedside but found her still sleeping. She tried to wake her up by calling her few times. As she was unresponsive, Li Na was restless. She repeated her attempts to wake her up but to avail. As there was a sign of stillness in her, . Li Na was shocked to find her dear mother in a permanent sleep - Fang breathed her last in sleep.. Li Na was blank for a while and could not control her emotions. She cried aloud in a hysterical way. It took some time for Li Na to get over from the impact of the shock, as the turn of events was so sudden and least anticipated.
She then consoled herself and realized that her mother achieved what she wished as her swan song to have her end in that abode. Mutually they accomplished their getting together after a long separation. . The mother’s conviction of her daughter returning to her, even after so many years, that too on a ‘Lunar’s’ day, did come true. But Li Na’s wish to take her mother to Canada remained only a mirage to her. In the end, Lunar – the year of Goat - got Li Na only her mother’s end; but she comforted herself as she was with her at least in her last days. She remembered her childhood days when her mother stressed the importance of discipline, working hard and giving the best. She recalled her mother’s quote of the Chinese philosopher, Confucius
“WHERESOEVER YOU GO, GO WITH ALL YOUR HEART”
