Humbling
I usually avoid functions that i have no relation to - and here i include weddings of children of my parent's friends. But on Saturday i had nothing planned, i have a lot of outfits hanging in my wardrobe sorely neglected and i haven't attended a church wedding in awhile , so i decided to tag along with my parents.
I'm glad i did. At the wedding, my mom told me the story of the three boys and Aachi.
The eldest of the three boys was the one tying the knot that morning. Aachi, was the old Indian lady in the all Chinese family. Twenty years ago when the youngest of the three boys was born, the parents, who were flourishing in their careers where juggling taking care of the homefront, watching after three boys and bringing in the paycheque. Aachi, who's primary role was to clean and cook, took over the role of care giver for the sons. Usually, in all the other stories i've heard, the children grow up and the paid help remain that, paid help. But this family was completely different.
Aachi went through a troubled life. There's no mention of her husband at all. Her own children will make great studies in welfare cases - drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, erm..sexual identity confusion and the list goes on. But she found solace in this family and she brought the boys up as her own. Every night, when the day's chores were done and the family retired she would go home to her little hut in the squatter area near by. Sometime back, the goverment cleared the area to make way for development and Aachi was left with the threat of not having a roof over her head. Here's the part that completely threw me over.
Technically, they wouldnt have to care. They don't hold any responsibility towards her. They paid her for the work she did and now that the boys are big, they dont really need a care giver anymore right? Wrong. Knowing that she most probably wouldnt want to move in with them for fear of imposing, the three boys - now grown up and each chasing careers of their own, pooled together their resources and bought Aachi a flat.
They dont need someone to baby sit them anymore, but they still remember everything she did taking care of them. And now are taking care of her in return.
She stood with the family through out the wedding, shared laughter and shed tears - just like she was family.
As cliche as it sounds, my faith that there are good people on the earth was renewed.
I'm glad i did. At the wedding, my mom told me the story of the three boys and Aachi.
The eldest of the three boys was the one tying the knot that morning. Aachi, was the old Indian lady in the all Chinese family. Twenty years ago when the youngest of the three boys was born, the parents, who were flourishing in their careers where juggling taking care of the homefront, watching after three boys and bringing in the paycheque. Aachi, who's primary role was to clean and cook, took over the role of care giver for the sons. Usually, in all the other stories i've heard, the children grow up and the paid help remain that, paid help. But this family was completely different.
Aachi went through a troubled life. There's no mention of her husband at all. Her own children will make great studies in welfare cases - drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, erm..sexual identity confusion and the list goes on. But she found solace in this family and she brought the boys up as her own. Every night, when the day's chores were done and the family retired she would go home to her little hut in the squatter area near by. Sometime back, the goverment cleared the area to make way for development and Aachi was left with the threat of not having a roof over her head. Here's the part that completely threw me over.
Technically, they wouldnt have to care. They don't hold any responsibility towards her. They paid her for the work she did and now that the boys are big, they dont really need a care giver anymore right? Wrong. Knowing that she most probably wouldnt want to move in with them for fear of imposing, the three boys - now grown up and each chasing careers of their own, pooled together their resources and bought Aachi a flat.
They dont need someone to baby sit them anymore, but they still remember everything she did taking care of them. And now are taking care of her in return.
She stood with the family through out the wedding, shared laughter and shed tears - just like she was family.
As cliche as it sounds, my faith that there are good people on the earth was renewed.
posted by Annushia at 1:30 AM
1 Comments:
guess it is the exact example of reaping what you sow, getting what you deserve when you love a child as if he is your own.
-cannabis
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