***** Vol.2 Chap.26 School days *****

Grandpa Chen turned to her and asked, “Well, how was your first day?”

“Oh, it was good. Guess what, the counselor put me in the seventh grade, so I am in the same grade as Haw-Ting.”

“That is great.”

“Did Haw-Ting wait for you after class?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to go with Haw-Ting in the morning?”

“Yes, he seems quite nice.”

“Yes, we know Haw-Ting’s parents. They are honest and hardworking people. We noticed that Haw-Ting is also a pleasant child, not like some of the other neighborhood kids. We saw him helping at his father’s restaurants every day. I feel safe that you two walked to school together.”

“Yes, Grandpapa. Come, let’s go in the house.”

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“Want some fresh cookies?”

“Sure.”

The next morning, Grandpa Chen took her as far as the restaurant. Haw-Ting was already waiting for them there. From that day on, Haw-Ting was always there every day waiting for her. So that was the daily routine. Grandpa Chen took her to the restaurant and Haw-Ting and her would walk to school together.

When she got to school, the entire world knew about her. Everybody’s eyes were on her. They were all whispering to one another, but no one came to talk to her. As she walked down the hallway, she faintly heard all kinds of comments about her.

“Look at her dress!”

“Look at her hair.”

“Look at the way she walks!”

“Look at the way she talks! I have never heard an accent like that in my whole life.”

“She is so backward.”

“She is so old-fashioned.”

“She will never fit in.”

“She is weird.”

“She is strange.”

“She looks like a farmer.”

“She doesn’t look like us.”

“She is so skinny.”

“How can she be in the seventh grade?”

“She is so different.”

“She …”

That was not a good reception. But she just shut them out and kept walking to her classroom. For most of the day, she kept to herself. She knew she had to prove herself, so she studied hard. In every test, she tried to get full marks. Not that she could make it every time, but she tried her best every time.

In the ensuing years, she had no time to socialize at all. She walked with Haw-Ting to school every morning. Then after school, she worked at the restaurant until eight at night, the time when the restaurant closed. Then she would go home and study till eleven at night before retiring. In the morning, she and Haw-Ting would walk to school every day. Then they would wait for one another after school to go to the restaurant where they both worked together day after day.