Qiu Zhi's story II

Qiu Zhi (Shandong province, China) went back to China on 7th May 2012 with a heavy heart as he went home empty handed. His claim for compensation from the accident unresolved, debts unpaid. Just a day after Qiu Zhi left for home, a team of us from HealthServe also flew to China (Henan and Anhui provinces) to visit the brothers who have gone home and families of those who have not. Qiu Zhi decided to join us in Anhui as his way of extending hospitality and even invited us to his parents’ home there. I particularly looked forward to visiting Qiu Zhi’s family as he had by then, become a good friend.

After a 30-minute bumpy van ride from the city and a short stroll down a narrow dirt path, we arrived at four squat concrete huts with grass roofs sitting in a semicircle. Even as we’re walking towards the huts, a cheerful voice called out, “Ah! Qiu Zhi’s come back!” It was Qiu Zhi’s mom. She is a feisty old lady – though stooped over with a bent back, she hobbled around quickly with the aid of her walking stick, two dogs loyally following her everywhere she went.

His parents lived in the middle hut, his uncle’s on the left and the other two by some other relatives whose relations I failed to catch. The small hut was divided into two rooms, the kitchen/living/bed room and a store/dining room, it was very cluttered with things that have all passed their prime. It brought to mind what Qiu Zhi said when he told us his story – that he grew up in an impoverished little home. Even in such a setting the warmth and affection in the family is evident. “Qiu Zhi has grown taller!” mom interjects at one point as she beams with apparent pride to us.

When we asked about their lives and how they were coping, whether the house was too cold in winter. They assured us that they plant enough food to survive and the house, though it didn’t look like much, had good insulation. During summer it was cool and in winter it was warm enough. It seemed to me that though they had every reason to grumble, they were not inclined to and they portrayed a sense of contentment that is seldom heard of in ‘wealthy’ Singapore.

Once I asked Qiu Zhi what his plans were now that he’s back home (in the light of the situation he is in), he simply shrugged and said he had no idea. It worried me a little to hear it and wondered how he could be so calm, but after meeting his family and catching a glimpse of how he was brought up. I could perhaps begin to understand. It brought to mind a phrase I recently heard quoted in a movie, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”