Jasmine’s Blog – I was Left at the Orphanage
Date: 2014.10.31 | Category: Jasmine's Blog | Tags:
Jasmine writes her blog in Chinese and her friend translates it for her. The English version is below the Chinese. I have added a few memories of mine, from the day we met her, below the English translation. Jasmine wants to share her story in hopes that others will adopt older children and that people will better understand what it means to be labeled an orphan.
我被掉到福利院
我不是一出生就是孤儿的，小时候我是被爷爷奶奶带大的，并不是爸爸妈妈。在我跟爷爷奶奶生活的时候，爸爸妈妈会来看我一两次。奶奶对我很好。但爷爷特喜欢喝酒，然后他就打我。
但有一天我的人生改变了。
有一次当我读书的时候，可还没下课的时候，奶奶就过来接我了。那时候我觉得很奇怪。奶奶跟老师走到外面说了一些话，但我也不知道他们在说什么。
当我们走了的时候，我问奶奶我们为什么那么早就下课啦。她说我们要去哥哥的家，然后我就特高兴！我问奶奶＂真的吗？＂，她说真的。然后我就特高兴。
我和奶奶做的几个小时的车去贵阳，然后有一个人带我们去一个办公室。我不知道我们为什么去那个办公室。这一切还都是一个谜。
等他们说完了话，我就超兴奋，因为我们要去看哥哥了。但等我们到那儿的时候，我看见的并不是哥哥，而是很多孩子。然后奶奶就说回头过年的时候再接我，这时候我才反应出来原来这儿是福利院。
我哭着问奶奶不要抛弃我，但我一眼也不看我。为什么他要骗我我们去看哥哥？我真没想到他会骗我。那时候我才8岁。我不懂她为什么要抛弃我，当他抛弃我时，我问了他好几次，但它根本就没有理我，然后她就走了。
I was left at the orphanage
I wasn’t an orphan when I was born. My grandma and grandpa took care of me, not my mom dad. My parents visited me once or twice (at my grandparents). My grandma was very nice to me. However, my grandpa liked to drink, and then he would hit me.
However, one day my life changed.
One time when I was in school, my grandma came to get me before the class ended. I thought it was strange. She and the teacher talked a little bit, but I didn’t know what they were talking about.
When we left, I asked her why we left so early and she said we were going to see my brother. Then I was very happy! I ask her really and she said yes.
My grandma and me rode a couple of hours to Guiyang. Then there was a man who took us to the office. I didn’t know why they took us to the office. It was still a mystery to me.
When they finished talking, I was very happy because we were going to see my brother. However, when we got there, what I saw wasn’t my brother, it was a lot of kids. Then my grandma said she would pick me up at Chinese New Year. That’s when I realized that it was an orphanage.
I cried when I asked my grandma to not to leave me there, but she didn’t look at me at once. Why did she lie to me that we were going to see my brother? I can’t imagine that she lied to me. At that time I was eight years old and I was very scared.
I don’t understand why she abandoned me. I asked her many times when she left me, but she just left me and then she was gone.
———————–
Mom’s words
We had brought clothes to donate to the orphanage. We were just going to give them to the orphanage workers who brought her to meet us but Jasmine really wanted to go back to the orphanage and hand the clothes out herself. It was a five hour trip both ways to visit her orphanage. We tried to talk her out of it. The guide said some of the roads to the orphanage were barely passable and it was in the middle of no where. But she kept saying, “Please, may I hand out the clothes?” Dan and I didn’t have the heart to tell her no. Plus, we wanted to see where she had lived the last six years of her life.
When we got there we toured the building. I can not imagine walking in and leaving your child in one of these building. We saw the room she slept in. We saw the room where she spent most of her days. We saw the steps that they had to piggyback her up. We understood how hard it was for them to move her from floor to floor. Months later when she told us they dropped her on those stairs, we understood what that meant. In the end, although it was heartbreaking to see, I am glad we took the time to make the trip.
We pulled out the two big suitcases and the little children sat in front of her. Jasmine got to hand them outfits. She was so happy. We just stood back and watched her. I can’t even begin to describe what that moment was like and now looking back after all she has told me, I don’t know how she did it. I can guess part of the why she did it. She wanted to show them her family. She wanted them to know that we did, in fact, want her. She wanted to be kind to them even after all the things they had said and done to her. The more I learn about her, the more in awe I am of her.
我被掉到福利院我不是一出生就是孤儿的，小时候我是被爷爷奶奶带大的，
I was left at the orphanageI wasn’t an orphan when I was born. My grandma and grandpa took care of me, not my mom dad. My parents visited me once or twice (at my grandparents). My grandma was very nice to me. However, my grandpa liked to drink, and then he would hit me.However, one day my life changed.One time when I was in school, my grandma came to get me before the class ended. I thought it was strange. She and the teacher talked a little bit, but I didn’t know what they were talking about.When we left, I asked her why we left so early and she said we were going to see my brother. Then I was very happy! I ask her really and she said yes.My grandma and me rode a couple of hours to Guiyang. Then there was a man who took us to the office. I didn’t know why they took us to the office. It was still a mystery to me.When they finished talking, I was very happy because we were going to see my brother. However, when we got there, what I saw wasn’t my brother, it was a lot of kids. Then my grandma said she would pick me up at Chinese New Year. That’s when I realized that it was an orphanage.I cried when I asked my grandma to not to leave me there, but she didn’t look at me at once. Why did she lie to me that we were going to see my brother? I can’t imagine that she lied to me. At that time I was eight years old and I was very scared.I don’t understand why she abandoned me. I asked her many times when she left me, but she just left me and then she was gone.
