Fiction In A Flash Challenge Prompt Week #13 – The Key to Unlock the Mystery
This is Fiction in a Flash Challenge Week #13. Each week Suzanne Burke will be featuring an image and inviting you to write a Flash Fiction or Non-Fiction piece inspired by that image in any format and genre of your choosing. Maximum word count: 750 words.
Here is the week #13 Image Prompt.
Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash
The Key to Unlock the Mystery
“Mom, thank you for telling me about the adoption. I appreciate you and Dad. I still have this strange feeling of belonging to someone else.” Clara frown.
“I understand, Clara. Your dad and I wanted to have a family, but I couldn’t conceive, so we adopted.”
“How did you decide where to adopt?”
“Most of the countries listed the criteria of children being adopted. Many orphans had major physical or mental handicaps. We were not equipped to handle those problems. The orphans in China were either abandoned or given up for adoption because of the one-child policy. We hoped to adopt a healthy child.”
“Your document helped me to locate my birth parents. I want to meet them. This seems to be a good time for me.”
“What do you want to do when you find them?”
“I don’t know. I was always curious about living with them.”
“We support you whatever you do.”
“My flight is tomorrow night and arrives on the third day. China is fifteen hours ahead.”
“Message us and send us many pictures.”
“I will, Mom. I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life.”
~ ~ ~
Clara met her driver and translator at the airport. The city welcomed her with heavy smog covering the mountains in a distance. The sky had no trace of blue. She could gaze into the sun with a patch of light and fuzzy layers of haze.
The concrete buildings with hanging signs stretching out into the streets slowly disappeared. The sight on both sides of the car turned into scattered cottages and fields. The car bounced on an unpaved narrow road.
A small village with about fifty two-story narrow houses came into sight. The red bricks crumbled from the roofs and the fences between the houses.
“We arrived, Miss.” The driver announced.
“Xiè xiè!”1 Clara surveyed the surrounding.
The driver led her to a doorway where a weathered face woman dressed in grey top and black pants waiting.
“Nǐ hǎo?”2 The woman dropped her clasped hands and nodded at Clara.
“Nǐ hǎo? Hěn gāo xìng jiàn dào nǐ.”3 Clara reached and held her arms.
“Huān yíng. Qǐng zuò.”4 The woman extended her hand toward a chair.
“Xiè xiè.”5 Clara nodded and approached the chair.
After greeting the woman, Clara had the conversation with her through the translator.
“I’m here to learn about why you gave me up for adoption.”
“I had no choice. The government only let each family to have one child. We wanted to have a son because the son carries the family name and passes down the generations. Many women had abortions when they found out they had girls. Some of them were into seventh months of pregnancy. I didn’t know you were a girl until you were born. The only way we could have a second chance to have a son was to send you to an orphanage.”
“Did you have a son?”
“I did. My mother watched him for twelve years. My husband and I went to the big city to work in a garment factory and sent money home to my mother. We came home every three months to see our son.”
“It must be difficult not to see your son.”
“There was no work in the village. The factories are in the big cites. When our son was twelve, he got in trouble with other boys and didn’t want to go to school. I took the last train ride to come home to take care of him. I didn’t go back to the big city.”
“I’m glad I came to see you. Here is some money gift. I’ll write letters to you when I go back to the America.”
“Thank you for coming to see me. I’m happy for your bright future.”
“Xiè xiè, Ma. Zài jiàn.”6 Clara hugged the stiff woman.
“Zài jiàn.”7 She grinned and nodded.
~ ~ ~
“Clara, welcome home. Tell me about your trip.”
“It was an eye-opening journey, Mom. I had the mystery locked up for so long. Understanding was the key to set it free. I now have the balanced perspective of my past and present, and the appreciation of you and Dad for giving me a better life.”
~ ~ ~
Footnotes
1 Thank you?
2 How are you?
3 How are you? Very glad to see you.
4 Welcome. Please sit.
5 Thank you.
6 Thank you, mother. Goodbye.
7 Goodbye.
The Showers of Blessings 
Such a bittersweet story – like finding out you were wanted AND not wanted all at the same time. It would be hard to think about, if I were in that situation.
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I find that adoption is very personal. Some kids may never want to find out about the birthparents.
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A poignant and powerful story, Miriam. I wonder about these reunions. I imagine some are heartwarming and others without any emotional connection, and everything in between. Great take on the prompt.
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Sure makes me appreciate the benefits we have. It must be an incredibly difficult decision to make.
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This is a lovely story, Miriam. I am sure this is how it would be for most people. I have an adoptive father but have never wanted to see out my real father’s family. I think it would hurt my dad and I don’t see the point.
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I understand. My relative’s adopted daughter was happy and never wanted to learn about her birth parents. It’s a personal quest. We do what’s best for us. As many adopted children say to their adopted parents, “You’re the only parents to me.”
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That was a very sad story. How can the world be so terrifying and damaging and at the same time give us Bach and Picasso and the millions of people who are kind and loving?
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I know, it’s hard to live in a communist country. People don’t have human rights and individual freedom. It was sad and it is sad.
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A very touching story, Miriam. I feel bad for those parents in China, and the girls who are given up for adoption, but I am so glad that Clara found a home with her adoptive parents.
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It was a sad time in history, Mae. I knew it was heading disaster when it was announced. The abortion hit me later, but at the time of announcement, I thought, what would happen 25 years from now with all the boys?
Thank you for reading. I’ll read your SE post later today. I’m packing for my trip to see my granddaughters, my daughter too, of course. Leaving on Friday. ❤
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Have a wonderful trip, Miriam and enjoy your time with family 🙂
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Thank you, Mae! I’m counting the hours for departure! 🙂
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A friend recently found her birth family. This story certainly resonates.
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Thank you, Staci. One of my sisters adopted a girl who is almost 30 now. She is happy and I haven’t heard she has any desire to locate her birth parents.
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So much truth in this Miriam. The policy of one child was harsh and had so many side effects. Nice she was so wanted in a loving family.
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Thank you for reading, Denise. I guess China eventually, 40 years later, realized the problem. Families that want to have more then one child have to pay. Adoption is not a bed concept.
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Your short story was quite eye-opening. Clara was fortunate to have been adopted by a loving family.
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Thank you, Liz. The bits and pieces were true in different stories. Deng Xiaoping who implemented the one-child policy underestimated the Chinese family values back then.
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This was a very interesting contribution, Miriam. It hit home for many! Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for reading, Jan. We know many younger couples adopted. I didn’t realize so many of them had problem having families. Probably people were not open about that in the past. Now friends shared about their grown children adopting kids because their couldn’t have their own.
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Such a moving piece, Miriam. Nicely done. Thanks so much for sharing. Shouldn’t you be packing? LOL! ❤
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Yes, I’m packing, Jill. Now I got this post done, I can pack. I usually pack early to have time not to miss things. 😅💖
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❤ Enjoy the special time with your family, Miriam.
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Thank you, Jill. The time finally came after five months waiting. ❤
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I know this is fiction but there are so many true stories I’m sure just like this. Wonderful.
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Thank you, Jacqui. Yes, I’ve read many horrible stories about the one-child policy. One story was about a girl with no identify because the mom didn’t register her. She was like a fugitive all her life. I think she ended up in Canada.
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Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review of my poetry book, Jacqui. I appreciate your insights.
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Thanks so much for this awesome contribution to the Challenge, Miriam. I’ve enjoyed featuring it on my blog this morning. 😊
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Thank you, Soooz. You getting busy featuring the posts. That’s wonderful. 😊
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A poignant and powerful short story, Miriam! Thanks for sharing…
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You’re welcome, Bette. I knew the history went down the wrong path when the policy was announced.
Thank you for reading. 🙂
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