When I was young, my grandmother used to take care of my elder brother and me. After she passed away, we were rejected by the rest of the family. We ended up living on the streets. We collected bottles in the trash to make money for living. My brother also caught fish for money and food. At night, we slept under the bridges or in the caves and used teosinte and grasses as pillows. Thanks to my brother, sometimes I could play all day long and didn’t bother to worry about the future.

With the help of the government, we eventually reunited with our father. He was living in Gui Yang. My brother started to work at a car wash and I started to go to school. After school, my father forced me to finish all the housework but it was too harsh for an 11 year-old child. If I couldn’t finish my job well, my father would beat me. I had no choice but ran away from home and find my brother for help. My brother gave me some money and persuaded me to go home. However, I was a headstrong child that time and I didn’t listen to him. I started hanging on the streets and stole things in order to earn some money. If I couldn’t steal anything, I would starve. Fortunately, I met some nice people and moved to live with a big brother.

One time, I lost my friends as we were travelling to Xia Men. I ended up seeking help from the police station. The police contacted my father. “What is this child used for?”, my father commented and he refused to pick me up. The staff at the relief station invited me to stay at “the Home”. He assured me that it was a good place. At first, I worried if it was a place for children trafficking. As my father abandoned me, I had no other choices but moved to the center.

I kept on arguing and fighting with people in the early days. The teachers continued to teach and encourage me, but it was really hard to change my impulsive character.

After one accident happened in last year, I became more mature. I fell and broke my arm when I was playing basketball. Auntie Wong and the teachers brought me to the hospital immediately. The doctor helped me to fix the bone fracture but it was so painful. All the teachers and my friends cried and showed sympathy for me. During the surgery, everyone waited outside the operating room for three hours. I was so touched. They continued to visit me and take care of me during my hospital stay. They had done so much for me. I learned to behave after this accident.

During this Xi Chuan trip, I listened to a story about saving lives in the earthquake. I hope I can be as brave as the survivors and continue to do the right things. I hope to become a PE teacher, and spread the love of “the Home”.