Thirty years ago, a young man worked at a small factory in Northern China, he dreamed to change his life in every aspects, he studied  and worked in the best of his ability and effort to anticipate his unrealistic goals in return.  As many others，the disappointments were inevitable.

     In mid of 80’s, his mother was invited to a first ever Zhejiang University international reunion. She unexpectedly met many alumni from oversea  after lost in contact for more than thirty years. The one that she specially mentioned who was her sister’s (deceased in college) best friend in high school and college from Indiana, USA. After the reunion they kept in touch by mail.

   I was the young man, and the couple from Indiana, USA was Aunt Su and Uncle KC Chao.

  My mother may have mentioned to her in their mails of my situation that I have a desire to study abroad.But it was a long shot, a delusion. As I recalled when I was growing up  that other than books, we don’t even have a decent furniture in my household.

  Surprisingly but surely, Aunt Su had generously promised to be my sponsor if I am accept by an university in US.

    A year later, I was on my way to the first ever airplane trip to a place which was almost unknown. I remembered the notarization of sponsorship documents all the way up to the U.S. Department of State.

    For me,  travel to the U.S Consulate in a bigger city to be granted a visa was a bigger challenge. There were stories of rejection with many different reasons that I constantly heard from who had attempted. I was no difference than them, a poor student with broken Chinglish, only advantage was a piece of paper in my pocket that encouraged my inadequate confidence.

     Here I was,  face to face with the consul, she casually asked few questions and seems insouciance. I knew what I should do, I pulled out the envelop and handed  it to her, said: “Ms. consul,  here is a letter from my sponsor, would you mind to read it?” She did, in the end, she said to me with smile, keep the letter in a safe place, your visa has been approved, you will receive an official letter from US embassy in a week, welcome to The United States of America to continue your study, good luck! I didn’t remember how did I get home on that day.

      Three months later, I was on the journey to study in US with the newly exchanged 2 "Benjamins". Aunt Su told me to concentrate in school, don’t worry about the funds,  as soon as I have a bank account let them know right away. When I returned the money after a year later, she almost blamed me on the phone and make sure I was financially secured.

    After graduation of my master’s degree and worked in NYC, she introduced me to their alumni’s daughter whom l married later.

   For the last thirty years, we have never lost touch, my wife often chatted with them on the phone, sometimes last hours.  The most memorable events were, visited them in Purdue University, my mom from China had a classmate and friend reunion in Lafayette, Indiana, Zhejiang University alumni annual reunion…..

  Those indelibility good old days and time, full of endless happiness and enjoyment.

 Certainly, Aunt Su’s journey is carrying on. Although, we have lost a lovely and kindly aunt, a great mother, a scholar, a poet and prose writer, a liberal world traveler…… She and Uncle Chao would be embraced together in Elysium.

 May you and uncle KC Chao forever jolly dwell in eternity永享天年！

 

Sam Zhu and family