I hitched a ride to a college town two hundred Km from where I live. My friend drove there to help her son move. It was a treat zooming along a highway with lots of greenery on both sides. Distant mountains were blue. I enjoyed the ride tremendously.
My friend's son was moving from East Shore to West Shore. We went to his old dormitory called Shanghai. I based myself downstairs in the public area. There were four rooms, each with attached bathrooms. The social area is not only small, there is only a tiny window next to the main entrance. Students were expected to cook, eat, and socialize in that confine area ventilated with one tiny exaust fan. No wonder once a person finds his footing, he no longer wants to live in a barrack style hostel.
That was orientation week. One new student walked in while I was keeping an eye on possessions in transit. She smiled at me brightly and introduced herself. After telling me that she is a new student who moved in yesterday, and she was afraid and lonely in a strange building away from her few friends; she went to take a shower. Then she popped out like a genie and sat next to me. We chatted while watching TV. It was a silly teen program featuring really young teens in outrageous clothing and hairstyle. Meanwhile, my friend and her son was transferring stuff from room upstairs to my area, and when enough was moved down, then they were taken to the car outside.
As soon as everything was moved successfully to the new apartment, they came back for me. When my charming new girl was given a chance to meet a senior on the second floor, she jumped up to run upstairs. Then I realised that her wallet was on the dining table next to her chair. Well, she is barely seventeen, I told myself I cannot expect her to have everything together. But she better learn fast. Before we left, my friend's son took the wallet up to the chatting girls.
How would Elizabeth fare, when she arrives in USA or China? I pray that there will be angels to look after her.
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