The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.109)

TZU CHI 109 55 Without a kitchen in the apartment, they could only eat out. Sometimes, their uncle would bring food home, other times, Xiao Ying and her brother would pack some food home after school or have their meals before returning home. The rubbish was left to rot, and the house was filled with the smell of cigarettes – the uncle smoked and so did Xiao Ying. It was worse when the uncle’s friends came over and smoked together. The cement floor was too sticky to step on, like it was not mopped for some time. The thin quilts in the siblings’ rooms were torn, dirty and smelly. In each of the rooms, there were a plastic wardrobe, a single bed, a study desk and a chair. The rooms were messy – the clothes were not folded and in piles, and the study desks were so full of miscellaneous items that there was no space for writing. I spotted the Jing Si Aphorism bookmark, which I had given to Xiao Ying, on the wall right in front of her study desk. It made me feel that I had earned a place in her heart and it was time for me to take further action. We can extend the warmth we feel to others. Three days after the home visit, I looked for the mentor of Xiao Ying’s brother, Teacher Huang, and shared with her what I saw during the visit. She too, felt deeply sorry for the siblings because despite not faring very well in his studies, the brother has been rather well- behaved and helpful in class chores. Teacher Huang and I bought two quilts and two pillows for the siblings – I picked a pink one and Teacher Huang a sky blue design. Then, we got Xiao Ying’s brother to come to our office and asked him whether he brought his house keys. Confused, he answered, “Yes.” “Teacher Huang and I would like to go to your house.” He was stunned and enquired in bewilderment, “What is it for?” “Well, you only need to unlock the doors for us.” We reached their home to find it dirtier and messier than my last visit. So we took out the broom, dust pan, mop and wiping cloths, and began to clean up the house. Seeing that, Xiao Ying’s brother kept saying, “No, teacher, please don’t do this. I am embarrassed to make you do this for us.” “Join us then!” The three of us worked our way through the house – we folded the clothes neatly and kept them in the wardrobes, arranged the books properly on the study desks, cleaned the floors, and sprayed air freshener to eliminate the cigarette smell. The entire house looked fresh after cleaning. Lastly, Teacher Huang and I folded the siblings’ quilts and kept them, together with their pillows, in the lowest compartment of their wardrobes, before placing the new pillows and quilts on their beds. I left a letter, which I had written in advance, on Xiao Ying’s pillow before leaving her home. It read: