Xiao-hei – The Melting Love

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Xiao-hei is a 15 year-old mentally challenged teen. He came into the FA foster care program about 4 years ago. In the early days, he often showed his anger even physically toward his foster- mother. As their relationship grew overtime, his temper completely changed by the foster parents’ enduring love toward him. He became particularly close to his mother and learned much from her. At home, he would take initiatives to help around the house, like hanging up clothes on drying lines, sweeping the floor, and taking out garbage. Sometimes he would follow his mother to attend to their farms and help plucking weeds or harvest the crops. Other times, he would accompany his mother to the market and help her pack up fruits and vegetables.

Every timer Xiao-hei came across food that he liked he’d always run and share with his mother. Whenever he saw his mother come home tired from work, he would sit her down and start giving her a massage. Xiao-hei made efforts to learn taking care of himself also. He would go wash up on his own after dinner before going to bed at night without being asked to do so.  Every time when his teacher gave him new words to learn, he would diligently write them over and over again when he got home. Under the tender-loving-care from his foster parents, Xiao-hei learns to think beyond himself and starts helping other people around.  He would voluntarily carry his classmate up and down the stairs at school knowing that the child has difficulty walking.

One time he overheard his foster parents arguing and believed that his father was bullying his mother.  Out of his protective instinct toward her, he said to his mother, “ma-ma, why don’t you get a train ticket and leave so you won’t ever be bullied by pa-pa again!”  His mother was very touched and instantly calmed by his words.  In turn, she jokingly asked if he’d dare to tell it to his father what he had just said to her.  Xiao-hei did not even hesitate and spoke righteously to his father, “Papa, if you don’t stop fighting with ma-ma, she would buy a train ticket and leave!”  His father was amused by his simple but righteous spirit and the tension between the parents instantly dissolved and the argument stopped.