Songlian's Journey

Note: A young girl from China longs to discover where her actual parents are and finds only a few living relatives left. She learns that the family once had ties with the Emperor and knew the Forbidden City well. She preserves tradition, passing it on to her children Fei and Jin. Ultimately, she finds contentment with who she is and is able to feel fulfilled.

Chapter 1—The Red Thread

Songlian had been married to an American named Samuel Franklin for about 6 years now, and was still getting used to the bizarre cultural differences of America albeit she had been living in America since she was about 3 years old. Though she no longer had her family name, she still considered herself Chinese. Her children were distinctly Asian as well, with their occidental eyes and their ability to converse in the old mother tongue. They could also speak Mandarin, which was a little bit more challenging, but it was important since she never wanted Fei or Jin to forget where they had originated from.

Samuel had noticed that Songlian didn’t know too terribly much about her family. She had been adopted while she was very young and she remembered slightly how disoriented she felt after her foster parents picked her up and she said goodbye to her ambassadors. Since that time, she had been searching for the last name of Wong, which was a very common Chinese name. Apparently, the name itself had been associated with royalty in the Forbidden City, but still much was unknown according to her family history. With Samuel’s help though, Songlian had been able to start doing some research and finally came in contact with her last living relatives. Neither Songlian nor the rest of the Franklin family knew that they were about to embark upon a journey that would forever change their perspective.

Songlian soon came into contact with her paternal grandparents Wendy and Wei. Once Wei started speaking to her, revelations about the Wong family were unleashed. She never knew she had such strong ties to the Forbidden City. Even if she had dreamt it she never thought such an exquisite yarn could’ve been woven.

“It is true though. It is said that your mother, Ruby was a concubine for the Emperor. He had many others of course, Ruby happened to be his favorite. She had many sons for him for mother China, but when you were born it was quite a different story. There is no Emperor now, but be that as it may, we were right when we knew you were a Princess.”, Wei said over the telephone. Songlian never would’ve imagined she had royal blood, even if her birth had been ‘accidental’. Accidental birth or not, she was longing to return to her homeland and seeing this for herself. Hopefully she would be welcomed and not thought of as a foreigner despite the fact that she had American upbringing. Samuel and her children would be traveling along with her precious information. Wei and Wendy would be accompanying them, since they knew China far better than she did and would be more than happy to escort her on her journey in finding her true self. Though this was a very philosophical journey, Songlian knew that all people, whether they knew it or not, took it in some form or another in their lifetimes. She just happened to be lucky enough to be encountering the truth at such an early age.

Chapter 2—Letting the Wind Carry Them

It was expensive to travel to China, but Songlian’s paternal grandparents knew exactly the right time to book flights there that would be affordable but comfortable. In the middle of summer, all plans had been made and the Franklin family set out to travel.

As soon as the Franklin family lifted off, Jin and Fei looked out of their window to see the San Francisco disappearing below them. It would be a lengthy flight and by the time they arrived it would be night. They wouldn’t have time to take in the sights tonight, but it was all for the better. The family would need their strength before they set on their sojourn to the Forbidden City, which was quite a long trek from their hotel. Nevertheless, Songlian would be the one in the lead, forging onward while the others did their best to catch up to her as she blazed her own trail and seemed to let the wind carry her along effortlessly.

Songlian had reached the gates of the City first, waiting for Samuel and the others to catch up. Even her grandparents were having some difficulty catching their breath.

“We’re supposed to be leading you, Songlian. Not the other way around !”, Wei said, panting before his breathing resumed a normal pace. He shook his cane with some frustration at his stubborn grandchild and took the lead of the tour, Wendy following him and the others followed suit.

Foreigners could now be allowed into the Forbidden City, but Samuel, Fei and Jin decided to stay behind.

“Why are you waiting at the gate ?”, she asked, curiously.

“It is your journey, dear. But, we will be here supporting you, hoping you find your answers beyond the gate.”, Samuel said, solemnly. The children understood too, even though secretly they wanted to travel beyond the gate with their mother. However, they knew it wasn’t their path to take it was their mother’s alone.

Wei and Wendy showed Songlian where the Emperor once ruled, where the concubines lived, where the slaves lived and worked, where the army was trained and so on and so forth. She noticed there was a graveyard nearby and recognized her Chinese calligraphy immediately.

“This is Ruby’s grave ! She must’ve died soon after I was born, because this place still feels so alien and cold to me…”, Songlian said, shivering slightly. Her grandmother hugged her from behind.

“Don’t worry, you’re not the first to feel that way. Even to those who had been born to privileged lives, not all was peaceful and harmonious here. Often times, there would be catfights between the ladies for the Emperor’s affection. If a woman couldn’t bear sons she was seen as useless to the royal bloodline. Tragically, I have heard that Ruby died of a broken heart because her relationship with the Emperor ended after your conception. But despite that, Ruby loved you, I believe. I really think she did, or she wouldn’t have given you such a lovely name. I’m simply sorry she couldn’t live to raise you and see the type of woman you have become.”, Wendy said, her cheeks becoming stained with tears. The three of them embraced while they cried momentarily. Not all memories were pleasant ones, but it gave her immediate closure and a sense of having a grand burden removed from her at last. No longer was she tethered by the mysteries of her origin, but enlightened by realizing just how special and unique she truly was. She was the flower blooming in adversity as the proverbs of old had mentioned.

Chapter 3—Touring China

After Songlian had arrived at the gates of the Forbidden City, Samuel and the others gladly welcomed her back with a long embrace. Then, like clockwork, the children asked when they would be eating and only Wei and Wendy knew the answer to that question. Without a moment’s dalliance, the family headed to the nearest Scheshuan restaurant, and was treated to an exquisite meal. The only time the Franklin family had Chinese food this sumptuous is if it was made by Miss Songlian herself, although she had never been trained in the art of cooking. It was just something that had been inherited in the Wong line, apparently.

After taking a few hours to fully enjoy the experience the meal had given them, Wei and Wendy gave them the “Cook’s Tour” of China. They were able to see the cities, the meadows, rolling mountains and hills, merchants, clairvoyants, palm-readers, gypsies, and every person in-between. Time went by so quickly that evening crept up upon them almost instantly. Samuel was already carrying Fei on his back since little Fei’s feet were aching and tired. Jin too, was feeling the weight of the travel upon his tiny feet.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find a cab and it’ll take us back to our hotel as soon as possible.”, Wei said, optimistically. With a grand whistle, the nearest cab had been hailed and not much later were they on their way back to the hotel to sleep for the night.

During the next few days, Songlian and her family traversed the Great Wall, had their pictures taken with pandas raised in captivity, shopped in Hong Kong and even got to see where the Olympic games of the coming year would be held in Beijing. They learned about martial arts and feng shuei, as well as other archaic philosophies that were still alive and well today. As they finished their tour with visits to the holy shrines and some of the monasteries that existed in the mountain range, they felt as if they had been inundated with culture but they had relished every moment of it. Although they didn’t wish to leave, Wei and Wendy let them know that they would be open to letting the Franklin family back into Mother China during the most accessible and affordable times of the year. China would always have its doors open to Songlian whenever she wanted to come back, and she promised her children they would return many more times in the future. They would never forget their cultural ties for so long as they lived. They would pass on this knowledge to their children someday, but at the time they were glad to have come this distance and seen parts of the world that only few and far between had seen or traveled to before. They would be well-prepared to speak of their knowledge on the East and would never forget how Eastern ways touched Western ways back home as soon as they departed.

Chapter 4—Back to San Fran

Although the Franklins would be leaving behind Wendy and Wei as they left on their flight back to San Francisco, Songlian would continue to keep in contact with them on email. She conversed with them using Cantonese to make certain her language skills were still in tact and even after being an American for so long. Strangely, she had felt that she had never left China to begin with. With the treasures she and her family had gotten from overseas, they had opened an exotic shop called “Songlian’s Bounty”. Fortunately, the store was doing stupendously despite the fact that it had just opened. Songlian was pleased because she could share her heritage with others as well as educating them when they bought one of her unique treasures.

Long after the trip the Franklins had enjoyed in China, the family’s photos had been published. Jin and Fei had put together a scrapbook in physical form as well as a photo album that could be easily accessed by lovers of all things Asian online. The siblings had put a lot of work into this masterpiece and even shared their experiences back at school when the new season had began, and so far the two were excelling in all of their classes. When rough times came their way, they remembered they were princes in their own right, but they weren’t haughty about it. They were just glad they knew who they truly were and would hold onto this knowledge forever.

Epilogue

As Songlian welcomed her young children home from a long day at work, they talked to her about the day’s experience at school and their practice at the local karate dojo. The two were both orange belts and rising up the ranks rather rapidly for their age. Both Sam and Songlian were happy that their little boy and girl were excelling tremendously in whatever they did. Of course, they had their flaws. There were days that they were awkward and clumsy, but only because they were human. This would frustrate the little Franklins, but they were reassured that it wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. In fact, they were told to embrace their faults as uniquely their own and remember it was what made them mortal. This kept the two of them grounded and let them maintain a steady head upon their strong shoulders.

Songlian’s story reached many on the website her children had made and Hollywood was so taken by it that it had been made into a film. Not knowing what to think of this delight and honor, Songlian gladly accepted and met the actors and actresses that would be playing the roles in the upcoming film. It wasn’t going to be done by a company that would alter anything in any matter, which she appreciated. Albeit the movie would be a foreign one, and run in limited release, Songlian had a subtle sense of ecstasy in her heart realizing that many princes and princesses (particularly ones whose red thread ties were strong), who would be inspired and enlightened by this film. Still to this very day, she thanks the heavens that the unbiased film about her life continues to encourage many today. She even has fans that love and adore her as well as her family, but she still remains humble despite the fame she and her family have received.

As the years have passed, the Franklin family’s popularity settled a bit, but she still has fans that support and adore her even after only a few people remembered the film, but that wasn’t what truly mattered after all was said and done. She had been back and forth from China once more, visiting the grave of her mother as well as the shrines dedicated to the last living emperor. They were everlasting tributes to her mother and the Emperor. She had known them through their stories and was relieved that she would see them when she crossed over from this life to the next, but she didn’t have to worry about passing on for many years. So long as she could, she would live an honorable life, just as the rest of the Franklin family would. Their culture would continue to thrive so long as there were lips to recite the Wong family story, and this was all that was important because knowledge, love and togetherness would always be their greatest asset and the bond that could never be broken.

The End