Eventually it became clear to him what path his life must take from this point forward. Would Gina understand and support his dream.
Gina, his partner in life, what would she think? How could he ask her to give up her career as a teacher and follow his dream to help others in some desolate country?
He gathered his jacket and briefcase and decided he had to talk to Gina. She had always been his strong guiding conscience.
He was both pleased and surprised as he sat with Gina over dinner that night when Gina voiced her own growing dissatisfaction with her job. She had been slowly coming to the realization that the apathetic attitudes of the privileged youth and the growing sense of entitlement running rampant in modern society was festering out of control and she felt sad and helpless to stop it. She was unable to break through the thick wall of indifference and forced to watch as the young people moved through the system, not really wanting to understand the importance of the education. To them it was just another step on the path to the next big thing, the timing could not have been better.
Darren and Gina both recognized they had been denying the growing need to satisfy a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment in their lives. They loved each other so completely but so caught up in the whirlwind of everyday life they had failed to see what was suddenly now so clear to them.
Gina pulled out her laptop and they searched for agencies in need of their services. They understood the changes would severely affect their salaries and that the generous lifestyle they were currently enjoying would be gone but it did not seem important anymore. They realized that items accumulated over the years meant nothing in the larger scheme of life. The memories formed because of the possessions became more important than the possession and would always be in their hearts. They chose a future filled with the realization there were many memories that lay out there for them to find on their journey to making a difference for others.
The Agency that sounded the most promising was "The Global Multi-Discipline Aid Organization" (GMDAO). They pulled up the website and sent the first of many emails until finally, they signed the last paper, and the final Visas issued. They updated all the shots they would need and in the final step towards their new journey, they sold all of their possessions including the mini-mansion in the upscale part of town, keeping only those mementos they were going to take with them. They took the proceeds of the sale and set up a monthly annuity that would give them a modest income.
The decision made there was no turning back, no regrets, life was for living, and there would always be choices and multi-paths to explore from this point forward.
They held hands as they turned the keys over to their agent, on what was now their former home for the last time, together they were ready to face the challenges of the future.
After a gruelling fifteen-hour flight, they arrived at the Kumning International Airport. The heat and moisture were already building and they could feel the energy draining further from their tired bodies. They eventually retrieved their dusty luggage and after a quick cola, they headed for the domestic flights counter. Their connector flight was on time and they boarded the small aircraft for the one-hour flight to the Manshi Airport.
When they got off the plane, a smiling young Asian man greeted them. He bowed and introduced himself as Chang. He would be their driver to the village outpost.
He was driving a rusty older modified four-wheel drive SUV that had definitely seen better days but Chang assured them it would get them where they were going and after the second try, it coughed into life.
Gina grabbed hold of the roll bar on a number of occasions as she tossed around the back seat. It seemed they like to drive fast and reckless here. That was going to take some getting used to, she thought to herself.
Chang kept pointing to various sites along the way, taking his eyes from the busy road, causing Darren to reach for the wheel but Chang did not seem to notice and continued his non-stop travel monologue for the entire two hour drive till he reached the town of Wanding.
He unwound his thin young frame from behind the wheel, "I must get some supplies for the camp. I be back very shortly. You go to restaurant, I join you soon." He gestured vaguely in the direction of a small white brick building across from them as he scampered away.
They glanced around them at the throngs of people in the streets.
"What should we do Darren? I'm not too comfortable just leaving our stuff in the vehicle in such plain view," asked Gina.
"Neither am I. Why don't you go look in the window of that restaurant and make sure it actually is one? If it seems okay, just go inside and grab us some cold drinks and sandwiches. You'd better get a sandwich for Chang as well." He handed her some money and she slipped through the traffic to the other side of the street.
The inside was cool and inviting and she stood for a moment enjoying it. She went to the counter and hoped the young girl serving would be able to understand her. Even though Gina had tried to learn the language, she knew she barely had the basics down. After much gesturing and laughing, they eventually decided on some sandwiches and very cold drinks. She counted out the change and made sure she added extra for the young girl. It was probably too much from the look in the girl's eyes but it seemed worth it to Gina. The girl tried to give back the money, shaking her head, but Gina wrapped her hands around the girl’s and gently pushed them back. Gina smiled and said thank you, as she gathered up her bags and left the restaurant.
It was sad, but Gina realized that the young girl had probably made more from her tip than she probably made for a full day's work. It felt good to help her.
When she got back to the vehicle, the men were waiting for her. They eagerly devoured the sandwiches and drained the cold drinks. At last, they climbed back into the vehicle for the final leg of their journey.
"Now it gets fun." Chang smiled, "We must go overland on an old track. You will see much. You will like." Darren and Gina looked at each other with dread. That could only mean it would be rough and scary.
Their fears quickly confirmed as they headed out of town on a barely visible dirt track. The ruts were deep and plentiful, Chang did not try to avoid them, and he was definitely enjoying the ride more than they were. The scenery though was amazing. They could see the river down below and the mountain range in the distance, appearing misty and mysterious.
Eventually they came down a gradual slope and before them lay a small village. It appeared to have many mud-brick houses and small barns. There were cement courtyards randomly scattered throughout the village and many large trees that appeared to be fruit trees.
Eventually they came to a stop before a crude wooden house. A small covered porch ran the length of the building. The children of the village stood around shyly watching them.
“We’re here, welcome.” Chang climbed out of the vehicle and reached into the back to grab their suitcases. He stacked the many bags on the steps to the small house.
He refused the money Darren tried to give him and with a smile and a shake of his head, he jumped back into the vehicle and drove off, leaving a large cloud of dust in his wake.
They looked at each other and started to gather their belongings. The children swarmed forward, grabbed the bags, and waited until they had opened the door. They were pleasantly surprised at the accommodations. The door opened into a large open area containing a small kitchen and sitting area. The children moved into the room, dropped the bags by the door, and quickly left, not giving Gina an opportunity to talk to them. Darren and Gina smiled at each other then continued their tour of their new home.
Off to one side was a door to the bedroom and another to a bathroom. The decor was light and airy, with a white couch and sheer white curtains covering the windows. Turquoise accents were scattered around the room, in the cushions and ornaments and the tile in the kitchen area. A lacy white comforter covered the bed and a large gauzy net hung from the ceiling over the bed invitingly.
It took about an hour to unpack and
settle in. They were exhausted but content as they settled on the couch with a cold drink. They would have to think about supper but for now, they just wanted to adjust to their surroundings. It had been a long trip to get here.
There was a quiet knock on the door and Darren went to answer it. A few of the local women stood before him, large platters of fruits, cooked meats, and warm bread in their hands. Gina came up beside him. The women smiled and handed them the platters.
One of the women who could speak a little bit of English said, "Welcome. You eat now. Doctor see you in morning."
Bowing, the women moved away.
They placed the trays on the table and smiled at each other. Gina made her way to the kitchen and grabbed some forks. She took a moment to check out the cupboards and fridge, she was happy to see the shelves well stocked. She looked out the window. She almost didn’t believe they were here. She was looking forward to actually meeting and talking to the schoolchildren tomorrow.
They turned in early, eager to start their new life tomorrow.
********
Morning came early for the couple. The bright sun peaked through the curtains and woke them up at about 6:00am. They crawled out of bed and Gina went to make the coffee while Darren headed for the shower.
They sipped their coffee and nibbled toast as they tried to wake up, not yet adjusted to the time difference and the long trip.
They sauntered through the small village, holding hands. The light wind whirled the dust along the path in front of them and the sun felt warm already.
The children shyly smiled back at them and waved as the adults watched from the doorways. Their faces seemed closed. It appeared to Darren and Gina they were going to have to earn the villagers trust and respect. At least the children seemed more than just curious.
The small schoolhouse was just off to the left of the main path. They stopped to see what it was like. There were no desks in the bright yellow room. On the floor in rows were mats for the children to sit on. There was a large chalkboard on the wall in the front of the room and it looked quite old and well used. The windows were open and the gentle breeze felt pleasant. There were shades that pulled over the windows for when the sun crept around that side of the building. In the back of the room, there was a bathroom, flanked on both sides by bookshelves filled with boxes of supplies.
Gina walked around the room, familiarizing herself with the atmosphere. She was looking forward to teaching here.
After a few minutes, Darren cleared his throat. He was anxious to continue their tour of the village. He was curious about the medical centre.
Gina smiled at Darren, “I love this place already.”
They continued their slow walk along the main path admiring the beauty around them. The medical centre stood alone at the edge of the village, its clean white exterior reflecting the sun’s rays.
They opened the front doors and entered the reception area. A long counter ran the length of the room with small glass partitions to allow for privacy for the patients. Off to the left and right were rows of plastic chairs. Soft music filled the room from an unseen radio. There was no one in the room so Darren and Gina wandered around the exterior, studying the posters on the walls. There were posters on personal hygiene, birth control, communicable diseases, government health issues, and regulations. Gina noticed one in particular, stressing the government policies on the size of families. She glanced over at Darren who was looking through a door in the back of the room. She joined him and they entered through the doorway. A petite young Asian teenager with fiery red hair and an earring in her nose met them.
“I’m sorry. I was just getting some files. Are you the new doctor?” she asked with a slight bow.
“I am. I'm Dr. Darren Franklin.”
“Glad you finally made it. I’m Theresa by the way. It has been extremely busy around here this past week. We’ve had more requests for ultrasounds than usual, on top of the accidents we normally handle on a daily basis. Poor Dr. Dhanji has been run ragged. I’m sure he will be pleased to see you. Let me see if he is in his office yet.”
An older man with shocking white hair came through the door, a large smile in greeting, “I am sure glad to see you!” he said as he held out his right hand to Darren, “Will you be able to start tomorrow? We have a very busy day scheduled. This is a really, busy clinic, we service all the villages in a fifty-mile radius. Many of the patients walk or travel for hours to get here so the workday can be very long some days. I sure appreciate the help.”
“Pleased to meet you Dr. Dhanji and I have to admit I’m looking forward to getting started. I'm still getting used to the time difference but I should be ready for tomorrow.” They shook hands and then turned to Gina.
Darren introduced Gina, “This is my wife Gina. As you may know, she will be taking over the teaching duties at the school."
Dr. Dhanji and Gina greeted each other and then the doctors began to discuss some of the more technical cases.
Gina knew that when Darren started to talk shop it was time to leave. He could be there for a while and she was anxious to get back outside, into the sunshine. She sat on the steps and watched the village come alive.
Eventually Darren joined her and they spent the rest of the day recovering from the draining jet lag they were experiencing. After a light supper, they settled on the porch with a glass of wine.
********
It didn’t take them long to settle into village life.
On her first day of work, Gina looked around the small one-room schoolhouse. She was anxious to get started. She saw the eager faces of the small children as they curiously watched her move to the front of the room.
They sat cross-legged on their small mats, pencils, and paper at the ready. It was such a pleasure to see the absolute pure joy they exhibited at the privilege to learn. This was so different to what she had grown to expect from her students.
There were forty children, thirty-two boys, and only eight girls. Gina wondered at the disproportionate number between the genders but from what she had read, it was felt girls didn't need to be educated. Gina had expected an imbalance due to the cultural philosophies of the country, but it seemed to be almost too much of a difference. She wondered if the other villages that had schools had the same imbalance.
As she adjusted to the community, she realized that the imbalance in the schoolroom was just as evident in the village itself. There were very few girls at all.
One evening over dinner, Gina brought up the subject. “Have you noticed the lack of young girls? Have you heard anything at the hospital for why it’s like that?” she asked.
Darren replied, “No one has said anything about it but what I find rather strange is when I ask the staff they don’t seem to want to talk about it. It’s almost as if there is something happening they don’t want to acknowledge, preferring to act like there's nothing wrong.”
“Is there anything you are doing at the hospital that might seem unusual?” Gina asked as she refilled their wine glasses.
“Well...” he hesitated before he responded, “One thing I noticed is we seem to be doing an excessive number of ultrasounds on perfectly healthy young women in the early stages of their pregnancies. Back home we wouldn’t do this until much later into the term unless we suspected some type of problem. I’ve also noticed that Dr. Dhanji seems to spend a lot of time in the day surgery and I don’t know what surgeries he could be performing. We don’t have anything on the schedule.”
He continued, “I’ve tried to look at the files for some of these women but they don’t seem to be up-to-date,” he shook his head, “I guess eventually I’ll have to find an opportunity to talk to Dhanji about them. I know we've been very busy and maybe Theresa just hasn’t had time to file the paperwork. We may need to bring in some additional support for her. Those files need to be current. Anyway, enough about work, let’s just relax and enjoy the lovely evening.”
They curled up on the couch and sipped their wine as the nig
ht closed in around them.
********
Gina was still troubled by the shortage of young girls and not willing to ignore it. She intended to see if she could talk to some of the villagers and find an explanation.
True to her word, she began with the other staff members. She had already built up a friendship with one of the training aids and invited her for lunch.
As she set the dishes of rice and meat on the table, she sat before Yu and studied her. She was a confident, quiet girl with infinite patience with the young students.
“Yu, may I ask you a rather strange question?” Gina hesitantly asked the girl.
Yu stared back at her. “I can’t imagine what it could possibly be about, but go ahead.”
Gina took a breath and asked, “Do you find it strange there are so few girls in the village?”
Yu’s face became hard and her eyes flashed. “That is no mystery Gina that is a gross injustice! It is the act of desperation by good people to the restrictions of a Government’s mistaken belief that overcrowding would destroy the country.”
“I’m not sure I’m following you. Are you saying that people are deliberately killing baby girls so the country won’t become overcrowded?” Gina was shocked that anyone could even contemplate the deliberate act alluded to by Yu.