Goodbye.

Later on Saturday night we (Matt, Allister and I) got a nice visit from two of my students. We had a great time talking with them! I was really impressed with Wang Hao's English - he was able to keep up a native pace and joke around with us. He is such a funny guy. I am so lucky to have him as a student and even luckier still to have gotten to know him.

It was getting late when my students left, so we decided to pack it in for the night as we were going to have a busy morning the next day. At 8 AM we met one of my students who had something arranged for us to see. Um...let's just say it didn't quite work out and she was really quite upset about it afterward. Really, really upset.

It was still raining and the ice cream place was closed when we got there. So as my students started to arrive we all huddled and talked together under some nearby tents. One of my students had told us that it was his birthday on Tuesday and he really wanted to celebrate it with us so he brought a cake. My kids brought me little embroidered tokens to remember them by. But what they don't know is that there is nothing that they could give me that is as special as the time and love that they gave me every day for a year and every minute of my visit. I don't think that I could ever forget them.

Eventually the shop opened its shutters and we were able to pile in. Not a huge group but a nice sized group of people that I love. We sang happy birthday and watched the candles blow themselves out all at once (it was really quite strange). He made a wish which he only told me. Then I just loved to see all of my students interacting with each other - from my juniors to my seniors. It was so sweet how the older kids talked and helped out some of the younger ones.

The monitor for one of my Senior classes gave me a special photo album with images of the sites of Ningxia around the borders of the pages. We went through the sites together and had our last history talk. Before, we would get together and just talk for long periods of time about politics and history. Another one of the Guyuan times I just can't forget.

As it was time to leave, we left all of the younger students at the parlor to finish up their ice cream and the Seniors all walked us out to the bus station. I said goodbye, got their last hugs, kisses and tears from my dear children. Then I had to say goodbye to my little Ma Li. I have written about him before. He and his friends came to visit me in the apartment last year. We wound up posing for some silly pictures together. There is one picture of us together which he showed his teacher and exclaimed, "I can't hardly believe how happy my face is!" He showed me the picture that we took on that day and told me that he always keeps it with him. He told me that he looks at it whenever he feels sad or stressed out or just when he wants to remember a really happy day and he instantly feels better. I just didn't want to let him go. I want to take him home with me. Ma Li was trying so hard not to cry, but we both just could not hold on any longer and we said our very tearful "I love yous" and "goodbyes".

We got to the bus station with a little time to spare. My Seniors helped us get onto the correct bus (I'm glad they checked and put us on the correct bus). We all knew our time was just about over but didn't want to admit it. The student who had his birthday, said that he would remember this birthday forever because it was both one of his happiest and saddest birthdays at the same time. We said our watery eyed goodbyes and I got my last Guyuan hugs and kisses. A couple of students ran onto the bus for just one last moment.

As we pulled away from the station, they huddled together, consoled one of the students, waved and blew kisses until I couldn't see them anymore.

Me?

I left a big piece of my heart in Guyuan.