02-11-2021, Thursday, Chinese New Year Eve
The global pandemic of year of Gengzi (the first year of starting sexagenary cycle in Chinese lunar calendar) not only shutdown the world, but also canceled many of our trips to visit families and friends. Such isolation cultivated more lingering feelings towards family than normal, especially during the Chinese New Year’s Eve and New Year.
My Chinese New Year’s Eve in the East Coast of US is the morning of Chinese New Year’s Day in my hometown Zigong. I called my father and others to wish them happy New Year.
Over the phone, my father said his taste buds are fine, but his sense of smell is weaker now; he reads books, uses the computer, and writes articles well with glasses, but his hearing is not as good now. My aunt had to repeat what I said over the phone to my father. My father was in a good mood. He still enjoys reading books, reading newspapers, thinking, and writing.
I told him: “The article you posted yesterday on your blog was blocked already.”
My father was not bothered by it, and he said: “I wrote a doggerel poem of eight sentences for Lichuan recently.”
My father happily explained to me the doggerel he wrote for my brother: “Kind and soft, with too big dreams and too easily deceived. Expanded too large, difficulty to downsize. Officials have long hands, private enterprises are stripped. COVID-19 canceled and stopped many things, endure and overcome the hardship.”
When I talk to my father, our topics were always shifted to my brother, because my father has lots to say about his son: blaming, caring, and feeling powerless to help. I used to think my father cared more about my bother than about me. Gradually, I understood my over 90 year old father’s pain, because my brother is the head of our family now; the great devotion of parents never end!
I asked my aunt: “Are you gathering during the New Year?”
My aunt said: “No, but we are planning to gather in March to celebrate your father’s birthday.”
I was touched and said: “Thank you aunt!”
My uncle said: “We worshiped your mother in New Year, burnt paper money, prepared food, wine, and meat for her. We wish she will bless you.”
I said: “I hope she will bless all of us with health. Uncle, you should reduce your drinking.”
After that, my brother called me. We chatted about our father, our late mother, our childhood memories, and our youthful dreams. My brother encouraged me to write daily.
I said: “When the writing isn’t good, I don’t share it.”
My brother said: “Your story about ‘The Screw of Joy and Frustration’ is very funny!”
I was very happy to hear his praise and immediately sang the complete version of “A screw on the side of the road”. Unfortunately, my brother and my sister-in-law don’t remember this song.
I also told my brother: “Recently, I read my college dairies and noticed that you had big dreams in college and liked to go out to meet people. My dream in college was become a good teacher who also wrote dairies.”
2021 Chinese New Year’s Eve, I enjoyed the familial love across Pacific Ocean, chatted about little things and grew excited over trivia.
“Unforgettable Tonight”, came from Chinese ChunWan (CCTV Spring Festival Gala Evening), on 2021′s Chinese New Year’s Eve that ChunWan already became so faraway and so vague.