Susanita Blue

By Susana P. Leng

It was a stressful week for me. I applied to the University of Cape Town, South Africa, after graduating from high school. My next step was to be a Medical Doctor and going to this college was my dream. I couldn’t stop checking my emails and making phone calls to the University. Their lines were always busy. Frustration and stress mounted. The patience of waiting ran out; My friends received answers from the same university, yet we applied at the same time. My answer was taking longer, and I didn’t understand why. A few days later; To my surprise, I receive an email, not from Cape Town, but from the University of Medical Sciences in Beijing China, stating they have accepted me. My eyes opened wide, the body temperature rose and I screamed with rage and hurled my laptop on the floor, it didn’t break.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: May 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781728353128

Susana P. Leng

One thing I’ve realized is we all have one thing in common; Be it an Atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, or Christian we all believe in one thing and that’s TIME. No matter what a person goes through, time heals, and time speaks. It is a silent communicator, and yet it has a tremendous effect on us.

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Copyright © 2020 Susana P. Leng. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  05/20/2020

ISBN: 978-1-7283-5313-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-5312-8 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

1    Sad goodbye

2    Hello China

3    New life and New friends

4    A taste of love

5    Love is a pain no doctor can cure

6    Dealing with the truth

7    Happy and sad moments

8    Scars

9    New beginnings without Darren

10    Night of passion

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1

Sad goodbye

One thing I hated most was waiting. The ability of it didn’t exist in my DNA. My friends compared my patience to a single peanut, because the waiting process always triggered a nerve in me.

As if nothing could get any worse.

It was a stressful week for me. I applied to the University of Cape Town, South Africa, after graduating from high school. My next step was to be a Medical Doctor and going to this college was my dream. I couldn’t stop checking my emails and making phone calls to the University. Their lines were always busy. Frustration and stress mounted. The patience of waiting ran out; My friends received answers from the same university, yet we applied at the same time. My answer was taking longer, and I didn’t understand why. A few days later; To my surprise, I receive an email, not from Cape Town, but from the University of Medical Sciences in Beijing China, stating they have accepted me. My eyes opened wide, the body temperature rose and I screamed with rage and hurled my laptop on the floor, it didn’t break.

This can’t be happening! It can’t be. What bullshit is this?

I cry as I fall to the floor covering my face with a cushion. My parents rushed into my bedroom asking,

What’s going on here?

Ignoring that question; I look at them with my eyes full of tears and a running nose; I felt like a five-year-old kid. I ask, Is it April’s fool or is someone pulling a cruel prank on me? My parents looked confused.

My mother picks my laptop saying, Susie please explain to us what’s happening?

So, I showed them the email sent by mistake (That’s what I thought). My dad reads the email with an immense grin, as if he was being accepted. I yell, Dad, what did you do? Why are you smiling as the grinch?

My father admitted to what he did. He applied for me to study abroad without my knowledge and cancelled my Cape Town application. Here I was, thinking I wasn’t good enough for Cape Town. In my agenda, it didn’t include me flying across the sea. I had never been abroad. I agreed with my friends: Lisa, Mary and Kayla to attend the same university after high school. Although we were pursuing different subjects, we wanted to be together. Our plans went out the window and into thin air. I argued with my dad; I couldn’t believe what he did, it saddened and disappointed me.

Looking at my dad I ask, Why did you do this? Dad, me studying in China is not my plan, how could you go ahead without my permission? Did you for one second think of my feelings? Your plan has left me confused.

My mother answered in his place saying, Susie, we’ll be back in a minute, try to relax dear. What! I didn’t need relaxation but answers. I didn’t argue with them so I sat on my bed and sobbed.

Later that same day, my dad comes in my bedroom saying, Susie, I want what’s best for you. I’m sorry for not telling you I applied for the University in China. I didn’t expect them to answer, but they did. My mind thought you’d be excited because now is a great opportunity for you to learn your father’s culture and to meet my sister Annie, who you’ll be living with in China.

My reply, You’re sending me to a stranger? He laughs adding, Annie is no stranger, she’s my younger sister you’ll get along with her. Rolling my eyes I say, No dad, I don’t want to study abroad. What if this Annie lives in a dangerous neighbourhood? He answers, Annie works for a wealthy family and lives in a descent place. Stop making excuses Susie, you are going to China.

There was no point trying to convince him, he decided.

My dad is Chinese — I didn’t speak much of the language besides greeting, and my mother is a Mozambican woman. I was born and raised in Beira, Mozambique — it’s in the Southern part of Africa. Portuguese is the official language, English, I learnt at school. Well, that’s where my parents met, so I’m half Asian and half African. I had and still have, long black curly hair; big Chinese eyes; golden caramel olive skin (thanks to the mixture) small nose; full lips; 1.57 cm tall (5.2) and a slender frame. My friends were the opposite of me; they were brunettes with long brown hair, green eyes, and we had the same skin tone. I took most of my dad’s features. My parents were strict, protective and traditional. Talking or hanging around with boys was tolerance zero. No short skirts or dresses in my wardrobe unless they were sports uniform. It was difficult following their rules. They were old-fashioned and polite, which wasn’t my case. The nature in me differed from them, yet they were my parents. My eyes always rolled when I disagreed on a matter. I was stubborn and very argumentative (being the only child doing that). I blame the 2 mixtures of blood in me; they must be in continual conflict, and it affects me. (This is my excuse). It didn’t surprise me when I heard that I had to go study in China. My dad believed it was time for me to embrace the other side. He wanted me to learn the language and know the culture. He had a sister, and he was sending me to her. Eighteen years, I lived in Africa and didn’t know much of being overseas, and to make matters worse; I had to travel alone.

Yes, after reading the email sent by the University of Beijing, I couldn’t hold myself together. I cried like a baby. Traveling so far made me sad. My mind wasn’t at ease. Different questions kept popping.

How will my friends take this news?

It concerned me. Lisa, Mary, Kyla and myself, we were so close; they called us, Sisters in blue it started at school when we were in a volleyball team. We wore, navy snug T-shirt jerseys with tights and short spandex, athletic sneakers and knee socks, everything in blue. They baptised us under that nickname, and it stayed with us. The school never lost a game, thanks to us. We were girls in action!

Not seeing them will be hard. We met every day. We had our routine: homework, lunch and shopping.

On weekends, they came over to my place because my parents didn’t allow me to sleep out. Staying up all-night is what we liked best. My mother complained because of the noise; we couldn’t help it — the fun conversations always began at night. My girls had boyfriends, but not me. I wasn’t rushing into that; falling in love made me cringe, but It was funny seeing my friends in love and gushing over their boyfriends.

On this weekend, they came to help at the shop. My parents owned a supermarket and needed help with the early delivery; On a Sunday morning. Imagine: We did our job for the day; it was fun but tiring. We returned to my place; I prepared chicken fajitas for lunch, a tasty Mexican dish. Thanks to the cooking channel. As we sat at the table to eat; I had to break it to them, on me leaving. My mind told me not to tell, It wasn’t easy; I took a deep breath.

Girls! Listen; In a month, I’m leaving to China.

What a shocking news. Their faces turned pale.

My father applied for me to attend a medical university there, and I will live with aunt Annie, my dad’s younger sister whom I’ve never met. I’ve seen her pictures, I know she works for the wealthiest family in China, and she has a good position at her job.

I think my breaking news wasn’t convincing. They thought it was a joke. I didn’t smile, and I didn’t roll my eyes, then they realised it was real. They got so angry at me.

We agreed to stick together, Susie!

Those are the words my ears didn’t want to hear. I understood their reaction. We grew up together in the same neighbourhood and every weekend our parents took us to the beach. Sometimes we didn’t want to swim, we were 6 years old, we only wanted to drink coconut juice from the guys selling it on the road, our feet were always dirty. Our love for coconut juice continues. During holidays we were together, and we had never missed each other’s birthdays. So this hit them hard. I calmed them, as I explained.

Yes we agreed, but my dad wants me to learn the language and know the Chinese culture, I’m very sorry; this is hard on me too. I don’t want to leave.

They were quiet, no one wanted to eat. We had never been apart. We were like glue. I was moving to a different country — I knew no one, and the language was the biggest barrier; I felt lost before even getting there. We cried and laughed; they had no choice but to accept the decision. I was glad they were all going to the University in Cape Town, but sad that I couldn’t be with them. Before I traveled, Lisa and Kayla were dumped by their boyfriends. The boys were traveling to the USA to study, and they didn’t believe in a long distant relationship. I didn’t know if Lisa was crying because of the break-up, or the fact he was leaving, but she didn’t take it very well. The same day they ended the relationship, she went over to his place at night and slashed his car tires, using a Swiss Army knife. I can’t say, I was innocent — I helped her; I couldn’t stand seeing her miserable. He became so angry. We laughed at him from a distance. She felt better; but Kayla accepted the break-up. She showed no sign of sadness, but again she was a year older than us.

The last evening with my friends wasn’t easy; no one wanted to say goodbye. My studies, could take five to six years. We promised to keep in touch. We cried, sobbed, laughed, and hugged. My parents took me to the airport the next morning. I was in a fear mood/mode, traveling alone wasn’t my thing. My dad gave me all the documents and details. I hugged my parents and off I went. As I sat on the plane, my heart cried, I missed my girls.

Usual questions with no answer. How could dad send me to a country I don’t know and traveling alone?

I was eighteen but I felt fifteen. As the plane took off, I cried. There was an elderly woman sitting next to me. She showed so much kindness.

I know how it feels travelling alone, don’t worry you’ll be all right. She said.

Those words comforted me. I stopped crying and had a lovely conversation with her. The plane