Yuhong Sun

December 8 , 2002
I was born and brought up in a beautiful mountain city-Shancheng, China. Though hilly, the city was made especially characteristic and picturesque by two rivers. One of which was the third longest river in the world, Yangzhi River. I loved the city because I spent most of my childhood there.
However, my mom sometimes complained about the large population. I remembered that I always mimicked her voice every time she complained.
But I seldom went home before dark, for the city was more beautiful in the evening. Until 7 years old, my life had been full of laughter and fun. I was the luckiest little girl in the world. Then something that happened to my father changed my childhood.
One night it was my 7th birthday. I went home as late as usual though I promised my mom to go home earlier.
To my surprise, my mom prepared a lot of food for me as if we were having a banquet. In China birthday was never cerebrated like that except for 9th birthday for boys or 10th birthday for girls. I was far from 10 years old.
Another big surprise was the birthday present my mom gave me.
Looking at the carefully wrapped gift, I was wondering what it would be.
I was so disappointed that I went back to my room quietly. It was an expensive gift, but it was meaningless for a little girl like me.
Soon after my 7-year-old birhtday, I found that the world around me became different. My dad came home disappointed though he tried to be as humorous as he used to be while my mom was more quiet than usual.
More strangely my neighbors behaved. Most of them were my fathers' colleagues, who used to flatter us all the time, but suddenly they became weird.
One deep night, I was wakened up by the whispering from my parents' bedroom.
Out of curiosity, I went to the door and tried to overhear what they were talking about.
The very thought of going to Grandma Tan's family made me feel chilly.
Grandma Tan was the full time baby-sitter for my 3-year-old younger sister. Before she came to my home, she lived with her son and his family in a rural village. She was widowed and superstitious. She was a good story teller. She always enjoyed telling us the ghost stories so vividly as if they all happened in her village or even at her home.
I had nightmare that night and dreamed that a ghost was hunting me from behind the baboons and tress.