parents

my parents knew each other from high school, my dad changed school and joined my mom's class at age of 16 I believe. he probably was in love with her already then, he told me that she was beautiful, not the noisy type of beauty, but quiet and noble. She was an excellent student, was getting almost 5 out 5 in all professions in school, and looked often serious - that's what he said about her, and he was always a little bit afraid of her ...

in those years, I am not sure how things worked exactly, dad said they never talked much in school, afterwards they went to different universities in different towns, and it seemed that she was in his mind all along.

China started the 10 years culture revolution (1967 - 1977) when they just graduated from their bachelor degree, my dad majored in aero-dynamics in Beijing, and my mom in chemistry in Lanzhou. to be part of the revolution, after the study, my dad was sent to the army, and my mom was sent to a factory to be "re-educated".

The whole China was in chaos, no longer normal study/working/life, but all got into this "revolution": parades, killing, wars against each other: my grandfather (from dad side) as a professor was sent to farms to feed the cows and tried to kill himself several times, my grandmother (from mom side) was tortured to death because my passed away grandfather (mom side) was actively participating Sun Yat-Sen's revolution before the communist party was born. my dad's 21 years younger brother was shot to death during the struggles between different sects, my dad's 17 years younger sister was sent to remote village to work in fields until further notice and was brought into deep depression that she physically couldn't move ... my dad came back from the army to recognize his brother's body, and his friend (my uncle today) went to the village where my aunt was and carried her home on his back ... somehow with all the children remained alive, it brought some comfort to their parents ...

I can't imagine the mess in China, and 10 years like this is totally insane, numerous families/individual suffered, China suffered ... but like described in all literature, love grows in all circumstances - my dad decided that while the whole country was going crazy, he was going to take this time and walk all the distance from Beijing to Lanzhou to visit my mom and to ask her to love him - 1808 Kilometers, and he walked it.

to be continued