Long Road to Home ---Story of A-lu

Long Road to Home --- Story of A-lu
(the name/s of the persons involved were changed to protect their identity)

Finding A-lu

In 2003, one day during an outreach, I and the social worker went inside an old compound. The place used to be a flea market. Under a huge tree, a dilapidated sofa lay a person, her filthy hair tangled in grease and dust. Upon talking to her, we found out she is a woman. She can only utter a phrase, “Wo bu zi dao!” (I don’t know!). We offered her boxed lunch and a drink which she accepted and immediately left us. There were men around, selling their second hand wares, so we asked them if they know her. The men told us her name is “A-lu.” From then on, we visited and followed up on her case for about two years.

Helping A-lu

A-lu became very familiar with us and eventually began trust us. One day she came with us to the center. Took a bath, and I gave her a haircut, off with the grease and dirty tangled hair. The social worker immediately made appointment with the Taichung Hospital Mental Health Department. A-lu was admitted for treatment for a month. The process of searching her identity began. Our center, the hospital and the Taichung government worked together on her identity and eventually. We found her relatives.

Finding Her Relatives

She has a son adopted by an old soldier who earned living selling old books and magazine in another flea market. The two lived in a roach infested place filled with very old books and magazine. Tragedy struck one day, the book place burned down, and the son had no place to go. We took the son temporarily at the center, allowed him to live in the basement, until the Taichung City child welfare department found a place for him. Meanwhile, A-lu’s daughter’s information was also found. The daughter lives in a Catholic-run institution for the mentally handicapped. Her story eventually became clear to us through the son. He was able to tell us what he could remember about her mother when he was very young. His memory of A-lu goes back to when he was about three years old. Her mental condition began early, and her daughter was taken into custody by the city government. A-lu and the son, lived with the old soldier, until one day she had a terrible car accident which made her mental condition worse and she ended up wandering in the streets until we found her. The son grew up with the old soldier but never attended school, by this time he was already 15 years old. His case was taken over by the Taichung City child welfare department and put him to school to finish primary. He is now in junior middle school.

Reconciliation

Finding A-lu and her family was a beautiful story of reunion and reconciliation. A-lu now lives in a supervised facility for people with mental disability, for life. Her son also lives in a supervised facility for young people until he can find work and a place of his own. He hopes to study social work someday. On special occasion, we invite the whole family for get-together and to be reunited. Many other stories of reconciliation are waiting to be told at Good Samaritan Women Center.

September 25, 2009