The Stranger

             With a quick hug and goodbye, I found myself sitting in a cushioned, yet, crowded airplane seat. Around me, the cheerful chatters filled the cabin with anticipation and excitement. I fidgeted, tapped, and wriggled, trying to find the most comfortable position for me to endure the twelve-hour plane ride to Taiwan. For the first time in thirteen years, my parents were sending me back to an alienated place they called home.
             I was dropped off at the front of a grayish, four-story building. Near the entrance, the bright red Chinese New Year banners hung along the sides of the metal door. I compared closely the nameplate beside the door with the address I had in my hand; the unfamiliar characters all looked alike. Even though it was winter, the humid air in Taiwan made my t-shirt stick to my back; the sweat drops crawled down, from my forehead to my neck. I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. ¡§Ding-dong! Ding-dong!¡ The heavy door opened accompanying a rush of festivity in the air. Then, a little girl in braids, wearing a red, cotton-padded shirt and trousers, appeared behind the door and stared up at me. Suddenly, she shrieked, "Mommy, daddy, there is a stranger at the door!" She was right. I was a foreigner, an outsider to her, her parents, and the rest of the family. By the sound of the girl¡s scream, a middle aged woman quickly emerged. She was a small woman, wearing a large and wrinkled apron that reached down to her knee. Her hands were coated with white flour, clearly, preparing for the Chinese New Year¡s Eve dinner. She stopped at the sight of me, gasped, and cried, ¡§Is this you, Mei-Lin? You are finally here! Look at you!¡
             ¡§I¡Kmy name¡K¡ I tried to explain to her with my broken Mandarin that my name was not Mei-Lin, but Anna.
             ¡§You have turned out to be quite a lady!¡ she interrupted me and continued, ¡§You look just like your mother when she was your age! Do you remember me? I¡m your auntie. Â...

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The Stranger. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 03:19, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/81733.html