Day 11 – The Old Orphanage Building – Part 4
After lunch we drove to the old building for the Social Welfare Institute. There are no babies or little orphan children living there now. These days it is an assisted living residence for seniors, and it also houses the older children and young adults who are mentally and physically disabled…who cannot live on their own.
We were greeted almost immediately at the gate by a woman in a white lab coat, and she was introduced as Dr Xhang. She was the doctor who gave Sophie her first physical exam when she was first found and brought to the SWI. She gave Sophie all of her exams, until she left to be adopted by our family. She said that she did remember Sophie as a baby – she said she recognized her because she still has the same eyes. Dr Xhang also had beautiful eyes when she smiled, and she was very sweet and welcoming to Sophie.
After about 10 minutes we realized we must be near a military base, because exactly every 3 minutes a fighter jet would fly right over the complex, very low and very loud. We plugged our ears when we heard them coming. This went on the whole time we were there. It is a shame the flight path goes right over this residential complex with these special needs residents.
I have 2 precious photos of Sophie as an infant, outside in a walker at these buildings. In the photos there were distinctive multicolor tiles, and trees that were painted with white rings on the bottom of the trunks, lined up in a row. I was able to locate the exact place where one of the photos was taken, and I took a new photo of Sophie in that same spot.
We visited the building where the infants lived. Now the elders live there. Sophie walked into the courtyard and saw a couple ladies peeking out of their rooms at her. She stood on the front entrance for a photo.
As we walked back to the front gate, a couple of the young adults with mental disabilities came out to say hello. There were more young adults behind a tall fence and in a building with bars on the windows, and it was explained that those kids were very unwell and might attack us if we went inside. So we did not approach these young adults.
Then it was time to get in the cars to go to the Finding Place. They were not sure where it was, but they were going to try to figure it out for us. We had been told not to get attached to seeing the Finding Place, because often as time passed, buildings were torn down and swept away and new buildings built, with all the rapid changes in China. Still, we rode in the car, with anticipation.
Less than 10 minutes away, we turned down a street that suddenly felt very rural. All around the old buildings had been torn down and shiny new highrise buildings were randomly set down among decrepit crumbling buildings. On this side road, next to a ditch, we came to a stop in front of a two story building behind a tall locked iron fence and gate.
We all hopped out and stood at the front gate. The building was a faded pink, with a disintegrating stucco façade and broken windows. Our hosts said maybe this was the place, but maybe not. They could not be sure. The told us to wait there and they walked down the road to talk with a couple local residents…there was an old lady selling those footlong skinny green beans on the side of the road, and they would ask her if she remembered a baby being found there 16 years ago.
As Sophie and I stood there, we said to each other… this is the place. We hugged, and looked up at the building. There at that gate, was perhaps the exact spot where she had been left. It was obvious she was left in a place where she would be found. Probably someone hid and watched to make sure she was found. Sophie and I both felt sure this was the place. We didn’t care if it was confirmed, we just felt it in our hearts.
The directors came back and said – yes! – this is indeed the place! The sign on the building said it was the Village Community Center. 15 years ago it was probably surrounded by farms, and this was the village gathering place. Now it is scheduled to be torn down. If we had come at a later date, it would be gone. We took photos and said silent thank yous and prayers for those who left the little 2 day old baby in a safe place where she would be found.
Now it was time to say good-bye. Director Wu made us promise that we would stay in touch and send photos and letters, and let us know how Sophie was doing. He thanked us for taking such good care of her, and said it was obvious she was loved and treasured. Director Xiu hugged Sophie for a long time with tears in her eyes. It was time to say good-bye, but we couldn’t turn around and get in the car. Finally we hugged them one more time, and I said “It is hard to say goodbye when we just met new family members”… they nodded with tears. But it was time to get in the car and start the long drive back to Hefei. We rode back for 3 hours in silence, holding hands. We knew we would remember this day, for the rest of our lives.
At the end of the whole 15 day trip to China, I asked Sophie what she would remember most about China. She said it was the sweet little boy in the crib who could not walk.
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