“Jook-Liang, if you want a place in this world, do not be born a girl-child,” I say, knowing that the little girl standing in front of me will never listen. If you want to do something important, you shouldn't be born a girl. You will never have as many privileges as the boys, and if you have the lazy and spoiled attitude of Jook-Liang, then you will never go far.
Today, I take care of poor Sekky, who is still sick after three years. I turn over to look at Sekky’s crib, then turn back to Jook-Liang, who still has a rebellious look in her eye.
“A girl-child is mo yung-useless,” I grunt, knowing that it is true. She will have little or no place in society, and that is that. I bend down, and with a sigh, start to work on Jook-Liang’s tap-shoes.…show more content… “Too fussy!” I yell, my back to her. “Useless!” Jook-Liang had better things to focus her energy on, like taking care of her little brother or helping get some money for our household. “Father says that after the war is over, things will change for everybody, even girls.” “War over?” I say, chuckling. “Always war in China. First, bandit wars in South China, Communist-Gung Chang-wars everywhere, and all those sun-cursed Japanese dogs yapping in North China. War is how you solve conflict, and there will always be conflict in China!” No matter how hard we try, there will always be war, and things will never change because of it. “There’s no war in Canada,” she defiantly shoots back at me. “You not Canada, Liang,” I say, “you China. Always war in China.” She had no response to that, and although she said nothing, I think that eventually, she will understand what I am saying. I went back to taking care of Sekky, an actually important job in this house. As I am changing Sekky’s diaper, I hear Jook-Liang singing one of her silly tap dance songs. “You China,” I say as she practices her form. She starts to sing louder, thinking that she will drown me out. “Mo yung girl!” I yell, hoping that one day, she will understand why I say
