a mother's love

sometimes knows no beginning...

in case i haven't actually been sharing enough stories of what i've been working at over the last while i'm going to share a few now, starting with what happened today, and i'll try to keep it short.

Judy, a volunteer who was here in june and july, returned yesterday after two weeks in Laos and Cambodia to say her last farewells and keep a promise she had made to two young girls at a children's shelter here in Tam Ky.
Le and Thao had been promised dolls and never forgot for one moment that Judy would be back with them.
so today when we went to visit she took the two dolls with her. the girls were elated, these were fancy dolls. beautiful hair, little voice messages etc etc. Le's mum was there when we arrived. she said something in Vietnamese to Le and Judy noticed a look of fear glance across Le's face. is her mum asking her for the doll?
well, Judy, knowing what some people are like in this world and that Le has siblings at home and really shouldn't be in this shelter, kept an eye on Le and the doll.

Le's mum left on her motobike and Judy turned to me and said, 'good, the mum's gone and Le's still got the doll, i was a bit worried'
two minutes later, the doll is nowhere to be seen...

Le's mum had driven out onto road outside the centre, called Le over to the fence and made her hand over the doll.
it's probably been sold by now.
Le is nine years old.
it was her doll...

she was a bit quiet and a bit sad but held it together alright for a while. only until Judy told the women who run the centre how angry she was at Le's mum. then the poor child bawled for an hour.

the frustration, anger, bitter disappointment and embarassment poor Le must have felt. her own mother, flesh and blood. has abandoned her in a shelter for homeless children, even though she lives in Tam Ky she only visits once a month at most.

her own mother, who abandoned her, steals from her.