Ruby's Wish (2 page)

One day, the children were asked to write a poem. Ruby wrote:

Alas, bad luck to be born a girl; worse luck to be born into this house where only boys are cared for.

Ruby's teacher was very impressed by the poem. He showed it to Ruby's grandfather. Ruby's grandfather was also impressed, but he was worried about what the poem said. He summoned Ruby to his office.

Ruby found her grandfather sitting in his chair, her poem spread open on his desk.

“Did you write this poem?” asked Ruby's grandfather.

“Yes I did, Grandfather,” answered Ruby.

“Do you really think that in this house we only care for boys?”

“Oh no, Grandfather,” said Ruby, very sorry that she had upset him. “You take good care of all of us, and for that we are all grateful.”

“Little Ruby,” her grandfather said gently, “I really would like to know why you wrote this poem. How are the boys better looked after?”

“Well,” said Ruby, trying to think of a small, unimportant thing, “when it is the Moon Festival and we are each given half a moon cake, the boys always get the half with the yellow moon yolk.”

“Hmmm,” said her grandfather, as if he was still waiting. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” continued Ruby, “and when it is the Lantern Festival, the girls are given simple paper lanterns but the boys have red lanterns in the shapes of goldfish, cockerels and dragons.”

Ruby's grandfather chuckled. He'd never thought about it before. He could imagine how much Ruby would have liked a red lantern.

“But most importantly,” said Ruby, staring hard at her red shoes, “the boys will get to go to university, but the girls will be married.”

“Don't you want to be married?” asked her grandfather. “You know, you are very lucky. A daughter of this house can marry any man.”

“I know, Grandfather,” said Ruby, “but I'd much rather go to university.”

Ruby's grandfather touched her hair. “Thank you for talking to me, Ruby,” he said. “Go on with your lessons. Make the most of them while you can.”

So Ruby went on with her lessons. Some of the boys grew up and went away to university. Some stayed in the house and started families of their own. But when they grew up, all the girls were married and sent away to live in their husbands' homes. Ruby knew it would soon be her turn. In the ponds, Ruby could see the orange-and-white carp gulping for breath under a thin layer of ice. It would soon be Chinese New Year. Ruby felt sure it would be her last one at home.

On New Year's Day, Ruby put on red velvet shoes and tied red ribbons in her hair. Then she went to wish everyone a happy new year. She started with her married cousins, then worked her way up through her parents, aunts and uncles. Each one gave her a red packet full of lucky money. Finally, she bowed before her grandfather. “Good luck and prosperity, Grandfather,” she said.

“Good luck, little Ruby,” replied her grandfather, and he handed her a very fat red packet.

Ruby could feel the eyes of all her family on her as she opened the lucky red envelope. Can you guess what was in it? It wasn't money, it was something much better than that.

It was a letter from a university, saying that they would be proud to accept Ruby as one of their very first female students.

So that's how Ruby got her wish. It's a true story. And how do I know this? Well, Ruby is my grandmother, and every day she still wears a little red.