Gifts from a Japanese Girl

On the morning of February 8,the 17th day since Wuhan announced its restrictions on outbound traffic,my wife was awakened by a rush of cell phone rings from a SF Express courier.At that time,our community was not yet under access control and mailed goods were sent directly downstairs,so I put on a mask and went downstairs to fetch them.They were two light boxes.After returning home I opened them.There were four smaller boxes inside: two of high-end 9501VT masks and two of surgical masks.There was also a pair of anti-pollen allergy goggles.Later,I found two bottles of disinfectant spray hidden in a smaller box.

On the top of one of the larger boxes was a letter to my wife.The writing was neat and smooth,without much formality,a bit like a modern poem.

Hi,QY’s mother.

I sent you some masks and other items.

I hope they may help you.

QY is very anxious and worried in the United States.

I have recently worked back and forth between Shanghai and Tokyo.

Please let me know if you need anything.

It’s my pleasure to help out in this special period.

We hope that the epidemic will come to an early end.

Take good care of yourself!

Stay strong,Wuhan!

It was sent by Kobayashi,a Japanese girl who was our daughter’s classmate in Michigan,USA.

Because of the international shipping restrictions,the parcel with two bottles of sterilized liquid couldn’t be mailed directly from Tokyo.Thus Kobayashi brought it with her to Shanghai where she mailed it to Wuhan.Together with the parcel,Kobayashi send her blessings and cheers for Wuhan.The antiepidemic materials she sent to us were so timely—we didn’t use them up until the market supply turned better.Our daughter has been keeping in touch with Kobayashi,knowing that she is in Shanghai safe and sound.We asked our daughter why Kobayashi sent so many supplies to us.She replied jokingly that it was probably because when they were studying in the United States,she shared with Kobayashi the Zhou Hei Ya braised duck we mailed her from Wuhan.

But our daughter has not yet gotten out of the woods.She originally planned to return to Wuhan from New York for the Chinese Spring Festival.We asked her to cancel her flight after the outbreak.Unexpectedly,the epidemic in the United States has become so severe that no turning point has been in sight.

The haze is about to disperse,and now the sun is shining brightly in Wuhan.People can work and live normally while maintaining preventative measures.At the moment,we are missing our daughter and praying for her safety from afar,and we will never forget Kobayashi,who gave us help and support in our difficult days.Thanks to Kobayashi,a Japanese girl we have never met before.

(Translation: Qing Run)