The Search

It was the summer two years ago when I first came to Shenzhen from Shanghai. My family have always been on the move for all sorts of reasons, so my childhood was made up of a series of packing up and settling down. I have never continuously lived in one place for more than three years, so I grew up not feeling like I belonged anywhere. As you can already imagine, not all my journeys were pleasant, therefore I was extremely reluctant to leave Shanghai. I begged my parents not to make me leave, but their minds were already made up. Finally, my mom promised that this is our last move before I graduate for college and that I am allowed to bring my pet cat called Lexi with me. So, not expecting for Shenzhen to be any more of a positive experience, I came.

The first couple months have been the hardest, since it was during summer holiday and I could not avoid my sadness by feverishly doing homework. Then everything got better when school started. Though I still did not want to be here, I now have friends to talk to plus a sufficient amount of school work to take my mind off other issues. I can live here, I thought, but this place will still never be home. But then the day came when my cat got lost and everything changed.

In celebration of spring break holiday, I went to my friend’s house party at noon. We hung out till quite late and everyone enjoyed themselves. When I got home, I was extremely exhausted. My head was throbbing so I went to the kitchen for a glass of water as usual. A gust of cold wind suddenly blew in and I shivered. Where on earth did that wind come from? I glanced around then became conscious that the balcony door was wide open and the house was unnaturally silent. I rubbed my temples and frowned in confusion, “Lexi!” I shouted, “Where are you kitty?” The only reply I received was the rustle of trees outside the open window and the continued silence of the room. Almost immediately, I panicked. The irresponsible house maid must have left that door open all day, and my cat must have climbed to the edge and fell off. Totally disturbed by the thought of losing the only valuable thing I brought here, I grabbed my jacket and ran out as if the devil were after me.

The first place I checked was the herb and pine bushes Lexi had surely landed in. Though there were no sign of cats, but there was an obvious dent in the bushes forming a pit, just as if something had fallen into it and made a hole. I shook my head and moved on from that spot. People around me casted me curious glances, as if asking me where the fire was six o’clock in the evening, thus I forced myself to walk at a more reasonable pace. I spent a whole hour walking around the entire area I lived in, yelling for Lexi. Just when I started to get desperate, I walked into a middle aged couple who greeted me warmly and claimed to live one floor above me; they have been a resident in this city for more then fifteen years. I must have looked anxious, so they kindly asked me if something went wrong. “My pet cat got lost and now I can’t find him,” I muttered a reply then stared at my feet. To my surprise, they had seen my cat play on the balcony yesterday noon and offered to help me find him. We walked for a long time till the sun faded and storm clouds clustered in the sky. I suggested that we should wait till the rain was over to continue our search, but they made a good point that when the storm came Lexi would surely hide somewhere discreet which would make finding him even harder. Therefore, we continued.

It really was about to rain. But we still had a little while before the actual raining started. Soon, three of us walked into a few gardeners sweeping leaves off a sidewalk. “Go back inside people!” the gardeners cried in shock, “A ranging storm is about to hit, so what are you guys still doing out here?” I explained to them that we were searching for a grey cat with long fur that got lost this afternoon and inquired if they had seen it. None of them had seen him, but they all volunteered to help. Now, our little group of three expanded to seven. One gardener implied that cats can sense storms so they would seek a place to hide which is usually the outdoor parking lot. So without hesitation, we headed that direction. In the lot, there were so many rows of cars, and they were all lined up neatly against a wall covered with ivy. Could there be any cats hiding underneath cars? I yelled for Lexi, and a shadow beneath a red Mini Cooper in the far corner shifted. I bent down to check out that shadow, and Lexi abruptly jumped out at me. Feeling more relieved than ever, I giggled and scooped him up. “Don’t you ever do that again little buddy,” I whispered to him. The sky opened up and dry lightening cracked the velvet blue sky to shards, but the genuinely warm smile that the six strangers gave me awakened something deep inside.

I was already rain soaked when I got home, and for once my bed felt nice and cozy to me. Odd enough though, I felt like crying. All my life, I had faced problems alone without much help, and I had never believed in the kindness of strangers. But today, unfamiliar people extended helping hands as if we were friends. Suddenly, I realized that this is a community that help and nurture each other. Looking outside, all those lights from the windows illuminated the night. Behind those lights, there may be a person, may be a family. It’s nice to think about the busy lives around me living in harmony, and I am among them. The crystal clear night air, the kid playing with his puppy, and the woman with that colorful umbrella, the world suddenly seemed a lot prettier to me. I looked in to Lexi’s amber eyes and whispered tenderly, “We finally found home.” I felt something special sitting in this room with me. It took me a moment to recognize what that feeling was. It’s happiness.