Silence in the Dust
China
Wei Li
Dazhang's family lives in the autonomous county of Youyan, located in the Southeast of Chongqing, China. More than twenty years ago, Dazhang along with his three brothers came to Guangdong to work in a local Quartz Powder factory. He met his wife there and together they had three lovely children. However, a few years later, Dazhang was diagnosed with advanced staged pneumoconiosis due to the exposure to a significant amount of dust at work every day.
Dazhang then returned to his hometown with his family and tried to make a living, but soon failed and had to lay in the bed every day. The pneumoconiosis was gradually killing him every single day. His hope to live on became increasingly uncertain. His wife left him and their three children out of desperation. When we asked the children about their mother, they simply told us with that their mom went to another place and would never came back. Their innocent mind only knew their father was sick.
Dazhang's parents had to take the responsibility to take care of the whole family. They sent their grandchildren to school every morning, then started to cultivate the land. Though hard-working, they were still barely able to pay for the living expenses. When the three children played together after school, it seemed like all the misery weighs nothing on them. But they could still understand their father needed them. They would massage Dazhang's foot and help him to eat and drink. They talked to their father sometimes, but the conversation usually didn't last long.
The misfortune didn't leave the family. It was the Chinese New Year that Dazhang's father suddenly stroke and got one side of his body paralyzed. The new school semester began but it was impossible to afford all the tuition. The other son's ashes in was suddenly sent home, then we knew he died of overworking. Leaving alone Dazhang and his life fading away, while his children were still confused about what happened to their father.
Dazhang then returned to his hometown with his family and tried to make a living, but soon failed and had to lay in the bed every day. The pneumoconiosis was gradually killing him every single day. His hope to live on became increasingly uncertain. His wife left him and their three children out of desperation. When we asked the children about their mother, they simply told us with that their mom went to another place and would never came back. Their innocent mind only knew their father was sick.
Dazhang's parents had to take the responsibility to take care of the whole family. They sent their grandchildren to school every morning, then started to cultivate the land. Though hard-working, they were still barely able to pay for the living expenses. When the three children played together after school, it seemed like all the misery weighs nothing on them. But they could still understand their father needed them. They would massage Dazhang's foot and help him to eat and drink. They talked to their father sometimes, but the conversation usually didn't last long.
The misfortune didn't leave the family. It was the Chinese New Year that Dazhang's father suddenly stroke and got one side of his body paralyzed. The new school semester began but it was impossible to afford all the tuition. The other son's ashes in was suddenly sent home, then we knew he died of overworking. Leaving alone Dazhang and his life fading away, while his children were still confused about what happened to their father.