The 阿姨们 at Art Class

- Prose -

Rosalind Kong, United States of America

The 阿姨们 at art class go to church. Last month they (the 阿姨们) all started to draw, for retirement

maybe. The daughter in the mother-daughter duo is going somewhere with her youth group this week,

and her mother told 老师 they would have to miss class. They talk about her youth group and I sit and

listen to church things. 嘿,Rosalind,你去不去教会?老师 asks and I say 不去, and 老师 asks 你

没有跟你的朋友一起去过?And I say 没有,可是我去过几次教会的夏令营 and I don’t

mention that most of my friends aren’t Christian. Even if they were, it isn’t like I’d have a reason to go.

Anyway, they talk about 教会, and they talk about 上帝, and I sit and listen to their 阿姨 issues. That

one 阿姨 moved from Europe, and she’s still looking for some friends. You should come to 华人教会,

老师 says. 我知道, she says, 但是有一个人....... I don’t quite remember what she said. 教会有很多

人啊, 老师 says, 你理他远一点就行了。They keep talking for a while, about their kids and their

lives and about 上帝。你看, 老师 says to me at one point, (I don’t know when they started talking to

me,) 有时候啊,我觉得困难的时候,我就会和上帝谈一谈,会跟信上帝的人谈一谈。你看我

们阿姨们, she says, we understand one another. 教会的人, she says, 你知道一点他们心里是什

么。I nod. 你现在可能不懂, she says. 但是认识上帝会对你很有帮助的。When my mom comes

in to pick me up, and they ask her, 你去过教会吗?She replies, 我去了好几年,可是教会不适合

我。I start to gather my things. 你应该什么时候带你女儿去教会, 老师 says. And she says maybe,

如果她说她想去的话。Later, on the car, I ask her, you went to 教会? And she says 当然了, when

they first came to America they figured they might as well go and get to know some people. 可是我一

直没法信, she says. 他们说你得 believe to see, 可是我需要 see to believe. I agree quickly, but she

says, 你现在别那么确定。阿姨们吗,她们都是来到了美国以后才信上帝的。Sometimes, you

know, it does help to believe. 在你困难的时候, when you need someone to turn to, 信上帝会让你

更容易一些。有时候呀, I would’ve gone to 教会 if I believed. 但是我的生活很容易,你的生活

也很容易, I’ve never seen those miracles. 谁知道你长大的时候会怎么样。谁知道你会信不信。

阿姨们吗,她们都是来到了美国以后才信上帝的。And I think, you know, that’s fair. 信不信,

we’re all just carving out our place in the world. Maybe, sometimes, we simply believe what we need to.

Maybe that isn’t what really matters.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Brackets mark text originally in Chinese.

The [aunties] at art class go to church. Last month they (the [aunties]) all started to draw, for

retirement maybe. The daughter in the mother-daughter duo is going somewhere with her youth

group this week, and her mother told [teacher] they would have to miss class. They talk about her

youth group and I sit and listen to church things. [Hey, Rosalind, do you go to church?] [teacher] asks

and I say [no], and [teacher] asks [you’ve never gone with your friends?] And I say [no, but I’ve gone to

a few Christian summer camps] and I don’t mention that most of my friends aren’t Christian. Even if

they were, it isn’t like I’d have a reason to go. Anyway, they talk about [church], and they talk about

[God], and I sit and listen to their [auntie] issues. That one [auntie] moved from Europe, and she’s still

looking for some friends. You should come to [Chinese church], [teacher] says. [I know], she says, [but

there’s one person...] I don’t quite remember what she said. [There’s lots of people at church],

[teacher] says, [just keep your distance and you’ll be fine.] They keep talking for a while, about their

kids and their lives and about [God.] [See], [teacher] says to me at one point, (I don’t know when they

started talking to me,) [sometimes, when I’m struggling, I’ll talk with God and others who believe in

Him. You see us aunties], she says, we understand one another. [People from church], she says, [you

know a little bit of what’s in their heart.] I nod. [You might not understand now], she says. [But

believing in God will help you a lot.] When my mom comes in to pick me up, and they ask her, [have

you gone to church before?] She replies, [I went for many years, but it’s not for me.] I start to gather

my things. [You should take your daughter to church some time], [teacher] says. And she says maybe,

[if she wants to go.] Later, on the car, I ask her, you went to [church]? And she says [of course], when

they first came to America they figured they might as well go and get to know some people. [But I

never believed], she says. [They say you have to] believe to see, [but I need to] see to believe. I agree

quickly, but she says, [don’t be so sure now. The aunties, they didn’t believe in God either until they

came to America.] Sometimes, you know, it does help to believe. [When you’re struggling], when you

need someone to turn to, [believing in God can make it easier for you.] I would’ve gone to [church] if I

believed. [But my life has gone very smoothly, and your life too], I’ve never seen those miracles. [Who

knows what things will be like when you’re older. Who knows if you’ll believe. The aunties, they didn’t

believe in God either until they came to America.] And I think, you know, that’s fair. [Belief or not],

we’re all just carving out our place in the world. Maybe, sometimes, we simply believe what we need to.

Maybe that isn’t what really matters.

Rosalind Kong is a high school poet from Pennsylvania. Her work is published or forthcoming in The Lunar Journal and Renaissance Review. Find her online at rosalindkong.carrd.co or on Instagram @rosalindwrites.