As early as she was just born, my elder male cousin had been voicing in his WeChat Moments that “I have a Princess, she is fine.” He also attached a photo. I knew he could never feel too good to be a father.

If I am to give her, my little niece, an English name, I think it would be Rachel.

The first time I saw Rachel, or met her, was when she was as grown as a kid and came to the family party arranged by my grandfather, who was her great-grandfather. That was awesome, to the extent the old man eulogized his great-granddaughter by saying, “You are the most precious all around here!” At that time I was rather embarrassed, not ready to get along with this child.

Afterwards I didn’t see Rachel too often. I knew how she was going from some talk-about, did see her in some brief occasions, but I never thought of trying to reach her while she had not yet called me uncle. Many relatives played with her but me. I just hardly learned to. However, the only thing I had known from the very start was that she first made me feel

like an elder of a no longer vernal generation. I had known someone was my niece.

But when the most unfortunate had to befall her, I could only be so incapable as to help.

As soon as I heard about Rachel’s illness, the only thing I did was making phone calls to my aunt and then my cousin. My aunt told me that Rachel was like sometimes dull or silly with strange behaviors, and the cause of her illness, after repeated examinations done in different hospitals, was still not found. To my cousin I said that Rachel would be fine just like the way she was born. My cousin said thank you, but I said as well not to keep the call in mind, although I didn’t know why.

My cousin said his daughter was forcing herself not to cry though she did when her blood was drawn for tests, and he himself almost sobbed; and for a child too small the NMR machine was rather scary though it didn’t give feeling. Some months later, after the constant control of some medicine, I finally heard the news that Rachel went to kindergarten just as happily everyday. There wasn’t anyone who could feel she had been bad.

Once on the video call grandpa watched Rachel and heard the most vibrant yell, “Granny granny, your daddy sees me!”

There are in the world only a small part of people who are allowed a comparatively perfect life as a whole. For most of the people, they suffer along the course of living, while unlucky things don’t end once and for all. And for a small number in them, they even endure the sufferings at so early a stage of life. It is seen from them that life can be fragile, but it is  affirmatively seen, like my little niece, that life is so mighty.