With so many people gathered around her, she smiles contentedly. Though the world may at times be harsh, she will never be alone.

The old elevator, like an old man carrying a heavy burden, strained to climb up the floors. It made a grating noise that got on our nerves. We were on our way to visit a poor family of three: an old woman recovering from a stroke, a daughter with a brain tumor, and a mentally handicapped son. None of them can enter the working world, and they have been under the care of Tzu Chi for some time. Tzu Chi members visit them periodically to check that everything is OK. One of the Tzu Chi members told us that the family loved people and they were very happy when peoople visited them. She said the daughter was cute.

Anybody Home?

The house was not what I thought it would be. It was not dirty or messy. It was just empty. There was nothing but a table and a few chairs. Though it looked impoverished, it was clean. When we stepped in, there was no one in the living room. We checked the rooms one by one and found the old mother. Although the old mother suffered a stroke, she can still cook and do some simple housework. She sometimes even takes the children on outings by bus.

After a while, the young girl known as "Chubby Sister" came into the room. When she saw us, she smiled brightly like a doll. She was truly lovely. We asked if she took her medicine, and she affirmed solidly that she always took her pills regularly. Chubby Sister is the only member of the family who can take care of herself. Even though she has been troubled with headaches, she must take care of her mother and younger brother. Perhaps due to the brain tumor, her appearance is extremely childlikl. You would not believe that she is over 30 years of age.

A Good-Hearted Neighbor

The family gets financial support from the government and Tzu Chi, but very few friends or relatives visit them. That's why they are so happy when we visit them. They need someone to talk to. We sat and chatted and were surprised to find that the doors and walls of their home were very clean. They told us that a downstairs neighbor fixed and painted the doors and walls for them. We were glad that they had such a good-hearted neighbor.

One Tzu Chi member affectionately stroked the face of Chubby Sister, saying that she was getting prettier every day. Everybody agreed and praised her. She seemed a little embarrassed, but she enjoyed the compliments and smiled.

Someone massaged the old mother and asked the daughter if she did massages for her mother. Suddenly, Chubby Sister got nervous. "No, I am afraid to do massages for Mom," she yelled. "I always hurt her when I try to massage her." There were a few seconds of silence when we heard this. Then one Tzu Chi sister comforted her and demonstrated how to do it. When the daughter learned how to perform a massage gently, we were filled with the joy of a mother who has just taught her baby how to walk.

The Filial Daughter

We asked if they had applied for government assistance for the disabled yet. In July 1995, the government initiated a program to assist the mentally handicapped. A neighbor filled out the application for them. As we talked about how the money should be spent, the daughter asked when she could get the money. When we told her that it would be in December, she said that would be too late. She had to give her mother money to buy food. We all praised her for her love for her mother, but then she confessed that she had beaten her mother. Now, this was really a shock. She beat her mother?

"Mom told me not to take the medicine, so I hit her on her arm. I regretted it so much and I prayed to the bodhisattvas for forgiveness."

We were relieved and comforted, and we told her not to worry. Then we taught her a song, "Thank Heaven and Thank Earth." We told her to be nice to her mother after she learned this song. The house, filled with smiling faces, echoed with beautiful singing. Everyone there fussed over this naive, pure-hearted Chubby Sister. It might be a difficult world, but she was not alone!

A House of Love

"Dear sisters, do come back to see us." "Do drop by." We said good-bye to the family and stepped into the old elevator again. This time, we were not nervous. We were warmed by the smiling face of Chubby Sister. But a feeling of sadness entered my heart when I thought that after we left, the house would be as silent and lonely as before.