Between 1973 to 1978, communism had spread around Mongolia, killing almost everyone who had power and intelligence, leaving all the women and children at home. Moreover brainwashing them. Communists thought that only rich people had all the power. The communist’ motto was “everything equal to everyone”, so they tried to even everything out, if someone rebelled, they just shot them without a word. At that time my grandfather owned a big hotel, so he fit into the rich and intelligent people’s definition. In 1976, communists closed my grandfather’s hotel and put him in jail, leaving my grandmother with 6six kids and no money. My family is one of those innocent families that had faced unfair life since those years, and it changed our lives forever.
My grandma’s and her children’s lives changed forever after the night they took my grandpa into prison. My grandfather hid some money somewhere and told my grandmother to leave the country with all the kids, but my grandmother refused. Instead of using the money to escape, she used it to help her husband. Unfortunately, at that time, there was no one to help him. My grandfather could not take the constant beating and starvation, and he passed away in prison. It devastated my grandma, and a year later she also passed away. The oldest of the six kids was only nineteen, and she found a job in factory and took her brother with her. Two children’s salary was barely able to feed six mouths. Then she married to a communist officer, yet I always wonder if she married him out of desire or if she sacrificed herself for her siblings. I think we all wonder, but we never ask.
Another person’s life that changed forever was my father’s. When the tragedy happened, he was only ten years old. When his sister married a communist soldier, he and his two brothers refused to live with him, so they stayed in their old house. His older brother worked every day, and it was his job to take care of his younger brother. My dad and his brother went to school, and when they come home, they had to cook and clean. Everyone used to call him “mommy’s boy” because he loved his mom more than anything. When his precious mother was gone, nothing mattered to him. He started smoking at thirteen and dropped out of high school. He started little business. I remember my dad come home drunk, which was very unusual because he never drinks, and told me that “my two little girls never have to go through want I went through”. I did not understand what he was referring at that time, but now I understand it. I can only imagine how awful it is to grow up without your parents, and I am so proud of my father that he didn’t let me and my sister to go through hard times.
It also affected my sister’s and my life. My mom said when we were young, we always asked why we had only one grandparent when other kids had two. She could not explain anything, but pointed at the big picture of two people we have in the living room, and said that is them, but they live in a country far away. My sister and I didn’t know the story about my grandparents until few years ago when my mom told us. My mom also told me that we have to love dad extra because of that. I cried the whole night, thinking over and over again, how my father grew up. I was so mad, and I wanted to blame someone for not seeing and not knowing my grandparents. Also for my dad’s harsh upbringing, but I find no one to take the blame.
Now all the six kids live healthy and happy lives. My dad once said that he loves and respects his oldest sister like god because if it was not for her, his life wouldn’t be the same. Every day my parents light a candle in front of my grandparents’ picture, and pray them to look after their innocent six kids from far country. They are just six out thousands of innocent children who lost their parents during the repression time. After the 1990’s revolution, government gave some amount of money for repressed people’s relatives like that money would cover and pay for everything that they went through, but again there was no one to take the blame.
My grandma’s and her children’s lives changed forever after the night they took my grandpa into prison. My grandfather hid some money somewhere and told my grandmother to leave the country with all the kids, but my grandmother refused. Instead of using the money to escape, she used it to help her husband. Unfortunately, at that time, there was no one to help him. My grandfather could not take the constant beating and starvation, and he passed away in prison. It devastated my grandma, and a year later she also passed away. The oldest of the six kids was only nineteen, and she found a job in factory and took her brother with her. Two children’s salary was barely able to feed six mouths. Then she married to a communist officer, yet I always wonder if she married him out of desire or if she sacrificed herself for her siblings. I think we all wonder, but we never ask.
Another person’s life that changed forever was my father’s. When the tragedy happened, he was only ten years old. When his sister married a communist soldier, he and his two brothers refused to live with him, so they stayed in their old house. His older brother worked every day, and it was his job to take care of his younger brother. My dad and his brother went to school, and when they come home, they had to cook and clean. Everyone used to call him “mommy’s boy” because he loved his mom more than anything. When his precious mother was gone, nothing mattered to him. He started smoking at thirteen and dropped out of high school. He started little business. I remember my dad come home drunk, which was very unusual because he never drinks, and told me that “my two little girls never have to go through want I went through”. I did not understand what he was referring at that time, but now I understand it. I can only imagine how awful it is to grow up without your parents, and I am so proud of my father that he didn’t let me and my sister to go through hard times.
It also affected my sister’s and my life. My mom said when we were young, we always asked why we had only one grandparent when other kids had two. She could not explain anything, but pointed at the big picture of two people we have in the living room, and said that is them, but they live in a country far away. My sister and I didn’t know the story about my grandparents until few years ago when my mom told us. My mom also told me that we have to love dad extra because of that. I cried the whole night, thinking over and over again, how my father grew up. I was so mad, and I wanted to blame someone for not seeing and not knowing my grandparents. Also for my dad’s harsh upbringing, but I find no one to take the blame.
Now all the six kids live healthy and happy lives. My dad once said that he loves and respects his oldest sister like god because if it was not for her, his life wouldn’t be the same. Every day my parents light a candle in front of my grandparents’ picture, and pray them to look after their innocent six kids from far country. They are just six out thousands of innocent children who lost their parents during the repression time. After the 1990’s revolution, government gave some amount of money for repressed people’s relatives like that money would cover and pay for everything that they went through, but again there was no one to take the blame.
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