==CHINA==

Autumn has crept in without knowing. There are more and more fallen leaves and flowers on the ground. I'm resting under a tree during the noon break. Suddenly I found a pedal from lilac on my shoe. I pick it up gently and look at it, enjoying its beauty. Little by little, a girl's face appears before my eyes----pretty, pale and smiling, just like a lilac.
That girl was a good friend of mine. She was an excellent student and doing well in both study and sports. Like a happy bird, she always spread happiness to people around her. But at the age of 18, may be because the fate was jealous of her, a bad luck came to her. On a sunny day in summer last year, together with some friends we went outing and climbed a hill. We all had a good time that day for the a scene was so beautiful. But on our way back home she suddenly fainted and was sent to the hospital. Her health made me very worried and an unlucky omen cast shadow over my heart. Soon she was reported to have got cancer in the bones. While all of us found it difficult to accept this terrible fact she only looked out of the window calmly and said nothing at the hearing of the news.
The next day, I went to see her. She told me that she cried the whole night and she explained that she didn't cry during the day in front of her parents just because she didn't want them to see her cry. What a thoughtful girl she was! Howev- er, the fate still played trick on her. Her sickness became worse and the cancer cells spread quickly. Doctors decided to amputate her legs. Hearing the news, I hurried to the hospital with a bunch of lilac that she liked most. She was lying on the bed quietly. Seeing me, she couldn't keep back her tears and said she couldn't climb hills, couldn't travel and enjoy the beautiful scenery of our motherland any longer. She became very excited and I cried too. I knew that she liked nature and her biggest hope was traveling throughout China. She once said with great feeling, "I like to travel because I want to know more about our country. I want to climb the Great Wall, visit beautiful mountains and rivers in Guilin, the west lake in Hangzhou and the delicate gardens in Suzhou... I want to talk to people of different nationalities and observe various cultures and traditions. I just want to broaden my view of the world by traveling..." Back from my memory, I looked at her. She was stroking the lilac and said it was beautiful but it was going to wither anyway. I encouraged her to continue to struggle against the illness. She nodded and said that though she's going to lose legs, she still have hands and brains. I was deeply moved by her words.
After the operation, she really worked harder in bed with her study. Once I went to her home and saw her studying at the desk, sweats dripping from her forehead because of the pain . But she didn't want to stop and told me a true story. She said "In September 1995, Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued a doctor degree in biology to a disabled Chinese girl. But years ago, when she graduated from a senior high and passed the en- trance exam, no college wanted to accept her. Her strong desire of learning encouraged her to write a letter to the Chinese government in Beijing who gave her great support by sending her to a famous university in Beijing. There she studied very hard and got scholarships and rewards every year. At the time of graduation, she took TOFEL and got 640. As a result she was accepted by MIT. There she finished the graduate and doctorate degree one after another. She accomplished so much although she is a physical deformity!" I found her face red and very excited. It was obvious that she was deeply moved by that girl and decided to learn from her. This time I also gave her a bunch of lilac with the words "Wish you as healthy and happy just like the lilac." She took the flower with thanks and promised she would keep it fresh as long as possible.
But as the winter was coming, her sickness went worse again. Her head became bald due to the chemical treatment. But she kept on studying everyday. She said she must make full use of time. I went to see her several times always with a bunch of fresh lilac. But one day when I went to the hospital again, I found the bed was empty and the lilac withered. I understood what had happened. The doctor told me that night before her death, she said she would like to become a lilac. She left a letter for me. When I opened it, a petal of lilac fell out. Her words are: "I'm leaving with a smile. The lilac wouldn't wither forever." I couldn't help weeping. Oh, my lilac!
This autumn, I'm standing under the tree alone, the fallen lilac in hand thinking of my friend smiling at me like the lilac in the heaven.