One school's miracle escape
Updated: 2008-05-22 10:13
Even more disappointingly, the group had passed two families on the road with enough resources to temporarily take care of the children, but for various reasons, they refused.
Yet the children did not give up. Later, the teachers said they encouraged them with promises of sweets, bread, ice cream, and Coca-Cola when they reach Mianyang. They would get to meet the policemen, whose job was to save people, and whom the little ones frequently saw on television.
They finally arrived at a toll station. The county magistrate asked how many were still alive.
"We didn't lose a single one," Xiao said.
But there was no candy or ice cream yet; everyone was too busy getting ready for the drive to Mianyang. That night, the children slept soundly on the bus.
Though they were still at the point of exhaustion the next day, the youngsters were exhilarated to see the sprawling metropolis. It was badly damaged by the quake, but for some, it was the first glance at a big city. For the group that had traveled several hellish days, Mianyang seemed like heaven itself.
The story first appeared on Tuesday in the Beijing Youth Daily
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