How One Ayi Went Beyond the Call of Duty During COVID-19

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Initially, when I set out to write this blog, it was supposed to be about teary-eyed reunions with ayi. I had seen a few messages in WeChat groups from folks who, after spending upwards of two months stranded in far-flung corners of the globe, were over the moon when they were finally able to hug those honorary and integral members of their family.

One person who related a particularly emotional homecoming was UK-native, Tara Gillan, Head of the Early Years Center at Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA). However, after speaking with Gillan about her experience, it became clear that it wasn’t necessarily her and ayi’s reunion in China that tug at the heartstrings, but rather an incident that occurred while they were apart.

The story starts in Zanzibar, where Gillan went for the Lunar New Year holiday with her two boys, 10-year-old Anu and 8-year-old Tobi. What began as a beautiful and relaxing vacation in paradise quickly devolved into confusion and anxiety as COVID-19 swept across China.

As things continued to develop, and the grip of uncertainty tightened by the day, Gillan remained in constant contact with her ayi via WeChat.

“She is older and we were worried about her,” Gillan tells beijingkids. “She kept checking in with us, as she was worried about us too. Concerned for our safety, she thought it would be better for us to return to China at the end of February.”

This was all well and fine at first, however as it became increasingly clear that COVID-19 was here to stay, schools began reassessing the logistics of their Spring semester, and moved towards the ubiquitous online platforms we’re all too familiar with at this point. As the head of BIBA’s Early Years Center and the mother of two students, this meant that Gillan had to figure out how the family could best resume their daily responsibilities.

Unfortunately, seeing as how Beijing is five hours ahead of Zanzibar, this added another layer of complication that Gillan didn’t want to be saddled with as she navigated the dizzying labyrinth of Coronavirus updates. What’s more, the universe seemingly decided to add a proverbial insult to Gillan’s injury when her laptop irrevocably crashed.

So there was Gillan, stuck in Zanzibar with a broken computer, two boys who were about to begin online classes, and a department at BIBA that needed its leader.

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As she explained the situation to ayi one night, something must have gotten lost in translation, because what ayi understood was that Gillan wanted to return to the UK, but didn’t have the necessary funds to do so. Of course, this wasn’t the case, and Gillan was merely lamenting the fact that she had to get, at the very least, to an area in roughly the same time zone as Beijing, and somewhere that she could get her laptop fixed. After all, for what Zanzibar boasts in beauty and luxury, it all but lacks in computer repair shops.

Nevertheless, no matter the reality of the situation, what ayi heard was a call for help. And much to Gillan’s surprise, she answered that call to the tune of RMB 3,000.

“We were having a WeChat update and we told [ayi] that we would not return to our home country because the time difference for work made it inconvenient,” says Gillan. “She misinterpreted that, thought we were in a difficult situation, and sent me money on Alipay. I sent it back and explained we were fine, but the fact that she was willing to do it left a lump in my throat. That made me cry while I was away, that my ayi is willing to give me her money to help me out while I’m abroad, it’s just crazy!”

In the end, Gillan landed in Bali where she was able to purchase a new computer and arrange for her and her kids to get their necessary work done. Gillan has since returned to Beijing, and was actually able to coordinate her return with their ayi.

“We gave her notice we would return in the coming weeks, so she quarantined herself and got ready for our return,” explains Gillan. “The fact she could return, and was willing to be ready for our return was extremely humbling.”

As for the reunion itself, “We came home from the airport, the house was clean, food in the fridge, and she had cooked us dinner. We all shed a tear and hugged. She is part of our family, so it felt like a family being reunited.”

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Photos: Courtesy of Tara Gillan

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