Anna’s Past
Tuesday, continued…
Anna listened to Hou Yi’s story in silence, her heart heavy with empathy for the struggles he had faced. As he finished, she felt a mix of relief and exhaustion. There were parallels in their lives, but also stark differences. When it was her turn to speak, she hesitated, gathering her thoughts. The past was not something she often spoke about, especially not in such detail, but Hou Yi had shared so much. She owed him the same.
“Well,” Anna began softly, “my history is a bit different from yours.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “As to how my parents met, it’s a second marriage for each of them. My father was married before and has two sons from that marriage—Ben and Adam. Neither of them are married, though they both have partners. My mother also had a first marriage, and from that, I have a half-sister, Susan, who is married to Wayne Adamson.”
Anna paused, looking at Hou Yi to gauge his reaction, then continued. “Ben and Adam are close to Susan, even though she’s their half-sister. They all grew up together, and Susan’s kids—Wayne and her—have three children. Their youngest, Graeme, is disabled and only has a few years left to live due to his condition. I’m not sure of the details of his illness, but it’s serious. Susan is an Emergency Department Senior Nurse, and Wayne works as a truck driver. Ben and Adam both work on farms. Ben’s wife, Rosemary, is a highly experienced nurse, though she works part-time right now. Rebecca, Adam’s partner, is a school teacher, and they have three kids, twin boys and a girl.”
She shifted in her seat, the words flowing more easily now. “My parents live in Warrnambool, and my siblings all live within an hour of them. I’m the only one who left. I have a younger brother, James. He took two years off from study to work, but now he’s back in school, studying nursing. He’s in his final year. My dad works for the council, and my mum retired last year after an injury from her job as an aged care worker.”
Anna gave a small smile, remembering her childhood. “At school, I was always a bit of an overachiever. I skipped a year and finished Year 12 at 16. I attended a local private school for both primary and secondary, and my grades were good enough that I received offers for fully paid scholarships to universities across Australia—Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Canberra, and Hobart.”
She leaned forward slightly, her tone becoming a little more reflective. “I chose Hobart. I wanted to get away from home, and it felt like a good place to start fresh. I completed a combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law degree. It was in my second year when I first met Lu Jinhu. He was a year older, in his first year of commerce, and we were staying at the same residential college.”
Anna’s expression softened as she continued. “At university, Lu Jinhu and I started out as friends, but quickly became more. He pressured me for a sexual relationship, but I refused. I was only 17 when we met, and he flirted with other women. I also had concerns that he was using me. I told him I needed a commitment before becoming sexually involved, and it was only after he graduated and moved to Melbourne that I thought he was serious about our relationship. I saw it as a romantic gesture, his move to Melbourne. But now, I realize it wasn’t that at all. It was just about what he could get from me.”
She paused, her expression turning more somber. “When he moved in with me, that’s when our relationship became sexual. He was my only sexual partner, but honestly, I was never really into it. He was more interested in it than I was. I insisted that he get screened for STDs before we became sexually active, and he agreed. He had annual checks, and they all came back negative. When I had my annual physical for work eight weeks ago, I was also clear.”
Anna shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the memories still fresh. “At the time he proposed, I was thinking about ending our relationship. I had no idea what the future held for us, but when I accepted his proposal, I thought I was committing to a future with him. Now, I know it was a ploy to get his Australian Citizenship. But that’s all in the past now.”
She looked down at her hands for a moment before looking up at Hou Yi again. “As for my friends, I don’t have many long-standing ones. Lu Jinhu and my friends didn’t get along, so it’s been difficult to maintain connections. But that’s something I’m hoping will change now.”
Hou Yi listened quietly, his expression thoughtful. Anna could see that he wasn’t just hearing her, he was processing everything. It felt strange, to share so much with someone so quickly, but in a way, it was a relief.
“Do you think you need to know anything more?” Anna asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Hou Yi shook his head gently. “Actually, I think we have all the information we need. Neither of us really wants to go out, but we do need to go to my family’s ancestral home to meet my parents and grandparents. It’s expected.”
Anna nodded. She could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on her, but she was willing to face it. “Yi, please don’t get angry. There are things about my relationship with Lu Jinhu that I really don’t want to talk about right now. I’ll share them when I’m ready. I hope you can respect that.”
“Of course,” Hou Yi said softly. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready. I just want to support you, Anna.”
Anna smiled faintly, feeling a sense of relief that he understood. “Thank you, Yi. I’m glad we can talk like this.”
With a final, quiet exchange, the two of them prepared to face the future, knowing that their shared pasts would shape the path they would walk together.
