By Rong Xiandong (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-05-18 13:53

Guo Xifen, greatly disturbed, vexed and anxious, has been trying all measures to search for her missing mother and grandmother but more than five days of efforts ended in failure.

Despite the fruitless efforts, she said she would never give up the search although the chances are slim. "I must find them even with the glimpse of hope, "she said.

Guo, who works in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, sadly cried "Where are you, mom and nanny?" She said she didn't have tears any more after cries for a long time.

Guo Xifen (L) and her cousin Guo Xiyan stand in front of debris after the May 12 earthquake in Shifang, Sichuan Province, May 17, 2008. [Rong Xiandong/chinadaily.com.cn]

Her family, including 62-year-old father, mother, 52, and 90-year-old grandmother, lives in Songlin Village, Hongbai of Shifang City, a town toppled in the earthquake that also shook many other parts of Sichuan.

Guo's mother was missing when she was on her way to fetch young bamboo on the hills. Guo said her mother has a mobile phone but she couldn't reach her.

Rong Xiandong, chinadaily.com.cn reporter in Mianzhu, Sichuan Province.

Some people said they saw her grandmother on the street shortly before the tremor, Guo said.

Her father, who works on night shift in a cement factory, has been in a hospital for treatment after he was severely injured in the arms when the quake shook his house. He was in a room when the tremor happened. He ran out of the house subconsciously and fell off the doorsteps.

Guo Xifen was comforted by her cousin, two years younger than her, all the way in the search.

But obviously Guo Xiyan was luckicer than Guo Xifen, the daughter of the former's uncle (on her father's side) because Guo Xiyan's son survived in the quake that destroyed the kindergarden where the boy is educated.

The 5-year-old boy was not naughty that he was still playing around outside although his teacher urged him to enter the classroom many times, the mom said.

The boy ran out of the school to find his mom, shortly after the school's building was toppled. He came across his mom not far away from the school when the mom was on her way to the school from home to give him some clothes.

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The boy was so young that he didn't even have the feeling of being afraid, the mom said.

As lucky as the child was some of his classmates, who were playing together with him outdoors when the earthquake happened. Hongbai Town Kindergarden has about 30 kids, among which eight were still missing, according to the mom.

The kids are so young that they don't even know what earthquakes actually are. When asked how their classroom was torn down, the 5-year-boy said he thought it was churned by concrete mixers, while other kids said it was brought down by bulldozers.

But Guo Xiyan was not totally lucky. Altough her kid survived, her new house was completely ruined by the quake. She had spent 70,000 to 80,000 yuan in refurnishing her five rooms with an area of around 100 square meters before they were leveled to the ground in the great mishap.