Jamil Jan Kochai, the author of 99 Nights in Logar, searched for more than a decade for Susan Lung — the second-grade teacher who had changed his life over 20 years earlier. On Saturday night, the two were finally reunited at one of his book-reading events.
The writer was born in a refugee camp (难民营) for Afghans in Peshawar, Pakistan, and his family moved to California when he was just a year old. At home, they spoke mostly Pashto and some Farsi, so by the time he reached first grade, he was at a total loss because he could hardly speak English. Then came Mrs. Lung, who quickly realized that Kochai was deeply struggling at Alyce Norman Elementary School.
The two got to work, meeting for one-on-one lessons nearly every day after school. At the end of the school year, Kochai won reading-comprehension competitions.
Lung and Kochai lost touch when Kochai’s father got a job in another city and the boy moved on, with a new love of reading and writing. When he grew older, Kochai’s parents encouraged him to find his former teacher to thank her. But despite his efforts, he failed to track her down.
“I didn’t know her first name. She was always just Mrs. Lung to me, so when I called places to ask about her, they couldn’t find any records of her,” Kochai said.
Then, while promoting his first novel, he wrote an essay for Literary Hub magazine touching on the transformative impact that Lung had on his life. Lung’s doctor happened to read it, and told the now-retired educator about that.
Lung’s husband saw a Facebook post about Kochai’s reading event on Saturday in Davis, California and suggested he drive his wife there.
“I had no idea they were going to be there,” Kochai said. “It was just like a sweet dream. Mrs. Lung was sitting in the front row. She was just the same Mrs. Lung. Just as sweet, kind and warm as ever.”
Kochai and Lung hugged, and Kochai finally got the chance to express to her how much he still thought of her and how much she meant to him.
【小题1】How did Mrs. Lung help Kochai?| A．By dropping by his house regularly. | B．By asking him to read more in class. |
| C．By spending extra time tutoring him. | D．By saving him out of a refugee camp. |
| A．There were few records about her. | B．His parents provided little support. |
| C．He was too young to remember her. | D．He had limited information about her. |
| A．Surprised and delighted. | B．Shocked and angry. |
| C．Ashamed and regretful. | D．Proud and grateful. |
| A．A Distinguished Guest Showed Up at a Reading Event |
| B．A Writer Was Finally Reunited With His Former Teacher |
| C．A Famous Teacher Saved a Poor Student’s Whole Life |
| D．A Book Changed a Celebrity and a Retired Teacher |
