The Farewell

Billi and her parents Haiyan and Jian emigrated to New York City from their native Changchun, China twenty-five years ago when Billi was only six. Billi is struggling finding her place in life and by association financially, she aspiring to be a writer, but the Guggenheim fellowship for which she applied and on which she placed much of her hopes has been denied. Billi maintains a close relationship with her paternal grandmother - her "Nai Nai" - back in Changchun via the occasional visit and frequent telephone calls. As is Chinese custom, Billi and Nai Nai tell each other little white lies both to save face and to prevent the other from worrying about the painful truth. Those little white lies turn into one big lie when Haiyan and his older brother Haibin, who emigrated to Japan years ago, learn that Nai Nai has just been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer with the prognosis of only months to live, the diagnosis and prognosis which they and the rest of their extended family that know decide to keep from Nai Nai herself. In a guise to spend one last time together as a family with Nai Nai, they devise a wedding, that of Haibin's only offspring, Hao Hao, to Aiko, his Japanese girlfriend of three months, as an event, with Nai Nai to be the chief organizer in Changchun. Haiyan and Jian don't want Billi to go to the fake wedding in being the weak link that may tell Nai Nai the truth in her western mores. Against her parents' wishes, Billi does end up flying to Changchun for the gathering in her want to say goodbye to her Nai Nai. As time goes on, it may be difficult not only for Billi but for others to maintain the ruse. But Billi and the others may also come to a better perspective of what is best for all concerned under the circumstances.