Ye Ting | Peggy, how are you? I have never forgotten you. As for Lin Yilian's "I Can't Forget You," tonight, let's just think of it as the "time and space portal" of this story that spans 70 years: "I can't forget you, once for a lifetime."

Night Listen | Peggy, how are you? I have never forgotten you

"The time left behind, the answer abandoned, the heart is the vicissitudes of a no-man's land. All kinds of unwillingness, collisions back and forth, I can't forget you, What worries me is your trembling heart. "

This lyrics comes from a 2017 song by Lin Yilian : "I Can't Forget You."

In order to write tonight's "Night Listening", and also to immerse my "writing mood" in a certain atmosphere, Lin Yilian's melody full of memories has been repeated over and over again in my ears.

Because in tonight's "Night Listening", I want to tell you a story that is regrettable but still has a warm ending.

A true story.

And this song "I Can't Forget You" by Lin Yilian, Tonight, let's just think of it as the "time and space portal" of this story that spans 70 years: "I can't forget you, once for a lifetime. "

The reason why I have the opportunity to tell you this story comes from a news report I accidentally saw on the Internet some time ago.

This news was widely reported in the media in Japan and the United States in early June, and it moved countless netizens.

The story begins with a missing person notice.

In mid-May this year, an unusual missing person notice was published in the American media. Soon, this missing person notice was quickly reprinted and published by Japanese media.

In the missing person notice, the protagonist is an American old man who has turned 92 this year. His name is Duane Mann.

What he is looking for is an old friend who has lost contact for 70 years. And this old friend was Mann’s first love whom he met while working in Japan when he was young.

The other party is a Japanese woman. Her Japanese surname is "Yamaguchi" and her English name is "Peggy". If the other party is still alive, he will be 91 years old this year.

Media and netizens in the United States and Japan have given blessings and attention beyond expectations because of this extraordinary search. But netizens are also worried. 70 years have passed. Is the old man’s first love still alive?

As a result, what is surprising and touching is that just over a week later, among the various clues provided by netizens, Ms. Paige, who is still alive today and is 91 years old, was actually found.

Then, in early June of this year, the American media arranged for the two old men to meet again across time and space.

92-year-old Mann, although his health has not been very good in recent years, was very excited after learning the news. He still insisted on wearing an oxygen tube and came to see Peggy, whom he had not seen for 70 years.

The scene of the two old people meeting each other left people with mixed emotions, and more importantly, they were moved beyond words.

I just happened to see the story of the reunion of these two old people. After that, I checked some relevant news backgrounds, and then I basically fully understood the story of the two old people when they were young.

It turns out that this old American named Duane Mann was a U.S. Navy man when he was young. In the 1950s, he was stationed in Yokosuka Port, Japan, and his first love, Yamaguchi, was from Yokosuka.

When the two met and fell in love, everything was almost natural and natural, and they reached the stage of talking about marriage.

At that time, Yamaguchi was pregnant. Never thought that Mann's job would suddenly change. Mann needs to return to the United States immediately.

The last time Yamaguchi and Mann met was at the Yokosuka harbor dock in 1953. Mann promised Yamaguchi that he would return to Japan as soon as possible to marry her and then take her to the United States.

However, after returning to the United States, Mann soon discovered that everything was not what he had expected, nor could he control it.

Originally, Mann’s father had spent all the money that could be used for marriage. After returning to the United States, Mann couldn't even afford a ticket to return to Yokosuka.

Mann immediately wrote to tell Yamaguchi that the plan may have changed, but his determination to marry Yamaguchi will never change. He will work hard to make money and return to Japan as soon as possible, hoping that Yamaguchi can wait for him.

However, for some unknown reason, Mann never received any reply from Yamaguchi. It was several months later when he finally received the message from Yamaguchi.

But what was waiting was Yamaguchi’s "breakup letter" . In the letter, Yamaguchi couldn't hide her sadness and told Mann: "Our child is gone."

At the same time, Yamaguchi told Mann that she had decided to get married, and the other party was a U.S. Air Force man. Yamaguchi asked Mann to forget himself.

Mann was heartbroken, but he didn't blame Yamaguchi at all. Instead, he felt that it was his fault. He thought Yamaguchi must have felt that he had abandoned her.

This huge feeling of guilt has been lingering in his heart for 70 years.

Throughout his life, Mann always wanted to find an opportunity to tell Yamaguchi personally that he had not abandoned her, and he had never forgotten her.

Many years later, Mann learned the whole story. In fact, Yamaguchi had always planned to wait for him. At that time, after receiving Mann’s letter, Yamaguchi replied. And wrote many, many letters.

But all the letters were quietly intercepted by Mann's mother.

Because Mann's mother opposed her son's marriage to Yamaguchi, had no choice but to think that Yamaguchi had been completely abandoned, and wrote the last "breakup letter" in despair.

As a result, this letter was seen by Mann's sister. She hid it quietly and then forwarded it to Mann when she found an opportunity. But she didn't expect that it was a heartbreaking "breakup letter."

Mann later got married and had children of his own. But he has never forgotten Yamaguchi. He has always felt an unspeakable debt to Yamaguchi.

Mann’s home in the United States has had two photo frames side by side for many years. One is a photo of Yamaguchi, and the other is a photo of Mann himself.

At that time, they were young and had strong feelings. At that time, he and she both thought that they would be together forever and have a group of children.

I never thought that the fate of love would actually make a huge joke.

The initiator of the missing person notice is Mann's son Brian Mann.

When Brian unexpectedly learned of his father's regrets and wishes, he launched what he thought would be an endless searching journey. never thought that he would actually help his father solve this 70-year-old regret.

After knowing the news, Mann was so excited that he insisted on wearing an oxygen tube and went to meet Yamaguchi.

After 70 years of separation, Duane Mann's first words were to call Yamaguchi's English nickname "Peggy". After long years and longing, Mann said: "Hello, Peggy." "

91-year-old Paige hugged Mann and thanked him for never forgetting herself: "Do you still remember the dance we danced together?" Mann said, of course.

Then Mann said: "I have thought about you all my life, I have always been worried that you would think that I abandoned you. I came here just to tell you personally that I didn't, and I always wanted to find it. You.”

The two old men hugged each other and cried.

In fact, in the past 70 years, Mann and Yamaguchi have not been too far apart. Yamaguchi settled in the United States with her husband in 1956, and changed her husband's surname to this day.

Mann has been living in Iowa , and Yamaguchi has been living in Michigan .

The two old people met again on this year's Children's Day. Mann's son, Brian Mann, took his old father and drove for 14 hours to see Yamaguchi.

Originally, Duane Mann's physical condition did not allow for a long journey, but he insisted on bringing an oxygen tube and came to see Yamaguchi.

In the news report about the reunion of the two old people, the scene that made me burst into tears the most was a detail at the end.

At that time, Yamaguchi’s 66-year-old eldest son accompanied him to see Mann.

When Yamaguchi's son saw his mother reunited with his first love, he couldn't help but said with tears in his eyes, Now, I finally know why my mother named me "Duane" in the first place...

"I can't forget you, no matter what." Lin Yilian's song is still playing in my ears over and over again, but the story of Mann and Paige is finished here.

Although the whole story is full of regrets, the ending is still warm in my opinion.

He and she once loved each other brilliantly, even if they were not together later.

But we can meet again at the age of more than 90 years old, and we can resolve each other's worries and wishes, and we can spend the rest of our lives peacefully and without regrets.

I think, This is God’s best arrangement. It is also the last and best gift given by God to this once passionate love.

text/Jiang Hang