His biography is painfully short.
He has no recollection of his family. All he remembers is a string of care centers and orphanages. He can’t remember when he left school either, he estimates that he did a couple years of elementary school.
The last orphanage he lived in was supported and run by a Japanese Non-Governmental Organization. He stayed there for four of five years. Khosoo said they didn’t like him – I can’t imagine why someone wouldn’t like Vannie. In the summer of 2009 the orphanage closed due to lack of funding. Vannie was dropped off at Ayurzana’s center.
That’s where he met Baaskaa. Baaskaa would come to the center over the weekend, when he had to leave his school in Naleikh. They quickly became friends. When Byambaa and Byaraa decided they wanted to take in two more children, they discussed the plan with Baaskaa and asked him whom he’d recommend. Baaskaa immediately suggested Vannie.
Vannie moved from the care center to Byambaa’s in late fall of 2009. In the short time he has lived there, he has become a fully integrated member of the family and very much loved.
He finally grew in height and gained a little bit of weight, which makes him look closer to his actual age.
Sara has had the same experience when she visits. During her April visit, Vannie had no time for her, as the pig was about to give birth and he wanted to see it and help. So Sara had to follow him to the pigsty in order to exchange a few words.
I felt bad; I should have been a bit more sensitive and not so impulsive. Vannie cried really hard. Just because these kids have nothing doesn’t mean they don’t have pride or dignity. Luckily Mongolians are pretty tough people, pity isn’t something they know much of. Everyone had a good laugh, hugged Vannie and told him how handsome he looked in his new shoes.
Byambaa and Byaraa love him. Every time he comes through the door Byambaa cries out “Vannie”, which is his Russian nickname (a cute version of Vanja – I have no idea who gave him this name). The actual meaning of Batbileg is ‘gift’, and that’s how they treat him.
Vannie is a very hard worker. He is small for his age, but he works like an adult. The first day I was at the farm, Vannie cam back from herding, carrying an adult sheep on his back that was frozen and incapable of walking. Sadly, it died a few hours later.
When the kids discussed their wishes for the future, Vannie was very sure about being a herder. He said he loved working on the farm, with goat, sheep and pigs- there is nothing else he wanted to do. Someone had told me that he too expressed interest in being a bulldozer driver, but he dismissed that as an old idea, not valid anymore.
Vannie enjoyed our time together. He is a very good basketball player, even though he is quite small in height. And he loved Avatar. He had never been to a movie theater before and he was impressed by the crowd and size of the theater.
When we worked with the kids to identify which items they needed and wanted, his list was the shortest, even though he had the least possessions. Byambaa and Byaraa scrambled to find a jacket for him, when I picked him up. I think they borrowed one from Ambush, Byambaa’s oldest son. What they didn’t tell me was that they also scrambled to find shoes. I don’t know whose shoes he ended up wearing, but when we bought him new ones, it turned out that the ones he borrowed were two sizes too big. He never said a word.
As soon as we returned to the farm (Byambaa: “Vannie!!!!”), without a word, Vannie exchanged his new clothes for work clothes and went to tend to the animals. (Every time I take out the kids, Byambaa is left alone with all the farm work!) We didn’t see him until dinner time.
January is the month of birthdays at Byambaa’s. Baaskaa’s in on January 27th and Vannie’s is on January 29th. I was lucky to be there for the boy’s birthdays and we surprised each of them with a large cake. Well, I guess Vannie wasn’t that surprised, after he enjoyed Baaskaa’s cake. But he were happy nevertheless. It was the first personal birthday cake both of them ever got!
