There was a lot of work to do to get us back to Australia with two children. How was I going to explain this to Sophie? I couldn’t yet. With some help from the Australian Ballet, we started arranging a shipping container for our belongings. I was very excited for the move. I had come to America for the ballet, for my career, but hadn’t expected to bring up my family here. I had only stayed because I had fallen in love with Li. While Houston was kind to me and I dearly loved our friends, I realised how deep-seated my desire was to go home.
On the other hand, I was concerned about Li leaving Ben, his mentor and father figure of nearly sixteen years; leaving Houston Ballet, the company that had made him a beloved ballet star; and leaving America, the country that had welcomed him and given him his freedom. America had also welcomed Li’s parents and allowed them to live there with us. Would they even be allowed into Australia? And then there were his incredibly successful career, his close friends, and the properties he had worked so hard to purchase and renovate. He would be leaving his life behind.
Telling Ben was extremely difficult for Li. Understandably, Ben was totally shocked, but admitted he had known this would happen one day. I felt so sad for both of these men who had journeyed such a long road together, almost like father and son.
Online real estate websites weren’t yet a thing at that time, but Dad leapt in to help, studying Melbourne’s maps, transport routes and the architecture of each suburb. It turned out there wasn’t much to rent there, but there were plenty of nice houses and apartments for sale. The real-estate market was severely depressed, and Neil George suggested we buy something instead.
‘If we’re buying, you should fly to Melbourne,’ Li said. ‘I’d feel more comfortable if you go.’
Mum agreed to meet me in Melbourne. I went on a Friday and was back in Houston by the following week. Before I left, I heard from Dom, who was living in Melbourne in a crappy little one-bedroom unit in St Kilda East. ‘I’m on my own,’ he said, ‘and it would be great to have company. Would I be able to move in with you and your family if you get a big enough place? It would help me save money to buy something of my own. And I could help you out with the kids when Li’s on tour.’ Fantastic! Now I was getting really excited.
It was autumn in Melbourne. Mum and I stayed in a hotel near the Botanic Gardens, not far from the Victorian Arts Centre, where the Australian Ballet performed. People were out walking, jogging or cycling, or sitting at pavement cafes with their newspapers, drinking Melbourne’s famous coffee as trams rattled by. So that’s what we did too, walking around this green leafy area on the fringe of the CBD and having coffee at South Yarra’s famous cafes, scanning the real-estate pages in the weekend paper.
We mainly focused on the historic inner-city suburbs with old Edwardian houses and Victorian workers’ cottages, all near Port Phillip Bay yet still in close proximity to the city and the Australian Ballet Centre in Southbank. I liked the feel of the place very much, and despite Melbourne still being a long way from Brisbane, at least it was in the same country. Finally, after twenty years, I would be closer to my family.
My favourite property was a newly renovated townhouse in South Melbourne with three upstairs bedrooms and two bathrooms. It would be perfect for us and to accommodate Dom. Li won’t be tempted to renovate. Yes! I thought. Dom liked it too. It was in Park Street, close to the South Melbourne Market, a big farmers’ market. It was also on the tram line, so Li could get to work easily. Just down the road was the charming Albert Park Village and St Vincent Gardens, with a children’s playground and a tennis court. All were within walking distance.
We moved quickly to secure the house, and it was done. Melbourne, Australia, here we come! Dom would move in a week before we arrived.
Our home in Houston sold very quickly, too, as it was such a nice area for families. Li’s junk in the garage was more of a problem. It was still full of Niang and Dia’s garage-sale bargains. It all had to go. Li tried to sneak out some things he wanted to keep, such as his two Balinese Buddha heads. ‘How many Buddha heads do we need?’ I exclaimed. Large Buddha heads and children didn’t go that well together, in my opinion. I didn’t have time to reflect on the fact that we were shedding so much of our American life. We had ordered a 12-metre shipping container, so I was focused on what we could fit inside it. To Li’s horror, I managed to get rid of a lot of stuff.
Li also had to rehearse for Romeo and Juliet, which he was to dance in Beijing and Shanghai before we would make the move to Australia. Performing in China had always been a dream of his. He was so excited about this chance to dance at long last, in front of his family, teachers, friends and countrymen.
The Mad Mothers and other friends were devastated by our decision to leave, especially Ava Jean. However, they all understood and were supportive of us. We were deeply touched by how many people wanted to host farewell parties in our honour. After all, Li and I had established our reputations, developed lifelong friendships and made our lives here in Houston. Li did a farewell-to-Houston performance of Peer Gynt, and many of our friends and his fans came. Peer Gynt was one of Ben’s best creations, with the story centred around the lead male dancer. The performance was emotional and electric. Li had been making such an impact in Houston for almost sixteen years. He was their adopted son who’d risen to international stardom and brought them pride and joy. The public wanted to see him dancing for the final time and to show their appreciation for the happiness he had brought during his time there. The bittersweet feeling in the audience was palpable that night.
I went into Li’s dressing-room at intermission and saw him sitting in front of his mirror. ‘It’s going well, darling,’ I said to him.
He looked at me through the mirror, then said, ‘I can’t believe this will be my last performance in America.’ I could only imagine what was going through his mind and how emotional it must be for him.
I really felt for him. ‘Oh, I know, Li. But for now, just focus on your performance. You can think about other things afterwards.’ I didn’t know what else I could say. I gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and left him to concentrate on the remainder of the ballet.
At the end of the show, the curtain went up and Li was standing centre stage, alone. He had performed so beautifully. The audience spontaneously stood up, cheering and applauding, and flowers flew onto the stage. One by one, each of the seven female lead dancers in the performance presented Li with a red rose. It was very touching. All the dancers cried on stage, and many in the audience shared the same sentiment, overwhelmed at the thought of losing him. It was deeply emotional, but I knew instinctively that the move was the best thing for our family.
The night before we left, Li was very ambivalent. ‘Have we made the right decision, Mary?’ he asked. I understood how he was feeling. Thank God he had his performances in China to look forward to. This made it just that bit easier for him to close the door to our Houston home for the last time. ‘Yes, I think so, darling,’ I told him, stuffing Tom’s precious silkie into my handbag.
I suddenly remembered something and looked back at Li and said, ‘Remember what your mother said when you left for Beijing?’
‘Don’t look back!’ we said together. With a smile, I knew we were going to be okay, no matter what happened next, as long as we had each other.