Children of the future

China was, no doubt, very old. He had represented his country for over four thousand years after all. And despite human understanding of memory, China actually remembered most of those four thousand years. He remembered the colors of the trees every time his dynasty changed. The smell of blood and smoke from every battle he had witnessed. He could recall the pain of every wound he received. And he could clearly remember the feeling of peace when his country was not engaged in war, or in the middle of a recession.

But there was a point that evaded even China's memory, despite his efforts to remember.

His earliest years, including his creation.

No country was quite sure how exactly they were created. The earliest memory most nations had was when their country was established, but they all knew they had existed before that. Some remembered being discovered by another country, but not much before that.

Most countries just figured, that once a country was guaranteed to exist, a personification appeared in the land they were to represent. Thus there was no 'birth' of countries.

China, having discovered more than one personification himself, was one country that believed this theory.

Yet he couldn't help but feel, deep down, that he was wrong.

…..

Huang Di looked at the woman standing in front of him, a distinctive protrusion in her abdomen.

"How did this happen?" he asked simply.

"I don't know." She replied. The eyes of the man responsible for bringing government and unity to her country stared down at her in contemplation.

If one were to see this scene without knowing the woman, they would assume she was Huang di's wife, or even his lover. But this was not the case. Huang di held a reverence toward this woman that people at this time could hardly fathom. However, despite appearances, this woman was much older than Huang di. She could outlive him without even trying.

This woman was the personification of the land along the yellow river, all the way to the great sea to the east.

The man sighed, bringing his hand to his face as he contemplated the meanings behind this new development. "What does this mean for our new union?"

"Again, I don't know." She looked down, absently rubbing her pregnant stomach. "I don't even know if he'll be... like me." she sighed, knowing the man would know what she meant.

Huang Di sighed once more. The last thing the new country needed was a rival country to be born. Their union was too new to compete for resources. They hadn't even chosen a name for the country yet!

Looking back at his land's personification, he stated wearily, "If he is a country, then there is not much we can do. You'll just have to raise him and hope for the best."

The woman nodded in understanding. She took her leave of the man.

Huang di sighed for what he felt was the hundredth time that day. What did this child mean for their little country?

…..

Huang di had grown old over the years. He had suffered through the hardships that come with leading a new country into growth. Yet throughout the entire struggle there were always two constant companions at his side, the representative of the land, and her little son.

After her son had been born, the land's representative had confirmed his being a country. However, despite the number of times both she and Huang di had asked, the child would not confirm which country or land he represented. Thus, over the decades, just as the little country, the child had remained nameless.

Huang di had spent countless hours and many sleepless nights wondering about the existence of the child.

He was healthy and intelligent. He grew quickly for a country (according to his mother). He was speaking coherently and getting along well with the people. He loved learning, especially things pertaining to the unified nation.

Huang di had thought of everything about the child, and through all his time of thinking he could come up with one scenario that made sense of all of it.

The child ran into the room in which Huang di was sitting, long ash brown hair flapping behind him as he smiled. The child's mother followed at a much slower pace, giving a respectful bow to Huang di as she entered and went to retrieve her child.

Huang di smiled before he realized what a golden opportunity he had been presented with.

"Have you discovered the child's name yet?" he asked his long-time friend.

The woman looked over at Huang di, momentarily forgetting about retrieving her son. Seeing the opportunity he scurried off to another part of the room, eliciting a sigh from his mother.

"No," she replied. "I've taken to calling him Yao for the time being."

Huang di nodded, having expected nothing else. He caught the eyes of the young boy, motioning for him to come closer. Yao did so readily, seating himself into Huang di's offered lap.

"Tell me, Yao, what is your name?" Huang di looked into the child's curious large brown eyes, holding his attention.

"Wang Yao." Replied the child, smiling.

"No," Huang di clarified, "what is the name of your country?" when the child simply looked at him curiously, Huang di explained. "Your mother has told you about how you represent a country, yes?"

Yao nodded, still confused at the conversation. "Can you tell me the name of the country you represent?"

Yao shook his head.

"Why can't you say?"

"I don't know its name." replied Yao immediately.

"Do you know if it has a name yet?" Huang di continued, not missing the look of suspicion beginning to grow on the land's representative's face.

Yao however was oblivious and replied without hesitation, "No, I do not have a name."

Huang di simply nodded as if he had expected this from the child.

"Tell me Yao, do you like the name China?"

Yao's eyes widened as he beamed the widest smile he could. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "I like it very much."

"Huang di." The newly named China's mother interrupted, "what are you doing?"

Huang di smiled softly at the woman. "I simply named my country."

"What do you mean?"

"I had decided on it this morning. This country still needed a name. I thought that China would be a suitable name for a country. I was just running it by our representative first. I think he likes it."

"I do not understand." The land along the yellow river stated.

"let me explain," Huang di said calmly, making a placating gesture with his hands as if the woman in front of him were enraged. "Yao was born near the time of our county's union." Huang di gestured to the boy who had since removed himself from the ruler's lap and begun playing around the large room. "not only that, but he has quickly learned our language and customs. He is in tune with the land and the people have taken a liking to him." Huang di's tone grew fond speaking of the child. The land along the Yellow River regarded the ruler with suspicion. "you have mentioned that you have felt a disconnect with the land. You did not feel the effects of the good rains, nor of the unrest of the people."

"I have said such, but why is that relevant?"

"I believe that rather than representing a new nation, Yao has taken upon the representation of this very land." He revealed to his former land.

She gasped, realizing that the point was valid and the evidence supported the claim. "But I have never heard of such an event. A nation being replaced, the land choosing a new representative while the old still exists."

"True, it does seem odd, nevertheless, Yao has shown signs that he is our precious China." Huang di and the former nation looked over at the still young nation as he giggled in amusement.

"If this is true," the woman started, "then why is it I am still here? Why do I exist when I no longer represent a land?"

Huang di sighed. "For that, I have no answer." He looked sadly at the woman who was with him throughout the difficulties of raising a young nation. "Perhaps a higher power has seen fit that you be granted time with your son as he grows into his birthright."

…..

As years advanced and the people of China entered the Xia Dynasty, not many noticed the passing of one very old, yet youthful woman. But the grief of one child carried through the land, even as China bean its years of greatness.

Yet in four thousand years, despite the impeccable memory a nation is gifted with, the now matured Yao, who used to play in the room of the great Huang di, would forget his loving mother and the wise ruler who gave him his name.