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They say you can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. In some unique cases, though, you can find friendship in unexpected places and they can become like family. In 1999, a young man named Song Yang had recently arrived in London as a student. Having recently traveled from Zhengzhou, China, the then 19-year-old found himself alone and in a foreign country for the first time in his life. But a chance encounter would soon change everything for him.
On a subway ride home from Thames Valley University, where he was pursuing a degree in business management, he spotted an older gentleman having issues with heavy luggage. “He was elderly and had difficulty getting about, so I came over to give him a hand,” Song told China.org.cn. The older man was 66-year-old Johann “Hans” Hodel, a Swiss retiree with no relatives or friends of his own, who never married either.
To thank Song for his help, Hodel offered to show him around London and invited him over for a meal at his house, which happened to be close to Song’s university. Upon arriving, the young man was appalled to see Hodel’s house was a mess. Song offered to cook and clean up the place. Happy with the results, the senior came up with a deal: Song could stay with him for free if he kept the house tidy. Song happily agreed, earning him his first friend in the UK. “We helped each other. Hans helped me to adapt to the local way of life,” Song said.
Hodel showed his generosity in both small and big ways. “Sometimes my friends from China visited me and Hans would offer his bedroom to the guests and sleep on the sofa,” Song shared. When he was in a road accident, Hodel rushed to the hospital to be by his side until he got better, and later helped him file a lawsuit and get compensation. “You look after me now, and I will look after you, too,” Song promised.
In 2007, the young man finished his degree and returned to China, but first asked a friend to look after Hodel. Unfortunately, the senior fell ill, developing a dangerous femoral head necrosis that needed surgery as soon as possible. Realizing it would take months for Hodel to get the help he needed, and there would be no one to take care of him afterwards, Song returned to London for Hodel and took him to China, where he was admitted to a local hospital where Song’s family covered all of his expenses.
Hodel settled in China, developing a bond with Song’s wife and son, whom he taught English to—he later offered his services as an English teacher to the kids in the community as well. Both men spent some of their free time together, watching TV and discussing the news. Sadly, Hodel passed away in 2013, but the help he offered a lonely student all those years ago marked Song and those who loved him forever.
“Hans’ sudden death made me fall into a deep sorrow,” Song said at the funeral, which was attended by representatives from the Swiss Embassy in China, as well as Song’s family and friends. “It seems that our happy fate has been to meet each other in times of difficulty. Hans helped me and looked after me. In return, I am responsible for taking care of him too. He was like a meteor flashing across in my life. I will always remember him.”
In 1999, a young man named Song Yang arrived in London as a student. A chance encounter would soon give him a friend for life—a senior man named Johann “Hans” Hodel.
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Sources: They’ve been firm friends through thick and thin; Repaying kindness — a 14-year story of great devotion; Asian Feed on Instagram
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