Mingmei Yip - Song of the Silk Road

“He’s not even a friend, just a stranger.”

“A Japanese paid three hundred renminbi for an American, or a Chinese, he doesn’t even know?” Plump said, then widened her eyes while covering her mouth to feign surprise. “Maybe not really Japanese.”

Now it was Kind Face’s turn to comment. “You know, Japanese liked to kill Chinese. My great-grandfather was murdered by Japanese soldiers during the Nanjing Massacre.”

Plump sent her comrade a chiding look, chuckling. “Hey, there are good Japanese, too, especially those who feel guilty of what their ancestors did. Such as this one. Paying three hundred renminbi for a stranger, an American. Wah! ”

A surge of respect rose inside me, not only that Akira had saved Alex’s life but also that he paid for the hospital fees, even though it was only forty U.S. dollars. It was not the amount but the care and consideration that touched me.

I put on a smile for the two nurses. “Miss nurses, please, I really need to make this important phone call.”

Plump cut me off. “Miss, when my uncle got married, he and his brother had to ride a donkey and a motorbike to deliver the invitation cards fifteen days earlier.”

“Sorry about your uncles’ inconvenience, but can I borrow a phone card from either of you? Of course I’ll pay you back…. double. How’s that?” I pleaded.

Kind Face blurted out, “Sorry, we don’t have one. We never call long distance here.”

Plump winked and nudged her colleague’s shoulder, then smiled flirtatiously at me. “Actually I do have one.”

“You do?” Kind Face gave her a surprised look.

“I go get it. Be right back.”

Kind Face said, “Hey, you can’t just leave….”

Plump pleaded, “Good sister, just fifteen minutes. If Dr. Wong asks, tell him I have woman’s discomfort and will be right back.” After that, she vanished like a wisp of smoke.

I went back to the bench and sat down.

In exactly fifteen minutes, Plump materialized in the hall, puffing and sucking in big gulps of air. She dashed up to me with her fleshy hand waving a phone card. “Here you are. One hundred renminbi. ”

“How come so expensive?”

“You said double.”

“All right, I’ll take it.” I fished the bills from my pocket, counted them, then placed them in her outstretched hand.

“Thank you, miss,” she said, then hurried back behind the nurses’ station.

As I was walking toward the phone booth, I heard Kind Face’s excited voice. “ Wah! You make a fortune in fifteen minutes! What about a treat for dinner tonight?”

I thought it would be so hard to get a connection to the States that I was very nervous and had to keep telling myself to be patient. But to my surprise, this time the line was connected only after five rings. I immediately recognized Donna’s voice—like cold ashes long forgotten at the bottom of an antique incense burner.

“Donna? This is Lily Lin calling from Urumqi.”

“Alex there with you?”

“Yes.”

The impersonal voice piped up again. “Why didn’t he call himself? Can I talk to him?”

“I’m afraid not. Alex… had an accident.”

“Oh, my God, what happened? Anything serious? Is he all right?” Her voice was suddenly filled with fear and concern.

Good. At least some hot cinders were finally shooting out from this pile of cold ashes.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine now and asleep. He fell into a lake and got chilled.” I left out the head stitches, in case that would stir her imagination, assuming she had any.

The voice, now fierce and demanding, shot an octave higher. “How did that happen?!”

“Alex was accidentally knocked over by a few frolicking teenagers,” I lied.

Silence.

I said, “Donna, can you tell Frank about this?”

She didn’t answer my question but said, “Alex really shouldn’t have gone to that part of China. He just won’t listen. It’s because of you that he…”

There was a lot I could think of to say, like, “Your son is a grown man and if you think you even have the tiniest shred of control over his adult mind and body, then you’re either damn stupid or a downright retard!” or “Too bad I’m the one he loves, not you. You old, cold, wrinkly, ugly, pretentious, mean-mouthed, and icy-hearted bitch!” But of course I swallowed these would-be-firecracker-like strings of words. This was not the time to be antagonistic. After all, Alex did need his parents’ help now.

I tried my best to sound calm and friendly. “Don’t worry, Donna, the doctor said he’s OK.”

But Donna’s shrill voice attacked my ear membrane from eight thousand miles away. “I don’t trust any doctors in China. They don’t know what they’re doing!”

I said, “I don’t know about Chinese doctors, but a Japanese doctor who trained in Boston also checked on Alex and said he’s fine. In fact, he was the one who rescued him.”

Silence.

Finally she spoke, her voice deflated. “All right. I’ll tell Frank about this, and we’ll book a ticket to come to Alex as soon as possible. Tell my son we are coming right away.”

“Thanks, Donna,” I said, then told her the hospital’s address and phone number.

The telephone conversation, though it lasted only a few minutes, exhausted me. I walked back to thank Plump for the card and told her I wanted to stay with Alex overnight.

“Sorry, miss, hospital visit over. Come back tomorrow.”

I looked at my watch: 9:45 PM.

But I couldn’t just leave Alex by himself. Besides, since the truck was left at the pond, how could I get a taxi and find a hotel? So, pretending to look for the washroom, I left the counter and walked through some corridors until I spotted a bench. Thinking I would sneak in later to see Alex, I stretched out and was soon asleep.

I felt a slap on my shoulder and opened my eyes to see a young woman in a white uniform looking down at me, smiling. “Hey, miss, good morning.”

It was Plump.

“You didn’t go to see your boyfriend?”

“No, not yet.” I peeked at my watch and realized it was six o’clock in the morning. I was so exhausted that I’d slept through the night.

She winked at me. “You slept here all night?”

Before I knew how to respond, she spoke again. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, not even my comrade.”

I suddenly realized since yesterday she’d made a small fortune from me, she probably didn’t want to kill the hen who laid the golden egg. And I was right.

“Anything you want? Just tell me.”

“Thank you, not now, but maybe later.”

She smiled again, this time mischievously. “He’s very good looking, but very young, your little brother boyfriend.”

“Thanks.” I couldn’t tell if the last remark was meant as praise, a comment, a criticism, an insult, or a lament. Or all of the above. “Can I go see him now?”

“Of course! And don’t worry, he’s fine. I just finished feeding him chicken and vegetable porridge. He looks sad but handsome.”

A current of jealousy surged inside me. It should be me feeding Alex, not this fat, greedy bitch!

She winked at me. “See you later, and take good care of your little handsome!”

Once she wriggled her mahjong-table-wide bottom away from my sight, I got up and hurried to Alex’s room.

Alex was sitting up in bed with a lost expression. Then he spotted me, and a sad smile bloomed on his face while he made a gesture for me to sit next to him on the bed.

“Alex, how are you feeling?” I planted a kiss on his face as I lowered myself onto the bed.

He pointed to his lips. “What about here? They miss you, too, Lily.”

Immediately my mouth went to his. After lingering for moments, I detached myself, now worrying again. Alex’s kiss was definitely different—devoid of his usual abundant qi .