Chapter 7...Chapter 7...
Ching Ching: (noticing the bottle of water) Why did you open that bottle? There’s an unfinished one just there. Fei, are you hungry? I bought some cheesecake this morning. You haven’t tasted cheesecake in quite some time. You always eat that coffee cake. Caffeine is no good. When did you start liking coffee cake, anyway? I…
Fei: (getting more and more annoyed) Ching Ching…do me a favor and shut up. Can’t you see I’m not in the mood!?!?
Fei: (shook his head tiredly and put his arms around Ching Ching) I’m sorry…I’m in a bad mood. Workplace pressure.
Ching Ching: (in a small voice) It’s okay. Do you want to sleep in my room tonight? Just tonight?
Fei stopped short. He never slept together with Ching Ching for the past 2 years. They had separate rooms. He used his late-night shifts and extra detecting work as an excuse not to bother her from her sleep. Other times, he pretended to be tired or faked headaches. He couldn’t bring himself to share a bed with Ching Ching. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t.
Fei: I have to go back to the station later tonight. San Gor needs me for some researching work. I’ll be up all night. I might not come home.
Ching Ching: Don’t the police department has a researchers’ department? Fei, please stay here with me.
Fei: Sorry, Ching Ching. This is important work. San Gor and I have to do it ourselves. (look at his watch and faked a surprised expression) Gosh, look at the time. I promised to meet Korean. Sorry, Ching Ching. (Brushed Ching Ching’s face with a kiss) Don’t wait up for me.
A sour expression came over Ching Ching’s face as Fei walked out of the apartment. She was getting suspicious and angry over Fei’s evasiveness to be intimate with her. She had told herself perhaps Fei was concerned about her leg. Now she wasn’t sure that that was the reason. Fei wouldn’t even kiss her anymore. If she were lucky, she would get a peck on the cheek and an occasional hug. Meanwhile, as he headed downstairs to meet Korean, Fei knew where he would be spending the night. At his secret apartment, and as always, pining for Quin.
Man unpacked a huge box of momentos. She pulled out a photo of her father and some gifts he had given her. She smiled momentarily. The next item she pulled out was also a photo. A photo of Chi San hugging her. Man’s smile instantly faded. Although she pretended to be nochalant, seeing Chi San again made a bigger impact than she had anticipated. Memories washed over her, her and Chi San’s happy times, their smiles, their kisses…Man’s head was starting to hurt. No, no, no. I cannot think about the past. Always look into the future. Chi San is the past. He will NOT be part of my future. Tears filled Man’s eyes. She stroke Chi San’s photo softly. She once loved him so much. And he had loved her…
Quin: Man! Hurry up! We’re late for meeting Gigi!
Man: (startled) Coming! Just give me another minute!
Resolutely, Man removed the photo from the frame and tucked the photo into a box marked “Storage”. There is where he will always stay. A storage in my memory and my life.
At the departmental store…
Man: Yeah. The pastel blue will go perfectly with our cream walls.
Gigi: Hey, you two. You are supposed to be helping ME to shop. Not for yourselves!
Man: (laughing) Sorry, but we also needed some stuff for our own.
Quin: Hey, look. This glass coffee table should suit your apartment, Gigi.
Gigi: (looking over the table) Yeah, I like it. And it’s reasonably priced, too. Miss Mo, can you do me a favor and asked Korean over from the electrical department to come and have a look at this?
Quin: Sure.
Korean: But this one? I think the other one is better. You know, the Sony one.
Quin: Korean, your wife is calling! She found a coffee table and…
Fei: Korean, this television set is quite…
Korean: Erhh…did I mention that Gigi asked Miss Mo along, Fei Gor?
Korean: Miss Mo?
Quin: (breaking eye contact with Fei) Korean, Gigi is looking for you. Will you please tell Gigi I have an appointment with a client? And tell Man I’ll see her back in the apartment tonight.
Korean: No problem, Miss Mo.
Quin began walking out of the departmental store quickly. She couldn’t stand there even for a moment longer. Fei chased after her.
Fei: Kwan, wait.
Quin: (stopped walking) What do you want?
Fei: Why are you running away from me?
Quin: I’m not running from you. I have an appointment. You heard me just now.
Fei: Kwan, please don’t lie to me. You don’t seem to have an appointment before you saw me. Don’t avoid me, Kwan.You said that we’d be friends forever, remember?
Quin: I said we’d always be friends. I didn’t say I’d want to see you every second of the day. And if you’ll excuse me, I really have to go.
Fei: Kwan…
Quin: Don’t follow me, Fei. I mean it.
Quin quickly left. She was practically running from Fei. She had to leave before he saw the tears in her eyes.
Man held her handphone in her hands. She debated with herself whether or not to meet Chi San later tonight for coffee. You are totally over him, remember? You can be friends. Just friends. Man told herself firmly. She punched a number in her handphone.
Man: Chi San? Man here. Just want to let you know, I’m free tonight…
At the Coffee Cup…
Man: I got transferred back. I’m going to be teaching in Hong Kong Central Primary School. How was your work?
Chi San: Been easy lately. I rarely had a lot of work to do. Were you living a hard life in Yunan?
Man: No. It was a fairly simple and easy life. (a smile lightning up her face) I just love the kids there. They are so sweet and cute.
Man: Chi San, I…
Chi San: Man, I…
Chi San: You go first.
Man: I hope we can be good friends, Chi San. Besides Quin, I don’t really have other friends. We will always be friends, won’t we?
A tiny stab of pain shot through Chi San.
Chi San: That we will always be, Man.
After returning from the cemetery...
Fei walked into his apartment and slammed the door. He was definitely not in a good mood. He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and gulped down its contents. Then he sank down on the couch and flipped on the TV. Ching Ching came out from her room.
(Ching Ching’s widened with shock and watered over. She can’t believe Fei was yelling at her. Fei rarely yelled at her in the past.)
Quin: I think this couch is quite nice. Should match the interior of our apartment, don’t you think, Man?
(Quin walked over to the electrical department. Korean’s loud voice was easily audible. He was arguing with someone over television sets.)
(Quin’s voice trailed off when she saw the man Korean was arguing with. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Is this some kind of a joke God was trying to play on her? The more she tried to avoid him, the more she sees him.)
(Fei stopped in midsentence. He couldn’t say anything. There she was, yet again. Is this the fate Kwan was always talking about?)
(Fei and Quin kept staring at each other.)
Chi San: How was life in Yunan? Why did you come back here, anyway?
(Both of them lasped into silence. Man sipped her coffee nervously. Chi San kept staring at his coffee cup.)
(They both laughed, breaking the tension.)
Man told Chi San she only wanted to be friends. But did she really mean it? And what about Chi San? Is he hoping for another chance?
Yong June-Ling
Copyright 2001