《On The Same Days》橄榄树

15、13th Sep Friday 2002 Peking

　　Opnieuw het zwarte garen uitvinden (Reinventing the wheels)

　　Out from the hospital where Deng was in, Ling headed to the other one where Anna was. Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital, she gave the address to the Peking taxi driver who was often so over-enthusiastic and talked like crazy in their Peking accented mandarin the moment they discovered you’re not a Pekingese. So she decided she’d better remain silent, not really in the mood to talk.

　　After looked at the note, the driver examined Ling through the back sight mirror for a moment, then started with a very bright smile: “You little dirt Japanese, I tell you, that hospital will change its name soon, who the hell has the friendship with you murderers, you little dirt.” Ling pretend her open-mouth was caused by the speed of the car, too slow, they are jammed somewhere, she tried to look annoyed by the traffic, if she would say something in Chinese now, the driver might be so embarrassed as to kick her out, she wouldn’t dare to get lost here, it was definitely not Shenyang.

　　This was the last day of Ling’s stay in Peking, together with May and Peacock. It has been nice to meet, communicate and get trained together with many teachers of □□ from overall the whole country, more than 100 of them staying in hostels around the campus where they met. Ling liked very much the training programs as they were not simply focused on teaching skills. There were some children psychology and time management topics that she really enjoyed leaning.

　　It was always nice to be with May together, she was so good at finding all kinds of places where they might hang around in the evening, buying souvenirs and eat all kinds of delicacies in different flavors, be wherever it might be originated.

　　Deng had been having injections, drips, eating basket of pills to be ready for his operation next week. Bamboo stayed in the hospital too, never yet in their relationship had they spent so much time together. When they could both face the fact, it was easier to get along, and with the realization that every minute could be the last one they might share together, life suddenly became such a huge treasure that they never really understood before, Bamboo told Ling.

　　Why was this cancer needed to stimulate the deep affection? Why couldn’t people realize that indeed every minute might be the last one for anyone in this world? Right at the moment, Ping! Their taxi ran into the truck in front of them, the last thing Ling had thought in that 1 ‰ second’s conscious is: I am killed as a Japanese by a Chinese for revenge, while my grandfather was also killed by those Japanese in the war. She even laughed at the idea.

　　* * *
　　Her head ached like hell, she felt dry and burned, but it was already autumn, wasn’t it, where came the strong sunshine which felt like laser? No, it felt like the sun from July is burning in her head. Wasn’t it her father who is shouting again that a hell lot of bloody manner was what he needs? Why he referred to her as a he? Her father must be really mad. Or was it Tiffany and Bamboo fighting with each other again who had the right to guard Ling as their little sister?

　　“You can go to see Deng as I am here now.” That was Tiffany,
　　“She is my little sister and I must wait her to wake up.” Bamboo
　　“She is my little sister too; I just want you to have some rest. You look even more terrible then before.” Tiffany could never formulate a compliment without criticism.
　　“I am just fine.” Bamboo rarely takes such initiative to stop a war, but she is really too tired to fight with anybody, if she kept Ling with her, there mightn’t be an accident. She became even bleaker.

　　Ling could see Bamboo’s face in her head, pale with big eyes, beautiful ghost, but what on earth were they quarreling over again, she wanted to say “shut up, you two old women,” then remembered her father’s shout, so she said “please stop, sisters”. But nobody heard it because she only managed some kind of aah uuuh like those toothless babies.

　　What the hell was going on? Then she suddenly remembered, every single piece of the day, even the last seconds that she laughed at herself and the driver. God! Was she dying or was she alive somewhere, what happened to the anti-Japanese driver?

　　Oh, no, Anna must have been waiting for her visit, and May was waiting for her to catch the train back to Shenyang. She must made a whole mess of everything now, and the head, to be specifically, the forehead was aching more severely, she wanted to touch it but her hands only made a very vague move.
　　But the sisters noticed the efforts, they both shut up immediately and started to talk with her instead, “ Ling, did you say something?”
　　“Little sister, did you move?”
　　“Are you thirsty or hungry?” God, her father, as always he was able to shock her awake whenever talked even with the mildest tone.

　　Ling opened her eyes with all her energy, she saw the 3 concerned faces all staking in front of her bed, she glanced around, found herself in a white sickroom, not Deng’s, not Anna’s, but her own. “I am…sorry,” she somewhat cleared her throat, “how is the driver? I have to call Anna, Where is May? ”
　　“You didn’t lose your memory?” Tiffany exclaimed, peculiarly a bit disappointed.
　　“Are you mad? You were almost killed; you lost your conscious for 8 hours.” Bamboo never understood much what’s on the little dreamy sister’s mind, no cry, no scream, what kind of reaction is that?
　　“Let the driver die.” Said the father full anger,

　　Ling couldn’t help but smile, this was her family; even the worst happens, she’d still be able to smile if only they were around. Mother must have been left to watch over the house, crying beside the telephone. “Anyone told mother that I am alright?”
　　“She wouldn’t believe it till she sees you in person, but we couldn’t bring her with us, otherwise you might drunk and die in her tears anyway.” Nice her father got his humor back, “that stupid driver will never drive again, Deng’s father will take care for that, he may learn his manners in jail!” oh, that was the he her father referred too.
　　“No, father, he thought I was Japanese.”
　　“That is why he deserves to be in jail if he can’t even tell a Chinese from Japanese.” Ling knew better to not trigger her father’s anger. She would have to talk about that another time, probably to Deng’s father directly.
　　“May called Anna already. And May’s still waiting to go back to Shenyang with you together, even the peacock is also staying in the hostel tonight, they wouldn’t go without you. One of those Taiwanese from □□ came to see you also a few hours ago.” Bamboo informed.
　　Ling felt her eyes got suddenly a bit warm; maybe Bamboo was right the afternoon; about that life is much more appreciated when you run the risk of losing it. Tina would be shocked if Anna told her, she really had to make some phone calls.

　　“May anyone show me a mirror?”
　　“Aah,uuh, you’ll need some time to cure, you know.” Bamboo,
　　“Hmmmm, looks doesn’t mean anything.” Tiffany,
　　“Am I that scary? Then I wouldn’t need the bad temper from either 3 of you, nice.” Ling joked, insisted to have a look, and saw her forehead wrapped with blood stained white pieces of cloths, scratches here and there on her cheeks, but in general, she was not that scary, more like a funny clown with her doggy hair.