《On The Same Days》橄榄树

30、 3rd January Friday 2003 Shenyang

　　Waar veel licht is, is veel schaduw
　　(Where there is lights, there is also shadow)

　　“A bit closer, a bit more closer,” the camera man shouted, then walked up to Lily and the Laid off worker, put the laid off worker’s arm around Lily’s shoulder, straighten his tie a bit, then dashed back to the camera, adjusted its angle, “1, 2, 3, cheese!” followed with a bright flash and loud snap.

　　“I like this dress Lily is wearing now, I have to ask if they have it in bigger size too.” May specially came with Ling for Lily’s wedding photography, she wouldn’t need to buy or rent any wedding dress at her wedding party as it would be just a small gathering, but she’d take the photos too somewhere next week, 3 or 4 albums would be enough to show the college roommates in Shanghai.

　　“I like this traditional red dress better,” Ling answered May, while following in and out of the studio carefully inspecting Lily and the laid off worker’s faces. Their smiles seemed happy and real, the laid off worker, Dawn was his name, was actually quite handsome, though not that intelligent but indeed an honest man with wide forehead and big ears, Ling’s father had said the boy wouldn’t stay unemployed for long, big ears brings good luck.

　　Dawn came from a worker’s family, couldn’t pass the entrance exam to college, continued his father’s work in a car seat frames factory, just turned 32 expecting a natural promotion to be some kind of assembly line team leader, but some French Kui Lao’s came and bought up chunks of the factory named it a Joint Venture, laid off more than half of the workers. It wasn’t really a Joint venture, but only the venture of those French, but disaster of the laid off workers. But that was today’s world, wasn’t it? The one who had the capital had the say, merciless. It turned out though that less than half of the workers left were doing all the work there was with less time, that was efficiency.
　　The whole country was heading to capitalism under socialist masks, Dawn was a member of the communist party for years, he somewhat realized the distance from slogan to reality. He wasn’t as depressed as a lot of other workers did; he knew if he hadn’t been laid off, it would be someone else anyway. He knew his day would come, just in a few months time, it came. Lily came. God, his ears did bring him luck as the fortune-teller told, he doesn’t need to buy a house anymore, he’d just move to Lily’s in a week, he’d even possibly get a job through her connections, thank god that he was born good looking with wide forehead and big ears, otherwise god knows why would Lily chose him, he didn’t know he was that attractive. He opened his mouth even wider for the “Cheese”.

　　It took almost the whole day, dozens of different wedding dress and suits, dozens of different backgrounds inside and settings out door. By the time they had done, it was already late afternoon.

　　Back in Tiffany’s place Ling found her parents. Tiffany was boiling, frying and baking all at once in the Kitchen, something extraordinary must have happened, Tiffany never bothered to cook herself for the whole family. The first time of the whole marriage life Roc was sitting and chatting with Ling’s parents without sweating in the kitchen. Took off her feather coat and leather gloves, Ling went to join the group in the living room.

　　“Have you found a free computer on the street?” Ling knew Roc must have achieved something; the ice shadow from the cold war seemed smelted.
　　“Very soon I may drop a computer on the street. I became a chief doctor today!” Roc smiled brightly, he had been working really hard for this day, 5 years already, thanks to the family stress, he finally got promoted thanks to his article about how to help patients who were driven mad by family stress, “I am going to give prescriptions and getting assistants to help me.”

　　“Gosh! Congratulations! Wow, that is really great. Do I still have to pay you if I come to see you in hospital whenever I turn mad?” Ling was really glad; she knew Roc had always been feeling awkward living under her parents’ roof, now that he did prove his ability yet another time.

　　“I can give you a prescription every other day at home. You don’t even have to come all the way to the hospital.” Roc was truly proud. So did the parents of Ling.

　　Ling’s father was eating watermelons one piece after another, he shouldn’t have, as he had diabetes, but he was too happy to care about that. He knew he had been right to marry his first daughter to Roc. Although Roc was poor and came from countryside, but as his name indicated, the boy wasn’t a chicken at all, he was just mistaken as chicken for sometime, he’d fly when the time comes and the time came. His got pay rise, his status would also rise soon, but he would remain as a son in law! Ling’s father contently ate another piece of watermelon till Ling’s mother stood up and took the fruit plate away.

　　“Tiffany, where is the oolong tea again? Father liked that most, aren’t’ you?” Roc’s last sentence was addressed to Ling’s father, first time ever had he called the old man father, he had always called him uncle. Ling’s father smiled his eyes into a thin line, never felt more like a father of a son. (In law or out law)

　　Ling had to laugh; she knew that Roc knew exactly where the oolong tea was, because he bought them for his parents while Tiffany kept them for hers, he just wanted Tiffany to notice his generosity and change.
　　Saw her father was in the best condition, Ling started,
　　“Father, I am actually also considering a change of job.”

　　“Also a promotion? Where to in that kinder garden could you be promoted?” Ling’s father was genuinely interested.
　　“Out, I am thinking about to move to another complete different garden, somewhere more adults are involved, you said that I should live in the real world instead of just jumping around babysitting.” Ling never forgot her father’s sayings.

　　“Where would you go then?”
　　“Why suddenly decided?”
　　“Back to the state owned school?”
　　“You weren’t fired, are you?”
　　….
　　….
　　Suddenly Ling felt weary, why couldn’t they just have some confidence in her? Lee had asked her to consider working in Sunshine Construction from March on. By then he’d be ready with the restructuring, if the loan from Mr. Zhao would go smoothly Lee might already have taken over the firm somewhere in March too. Honestly Ling hadn’t really much interest in the job itself, some administrative tasks plus some translation or interpretation, but the idea to see Lee at his work and working with him together in one office appealed to Ling. It wouldn’t be a bad start after all; at least he wouldn’t be too tough to deal with as other bosses. He liked her, she knew it now. But how could she properly transfer the message to her families?

　　“Remember Fan? Yes, the guy you once made a match for me,” noticed her fathers frown, Ling went on quickly, “Anyway he would marry May next month; and then they both will go to Shanghai. He told that his company, Sunshine Construction would be in need of a translator, I have talked with the manager of that company, I may start to work there in March if I want.” Ling finished for a breath.

　　“Wasn’t the manager that acquaintance of Tina we met when she was back?” Tiffany Shouted from the kitchen.
　　“Yes, he was.” Ling had to live up to her own lie.
　　“While, he was quite distant, didn’t talk much.” Roc commented, “Did Tina helped you to get the job?”
　　“No, no one helped me to get the job, he asked me himself. He is a father of one of my student.”
　　“Talking about your student, when is Jane coming to us again?” Ling’s mother asked, she liked that tiny thing, reminded her of the childhood of her 3 daughters. Now that the daughters all grown up, had their own ideas about this and that, no one came to share their secrets with her anymore. She missed the feeling of being the protective mother for those tiny girls from their father. She really couldn’t understand either why girls these days all became so untamed, her daughters are all so much different than she used to be; she never fight with her father, neither her husbands for jobs or any other big things, while she had never have a job, but she was happy to raise the children and take care of the whole family, she might nag about her husband’s diabetes or too much dog hair on floor, but only when her husband was in a happy mood, he was the man of the family, he deserve his peace. But now that her daughter were all working like man, she had no idea how to handle them, she leave them to fight out whatever it was all about among themselves.

　　“How about this weekend? I still have a few more holidays.” Ling just couldn’t tell the whole picture, she wasn’t sure what to expect from her father, sometimes she wasn’t that sure either about Lee; He never suggested to come over to visit her parents? Was he afraid of something or simply didn’t feel it is the time yet?

　　Ling’s parents went away in their jeep after dinner. Ling went to her room after cleaned up the dishes. It became more and more her room as Bamboo had to work on night shits more often after secured her job. Situation between Bamboo and Deng went from bad to worse.
　　Ling heard one of their recent fights on the New Year’s Day, over Bamboo’s Mahjong game. Bamboo do not have that many hobbies, Mahjong was her favorite. Like boys with play station, Bamboo had been really obsessed with it for a while, later on since Deng went to hospital, she hadn’t played for months. It wasn’t the gambling part that attracted her, she mostly played with the same set of people, every time no lose or win more than 100 RMB, she just liked to be among a few young crazy people, chatting, laughing, eating sunflower seeds and popcorns, she liked the tangible life, months of delicacy with Deng weren’t easy on her, she felt somewhat drowning, she wanted some real touch out there from the real life.

　　“You can join us if you like,” so had Bamboo invited Deng for the Mahjong game while sorting the Mahjong box in order.
　　“Haven’t you lot got anything more meaningful to do on the New Year’s Day than play Mahjong?” Deng was definitely a talker these days.
　　“What meaningful things do you have in mind then?”
　　“I wouldn’t waste my life on those stupid games; we may go spend some time with my mother, my father seldom stayed home these days, too many business contacts.”
　　“I am creating more time for you to stay with you mother. Go and stay with you mother.”
　　“If you don’t like that, we may go for a movie.”
　　“Yes, better the new version Titanic, to cry over some romantic life and death.” Bamboo dressed herself while talking, held the Mahjong box, ready to go.
　　“I should throw you Mahjong box away, even a stupid game is more important for you than I am, just how long a life do I still have with you?” Deng did walk up to Bamboo and clapped the Mahjong box from Bamboo’s hand to the floor.
　　“Don’t keep telling me everyday that you are dying, I didn’t give you the cancer. Haven’t you lived for months and still alive now?” Bamboo was tired of Deng’s attitude, the first time he said something like that she cried, the second time and third time too, till she heard it every other day, she could exactly rehearse what would come next, so you are really tired of the fact that I am not dying fast enough, aren’t you? Just admit it..

　　“So you are really tired of the fact that I am not dying fast enough, aren’t you? Just admit it.” Deng’s voice was shaking.
　　“Stop talking like that. You are dying, so do I; so does everyone else.” Bamboo explained the 100th time. Have you ever really cared about me at all? Were you with me just because of the cancer…pitying me?

　　“Have you ever really cared about me at all? Were you with me just because of the cancer…pitying me?” Deng still shaking,

　　“Please, let’s do not start again.” Bamboo felt weary. You have performed a good girl friend for months, now you are tired.

　　“You have performed like a good girl friend for months, now you are tired.” Deng declared the conclusion more triumphantly than hurt.

　　“Ok, yes, I am.” Bamboo gave up.

　　“Ha, you see, I just knew it. I am not stupid. You are playing Mahjong with all those boys in your branch; they are healthy and funny…”

　　“Deng, it is enough. Stop it.”

　　“I should, just stop seeing you and give you all the freedom you need.” Deng picked up the Mahjong box and gave it back to Bamboo, “here you are, just go and play, sorry I have wasted months of your youth, but you are still young and beautiful, you still have a long wonderful way to go.”

　　Bamboo stood there in her coat with the Mahjong box in hand, wanted very badly to cry, yet just pulled a very cold smile and stuffed the Mahjong box back to the cupboard.

　　They went to Deng’s mother in the end, as always. It wasn’t the first time, wouldn’t be the last time either.
　　Real life is no romance, when the Titanic hopelessly sank, if Jack had asked Rose to die with him together, if Rose had wanted to live out of her own will…

　　Ling knew Bamboo had too many times of the impulse of just die all together with Deng, just also get an incurable disease, but with time goes by, with no idea of how long is the waiting to die span will take, everyone could be exhausted.

　　Had a look at the artistic signature painting on the wall, Ling remembered another time what the man said “the moon is always there, sometimes people just don’t see it”. How about those who might never see it again then, even if the moon would always be there?

　　She couldn’t sleep, put ear plugs on, she listened to a pop singer’s new CD; titled Day never understands the darkness of night.