Chapter 25.3: Separation does not mean pain
Zheng Xie sent off the guests. He went back to his office tiredly.
He looked at the time. He He should have already reached. He dialed her phone over and over again and received only the message that says that her phone is out of reach. Zheng Xie’s heart cool a little bit.
He then viewed the missed calls and text messages and finally see a ‘I have arrived safely’ message from an unknown number that is not signed.
It is a local city number. A relatively new number. Zheng Xie suspect that He He perhaps wishes to save money on roaming charges hence had gotten herself a phone card. In order to confirm his hunch, he dialed the number.
He dilated three times in a row but received the engage tone. The number has been busy.
When he patiently dial again, someone finally pick up. A familiar male voice said: “h.e.l.lo. Who are you?”
Zheng Xie kept quiet for a moment. His computer brain generally tried to remember who this man is, even the phone manners become lacking.
He was thinking of saying a few words about calling the wrong number before hanging up but G.o.d is deliberately going against him. He heard the voice that he wanted to hear. Very far away, does not sound real. But he could still hear her voice, as if she had shrunk into a tiny villain, hiding somewhere in the corner of the phone.
On the other end, Cen Shi has been picking up calls after all. He was on the phone for at least twenty minutes.
He He is sitting on the lounge waiting for him while flipping through at least two travel magazines.
She finally got impatient and when Cen Shi picked up another call, turned and said to him: “Cen Shi, I take the taxi home on my own. You go and do your own stuff.” Then she turn to go.
Cen Shi clutching the telephone receiver away from him and said: “Hey, wait for me for a short while. Haiz, why is your temper getting more and more strange….”
He He said: “I am menopausing. You forgive me.”
Cen Shi said “This is not menopause. This is obviously a rebellious youth symptoms.”
He then remembered that the call earlier is a strange number, so apologize to the caller. But don’t know when, the other party had hung up the phone. The phone fell silent.
On the spa.r.s.ely populated wide roads, Zheng Xie drives alone.
The sky is hazy, the weather forecast had said that there will be heavy rain in the evening.
Insects are flying very low, leaving a little trace on the car windshield as they hit against them. When another dragonfly hit on the gla.s.s, Zheng Xie slowed his speed.
Today was his mother’s birthday. When she was alive, she love quietness. So she choose the family cemetery in a secluded outskirts.
There were very few cars all the way. Although there were trees on the roadside, but it was extremely lonely.
Over the years, Zheng Xie have gone through this way countless times, up and down the same road for Mother’s birthday, Anniversaries, Tomb Sweeping Festival, Halloween and Mid-Autumn Festival. But he never felt like this barren road so lonely.
He recalled that in the past, each time, He He is by his side. So he did not go alone.
In fact, not so long ago, he had thought, the next time he is visiting his mother, he will take Yang Wei Qi along together.
And when he think of these things, his heart will turn into a chaos.
He has many things to sort out. But when he often think about them, he will get a headache. He will subconsciously refuse to think about them.
Before this, an elder love to say this: “车到山前必有路.” When he was younger, he felt that the meaning of this phrase is too pa.s.sive, unwilling to agree. But now, he finally realized that what the elder said is true.
车到山前必有路 (pin ying: chē dào shān qián bì yǒu lù) – mean directly translated: The cart will find its way round the hill when it gets there. This phrase means that things will eventually sort themselves out.
The happening recently to me is like a calculation problems. Using different approaches will lead to completely different results. In the past, for so many years, he specialized in using the most concise way to solve problems that leads to only a definite answer.
So now, he is confused. As if he is caught in the mud. Cannot do anything. The more he struggle, the worst the situation becomes.
A heavy truck roared past him. Zheng Xie got scared a little. He realized that he had actually drove off the road a little.
Before mother’s gravestone are piled with baskets and bouquets. There had been people whom had come before him.
The basket is very chic. It is a rectangular basket patchwork cl.u.s.ters with pale blue lined with white daisies. His mother’s favorite flower. Like a little bonsai garden, the ribbon tied around the basket is very dedicated and detailed, fasten with silk flowers.
Next to the basket are two bunnies. One fat and the other thin. One looks naïve with a grin while the other with a simmering mouth looking like it had been wronged. The clothes stiches on the rabbit are embroidered patterns.
He He had come for a visit without him knowing.
From the last visit it has been several months. But around the tombstone it is very clean. Not a single leaves are around. Zheng Xie using his fingers, swab the stroke along mother’s name on the tombstone. Not a single dust on his fingertips.
He He probably stayed a long time there, cleaning every single place surrounding the tomb.
He looked at the tombstone inscription. There is no father’s name on the inscription, only his and He He’s name on the monument.
He He had never call his mother ‘mother’ in this lifetime. She has always been calling mother ‘aunty.’ But on his mother’s monument, it is inscribed as ‘Daughter He He’
He had previously never paid any attention to this detail. But in his heart now is an unspeakable feeling.