Fan Fiction |
by Carmen Yip
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[7 June 1999 – Friday – hospital]
Time flies like an arrow and it was soon morning again. Keung, Meina, and little Flora had come to pick Tim up from the hospital.
TIM: (carrying little Flora up) Flora, did you see Mummy?
FLORA: Mummy? (looks around) Nope, but we’re going to see her now, aren’t we?
TIM: (pressed his lips) Yup!
KEUNG: Tim ah, we’ll go and do the paperwork, you wait here first! (dragging Meina along)
MEINA: (protested but went along) Hey, I didn’t say I was going!
KEUNG: Just leave them alone, will you!
MEINA: What’s wrong with you?! (shakes his hand off) I can walk myself!
KEUNG: What’s wrong with YOU, I’m asking! You can see Tim doesn’t remember anything, not even Flora! now what are you up to?
MEINA: (nonchalantly) Isn’t that better for him to forget everything? Forget her and well…
KEUNG: You wish so! Don’t ever think of replacing Helen in his heart!
MEINA: Time will prove everything!
KEUNG: Yeah right! You better don’t tag along; I don’t think Helen would want to see YOU!
MEINA: Hey, what’s wrong man! She isn’t that petty, is she?
KEUNG: (objected) Of course she’s not! She’s a thousand times better than you! You can’t even match up to your Ka Jai!
MEINA: Ah… I see you were in love with my Ka Jai last time, don’t tell me you’re in love with Helen as well?
KEUNG: Shut up and stop spouting nonsense, will you?
MEINA: Too bad there’s always Tim around and you won’t get a chance! (raising her eyebrows) You’re not tearing us up because you like me, are you?
KEUNG: (shocked) Oh my god, spare me! (snickers) You? I’d rather die than obey!
MEINA: Hey! Am I so bad?
KEUNG: And let me tell you, they are one family, and you better keep your hands out of this matter! (proceeds to the counter)
MEINA: Coward! I’ll make sure you pay for this!
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[Tim’s car]
It was almost silence in the car as Tim sat behind with the asleep little Flora in his arms, while Keung was at his usual loss of words. The atmosphere was rather awkward, until Keung finally decided to just break the silence.
KEUNG: Err Tim, do you remember what date is it next Friday?
TIM: Next Friday? The 16th? No idea…
KEUNG: Don’t ever let little Flora hears this, or she would be so upset with it!
TIM: (lowers his voice) It’s Flora’s birthday?
KEUNG: Exactly! You know what to do now?
TIM: (guiltily) I’ve not been taking care of this little one…
KEUNG: Tim, you really don’t remember anything?
TIM: Keung, you really don’t believe I can’t remember anything?
KEUNG: Nope, but…
TIM: Where are you heading, anyway?
KEUNG: Bringing you to see Helen, you forgot?
TIM: Nope, I mean… where exactly?
KEUNG: Err… somewhere in NT, you’ll know it when we get there, but Tim… there are some things… (hesitates) I don't know how to tell you, but… erm… you’ll know it when you see it…
TIM: You’re weird today, Keung!
KEUNG: (suppressed a sigh) Perhaps… (looks at his watch) Erm, Tim, why don’t we drop by the café and have some coffee first? It’s quite early now!
TIM: Hmm… I want to see Helen first! Perhaps there’s coffee there too?
KEUNG: Erm, why not we drop by the gift shop and get something for her? Or perhaps the florist?
TIM: Keung, why can’t we just get there first?
KEUNG: Because it’s not time yet! We still have… (examining his watch) maybe a couple of hours… because she may be not there, erh… if we go now…
TIM: (forces a smile) Ok then…
KEUNG: Let’s catch a movie first!
TIM: Then what about Flora?
KEUNG: Just bring her along!
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[Cinema – an hour later]
TIM: (yawning) Keung, this movie is so damn boring, why not we…
He turned to his friend on the right, who was already fast asleep. Then he turned to Flora, who was also fast asleep on his laps…
Just then, a piece of paper dropped out from Chi Keung’s pocket, Tim picked it up.
There was an address written on it. In a moment, Tim picked Flora up and left the cinema without Chi Keung.
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Tim drove to the destination, and walked into the vicinity. Finally, he found a house with the same address he’s got. It was a rather small house painted light purple, and the surrounding forget-me-nots were planted besides the house. Their well-groomed condition most probably suggests that they were in good hands. He took a further step towards the house, and the fragrance of lavender soon engulfed him. The winds started to blow in a light and lazy fashion, seemingly acting as a lullaby to those suffering from insomnia.
Tim pulled his jacket over little Flora and approached the door, knocking it…
In a second, it clinks open by itself. He realized that it wasn’t shut, and so he entered…
Stepping into the house, he knew it was where Helen was residing apparently. There were quite a collection of photos on the walls, with little Flora being the role in most. The trail of it almost showed the growing up process of their little princess. There were a lot of them, and most of them Flora was either alone, or with Helen. He looked around for more, but still couldn’t find one with the whole family of three. A sense of disappointed brought his feelings down.
The wind blew through the opened window again. Tim took a seat on the sofa to lower his body and avoided the wind from blowing directly against him. He places Flora discreetly on the side, when he found a photo underneath the side table he was sitting in adjacent to. He retrieved it…
It was apparently taken during the little girl’s birthday, as she was wearing a red little paper hat with party decorations on it, and sitting in front of the birthday cake. Besides her was Helen, wearing a light grey jacket and carrying a rather faint smile. Then to his surprise, there was a stick-on photo of himself on the left of Flora. Perhaps it was to make it look like a family photo, he guessed. But why? Why didn’t they have a real family photo at all?
His cogitated thoughts were soon broken by a vivid image he saw. No! It wasn’t an image, it was real, and it was a real being standing in front of him. When he lifted his head up to have a better picture, the figure had already her back facing him, and was walking to the back of the house.
TIM: (called out) Helen! (she walked further away) I know it’s you! Please don’t…
She walked further, he followed further, until they both exited a back door at the back of the house…
It leads to a place facing the sea, there were tall, green, wild grasses growing at the surrounding, and the whole area was serenely quiet, peaceful.
But she was missing, in a flash! He wondered where she could have gone.
Just then, a shout from the house was heard. Tim wheeled around in the shortest possible time, and there came a blow he wasn’t able to shun…
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PS: Ok, paused here, hahaha.... [Dear Ka Jai, as I said to you, I am sorta taking my own sweet time... just tell me if I need to speed things up] Suddenly, I felt so relieved I'm behind the screen so I dare to write watever craps I have and wasting webspace, hahaha...
06/11/2004 ... 0133hrs