Fan Fiction |
by ran_shuang_hua
“Hmm, glad to see that I only have 1 meeting today! Finally!” XM stretched his arms up in relief.
“Sir, since we’re not fully booked today, can I go home early?” Sec. Xu asked politely.
“Xu,”
“Yes sir,”
“How long have you been working for me?”
“Nine years, sir,”
“And in those nine years, have I given you permission to leave earlier than I do?”
“Uh, n..no sir,”
“Then why are you asking me now?”
“Be-because i-i-it’s my dau-daughter’s b-birthday today, sir,”
“My goddaughter?”
“Y-yes sir,”
“Still, you can’t leave before I do,”
“S-sir…”
“So I’ll leave early then you can go home early too,”
“*Big sigh* Thank you sir,” Xu wiped his brow and gave XM a smile of deep gratitude.
“There’s no need to smile like that, Xu. I was merely teasing you. After the 10 am meeting, you’re free to go,” XM clapped his secretary on the back.
“Th-thank you again, sir,” Xu bowed.
“Oh, and give Mei Xin this. She sent me an SMS last time to remind me of her birthday and to say that she wanted this for a gift,” XM handed Xu a box wrapped in green paper and yellow ribbons. “Your daughter is really amazing, Xu. She knows how to manipulate a cellular phone at the age of 4. And she’s really working on developing her charms.”
“She’s quite curious and she declared that she wants to follow your footsteps. And you didn’t have to bother with this, sir. Your agreeing to be her godfather is already so much,” Xu hesitated.
“That’s nothing compared to the service you’ve given me, Xu. Now get going before I change my mind,” XM playfully ushered the dazed secretary out of his office.
“Oh sir, before I forget. This came in a few minutes ago,” Xu handed XM a black folder that had the word ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ stamped on it.
------------------------------------
“Here’s for the gas, this one’s for the electric bill, and here’s for the water,” XY said as she sealed three envelopes.
“Mom! We’re going to be late again,” Ah You impatiently tapped her foot on the kitchen floor.
“I’m done, so stop tapping your foot. The sound is starting to give me a headache,” XY whined as she gently dragged Ah You out of the house.
“Remember, stay inside your classroom after your classes are done. Wait for me there, ok?” XY reminded Ah You as she smoothened the little girl’s uniform.
“Yes mom. But please don’t be late. You know I hate being alone inside that room for long. It’s kinda spooky! The books might go big like giants and eat me!” Ah You made a spooky face.
“You’re so dramatic! Okay, I won’t be late,” XY promised.
“Cross your heart?” Ah You peered at her mom.
“Cross my heart,” XY said dryly.
“Then raise your right hand mom,” Ah You demanded haughtily.
XY rolled her eyes but raised her right hand nonetheless. “There. Satisfied?”
“If you come in late, you have to buy me ice cream,” Ah You stipulated.
“Ok, but there must be a 15-minute leeway. I’ll buy you ice cream if I come 15 minutes after you class ends,” XY bargained.
“You’re trying to squirm your way around me again, mom! You know you’re going to be 15 minutes late that’s why you’re saying that,” Ah You pouted.
XY covered her guilty expression. “The 15 minutes is for the parking time, your highness,” she alibis. “Now get in there or someone will take your favorite seat again.”
After seeing Ah You off, XY speeds to a money-transfer outlet and sends out some money to her parents. “That’s the last of it. I have to get another sideline for me and Ah You to make it through this week,” she sighed.
“Here’s the receipt, Raine,” the old lady behind the counter gives XY the receipt.
“Thanks Anita,” XY smiled back.
“You know, you’re one hell of a woman! You take care of your little girl all by yourself, you go to school, and then you still support your parents back in Canada,” the old lady looked at XY admiringly.
“It gets tiring sometimes, but there’s nothing I could do about it. I’m the only one they count on,” XY said with a small smile.
“You should get a good man to help you,” the old lady suggested with a wink.
“Believe me, I’ve been praying for that one too for the longest time. But I don’t have time to go out and meet people. The first thing that enters my mind when I get free time is to take a nap,” XY rolled her eyes at her pathetic situation. “I’ve really got no time for other stuff…like right now! I’m gonna be late for school again!” XY scampered as she looked at her watch. “Thanks again Anita! I’ll just visit you some other time!” XY hollered as she ran back to her car.
--------------------------------------------
“You’re going where?” DMS asked XM incredulously. XM called his brothers to come to his office as soon as Xu went home.
“To California, I have to find ge,” XM stated as he gulped his whiskey.
“But why do you have to go there? Why not send someone to do that for you?” MZ suggested.
“I would do that if we’re talking of looking for just some person. But this is my brother that we’re talking about,” XM explained.
“But are you willing to leave work?” Lei asked.
“I know you guys think that work is in the top of my priority list. I admit that is USED to be. But now, family comes first,” XM stated honestly.
“Does uncle know about this?” DMS asked skeptically.
“Yeah, he does. I already talked to him. He’ll be the one taking over while I’m gone.”
“How about auntie?” MZ added.
“I didn’t tell her. The report the PI’s gave me says that there is a 90% chance that the guy they found in San Jose is my brother. Meaning, there’s still chance that he’s not ge. I don’t want to give mom false hopes. It’s better that she knows of this when I come back home with ge,” XM explained while giving his brothers a meaningful look.
“You can count on us. We won’t tell auntie,” Lei promised.
“How long will you be gone? There are no details on this report. The only thing it says is that he’s in San Jose, California. No street address and phone number,” MZ asked.
“A week tops. With my connections, I’m sure I can find him,” XM said confidently.
“Want us to go with you? You might need back up,” DMS offered.
“No, bro. I can handle this. But thanks for the offer anyway,” XM refused politely.
“Hey, I just remembered. SC said that XY’s in California, right? And I remember someone saying that if fate leads him to where he should be then he’ll do something. Hmmm…” MZ pretended to think deeply but he was smirking at XM.
“I get what you mean, MZ. But California is big. XY could be anywhere,” XM counter-attacked.
“Just a reminder,” Lei butted in.
“Yeah, I know. But this trip is about finding my lost brother and not getting a love life, ok?” XM clairifed.
“But still, of all the places, how come your brother is in California…?” MZ persisted with a hyena smile.
XM rolled his eyes and raised his hands in surrender, “I give up on you, MZ!”
----------------------------------------
“Stupid car! Why do you have to break down on me now?” XY hit the steering wheel with all the strength her frustration could give her. “Ah You’s class will end in 10 minutes and I’m still 30 minutes away from her!” XY’s brows creased with worry. A bit of luck still stuck with her, though. Her car broke down a few blocks way from her house so she can leave it and be sure that it will still be there when she comes back for it.
XY had to catch the bus to get to Ah You’s school. By the time she got there, she was already 30 minutes late, excluding the 15-minute leeway.
“Mo-mommy,” Ah You sobbed. The little girl was sitting on the front steps of the school building and was hugging her Spongebob backpack tightly.
XY broke into a run when she heard the familiar sobbing voice. “Oh baby, I’m sorry I was so late,” she lifted little Ah You in her arms.
“I-I thought you-you were not co-coming anymore,” Ah You sobbed as she hugged her mom real tight. “I wa-was so sca-scared.”
XY rubbed her back gently. “Sorry baby. The car broke down and I had to catch the bus to get here. I’m sorry.”
“That stu-stupid car bro-broke down a-again? I-I told you to th-throw it a-away,” Ah You pouted.
“Yes, it’s the stupid car’s fault,” she smoothed the little girl’s hair as she put her down. “Now, I believe I owe someone some ice cream,” XY tried to appease her.
Ah You immediately stopped crying. “Hmph! Because you were soooooo late, you owe me more than just ice cream!”
“And what does the princess want now?” XY asked with a playful tone.
“First of all, mom, I want to be referred as the POP STAR, not princess,” Ah You made a blech face at the sound of ‘princess’. “Second, I want you to draw me Britney paper dolls tonight, plus the ice cream,” she said with a domineering tone matched with a toothy smile.
“But baby, you know mommy has to work at the restaurant tonight…” XY tried to explain.
Ah You’s face immediately crumpled. “Hick, hick, hick…”
“Ok, ok, I won’t work at the restaurant tonight,” XY gave in easily.
“Yay! I love you mom!” Ah You twirled around and then hugged XY’s legs.
“I love you too baby. But I hate the way you could easily get me wound up around your chubby little fingers,” XY said with a playful snort.
“What can I do? I learned from the best,” Ah You said with a triumphant smile.
“That’s why I’m going to wring your dad’s neck the moment I get the chance,” XY mumbled to herself.
---------------------------------------------
“What? You can’t help me?” XM said with an incredulous tone. He was talking to someone on the phone regarding the search for his brother.
“I’m sorry, sir. But the American government has been very strict since the terrorist attack that’s why accessing the local database is not as easy as before,” the man on the other line explained.
“But I’m just trying to locate my brother and not some peace-threatening terrorist,” XM persisted.
“I’m really sorry, sir, but there’s nothing I can do. You could file for a report or request but that would take months to process since the local government is also busy with the current projects.”
“Never mind, I’ll just ask help from someone else,” XM abruptly cut the call. “Damn! I’ve been here for 4 days now and I haven’t got any clue on where ge might be,” he grumbled in a desperate tone.
Just then, his cell phone rang. “Wei?”
“Hey XM, how’s the search going?” MZ asked chirpily from the other line.
“Not good. I can’t get help from my contacts here. They say all this bullshit about the government 0being strict,” XM exasperated.
“So what are you planning to do now? You said you’ll stay there a week tops. It’s been four days now…” MZ reminded his bro.
“I know. But I can’t go home till I find ge. I guess I’ll just search for him myself,” XM said out of desperation.
“But what about work?”
“I’m sure dad will understand. Besides, he’s really eager to find ge too. I guess I’ll be staying here longer than I intended,” XM sighed.
“Don’t worry. Just think about it as a vacation. At least you’ll be able to evade the social dinners that uncle’s dragging you into,” MZ smirked.
“I can practically see your hyena face right in front of me, MZ,” XM snorted. “But you do have a point there. At least I won’t have to play tag with dad everytime there’s a social gathering. Now I know how you felt when auntie made you go to those dinners to her friends’ daughters.”
“But at least I got to meet XQ,” MZ said with a thankful tone.
“There you go again, the lovesick puppy,” XM teased.
“Blabber all you want, bro. When it hits you, I think I’ll have a grander time laughing at you like the way you’re laughing now at me,” MZ said with a vengeful tone.
“Hao ba, hao ba. Look, I have to go now. I’ll have to search for an apartment,” XM said hastily.
“Apartment? Whatever for? Is the hotel service not good?” MZ asked quizzically.
“The hotel’s fine but I’ll be staying here till God knows when. I don’t want to be locked up in a high-rise building that long. At least when I stay in an apartment or house, I won’t be feeling that homesick,” XM explained.
“But who’ll do all the cleaning and the cooking and the laundry, and everything else?”
“I can cook, remember? As for the cleaning and everything else, I could hire someone to do them,” XM said simply. “Now hang up and let me go house-hunting.”
------------------------------------------
Ring! Ring! Ring!
“Hello, you have reached the Yang residence. I’m Xiao You speaking.”
“Hello? Xiao You? Is that you dear? Why does your voice seem chirpy and child-like?”
“Oh, you mean you want to speak to my mom! Wait a sec,” Ah You covered the mouthpiece and shouted at the top of her lungs. “MOOOOOOM!”
“What is it? Are you going to poop?” XY scampered to where Ah You is.
“Mom, I told you I could poop on my own now! You have a phone call that’s why I’m calling you,” Ah You pouted.
“Oh, ok,” XY took the receiver. “Hello? Oh good evening Mrs. Kim…Oh, I see…Sure! I would love to! God knows how much I’ll need that extra job! Ok, so tomorrow morning…uh-huh…got it, thanks!” XY put down the receiver with a smiling face.
“Was Mrs. Kim asking you to clean the apartment she’s renting out?” Ah You asked while tugging at XY’s pants.
“Yes, baby. That means we’ll both have to wake up early tomorrow so I could bring you to school and clean the apartment before I go to my 11 am class. Now its time to go to bed,” XY ushered little Ah You to her bedroom.
“But you haven’t finished my Britney paper dolls yet…”
“Yes I have, all 10 of them. You could brag them all to your classmates tomorrow if you want,” XY rolled her eyes.
“Yay! You’re the best mom!” Ah You jumped into XY’s arms and hugged her tight.
“Ekh, baby, too tight…and you’re squishing my bumpers…oww…”
-------------------------------------------
“So it’s settled then…ok, I’ll come at around 11 am tomorrow. Thanks,” XM clicked his phone close. But before he could take another breath, it rang again.
“What now MZ?” XM asked irritably.
“So did you find an apartment?”
“Do I have to tell you everything?” XM asked in an annoyed tone.
“Just tell me and I won’t bug you for the next 3 days,” MZ bargained in a mischievous tone.
“Yeah, I already found one and I’m moving in there tomorrow.”