Bitter Winds (12 page)

“The doctor said she is very agitated and shouldn’t see anyone tonight.”

Delun put both hands on the counter and leaned in even closer to the nurse. “I’m not just anyone—can’t you see my badge?”

Benfu could see the nurse hesitate, then look at the badge the official wore. Behind them the quiet was broken by a loud, animalistic scream. It sent a chill down Benfu’s spine, but at least he could tell it wasn’t Lily.

The nurse clicked the keys on her computer. “She’s in a holding room. On the left, the last room, down that hall.” She pointed to the hall opposite her desk. “You’ll need a key. I’ll come with you. She’s very frightened.”

“No, just give me the key.” Delun held his hand out.

Nurse Guo hesitated again, then pulled a set of keys from her pocket. She put them in his palm. “It’s the red key.”

Delun closed his fist over the key, then turned and led the way. Benfu looked at Ivy and nodded reassuringly. He fought to keep the tick in his cheek under control.

As they passed each room, he looked through the small glass windows. Some of the rooms were empty but in the ones that weren’t, most of the patients he caught glimpses of were curled on their beds in a fetal position, but he did see a few strapped down straight as a board, staring emotionless at the water-spotted ceilings. He gritted his teeth. If they’d done that to his daughter, someone would pay.

At the end of the hall Delun stopped in front of the door and then turned to them. “I’m going to stand out here. Do not give her anything or it will be confiscated.”

Ivy took Lily’s cane from her pocket and set it on the floor in front of the door.

Benfu nodded and Delun unlocked the door. He walked in with Ivy struggling to get around him.

What he saw broke his heart.

In the corner of the room Lily had pulled the mattress from the bed and propped it in front of her as she huddled behind it. Her feet stuck out one end and just one look at her short, stubby toes sticking out of the top of an unfamiliar blue slipper told him it was her.

“Lily?” he called out. He took a few steps closer.

“Ye Ye?” she answered, her voice sounding more frail and weak than he’d ever heard it.

Ivy ran around him and sprinted across the room. She threw the thin mattress to the side. Benfu felt a catch in his throat when he saw Lily behind there, cowering in the corner. Wearing only a ragged hospital gown, she looked bewildered and cold.

“Lily, it’s me! I’m so sorry!” Ivy wailed, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around her sister. At her touch, Lily began to cry. She didn’t make any noise but tears rolled down her face as she clutched her sister.

Benfu crossed the room and knelt down in front of his girls. “Lily, we’re trying to get you out of here. Are you okay? Has anyone hurt you?”

He sensed her hesitation, but then she answered.

“No one has hurt me—not really. But Ye Ye, please get me out of here.” Lily struggled to free herself from her sister, and Benfu reached out and pulled her into his arms, standing up to hold her close. He felt her trembling. She was so cold! Why didn’t they allow her more clothes or a blanket? In that moment he felt more helpless than he’d ever felt before.

They heard a rapping on the glass and Benfu turned to see Delun pointing his finger and shaking his head. “
No
contact!”

He let go of Lily and struggled out of his jacket, then draped it around her shaking shoulders. “Here, wear this. Now listen to me, Lily. We only have a few minutes. But I want you to know I’m doing everything I can to get you out of here.”

Ivy ignored the warning and put her arm around her sister. “Those damn officials! They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“Ivy, watch your language. Don’t stoop to their level. We’re better than that,” Benfu scolded gently. He couldn’t blame her; Ivy had every right to be angry. Lily looked shaken, cold, and terrified. He was angry himself, but it wouldn’t do any good for him to lose control.

“But Ye Ye, I haven’t done anything. Why did they arrest me? Sky was the one with that paper they were talking about, not me.” Lily stared straight ahead but even without looking into her eyes, he could see the anguish and fear across her face.

“I know you haven’t done anything. And you aren’t actually arrested—they’re just holding you here until they decide what to do with you.”

“And they took Viola from me!” Lily wailed, a fresh batch of tears falling.

“I’ll talk to them about the violin, don’t worry,” Benfu said. He asked her some questions about how she was transported and where Sky was taken. He asked and she confirmed she hadn’t signed anything. She wanted to know about the Falun Gong and Benfu told her what little he felt she needed to know. He didn’t want her to know too much, as the more she knew, the more they’d assume she was a follower if they questioned her.

Delun rapped on the window again. When Benfu looked, the man pointed at his watch. “Time is up.”

“Wait, don’t go yet!” Lily pulled the jacket closer around herself and reached out for Ivy. Her sister moved in closer, putting her arm around Lily.

Benfu swallowed the lump in his throat. “Lily, I’m going back down to talk to them. But right now they’re saying if we don’t agree for you to stay here for a few weeks as punishment, you’ll be transported to their reeducation center.”

“They are not taking her!” Ivy said, her eyes flashing. “They can call it reeducation all they want, but we all know it’s nothing more than a prison.”

Lily whimpered but Benfu had to give her credit; she was acting braver than he’d thought she would.

“Let’s see what they have to say. I can maybe negotiate them down, but, Lily, I don’t want to lie to you. I might not be able to get you out tonight. Can you hold on?”

They waited as Lily hesitated, then nodded slowly. Benfu felt sick inside. He didn’t want to even tell her that, but the truth was that he might not be able to get her out and he didn’t want to mislead her. His honesty with his daughters was one thing they’d always been able to depend on.

“I’ll make some calls. I’ll get Linnea on the phone to Jet so he can let his father know what’s going on. If that gets us nowhere, maybe Lao Gong, my old friend, can help.” Lao Gong had retired from his position with the government many years ago, but he still had connections, if his stories could be believed. Benfu was willing to try anything.

“Ye Ye, that’s a great idea. Call him now,” Ivy urged.

“I can’t get a signal in here. I’ll see what the last word is from the official first, then I’ll have to step outside.” He moved over to the girls and put his arms around them both. “Don’t worry. We’ll get this sorted out.”

The door opened and Delun beckoned for them to come out.

Benfu started toward the door but looked back and Ivy hadn’t budged. She still stood with her arms wrapped tightly around her sister, her mouth a straight white line.

“I’m staying with her,” she said.

Benfu shook his head. “Come on, Ivy. You can’t stay—you know that.”

“Out.” Delun pointed his finger at Ivy.

“Just arrest me, too! Please!” Ivy insisted.

At that, Delun pushed by Benfu and started across the floor toward Ivy. Benfu stepped forward and got between them. He didn’t want the man to lay his hands on either of his girls.

“Ivy, you heard me. We have to go. Let’s go see what we can do to get Lily out of here.” He gently pulled her from her sister as they fought to keep their hands clasped. Benfu thought it might just be one of the hardest things he’d ever done. Twins weren’t supposed to be separated in such a way, and the turmoil on both of their faces proved it.

“And put this mattress back on the bed!” Delun yelled as he shuffled them out the door.

“
Zai jian,
Ye Ye. Bye, Ivy,” Lily whispered from the corner where she still stood, looking shell-shocked and tiny in his oversized jacket.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can, Lily. Hang on,” Benfu said. “Remember, they cannot take away your dignity. Be strong.”

“Lily, I won’t leave this hospital until you do. I’ll be downstairs—I promise I won’t leave you!” Ivy called out, trying to look around the official.

He pushed them out of the way and slammed, then locked the door. Ivy cursed and Benfu looked at the back of the official’s head, wishing he could tear it from his shoulders. But at least the man hadn’t made Lily take off his jacket. Benfu hoped it would give her a small sense of comfort. He shook his head, trying to shake away the visual of her shaking in the corner. How was he going to tell Calli? He knew his wife and she would be devastated to know one of her own was locked behind the doors of such a place.

I
nwardly, Sami tingled with anticipation but outwardly she looked calm as she carefully peeled her orange. She’d been good long enough and it was time to live a little. She kept her gaze on the comings and goings of the Wuxi Hotel across the street. Several lanes of traffic separated her from the two young doormen flanking the revolving doors. They stood at attention—the only time they moved or changed expression was when a patron arrived or departed. She popped a juicy section in her mouth and watched them salute a finely dressed businessman as he strode into the building.

She spat the too-sour orange slice out onto the sidewalk, then set the remainder beside her on the bench. She continued to watch the hotel. Sami had been around establishments such as these many times and knew the boys were probably working their first jobs, proud to be wearing crisp, clean uniforms instead of dusty day-laborer clothes like their fathers. Most likely they even made more money than their hard-working parents who probably came to town as migrant workers. She thought back to a time long ago when one such boy had held her attention for a quick night or two. He’d told her all about his luck at snagging a doorman position, his salary (that he’d burned through quickly with her), and his aspirations to move up in the hotel and bring his family out of poverty. Sami had let him ramble on as he awkwardly fumbled with her body, trying to appear as if he’d done that sort of thing often—but she’d known his position as doorman was a short-lived career that required youth; and as soon as he started showing some age, he’d be back out on the streets hauling bricks like the rest of the men in his family—and when she was gone, she’d only be a wisp of a memory. He’d never be able to afford anyone like her again.

Tired of watching, she stood and unbuttoned her blouse a few buttons, but not so low the tattoo showed. Reaching behind her, she pulled her hair loose from the rubber band and let it fall. The borrowed red shirt and black leggings weren’t bad, but a pair of heels could have set them off nicely. She hadn’t planned to land where she was, but then, she hadn’t considered the magnetic pull of this part of town. In her hurry to escape the suffocating atmosphere of her new home, she’d just instinctively ended up there. But even without looking her best she knew it would be easy to get past the young doormen, and into the hotel. She just wanted to take a look; at least that was what she told herself. Li Jin and her family would never know. She snorted as she thought of how horrified they’d be.

As she debated what she’d say to the doormen, an old woman shuffled up and quickly dropped onto the bench, settling plastic bags around her to claim the unoccupied space. The woman gave a gasp of delight as she grabbed Sami’s uneaten orange and tucked it into her pocket. Her leg touched the back of Sami’s, an indication she wasn’t going to wait politely for her to move.

“Excuse you,
Laoren,
” Sami said as she glared down at the old woman. How rude of the old hag. Maybe Sami wasn’t done with the bench yet; maybe she’d planned to sit back down, and maybe she was going to eat the rest of her orange!

“Dui bu qi,”
the woman mumbled in apology under her breath, and then turned her body and pulled her legs onto the seat. Stuffing one of her bags under her head, she curled into a ball and closed her eyes as if she couldn’t wait another second to fall asleep.

Scrawny bare ankles showed up pale against the cold metal bench and Sami could see from her mismatched clothing and lack of socks the woman was most likely homeless. She reminded Sami of Auntie Wan in Hongcun; that old woman was nothing more than a peasant but somehow she’d made all the girls love her—
everyone except Sami
. And this woman wouldn’t be getting any sympathy from Sami, either. She was just a
qi gai
—a beggar scourging on the kindness of strangers.

She looked at her once more and thought of her own grandmother. She’d been a hardworking seamstress until her fingers refused to cooperate. Then she’d had to resort to begging kindness from her own son, Sami’s father, and he’d not made it easy.

Sami reached in her pocket and pulled out a few coins and laid them on the bench near the woman’s feet. “You’re still an old raisin-face,” she muttered over her shoulder as she walked to the edge of the sidewalk.

Sami was glad she was alone. If Li Jin had been with her, no doubt they’d have one more rumpled resident living under their roof by nightfall.

She waited on a lull in the traffic and when none came, she stepped out into the street and held her hand up to the oncoming taxi as it barreled toward her. She didn’t look at the driver. He had two choices; either stop and let her cross, or run her over and face criminal charges. Sami knew he’d make the right choice and smiled slightly when the sound of his screeching brakes followed the repetitive horn blares. Without looking at him, she continued across the street and stepped up onto the curb. Lifting her chin higher, she strode to the hotel doors.

The first doorman—he really should be called a
doorboy
—reached out and stopped her as she started to go in. He licked his lips nervously before he spoke.

“Wo keyi bang ni, ma?”
he said, asking her if she needed any help.

Sami knew the drill. They’d been trained to watch out for street prostitutes trying to make their way into the hotel. The management allowed escort services, but only those quietly arranged by the hotel staff so they could take their cut.

Sami smiled up at the young man and was rewarded by seeing two bright spots of scarlet appear on his cheeks. “I’m meeting a foreign client in your lobby so we can go over some design plans. He’s staying at your hotel while his office is being built.”

“You’re a designer?” the boy asked, straightening his jacket, his stern expression changing to curious respect.

“Didn’t I just say that?” Sami tilted her head and winked at the boy. Of course she wasn’t a designer. What an idiot he was. Did she look like a designer? Was she carrying a portfolio? “And I must hurry. You don’t want to make a
laowai
angry if I’m late, do you?”

She was proud of herself for her last-minute idea of throwing a foreigner into the mix. These boys were young and probably still overwhelmed at the thought of dealing with
laowais
—especially angry ones.

“Um . . . no . . .
hao le . . .
go ahead.” The boy stepped aside and Sami walked through the revolving doors.

Once inside, she let her eyes rove over the lobby, taking care not to be too obvious. She didn’t want anyone to know she wasn’t familiar with the area. From the first look, Sami thought she’d picked the right hotel. The lobby was big, but not too large. Elegant, but not too fancy. Ignoring the front desk, she made no noise with her soft heels on the ceramic tiles as she crossed over to the seating area and sat under a magnificent crystal chandelier. A man sat on one of the leather couches, tapping away on his laptop while his cigarette sat in the ashtray and burned down nearly to the filter beside him.

Sami studied his face. A businessman obviously, but his harried look and the nervous shaking of his leg told her he wasn’t as successful as she’d like. She also didn’t like the taste of tobacco. He was dismissed.

She crossed the lobby, entering the posh hotel bar. A quick look around told her it was too early. The bartender used a cloth to polish glasses as he looked over the room. This hotel knew what they were doing—instead of the usual inexperienced but attractive young fellow behind most counters, this bartender, with his buttoned vest and lines of character crisscrossing his face, could have passed for a professor. His eyes met Sami’s and he raised an eyebrow.
Maybe it wasn’t too early
.

She nodded and he nodded back. He was giving her permission, obviously assuming she was an approved escort. One lone customer sat before him, nursing what appeared to be a tomato drink with a stalk of celery as a garnish. Sami quietly sat a few seats down from the other patron.

The bartender approached her and set a napkin on the counter.

“What can I get you,
Xiao Jie
?” A small smile played at his lips until he twitched and it disappeared.

“Yi bei cha
.
”
She asked for a cup of tea. She knew it was the cheapest thing on the menu but would be surprised if he really made her pay for it. They both knew why she was there.

The bartender turned away, and from her peripheral view Sami examined the man next to her: nice suit, Rolex watch, clean fingernails with steady and calm hands. Probably no diseases, she thought, then shook her long mane of hair over her shoulder, hoping the almond scent reached his nose. At least it was shiny clean and, even better, it was longer than most women kept their hair these days. Sami couldn’t get over the trend of short hair taking over the cities. Didn’t the women understand their hair was an aphrodisiac? For centuries it was the same—the men loved their feet first, then their hair. The current fad had girls resorting to short hairstyles framing their faces. Ugly. And unfeminine. Sami would never do it.

The bartender brought a tiny glass teakettle and cup, and set them before her. Sami poured the Longjing tea, holding her delicate fingers out to appear even more fragile. She lifted the cup to her nose and closed her eyes as she first savored the sweet aroma. Then she slowly sipped the steaming tea as she concentrated on using her mouth to its best advantage, even tracing a wayward drop of tea from her top lip with her tongue. She made it slow and sensual, an obvious tease.

She could feel his eyes on her. Instead of acknowledging him, she slowly uncrossed and recrossed her legs, then shifted in her seat. She didn’t want to look too eager. Pensive and mysterious, that was how to hook them.

She suppressed a smile when he got up and moved into the seat beside her, sliding his glass of tomato juice over. She noticed he didn’t wear a ring, not that it would have made a difference, but it did make her curious.

“Xia wu hao,”
he said, wishing her good afternoon, his voice deep and throaty.

Sami nodded demurely. She could feel his eyes roaming her body from head to toe and was glad she’d opened a few buttons on her blouse. Just enough to give him a peek.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

She finally granted him her attention. “What do you want it to be?”

A wide smile spread across the man’s face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. Quickly he laid a bill on the counter and waved at the bartender. “Close out my bill, sir. My date has arrived.”

Sami felt her heartbeat accelerate at the sight of the money, but her expression remained indifferent.

He stood and held his hand out to her. For an instant she hesitated and thought about Li Jin. They’d met only the year before and had instantly felt connected at the heart. Together, they’d taken an oath to start over and live a clean life. Sami hadn’t realized that would mean traipsing across China to live with Li Jin’s recently found family under the roof of their so-called community shelter. The faces of Li Jin’s parents flashed before her eyes. Such good, moral people out to save the world. What would they think of her if they could see her now? They’d probably throw her out into the street, where she belonged.

Sami looked down at her lap and a wave of revulsion hit her. But she needed this. No one would know. She needed something to take her mind from her situation; something to make her feel real again, not like this invisible person she’d become.