Smoke and Shadow (11 page)

Baker
didn
’
t answer
right away. Chu imagined him behind his desk absorbing the
frustration.
“
We
’
re in a
business that doesn
’
t have the luxury of right or wrong choices, Smoke. In times
like this, we have to go with the best worst option. We
can
’
t sacrifice
thousands of lives to try and save one. That means she has to stay
put and so do you. You do anything else and the whole trip goes
sideways.
”

Chu kicked back
at the wall with the heel of his shoe.
“
I can
’
t accept that.
”

“
I know you
don
’
t accept it. I
know you better than that. I
’
m just asking you to do it and not
take your frustrations out on my tech.
”

“
His
‘
cultural
perspective
’
is
not my problem.
”
Chu
’
s mind
flashed back to beatings in his past.

“
You
’
re
right. Your problem is you
’
re trying to be
Batman.
”

“
What? Listen, I
don
’
t want to hear
any of your stupid analogies right now--
”

“
OK, but this
isn
’
t really about
a backwards colleague, a brutal man or an abused woman. All this is
about you.
”

“
Are you saying
I don
’
t give a
fuck about her at all?
”
Chu heard the echoes of her crying floating in the park
breeze.

“
No.
It
’
s just the
opposite. You need to save her because you
’
re trying to change the past. You
want to get back what was taken from you. But you
can
’
t fix what
happened, Smoke. You couldn
’
t stop the abuse before and you
can
’
t stop it
now.
”

Chu forced a
laugh.
“
You
’
re not
doing too well as an insightful comic geek. Batman lost his parents
to a random mugger. Both my parents are still
alive.
”

Baker
didn
’
t echo Chu
’
s hollow humor.
“
Maybe, but a stranger took away Bruce
Wayne
’
s family.
That might be easier than what you went through.
”

Chu felt the
convulsive spasms of pain in her broken body.
“
Look,
I
’
m gonna go.
I
’
ll smooth things
out with your tech, but I need to make some other
calls.
”

Chu heard the
sympathy in Baker
’
s sigh just before he hung up.
“
Understood. Say hello to your mom
for me.
”

In spite of her condition, Sunny
Chu answered the phone with an enthusiasm worthy of her
name.

“
Hello beautiful
boy. Why are you wasting time calling an old woman like
me?
”

“
I just wanted
to hear your voice, pretty lady. How are you holding
up?
”

“
I
’
m
perfectly fine my dear, but you don
’
t need to worry about that. I know
you
’
re probably at
work. You shouldn
’
t be calling me when you
’
re on a secret mission. Now
don
’
t go and get
yourself in trouble with Mr. Baker. You can
’
t take advantage of him just because
he
’
s your
friend.
”

“
It
’
s fine,
Ma. He wants me to stay in touch with my mother.
”

“
He
’
s such a
nice man. Do you know he sent me flowers on my birthday? I
can
’
t believe he
remembered my favorite kind. You always send roses, but he sent me
the most beautiful cushion chrysanthemums with a personal card in
perfect calligraphy. He
’
s so nice. How is Mr. Baker these days? Are you ever going to
get together with him?
”

“
Hey! I thought
you liked roses.
”
Chu smiled to himself. His mother
’
s infectious buoyancy lifted his
spirits when no one else could.
“
Baker is fine, ma. And he has a
wife, remember? Besides, I didn
’
t call to talk about him. I called
to check up on you. Are you ok?
”

“
Oh,
I
’
m perfectly
fine. I spend most of my time rolling around the clinic. You know
there
’
s so much to
do these days. So many people need help, but it gives me something
to do to keep my old hands busy.
”

“
I
’
m glad
you
’
re staying out
of trouble, but you
’
ve always been helping people. Who
’
s there to help
you?
”

“
I
don
’
t need any
help. I
’
ve got two
good hands and pretty good eyes. I still have my hair and almost
all my teeth. Why would I need anyone to help me? A lot of people
my age can
’
t even
chew their own food.
”

Chu laughed with
her, but his response held more irony.
“
If you say so
…”

“
I do say so,
but you don
’
t
believe me. What
’
s
wrong, my beautiful boy? What are you so worried
about?
”

“
Nothing, I just
wanted to talk to you.
”

“
I like that
very much. I appreciate the company.
”

“
So
where
’
s Dad?
What
’
s he been up
to?
”

“
You know your
father is down at the Blue Crane. He gets so worked up over his
games. I hate to think about what the stress is doing to his heart.
It
’
s just not good
for him.
”

“
How good is it
for you?
”

“
I
’
m
perfectly fine, my dear. Your father wins quite often.
He
’
s very
good.
”

“
But what
happens when he loses?
”

The creak of slow
spinning wheels harmonized with Sunny Chu
’
s sigh of resignation.
“
He has always been very
passionate about his interests, my dear.
”

Chu
’
s eyes
burned.
“
That
’
s not
passion, Ma. It
’
s
anger, and whatever it is doesn
’
t give him the right to take it out
on you.
”

“
It
’
s fine, baby. It
’
s fine. I spend my days at the
clinic. He spends his nights at the Crane. I hardly get to see him
much at all these days, except for church on
Sunday
…”

“
So you spend
your life running from your husband? You hide from him so he
can
’
t hurt
you?
”

“
No, no it
’
s not like that at all.
”
Sunny spoke with the smooth soothing tones of a
mother trying to protect her son from the evils of the
world.
“
I
’
m not
afraid of your father. I
’
m not afraid of anyone. I know I
have a strong son who looks after me.
”

“
But
I
’
m not there for
you, and I wasn
’
t
there when you really needed me.
”

“
Beautiful boy,
you have been running to my rescue from the day you started to
walk. I still have your protection bottle. You saved me more times
than you can ever know. And now, you
’
re keeping people safe all around
the world. You make me very proud.
”

“
I
’
m sorry,
Ma---
”

“
It
’
s
perfectly fine, baby. You can
’
t be everywhere at once. You have to
protect the people who need you most. You
’
re doing just
fine.
”

“
Do you need me
to be there for you more?
”

“
I
’
m an old
woman. You shouldn
’
t waste your time with me.
”

“
Does he still
hit you?
”

“
I told you I
hardly see him.
”

“
Because he
still hits you, even with all he
’
s done to you
already?
”

Sunny Chu
didn
’
t have a
cheerful response. She didn
’
t have any response at all. The
wheels stopped rolling and the silence told Chu all he needed to
know.

“
I
’
m coming
to get you. I
’
m
coming over right now.
”

“
No baby. You
need to work. You have a life to live. You can
’
t sit around to take care of
me.
”

“
You can stay at
my place. You
’
ll
be safe there.
”

“
Your apartment
is too small and it doesn
’
t have a ramp. I
can
’
t get into
your place and I couldn
’
t move around in there anyway.
”

“
I
’
ll get a
new place, something bigger and--
”

“
Beautiful boy,
I need to be here. This is my home. I have a life. You have a life.
I know you are there for me, but I don
’
t want you to change your life for
me.
”

“
Then I
’
m
going to the Crane. I
’
ll make sure he never touches you again. I
--
”

“
You will do no
such thing, Hamilton Chu. You promised to never try that again. He
is your father. I
’
m not asking you to love him, but you have to respect him. If
you can
’
t do it
for him, then please try to do it for me.
”