Chapter 124: Waiting
The cold moist air greeted Li Hua and Chang, welcoming them home to San Francisco. Chang rolled her mother out of the terminal and to the street to flag down a taxi to return home.
For the first time in her life, she felt that it wasn't her home anymore. Her home somehow had changed from a place to a person.
'Just when did that happen?' As she stroked the ring that lay on her chest on a strap, Chang tried to take comfort from it. It was one of very few things she had from him, and she had couldn't bear to have left it with everything else.
After filling through the forms Liang Ju-Long gave her two minutes to gather her stuff and to change into western clothes. As she had changed into the pink dress Jian had bought her right before they came, Chang looked at the shining ring on her finger.
'I can't leave this..' Looking around she spotted one of his shirts that had a section that laced up in the front. 'Perfect.'
Chang stripped the thin strip of leather from the front of one of his shirt and hung the ring on it around her neck. After tying the neck ribbon on the dress, her ring became perfectly camouflaged.
After changing, she barely managed to grab the picture her mother had given her before they were rushed out of the palace.
As they were rushed out, Hao Jin Ying insisted on accompanying them in the car that sat out front of the palace squishing herself into the open vehicle.
The car barely squeezed through the narrow streets of Muzdahir headed west then north. After traveling a ways away they came to a a small purposeful clearing. On a small secluded airstrip sat two small planes, both black.
LiHua was ushered onto one of the planes first, then Chang was pushed along after her, Liang Ju-Long followed behind them both, herding them in. After he went in Hao Jin Ying started walking up the steps when she was stopped by Liang Ju-Long.
"You have accompanied us far enough Miss Hao. You are an employee of my son and should remain here."
"CEO Liang has instructed me to accompany Mrs. Dumont, my work detail includes assisting her as her personal nurse." Hao Jin Ying pressed her case, trying to step inside.
"That will no longer be necessary, you may consider yourself relieved of this duty. If you wish to continue you may find yourself relieved of a position within Liang International as well.
"If I remember correctly, you have a sister and a nephew as your closest of kin, is that right?"
Hao Jin Ying was startled by the sudden change. "Yes that's correct sir."
"It's very hard for a single mother to make it on her own is it not."
Hao Jin Ying answered more cautiously, wondering what the older man was alluding to. "Yes, it can be, I assist her as best as I can though, sir."
"Ah, what a kind person you are to care so for her. It would be best if you continued to keep her in your thoughts as you act."
Hao Jin Ying paled, realizing the unspoken threat laced with his words. She looked at LiHua and Chang, her eyes starting to shine.
"Please, just let us say goodbye, before we go, just one minute please." Chang pleaded with Liang Ju-Long realizing they might never see Jin Ying again.
"Make it expeditious." The tall man moved aside and Hao Jin Ying embraced the two of them.
"We'll miss you."
"I'm sorry I can't come with you now, I'll do what I can so that we can come see you soon."
"Please do, and tell Jian the truth for me please."
"I will, stay safe you two."
"You too Jin Ying."
"Thank you Xiao Ying." Li Hua smiled with tears in her eyes as they separated. As they left the ground Chang looked to where Hao Jin Ying stood with the soldiers slowly becoming the size of an ant.
In the distance she could barely see the crawling estate of the palace on the plateau that she had come to love. She placed her hand on the window touching the image through the glass as it shrunk.
'Good bye..'
Chapter 125: Waiting (II)
As they rode home in the taxi cab, Li Hua and Chang remained silent all the way to their house. Staring out the window, Chang traced her finger on the small droplets of moisture outside that captured bright bits of light from the surroundings. Tracing from her memory she drew his smile on the window, smiling a little herself at the memory until they came to a stop.
Once they had arrived, Chang offered the man who drove them a little extra to help her with her mother as they hadn't been able to take her wheelchair with her. At the airport they had used one that the airport itself provided to make it to the cab. Smiling though the man declined and gently helped her mother up the steps and into their house.
'I'll have to get Mom something else soon.' Grateful for the help, Chang payed the man before entering the cold house, carrying only the picture and a small wad of cash.
"Brr, it's so cold in here! Even for November!" Lihua complained from the sofa. "Xiao Xie will you turn the furnace on and up?"
Chang nodded wordlessly, first draping a blanket over her mother that had been lying on the back of the sofa.
"Ah thank you sweetie." Li Hua smiled sweetly at her daughter, her heart breaking to see the latter's drawn and pained face. "I'm sure it will be OK?"
"Will it though? I wrote him a coded letter like I used to do with Dad, this little written word games in our notes. The more I think about it though, Jian probably wouldn't understand. I don't remember if I even told him about that. I don't even remember what I wrote, I was so stressed but I think I said something like I don't love you and some other horrible things.."
Big fat tears started to fall over and over. "Mom I don't think I ever told him I love you, and I do. I love him very much. I'm still worried about him leaving, what if he never even reads it at all? What if he died already, and I'll just never know?!"
"Come here, hey, calm down. You're working yourself up." Chang sat down by her mother, who tried to brush away her tears. "First off all, I highly doubt that he died, that boy is far too tenacious to be taken down so easily.
"Secondly I think he knows, but you should tell him that in person WHEN you see him. And you will, after everything he's done and been through, I highly doubt he would just let you walk away, even if he doesn't understand your letter.
"In that case he's probably going to be pretty angry and hurt, and you'll have to be prepared for that when you see him. You will see him again so stop worrying, you just need to be patient and wait right now."
"Just how long will I have to wait?"
"I can't tell you that sweetie, you'll just have to be strong."
Chang sniffed while holding her mom, "I'll try mom."
----
Two weeks quickly passed by her even though every day seemed to drag. Every time the doorbell rang or the phone went off she would fly to it, waiting for Jian.
Still there was no word.
Thanksgiving was a rather dreary affair in their household that year, unlike previous years, excluding the one right after her dad passed. Every holiday that year had been painful. Her mother tried to encourage her to think positively and she tried. She really tried but it became harder each day.
Chang became really good at smiling even when she felt like falling apart and crying. Her mother's strength of kindness inspired her to work harder, to be better support for her mother.
'He' s not coming anymore, I just need to accept that and move on. For now I need to make the most of this time with mom.. '
The predicted date was quickly advancing on them whether they wished it or not. Chang could only watch as her mother slowly lost almost all of her functions and come to need assistance with everything.
LiHua' s speech was one of the last things that started to be affected. Spurred on by this Lihua began to open up to her more, as if wanting to pass all her memories and knowledge on before she lost the ability to.
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