I don't own any characters in the story.
This is a story of the Black Tea Group (China, England and US)
China=Yao, England=Arthur, US=Alfred, France=Francis, Antonio=Spanain, Gilbert=Prussia, Ludwig=Germany.
It's not a happy story.
It is in Arthur's first person.
(Thanks for the pre-reading and correction of Kaya'window)
1
Everywhere
Everywhere in my world
You appear in it
No matter what time
No matter what place
I have nowhere to escape
I've started enjoying it like malt sugar
When did this start?
2
I think I must have fallen in love with you
Otherwise, I would not keep thinking about you
Thinking about you
Whether you can see the burning sunset glow
Whether you have on new clothes
Whether you can sleep on your soft bed at night
It is windy; the wind passes through the Redbud beside the library
I wonder if you can hear?
I think you must have fallen in love with me, at last
Otherwise, you would not appear everywhere I am passing by
3
I headed for the public library
Intending to borrow some nonacademic books
Anything that would use plain words to introduce Eastern History
I wanted to know you better
I passed through the intersections
There was a green light on a street towards downtown
I saw you standing beside the Panda Express
Standing in front of a public billboard
Standing behind the boxes full of discount cds
I finally approached the library
The automatic door opened
You were waiting for me in the left third seat
4
I can see you everywhere
Turned on the TV, the press conference was talking about you
Opened the newspaper, your photo was on the front page
Even on the homepage of our University
A column on you was their headline
They said you wore a white shirt and light blue jeans
Black eyes and black hair
Tied into a ponytail as usual
4:40 am, a truck passed by again towards your home
All matters—big and small
I laughed at my crazy mind
But I would never tell anyone
Not Francis, not Antonio, not Gilbert, not Ludwig, not Alfred (of course)
Maybe also you included
5
People all talked about you these days
Alfred had lots of your photos somehow
He handed them out to everyone
I wanted to avoid him instinctively
Avoid his happiness
Avoid his anxiety
I do not know where it came from
It seemed that on one Friday of our first semester
He had held a celebration party at his apartment
You were there as his roommate
Celebrating what?
Did you also smile for him?
I could not remember
6
You have a beautiful smile
Sometimes narrowing to your eyes
Sometimes even tilting your head
Just like the sunshine of June
You are slim
And not tall
But I believe you are strong
Because you
Warmed my heart that was steeped in London's rain
7
The bus was going west
7:70 am, it is my time to go to University
Blue skies outside the large windows
In the last corridor before the library
I pushed the elevator button
Heading up
I saw you again
8
You were right on my left
Standing near the dark clapboard with schedules behind the operator
1 Bus, 3 Bus, and 6 Bus and 9 Bus were always together
Looking up from my place
Your head was a little higher than those of 8 Bus
My hands stopped moving
You looked at me
Smiled at me
As usual
9
I was asked to a talk in the afternoon
The topic was about you as expected
You watched, smiled, leaned on the wall
Watched their low effectiveness
Watched their slow progress
Even your phone number was not as simple as England's
999
Chinese is as melodic as a song
You might not know it
I wanted so badly at that moment to kiss you
10
The sky in Bloomington is blue
Not like London's—cloudy day after day
I like to eat the frozen yogurt at Red Mango on 10th Street
With a lot of kiwis and strawberries
Sitting in the large lawn west of the library
Clouds
I watch them pass by as I eat my yogurt
I knew you'd enjoy this too
Because I met you at both Red Mango and lawn
11
Francis, Antonio, Gilbert, Ludwig and Alfred
Five is just OK to go to a bar
They did not ask me out
But I, as a gentleman, did not mind
Francis said
They walked along the street, asking and looking
Alfred walked along 11th Street, over and over again
They did not see you even when it turned dark
I mocked him in my mind
You would never be with him
12
You and I live in the same community
Fountain Park
The fountain by the gate sprays everyday
You had said "Arthur, it is spraying away our money"
You had said "Arthur, you can see a rainbow from this side"
You had said "Arthur, the colorful lights in the fountain are really beautiful"
I went to the Leasing Office to pay rent for V-12
Turned and saw you again
You were in the community room
Smiled
With two cute teeth
That reminded me—I met you here the first time
13
I slept often these days
In the library, on the bus
Even in the class with only 13 students
Because I can see you in my dreams
I was gazing at you before being wakened by Alfred
He growled at me, pulled my collar
Scared all the people in the east tower of the library
His eyes were red
I never saw him like this
But was it any of my business?
14
I came back home, with you filling up my brain
Francis took out the cake from the oven
He did not complain about not finding the needed ingredients in the small town
Alfred dropped out
He said
He cut the cake
Once, and again
Although I think there is no hope no matter what he does
He added
He did not call himself "brother" as usual
It has been 14 days
There is no information
15
There is no information?
Why
You are in front of me every day, every hour, every minute
Every corner, every street, every place
Everywhere in Bloomington
There is your smile in the city
The TV is on
You are on it, aren't you?
But why is Alfred also there?
Why he is so agitated?
Why he is so sad?
Why does he say he'll find you over and over again?
No matter what price to pay?
Is June 15th a special day?
Being worthy to write everywhere
16
Arthur
The voice of Francis is a little hesitant
He is extremely stupid
Can even mistake using salt for sugar
It is a cheesecake
Why is it astringently salty?
(Fin)
The story is derived from the real event happened in my university in Bloomington, IN.
A girl is missing and her pictures are posted in everywhere of the city, just as in the story.
I see her every day. Her smile is beautiful.
I cannot stop being sad with her.
I come from China and the cities I lived all have millions of people.
I would never know what the situation is of losing a person if I have not come to the tiny city as Bloomington.
I hope that she is alive somewhere and she can smile again.
Thank you for reading!