Chapter two
"Mulan, you need to tell your daughter" Mushu said sitting on Mulan's shoulder.
"I'm trying to protect my daughter" Mulan replied
"From what? Mulan, she suspects something is wrong. She has the right to know"
"She's only a child, Mushu"
"She's 13 years old Mulan, not a toddler"
"I know what I'm doing"
"No Mulan, I don't think you do. You have to tell her"
"No I don't Mushu!"
"How long are you going to wait!"
"As long as I can"
"She's going to keep asking for him"
"And I still won't tell"
"Mulan…."
"Mushu, if I tell her, she's going to go look for him. She could get hurt. I'm not risking that"
"Was it not but a few years back where you stole your father's armor, joined the army and went into war? If you were caught, the penalty was death."
"So"
"So, your parents were scared to death that something has happened to you. But that was a risk that they had to take. Ming Mei is going to go looking for her father, whether she gets hurt or not, that's a risk you're going to have to make."
"Not if I can help it"
"This isn't something you can stop"
"Try me"
12 years. 12 years without my father. I don't know how I did it. I don't know how mom does it. I sat on the edge of my bed looking out the window. Where are you father?
I turned my attention to my mirror, and I didn't really see my mother, but I saw someone else. I couldn't make out who that person was. But he or she was faintly familiar.
"Ming Mei, I'm going to the market, do you want to come?" Mother called from the hallway.
"Sure, hold on" I brushed my silky black hair which now hung just above my waist. I took one more glance at myself in the mirror, and then went downstairs to meet my mother.
The market itself wasn't so far, so we just walked. When we got to the market something caught my attention. A little girl no older that 4 was running around. She tripped over a rug, and started to wail. A man, ran towards the little girl, picked her up and soothed her with soft words until she grew quiet again. I realized then that, that man was her father. All around me were families. Complete ones, the ones with a mother, a father, and a child. I saw another family, but this one had a little boy, and he was on his father's shoulders.
Flashback
I sat on my fathers broad and sturdy shoulders.
"My, my Ming Mei, you've grown" Chien Po said tickling my chin, as a squealed in delight.
"You're taller than your father" Ling agreed.
"Where you guys headed?" Yao asked
"The market, Mulan said she needs a few things" my father said.
End flash back
Again, I couldn't see what my father looked like, it seemed like every time I looked at him, his face was dark so I couldn't see it.
"Ming Mei!" Mother said snapping me back into reality
"Oh, sorry mother" It was just then I realized my mother has been calling my name for several minutes now.
"Come on honey, I need to get some ginger"
While my mom was getting everything she needed, I was watching the families walking around, laughing and smiling. I wish I had that life. My life wasn't complete. And I'm going to find away. Dangerous or not, I'm going on a journey to find the missing puzzle pieces.
