Hi: Things are certainly heating up. I'm certain Bai will be understanding to the disgraced monk, Janet and of course...the easily tempted FaHai.
Chapter 17
I am destined to die
The Xiamen gao qi Airport became a swirling pool of gawking travelers. A major travel center for flight in China, with the occasional one-way trip to the United States, an unusual visitor sparked this chaotic scene. Security personal lined the trail leading to the baggage area. Their usual dull stations pulsed with excitement.
As if a celebrity decided to "slum it" and mix with the common people of a foreign land, the often-overcrowded terminal created swarms of onlookers. Children pointed at the picturesque figure walking through the arrival gate. Men and women each rose eyebrows. Chattering in Mandarin and the local Fujinese dialect hovered over the young woman's march.
The visitor that gained so much interest kept a crisp tempo with an apparent ignorance of the attention she gathered. Every few seconds she would add a slight twist of her neck during the trek to the baggage area. This sent silk-like blond hair twirling just enough to appear as if a soft breeze had caught those golden locks.
The pleasing to the eye young white woman seemed to be cascading through every males almond shaped eyes. Changing before her thirteen-hour flight ended, the attractive, apparent clueless to her notoriety young American strolled through the strip of shops looking in a direct line to her front.
"Oh, where is he?" Janet twitched her head sending the golden tresses twirling as if a matador's cape, the action brought an increase in the number of admirers.
A growing multitude of fans gathered on each side of her walk through the closed-in shops. A buzzing sound grew from the crowd. Women scrounged through their pocketbooks for any scrap of paper. A young girl with a Hello Kitty spiral notebook needed to be restrained by her frustrated mother. The poor woman ceased trying to explain to her daughter the rudeness of rushing up to someone for an autograph.
"Here, we have what you want?" In near perfect English, a salesgirl called to her from a small area brandishing women shoes. Another young woman left her dress shop with several silk scarves encased in clear plastic. A slight teenager with a blue-jean skirt, she waved the different colored material to get the well-dressed visitor's interest. The young girl's blunt cut hairdo ended over her shoulders. It sat limp, touching her light blue silk top. Black as night bangs covered her eyebrows.
"Forty American dollars, this scarf…beautiful for you." Barked by another woman hopping to her front, flashing a Michael Kors brown Tote bag. The MK medallion hanging from one of its straps and the supposed original's leather covered with the distinctive MK logo.
Oh these Chinese people, you think they never saw a beautiful, blond before.
Her thought elicited a sly smile.
The black dress met the top of the young American's knees. A fitted mesh insert gave enough tease while still appearing appropriate. Sleeveless and tapered to her figure, following a pair of slim legs sheathed in matching hose downward, an adjustable ankle strap stole your vision as her delicate feet sat firm on the thin platform.
Oh. Only God knows how many of these men are hot for me?
Her peripheral vision labored to see the strained leers from a group of Airport Security patrolling the terminal.
They're gonna cum in their pants.
Her amusing thought disturbed by the persistent tote bag dealing woman.
"Bag, original, good price one hundred." The overweight forty something saleswoman bumped hard enough into the slender salesgirl carrying scarves to send her into a glass-counter containing jewelry. The display shook sending a line of Mickey and Minnie Mouse watches sliding on the shelf.
Amid colloquial profanity, and threatening looks from both salespeople, that appeared ready to attack the other. Janet hustled away from the brewing confrontation. She continued to walk uninterested in any of the outrageous cries of special prices for Americans thrown from different cubicles.
Straining her head, she hoped to see Angelo.
"Oh no, please…no." refusing assistance from a number of men, her senses felt invisible daggers heading in her direction.
If looks could kill, these jealous Chinese women would be slicing me apart.
Her frustration at Angelo's tardiness became neutralized at the attention she gathered. Sneaking peeks at different young women some in muffled conversation itemizing her clothes and figure, she continued her enjoyment for on occasion sneering glances form older women increased her self-worth.
I sent him two e mails. Where is he? Oh, he'll better have a good excuse.
Janet considered herself a woman of the world, though this jaunt is the first out of the Eastern Time Zone. She knew her Angelo must be beside himself, not being able to meet his one-true love after such a long separation.
Oh, if there's one guy you never worry about it's him. Probably helping some poor Chinese person with something.
A cabdriver offered assistance. Janet showed him a paper with an address sprawled in English and Hanzi Characters. A flight attendant translated the Chinese version of Angelo's hotel address.
She called his cell phone.
"Oh, where are you? I'm very angry. You better have a good reason." Gritting her teeth, "I hope you've changed." Finishing the message, she twirled her hair one more time.
Following the cabbie to the terminal exit, she took one last breath before smirking at a pair of young women admiring her shoes.
Confident that her Angelo had not changed, still the pliable and forgiving person she left broken and desolate on a Brooklyn Heights's bench, she entered the black Elantra. Crossing her legs, she leaned back on the gray cloth material and smiled.
He must be doing something helpful to someone. He is such a gentleman.
She decided to whisper her true definition of her future husband.
"What a sucker. People make a fool out of him. That's gonna stop." Pausing, as the cab driver turned to her words.
He's mine. No one but me will treat him like that. No one.
In a distance, Angelo also rested.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he found himself gasping for air. He had been helpful to a Chinese person in need.
Bai's sexual demands were unswerving. She commanded an intense performance by her lover. The spent man executed every desire wished for from his Bai, as if he possessed no will of his own. Looking at the cracks in the ceiling, he closed his eyes with an innocent smile. Never receiving any correspondence from Janet, his expectations for a restful day remained undisturbed. She must have found something, or someone to move onto. In the other room of their modest home, Bai knew this day would be anything but restful.
"The bitch will be here soon." Whispered to a tentative Xiaoqing. "I want you to give my love anything he needs." Bai's eyes widened causing Xiaoqing to step backward.
"Anything in reason." Bai spoke keeping her eyes on her younger sister. I've seen the way you look at him." Stopping to present a stern face to the pensive Xiaoqing. "Not always, but sometimes. I know you want him, just like the women that come into our shop," pausing to widened her eyes. "And the sluts that look at us hungering for his body."
Xiaoqing remained silent. Bai's increasing fits of jealousy were become more frequent.
"Never mind, I wish to meet this bitch. Then decide what to do. What to turn her into?" The high-pitched laugh from Bai sent a shiver down Xiaoqing's spine.
"But, sister using your power to transform a human will certainly give our existence away." Xiaoqing's weak tenor still carried an ominous warning.
"There are no such monks in our province." Pulling her long black hair backward, Bai ran a thick rubber band around her straight mane. "That fool from before was a freak of nature. A fool, someone defrocked and a nuisance." Slipping into a short jean jacket. "Goodbye, sweet Mei Mei." Bai left from the back window.
Xiaoqing put her hand on the bare wooden table to remain standing. She is supposed to be the impulsive one. The unthinking sibling that might threaten the sisters' survival, roles seemed reversed.
"Oh, Buddha," Xiaoqing looked out the window as she pleaded. Bai's silhouette flew through the tree line. "Please help my sister, she is good but her overflowing heart share the emotions of love, and jealousy." The distraught younger sister dropped to her knees in pray. "This clash of the spirit will destroy us all." A sigh, "protect poor Angelo." She clasped her hands together, "protect him, Buddha. Protect Angelo."
Entering her room, the downcast young woman walked over to the plastic shelves lying in a column one on top of the other. Opening the first, she winched at the squeaky sound.
"Help me!"
There lay the cigar shaped spool of silk. The miniature head of Li Kai the only part of him visile.
"I hope to set you free, disgraced monk, but I worry of the damage you might cause."
"Please, please." Li Kai stretched his neck in hopes of adding volume to his pleas. "Great Immortal, I swear…"
Xiaoqing closed the draw to silence the sickening squeal of the bewitched man.
"You might have company soon. If my sister does not come to her senses."
At the Airport Janet's perfect day began to unravel.
"Why are we stopping?" Asked in a tone that annoyed the driver.
"Ma'am, must pick up at Airport. No can not."
The driver alluded to a government order that servicing more than one passenger can alleviate congestion in the terminal and along the connecting highways.
"Xie Xie." The tall slim man dressed in black thanked the driver. Bowing to the occupant in the back seat, he entered the cab. A flood of Fujianese dialect filled the Elantra.
"Miss, he go same town as you." A brimming smile covered the round face of the cabbie as his sweat soaked jet-black hair pointed lay flat on his head.
Janet rolled her eyes and chose to look out her window.
Fahai, instead closed his eyes and began to imagine the task before him. Preparing to meditate, he took out a large bead necklace. Janet's eye had been captured by the array of different colors on the agate mala beads.
Muffled whispers left his mouth as he clutched his hands in pray. The 108 beads hung from his hands, supported by outstretched thumbs.
"Oh, dear.' Her tone full of disgust, the idea of sharing a cab ride with a religious fanatic brought an array of annoyed expressions on her clear pale skin. A slanted eyebrow sat on top of a tense cheek. Curling her lips, green eyes rolled to signal an irritated acceptance of this distraction. She kept her vision on the rolling hills sporting rows of tea plants. Their aromatic smell filtered through the rear window. "Oh, I love tea, but this is ridiculous."
Janet resumed her original position. Leaning back, she closed her yes, replaying the tumultuous promenade through the airport terminal. She sighed content to let her defenses down. Alone in the back seat with a young man is not the time for an attractive woman to close her eyes.
Oh my, he's still praying. Well it's a nuisance, but at least a guy like him won't take this opportunity for a free grab.
She smiled at the thought.
Continuing in silence, Fahai's mind played a different scene than the women to his left.
Tensed cheeks brought drops of perspiration running down his forehead. The image of a giant white snake coiled and ready to clamp a mouth full of sharp teeth down on a frightened, quivering man. Serpentine, bulging eyes popped at the delicious morsel to its front. This vision invaded the young monk's thoughts uninvited. Stiff and unmoving in the back of the cab, he tried to focus on the small, trembling figure to the snake's front.
A gust of air left his mouth with the recognition of the soon to be consumed figure.
I am destined to die.
The abrupt exhale brought a stern expression from Janet, he could not hide his apprehension from her. She kept a focused stare on her sweaty backseat companion. The often-unsympathetic woman wondered the cause of his apparent difficulty. That unusual concern faded, as another whiff from the mountain landscape brought a twitch to her head, and one final twirl of her hair before resuming her relaxed stature.
Note to reader:
The perfect storm may be brewing.
What do you think?
GG
