Liu Shen and Meg struggled through the door later that day, arms laden with bags full of
Chinese takeout paid for by John and delivered by the building concierge.
"God damn it, John, you ordered enough to feed an army!" Meg exclaimed, staggering to the combination kitchen island/breakfast bar and laying down her burden, then turning to help John's sister to do the same.
Meg had wondered, when John had called a restaurant of his familiarity, what had taken so long and so many Cantonese words to order. Now she had her answer. He had apparently ordered the whole damned menu.
John was sitting on a stool next to the kitchen island. He had slept part of the day away,
stretched out on the couch, watched over by Meg. She smiled, watching him as he, inspected
each bag as it was laid down. Seizing one of them, he verified the contents then made a move to climb down. Meg laid a restraining hand on his chest.
"Whoa, big fella. Stay right there," she cautioned, mindful of the fact that he had yet to recover the color he had lost during a dressing change a few minutes ago. "Where does it go?"
John sighed, "Refrigerator."
Meg plucked the bag from his grasp, walked over to the empty refrigerator and placed it on a shelf. She checked the refrigeration level and closed the door, throwing a questioning look in John's direction.
"Breakfast," he replied laconically, a slight smile on his lips.
"Ah! Now explain the rest of this--lunch and dinner for tomorrow, perhaps?" Meg queried, returning to stand next to where he sat.
"You wanted a seven course meal. While I have not cooked it myself, I hope this will suffice."
Meg smiled, remembering the context of that particular conversation.
"It'll do." Meg murmured. She watched as Lee Ma turned away from the sink where she had been washing dishes preparatory to the meal, passing plates and chop sticks to Liu Shen. Eschewing the formal black lacquer dining table a few feet away, John's sister began arranging place settings around the breakfast bar end of the island, where John was already seated. She traded a look with Meg which communicated their mutual desire to see John conserve his energy.
"Liu Shen, what do you think of this place?" Meg asked.
"It is beautiful. Jian told us many times that he would bring us to a comfortable home, better than any we had known. But I never dreamed anything as grand as this."
Meg beamed at John's sister, "I'm going to bring your things over here tomorrow, no need to stay at my place after this."
Liu Shen's expression changed, shocked concern replacing the joyful expression of moments before. "Meg, I did not mean---"
Casting a glance at John, who also seemed about to say something, Meg cut off Liu Shen's apology in mid sentence, "Not at all, Liu Shen! There is NO sense sleeping two to a futon in my rat trap when you and Lee Ma can each have your own bedroom here. Besides, this building has great security--L.A. can be a dangerous place, and my apartment doesn't have a great track record in that department."
"But where will you be? Jian is not yet well, we cannot do without you! I would miss you...Lee Ma would miss you. John cannot bear--"
John cleared his throat interrupting his sister in what Meg suspected was a face saving nick of time, "Perhaps Meg will allow us to repay her hospitality by staying here, with us....for a while," the delay in the last words indicating his distaste for putting a time limit to the invitation.
Meg looked at him soulfully, saw in the dark eyes a plea she ached to answer, "Isn't every day I get an invitation to stay over in a place like this. I'll consider it. At least until John is well. Meantime, let's eat. Its past time your brother was laying down to rest."
The meal turned into a rollicking affair after Meg and Liu Shen noted with amused chagrin that John was not particularly adept in feeding himself left-handed. The pair took turns offering him tidbits from their plates to supplement what he struggled with on his own, while Lee Ma looked on in vast amusement, pontificating in Cantonese every so often. Liu Shen laughingly translated her mother's pointed remarks, and Meg found herself laughing out loud at the jibes Lee Ma playfully aimed at her son.
John assumed a long suffering look as his sister dabbed a napkin at a drip of sauce on his chin, but the dark eyes were lively with merriment.
Meg watched him entranced. Six months ago those eyes had often seemed dead, haunted, filled with self loathing. The transformation was breathtaking to behold.
John had come back to life again. He was no longer a tormented ghost. Watching him, she fought the urge to cry, stifling the burning wetness in her eyes.
The meal stretched itself out as the four of them enjoyed each others company. Meg was astonished when she glanced at her wristwatch out of habit--wondering if it was time to pull out another dose of antibiotics --and discovered it was going on ten pm.
"Whoa! I just noticed that it's way past your bedtime, John!" she announced out loud. Liu Shen and Lee Ma turned to look at her as they cleared the breakfast bar of dishes and empty food containers. Both looked at John expectantly, as though he might protest the announcement. From the expressions on their faces, he would be vastly outnumbered if he did so.
John shrugged without thinking--wincing at the pain the movement caused in his injured shoulder.
"Come on," Meg urged, standing next to him and putting an arm around his waist again as he slipped off the stool and onto his feet. Seeing him steady, she nodded approvingly.
"Can you make it to your room? I'll help Lee Ma and Liu Shen clean up, grab the dressings and antibiotics and be there in just a minute to help you into your pajamas, okay?" Meg gave a wink and jerked her head slightly to one side to assure him she had not forgotten her promise, but wanted to make sure that his mother and sister were settled before coming to him.
He smiled a mysterious smile and inclined his head. "Of course."
He took his leave, beckoning sister and mother to his kiss and embrace, murmuring goodnights in their mother tongue to each before turning and making his way gingerly down the hall.
Meg watched him go, following him with her eyes, entirely missing an exchange of looks that passed between Lui Shen and Lee Ma. She never knew that they were not as oblivious as she might have wished.
Clean up was accomplished with a determined amount of speed. Lee Ma spoke several sentences to her daughter, which John's sister translated for Meg.
"Ma says she is very tired and desires to retire to her room. She hopes that this will not prove an inconvenience. You will be able to manage John, Meg? There is a television in my room, and I so very much want to watch it--to see broadcasts free of political influence for the first time in my life." Liu Shen explained.
Meg smiled, "You're probably in luck there, election season doesn't start for a few weeks yet. I'll be fine. It hasn't been that long since John's last dressing change, and he's been good about taking his pills."
"Well then," Liu Shen said beaming, "we shall retire then, Li taai-taai." She reached out impulsively and enfolded Meg in a hug.
Before she knew it, Lee Ma was following her daughter's example, murmuring what Meg assumed was a good night wish, echoing Liu Shen's use of the honorific.
Meg watched them climb the stairs, shaking her head. Somehow, she suspected, she and John had not fooled them for a single minute.
end of chapter 9
Chinese takeout paid for by John and delivered by the building concierge.
"God damn it, John, you ordered enough to feed an army!" Meg exclaimed, staggering to the combination kitchen island/breakfast bar and laying down her burden, then turning to help John's sister to do the same.
Meg had wondered, when John had called a restaurant of his familiarity, what had taken so long and so many Cantonese words to order. Now she had her answer. He had apparently ordered the whole damned menu.
John was sitting on a stool next to the kitchen island. He had slept part of the day away,
stretched out on the couch, watched over by Meg. She smiled, watching him as he, inspected
each bag as it was laid down. Seizing one of them, he verified the contents then made a move to climb down. Meg laid a restraining hand on his chest.
"Whoa, big fella. Stay right there," she cautioned, mindful of the fact that he had yet to recover the color he had lost during a dressing change a few minutes ago. "Where does it go?"
John sighed, "Refrigerator."
Meg plucked the bag from his grasp, walked over to the empty refrigerator and placed it on a shelf. She checked the refrigeration level and closed the door, throwing a questioning look in John's direction.
"Breakfast," he replied laconically, a slight smile on his lips.
"Ah! Now explain the rest of this--lunch and dinner for tomorrow, perhaps?" Meg queried, returning to stand next to where he sat.
"You wanted a seven course meal. While I have not cooked it myself, I hope this will suffice."
Meg smiled, remembering the context of that particular conversation.
"It'll do." Meg murmured. She watched as Lee Ma turned away from the sink where she had been washing dishes preparatory to the meal, passing plates and chop sticks to Liu Shen. Eschewing the formal black lacquer dining table a few feet away, John's sister began arranging place settings around the breakfast bar end of the island, where John was already seated. She traded a look with Meg which communicated their mutual desire to see John conserve his energy.
"Liu Shen, what do you think of this place?" Meg asked.
"It is beautiful. Jian told us many times that he would bring us to a comfortable home, better than any we had known. But I never dreamed anything as grand as this."
Meg beamed at John's sister, "I'm going to bring your things over here tomorrow, no need to stay at my place after this."
Liu Shen's expression changed, shocked concern replacing the joyful expression of moments before. "Meg, I did not mean---"
Casting a glance at John, who also seemed about to say something, Meg cut off Liu Shen's apology in mid sentence, "Not at all, Liu Shen! There is NO sense sleeping two to a futon in my rat trap when you and Lee Ma can each have your own bedroom here. Besides, this building has great security--L.A. can be a dangerous place, and my apartment doesn't have a great track record in that department."
"But where will you be? Jian is not yet well, we cannot do without you! I would miss you...Lee Ma would miss you. John cannot bear--"
John cleared his throat interrupting his sister in what Meg suspected was a face saving nick of time, "Perhaps Meg will allow us to repay her hospitality by staying here, with us....for a while," the delay in the last words indicating his distaste for putting a time limit to the invitation.
Meg looked at him soulfully, saw in the dark eyes a plea she ached to answer, "Isn't every day I get an invitation to stay over in a place like this. I'll consider it. At least until John is well. Meantime, let's eat. Its past time your brother was laying down to rest."
The meal turned into a rollicking affair after Meg and Liu Shen noted with amused chagrin that John was not particularly adept in feeding himself left-handed. The pair took turns offering him tidbits from their plates to supplement what he struggled with on his own, while Lee Ma looked on in vast amusement, pontificating in Cantonese every so often. Liu Shen laughingly translated her mother's pointed remarks, and Meg found herself laughing out loud at the jibes Lee Ma playfully aimed at her son.
John assumed a long suffering look as his sister dabbed a napkin at a drip of sauce on his chin, but the dark eyes were lively with merriment.
Meg watched him entranced. Six months ago those eyes had often seemed dead, haunted, filled with self loathing. The transformation was breathtaking to behold.
John had come back to life again. He was no longer a tormented ghost. Watching him, she fought the urge to cry, stifling the burning wetness in her eyes.
The meal stretched itself out as the four of them enjoyed each others company. Meg was astonished when she glanced at her wristwatch out of habit--wondering if it was time to pull out another dose of antibiotics --and discovered it was going on ten pm.
"Whoa! I just noticed that it's way past your bedtime, John!" she announced out loud. Liu Shen and Lee Ma turned to look at her as they cleared the breakfast bar of dishes and empty food containers. Both looked at John expectantly, as though he might protest the announcement. From the expressions on their faces, he would be vastly outnumbered if he did so.
John shrugged without thinking--wincing at the pain the movement caused in his injured shoulder.
"Come on," Meg urged, standing next to him and putting an arm around his waist again as he slipped off the stool and onto his feet. Seeing him steady, she nodded approvingly.
"Can you make it to your room? I'll help Lee Ma and Liu Shen clean up, grab the dressings and antibiotics and be there in just a minute to help you into your pajamas, okay?" Meg gave a wink and jerked her head slightly to one side to assure him she had not forgotten her promise, but wanted to make sure that his mother and sister were settled before coming to him.
He smiled a mysterious smile and inclined his head. "Of course."
He took his leave, beckoning sister and mother to his kiss and embrace, murmuring goodnights in their mother tongue to each before turning and making his way gingerly down the hall.
Meg watched him go, following him with her eyes, entirely missing an exchange of looks that passed between Lui Shen and Lee Ma. She never knew that they were not as oblivious as she might have wished.
Clean up was accomplished with a determined amount of speed. Lee Ma spoke several sentences to her daughter, which John's sister translated for Meg.
"Ma says she is very tired and desires to retire to her room. She hopes that this will not prove an inconvenience. You will be able to manage John, Meg? There is a television in my room, and I so very much want to watch it--to see broadcasts free of political influence for the first time in my life." Liu Shen explained.
Meg smiled, "You're probably in luck there, election season doesn't start for a few weeks yet. I'll be fine. It hasn't been that long since John's last dressing change, and he's been good about taking his pills."
"Well then," Liu Shen said beaming, "we shall retire then, Li taai-taai." She reached out impulsively and enfolded Meg in a hug.
Before she knew it, Lee Ma was following her daughter's example, murmuring what Meg assumed was a good night wish, echoing Liu Shen's use of the honorific.
Meg watched them climb the stairs, shaking her head. Somehow, she suspected, she and John had not fooled them for a single minute.
end of chapter 9