Chapter 20-Yue
Two months later during the spring break I went home to find that Lele had grown up really quickly. The pup, once the size of a cat, is now the size of a...what can be referred? A horse colt would have been close, but that would be a little too big. Nevertheless Lele had grown quite big, and pampered, as I could see by the way he runs.
Kaho and Eriol told me about that night and how Syaoran had called for me.
" The next morning he was fine again." Eriol told me. " I guess it was just some
nightmare."
It made sense. Jingxi often called for me when he had a nightmare and when Yukito was in his room studying. I guess after I left he didn't have that many nightmares, but ever since he became blind he changed a lot.
Syaoran, thankfully, gained a few pounds ever since I brought Lele into his life. Sometimes I thought he could see me. There was an incident.
I was looking for my chain. It was a chain that Touya gave to me around five
years ago on Yukito's birthday. That time we were fourteen and Touya told Yukito
the strangest thing.
" I think this chain might bring many surprises."
The chain did. Right after he gave it to Yukito Fujitaka found the Clow Book. I received lots of strange mail which I threw away. Yukito won first place at the competition at archery. He became nearsighted.
Hai, the chain brought many surprises, good and bad. But I kept it because Touya gave it to me in the name of friendship. I always had it with me. That day I didn't know where it went.
" If you're looking for that chain of yours," Jingxi suddenly said, " You shouldn't try the cupboard. It wouldn't be there. By the way, one of the cups are broken."
I didn't react to that and took down the broken cup. I went to the garbage
can to throw it away.
" Careful. Banana peel."
I looked down. There was a banana peel.
" Who threw it there?" I asked.
" I think Kero did." Syaoran answered. " I'm not sure. Someone who can fly. It's
either Kero or Spinel."
I was just about to pick it up when something clicked in my head.
" How did you know there was a banana peel?" I asked Syaoran.
" Oh...ano..." Syaoran blushed. " I don't know."
" Can you tell how many fingers I'm holding up?" I tested him.
" Otou-san." Syaoran looked sad. " I can't see anything, Otou-san."
" Just try."
" I don't know. I can't see you or your hand. I just knew there was a banana peel.
Maybe because I heard it being thrown to the ground, or smelled it or something."
I lowered my hand. Syaoran was blind. My son was blind.
Lele went over and licked Syaoran's hand, wanting to play. We stared at each other, Syaoran's eyes looking at mine as if he could see me. For a moment I wanted to believe that he actually did see me. But his eyes remained pale gray. Like mine. Only they weren't supposed to be pale gray.
They were supposed to be amber!
I turned around and left without a word. Behind me, Jingxi was silent. I went
to the living room and saw Sakura sitting with Xuyan and Eriol and Tomoyo.
" Hey Yue." They smiled. ' What's wrong?"
" Syaoran's blind." I answered, and I left them. Strange. It was almost like I finally
realized for real that Syaoran will never see me again. Will never see what I bought
for him for his birthday. He'll never know the color of whatever flowers there were
or which fruit is the ripest. He'll never read the books I bought for him that he loved
so much. Will never know where I am when I leave his side. He'll never know what
time it is, what the night looks like, or whether there was a full moon. But I think
what pained me the most was that Syaoran will never look at me again with the
same eyes. His eyes are no longer amber and no longer seeing. Everytime his eyes
fall upon me, they fall on something nonexistent to his mind.
Yukito was working in the kitchen when I heard a cello.
Wait. Two cellos.
Outside in the living room Syaoran was teasing Xuyan warm heartedly about
how scratchy his cello sounded now.
" It's not the cello, it's you." Xuyan laughed, and I realized they switched cellos. "
The way you're bowing now! Aii!"
" Shizuka ni! My right hand isn't strong today." Syaoran shook his right hand. "
And my left hand isn't flexible either. Your bow's slipping. Where's the rosin?"
" I have a brand new bar. Do you have a key or something hard?" Xuyan asked.
" It's...go ask Yukito-san."
" Yukito!"
Yukito looked out. " Hai?"
" Do you have anything hard that won't kill anyone?" Xuyan asked, referring to the
knife I was holding.
" Oh." I put down the knife. " You need a key, right?" I took out from my pocket
some keys and tossed them to Xuyan. He started hammering it into a strange bar. I
stopped and watched him with interest, and also at Syaoran, who seemed suddenly
healthier. Of course he's healthier! He could play the cello now!
" What's taking you so long?" Syaoran asked empty air.
" The rosin is tough." Xuyan answered. " There we go! Powder!"
" Alright." Syaoran slide his bow on the bar. " There we go." He drew it on the
string. " Yah! How did it get out of tune so quickly?"
" It's a cello, mind you."
" A lousy one too. I keep telling you your cello is lousy and you never listen. I hope
that violin of yours is better."
" Oh please."
" In any case." Syaoran tried to turn the knob. " The C string is stuck! And the G
string keeps on slipping!"
" Here, let me help. Geez, your hands are weak, eh?" Xuyan laughed. " Oof. There
we go. No! Not back. Ai-" He twisted the knob again, then hammered it in with his
fist. " There we go. Now for that G string-"
" Hold on." Syaoran plucked. " Too sharp."
" Deal with it."
" No!"
" Fine." Xuyan turned it again. " Pluck."
" Sharp."
" Now."
" Perfect. You hammer it in and I'll use the fine tuning."
" I'm going to need rosin for the G string. Why is it so slippery?"
" You're asking me? It's your cello."
" Must be the stupid weather outside. I hate rainy days."
" The cello joins your club."
Yukito chuckled.
Suddenly, Syaoran seemed to notice I was there.
" Otou-san, they're having a concert at Kami Hall. Can I go? Onegai? Please?"
" Please?" Xuyan begged along with Syaoran.
" Well..." Yukito was a little bit startled. " What is going on there?"
" It's a piano concerto. The director of the whole thing invited me over." Syaoran
answered. " She said I could take four friends with me."
" You can go...but wait, when is the concert?"
" Ah...March 31st."
" The day before Sakura's birthday." I mused. " You can go. I can't because I have
to go meet a friend outside Tomoeda.
" Nani?" Syaoran looked dismayed. " Then...then I won't go."
" Nonsense!" I patted his head. " You can go with Sakura and Xuyan. Eriol, maybe,
and perhaps Tomoyo, unless Touya wants to go too."
" But-"
" Come along now. I want you to go. Maybe regain some of your spirit." I
chuckled. " Here you go." Handing him a chocolate bar I patted his shoulder and
turned around. Lele suddenly rose and went over to Syaoran's side.
That made me stop. I had noticed that Lele had been acting strange lately,
and so did Syaoran. And it wasn't strange as in evil and malevolent kind of strange.
It was more sort of...
Queer.
The dog started draggin Syaoran up the stairs by the sleeve, and whenever Syaoran tripped the dog acted as a cushion. For some reason Syaoran did not complain.
" Lele-" He stumbled again and Lele cushioned him.
" What the heck is that dog doing?" Xuyan asked.
" Dunno." Syaoran said in Cantonese. " He wants me to go upstairs."
???
" No mask."
" Oh please!"
" No no no no no!"
I chuckled at the children. What are they arguing about this time?
" No no no no no. I won't wear that mask."
" Fine. I will. At least you can wear the vest."
" The vest?"
" And the hat. Come on, don't wear that stupid green outfit! Wear something red!
It's Chinese New Year for heaven's sake."
" I don't have a lot of...red things."
" I know who does."
" Who?"
I heard Xuyan flipping through the address book.
" Xuyan...NO!"
" Moshi moshi, may I speak with Tomoyo please?"
" No NO NO NO NO NO NO NO-"
" Ohayo Tomoyo! Do you think you'll be able to make a costume for dear old
Syaoran?"
" Xuyan, No!"
" Good. Something with a dragon on it? And maybe a Phoenix if you want. It has
to be red. Hai. You know what to do. Hai, hai, hai, hai. Perfect. Domo arigatou! Ja!"
" Xuyan!"
" Stop whining, Jingxi. Good heavens, grow up."
" She'll make something that looks like a mushroom."
There was a pause.
" A mushroom on Chinese New Year?" Xuyan snorted. " That's unheard of!"
" Hmph. Why did it have to be in March?" Syaoran grumbled. " It's usually in
February."
" March sounds better. It's the beginning of Spring."
" More like the middle." Syaoran grumbled again. " It is bad enough you insist on
making dumplins by hand."
" What's wrong with that?"
" My palm always gets tired. And we have to make the filling too. I want chicken
with mushroom."
" Pork."
" Chicken."
" Pork."
" Chicken, Xuyan."
" Pork!"
" How many people are eating this?"
" Why can't we just do all different stuff?"
" Seventy different fillings! Are you mad?"
" Let's see. We can have pork with cucumber-"
" Cucumber!"
" Come on, grow up Syaoran."
" Please, I hate that kind of taste. It's so sour."
I chuckled silently to myself. This is funny.
" Come along." I smiled at them. " Don't argue over these things. We can have pork
and chicken. Maybe duck, beef, venison."
" Venison?" Syaoran cocked his head. " I never tasted venison."
" This guy tasted frog meat and dog meat and never tasted venison."
" You tasted dog meat?" I blinked.
" Elgh..." Syaoran looked timid. " I was four! I didn't even know it was dog meat. I
was somewhere east in China."
" Of course he didn't. Stupid bastard ate everything he sees."
" Oh please."
I swallowed. " Well, I'll tell you venison tastes very much like...something I can't remember."
Syaoran threw me this look that clearly suggested I did not make sense. But what really struck me was how much he looked like before when he was still able to see.
" We can have cabbage."
" Duh." Xuyan answered.
" Lettuce, maybe some shrimp-"
" The little ones?"
" Of course. I can't chop up the big ones! It's bad enough with their shells. You also
have to clean their intestines out. Elgh! And I can't see the intestines anymore."
" Cucumber."
" No cucumber."
" Cucumber."
" Fine. Whatever. Eggs, peas,"
" Why not sesame?"
" Sesame?"
" Why not?"
" Fine. You can make the sesame filling."
" You make the eggs and peas."
" The dough?"
" The dough! We'll make the dough together. It's not hard."
They began switching to Chinese again.
" Who should be here?"
" Sakura and Touya, no doubt. Maybe Fujitaka. Kaho, Eriol, Nakuru, Spinel, Kero.
We'll have to make a lot for those two. Yamazaki and Chiharu, Rika, Jitoshi, Yugi,
who else?"
" Who else? What are you asking me for?" Xuyan blinked. " I went away for a
year."
" Alright. Mimi is nice."
" Where are we going to have this? It's a lot of people."
" Where do you think? If you want Tomoyo to make me a costume, we'll go over
to her place! Daidouji is away for two more months after New Year."
Xuyan looked at Syaoran.
" We're going to have to write a lot of invitations." He said.