21

"Hey Luke, can you get Kevin over here?" Joan said from the computer. Luke frowned and put down his tub of ice cream,

"Sure okay." He said obediently. Joan scrolled down the email from Xiao, Kevin wheeled his way next to Joan.

"Email from Xiao in New Zealand."

Sup y'all in the states?

It's of course, me! The plane ride was okay, I slept for most of it so I guess I missed the movie :-P. I got to Christchurch in the late afternoon, the weather is windy, rainy, and all round kiwi, my mum picked me up. Yes, I call her mum, not mom! She immediately drove me to the hospital to see my gran. And, the doctors aren't giving my grandmother more than two months.

"Poor girl, she must be devastated." Joan whispered. Kevin nodded and continued reading.

They can't do anything to help her, but give her shots of morphine to ease the pain. So, all I can do is sit next to her and watch her leave. But I can't, it's not fair! She's suffering a penalty she doesn't deserve. It's not fair. Some God up there lets this happen, so much pain.

 Sorry about my sudden rambling… Anyways, when I got back home, I had tea, or dinner, whatever man. I ate food.

Kevin smiled.

I went back into my room, and it was like I had never left home.

"Still calls it home," Joan said.

Could you call Josie on 664-3779 and tell her I wont be around for a while. Could you also tell her to practise all her scales and the tricky bit in her third piece? Cheers Joan.

"6643779" Joan wrote on her hand.

Kevin, sweetie sorry I'm not there to rub your back.

"Okay, I did not need to know that." Joan said flatly. Kevin grinned.

But just keep sitting straight! I love you, and I'll be back in Arcadia soon… I hope. Give a big hi to da whole Girardi whanau! (Whanau means family in Maori, it's just a slang thing)

 Love you all heaps, ~Xiao Su

P.S I went shopping, and I've bought some Milo, Marmite, Wattie's Sauce, Weet Bix and some other stuff you Americans ought to try!

Joan smiled, "How cute," she closed the window, "she rubs your back?" she asked interestedly. Kevin grinned,

"Yep, I get a sore back sometimes, and she's really good with her hands-"

"Okay, okay." Joan said getting up from the computer. "It's late Kevin, better hit the sack, unless you'd like me to… rub your back?" Joan laughed,

"No thanks sis. 'Night," he said, and made his way to his room.

"'Night," Joan called, and went to bed.

~

Xiao checked the time; 4:30 am, it wasn't time to get up. But her biological clock was being screwed up with. She got dressed and left her house to walk to the beach, only five minutes away.

 The moon was a brightly lit crescent in the sky, the black waves made soothing sounds and reflected the white light off the crescent. Xiao breathed deeply, closing her eyes. No one was around the beach at this time. She took off her jandles (or flip flops or whatever you people call them), and walked along the beach, the sand trickled between her toes as if they were cleaning them, an individual sand manicure.

 She picked up a piece of drift wood and threw it far into the water lapping at her feet when she felt another come near her. Xiao began to clench her fist, ready, when the other stood next to her and said her name. "Xiao," He said. Xiao turned cautiously to find…

~