"Three Day War"
Part Three
By Elda Aranel
AC 198
Meilan sat in the all too familiar flower field, deep in thought. It had been about five weeks since Wufei left. So much had happened since those three days she spent time with him. At the moment, she spent her time remembering those past events, particularly the last night she spent with him. Unfortunately, accompanying that memory was the next day's adventures, which led to others.
Flashback
Meilan awoke, once again thankful she had shut the blinds the night before. Speaking of which…Meilan's eyes widened as she recalled the previous night. Swiftly, she sat up and looked around. Wufei was gone. Of course, it was long past his shuttle's departure time.
Sighing, she wrapped the sheet around her as she stood. A light, dull pain was felt in her lower body. However, after a shower and walking around, it faded.
Meilan did not need to look at a clock to know she was slept in longer than usual. She had barely finished a light breakfast when her grandfather and the rest of the Elders had summoned her. It was not even past 12 and she was already facing the Elders. One would hope they would give you time to prepare for this sort of confrontation. She had a deep feeling that many people would be disappointed with her choice. Still, she wasn't going to subject herself to an ass for the rest of her life. True, Wufei was an ass himself at times, but Li was far too worse. On the lighter side, if Wufei and she did fight or something, he didn't live there. There would be plenty cool-off periods.
She did not hate just Li Ling. No. She hated the entire Li family. They were stuck up, rude, nosey, and pushy. Despite that the Long family was the head of the clan, the Lis acted like everyone should feel honored by them! The only reason people did not doing much against them was because they ended up with enough power to hold their positions. Plus they were also wealthy. No doubt, Meilan would have to face Ling's parents alone. Personally, a trip to hell would be in order.
Eager to end this mess, the young woman hurried to the Hall to meet with the Elders. Along the way, she considered who she had for support. Somehow, she felt that her grandfather would support her decision. Her parents would probably be neutral. The rest of the Elders would be fussy about it. The Changs…Meilan forgot to meet with them. She had no idea how they felt about the situation. Then again, it made it a little easier, knowing that she didn't have to worry about them.
As soon as she entered the large room, she was met by the Elders and the Li family. Her parents were also present. And, to her uneasiness, so were the Changs, Wufei's parents. Mrs. Chang gave her a small, faint smile. Meilan relaxed. She was always fond of Mrs. Chang. It reassured her to know that they would support her decision.
"Well, Meilan, I am positive you know exactly why we asked you to come," Master Long said. She nodded. "So let's hear it."
She started to speak but stopped. What this really her decision? Ling or Wufei? One always near and one always gone. Why was this suddenly so hard? She knew who she wanted. Suddenly she wondered if Wufei wanted to stay with her. Sure he said he loved her. Hell, he even proved it last night. Yet, he left without a word. She had not even said 'I love you' back. All the 'what if's' ran through her head at light speed.
"We're waiting, Meilan," Elder Gin said.
"I'm staying with Wufei," she answered blatantly. She ignored the indignant expressions of many of the Elders and the Lis. She knew the Changs were pleased, though they never would show it to everyone else.
"So be it," Master Long said. "This matter is closed."
"Meilan," Mrs. Chang called. Meilan stopped and let Mrs. Chang catch up with her. Mr. Chang let her go and went his own way.
"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Chang," Meilan greeted.
"I suppose this decision means you and Wufei worked things out between you two," Mrs. Chang said.
"I guess," Meilan said.
"He didn't visit us when he was here," Mrs. Chang said. "I know we were a bit detached from him but I couldn't help but worry over him during the war. How was he?"
"Changed," Meilan admitted. "He wasn't like the arrogant scholar boy we once knew. Being in the war totally changed him. He seems so reserved and shadowed. It makes me wonder what he went through."
"I see," Mrs. Chang said softly.
"Meilan, you get over here!" Mrs. Long snapped. "Excuse me, Lady Chang, but I must speak with my daughter." Without waiting for a reply, the stern woman grasped Meilan's wrist and pulled her away. Mrs. Chang frowned but went her own way.
"What the hell was that all about? Back in the Hall?" Mrs. Long all but yelled.
"What? Are you talking about my decision?"
"Yes I am! The Lis are an honorable family," Mrs. Long said. "I want to know why you chose Chang over Ling!"
"To make a long story short, I found Wufei a hell load better than Li Ling! Besides, I happen to like the Chang family more than the Li family." Meilan glared at her mother.
"I could care less about that. Now go back and tell the Elders you will marry Li Ling."
Meilan wrenched her wrist from her mother and stepped back. "Why should I do that? I made my choice. Nothing is going to change that." Mrs. Long promptly slapped her.
"You don't know anything," Mrs. Long said. "Who ever thought you could make a decision like this? You couldn't know what the consequences of staying married to Chang would be."
"You don't know anything!" Meilan yelled. "Just leave me alone." She turned and began running away.
"This isn't over yet, Meilan," Mrs. Long called to her.
Indeed, it was not the last Meilan ever heard of that. The Elders never brought it up but her family and friends did. And don't forget the Lis. They threw a conniption about it. Everyone was pleading to the Elders to make Meilan marry Li Ling. Meilan heard at least half of those reasons every day. Meilan needed someone to keep her in check. Chang was hardly part of the clan anymore. He would make a bad influence on her. Li would be a more respectable husband. And so on and so forth. Meilan never heard the end of it.
After the first week or so, Lana and Ailin were complaining to her that she needed someone who would at least have the courtesy to talk to her. Wufei hadn't spoken to her since that night. Meilan didn't know why he hadn't contacted her or hadn't let any information for her.
Then rumors started floating. People were saying that despite her decision, the Elders were going to nullify the marriage between her and Wufei. That left her wide open for marrying Li. As soon as Meilan heard this rumor herself, she went straight to the Elders for the truth. She distinctly remembered them saying that the topic was closed and her decision was final. Normally, these rumors were false. Not this time.
"What is this about? You said this was over with. I had the final say. What's with the change of mind?" she asked angrily.
"Meilan, we were hoping you would be in contact with Wufei Chang," Elder Hwang said. "However, this is nothing. I see this is pointless."
"He could very well be busy," Meilan protested. "I mean, he left that night only to go straight back to work."
"She has a point," Master Long said. "Please, let's leave it at that for a few more weeks. Many times take a long time to work out. Meilan, that's what you have. Three weeks to work it out. If there is no contact, despite our previous decision, you and Li will be married."
"Thank you," she said, though Meilan hated the idea.
Meilan collapsed on to her bed. Her life was beginning to suck all over again. Looking around, she thought about taking a break and cleaning the house a bit. The place was hardly dirty, since most of her time was spent out of the house. It was every couple weeks she needed to move furniture around to clean the dust from under it. Considering she had nothing better to do might as well do that.
As always, Meilan started in the kitchen and worked her way around the house. The kitchen took the least about of time, since she cleaned the place practically every day. After that were the living room, then the bathroom, and then the bedroom. Normally, this sort of cleaning only took her a couple of hours. But out of sheer boredom, she took her time and did some serious cleaning; it took most of the day. It was some time past six before she got to the bedroom.
As she moved the dresser over, she found a piece of paper lying under it. Picking it up, Meilan saw it had contact information on it. So Wufei did write his number down. The window was usually open, so the paper must have floated off. Forgetting about the cleaning, she read the paper.
Meilan, here is my number and email so we can talk. I more than likely won't be at home or at the office for the next half a week or so. Let me know what you end up using for communicating.
Wufei
Home: 5-4733-356-0003
Work: 5-4733-360-4556 ext: 121
Email: dragonpreventers.gov
Well, she knew how to get a hold of him. Now she had to figure out when she can do that. Phones were not common around this part of the colony. They preferred living a traditional old lifestyle. Great. Just as she solves one problem, another one is waiting in line.
Lana! Of course. Meilan remembered Lana was the only person she knew that had a phone. Lana was against her decision though. But Meilan felt determined to try asking her. To be safe, Meilan copied down the numbers and left the original paper at home.
Lana was home alone once again. Her husband was out doing who knew what. She seemed happy to see Meilan.
"Mei! What brings you by?" she asked after letting Meilan in.
"Actually, I was hoping I could use your phone," Meilan said "I found Wufei's number."
"Why are you so hung up over him?" Lana asked. "I mean, why do you stay with him?"
"Different reasons I guess," Meilan said. "Please Lana!"
"Fine, fine," Lana said. "I'll make some tea." She showed Meilan where the phone was and left the room. Meilan first tried phoning him at home. The phone rang for a minute or two before the answering machine picked up. She decided against leaving a message at the moment. First she wanted to try the office before leaving a message. After she hung up, she dialed the office number he left. The phone only rang a couple of times before someone picked up.
"Hello, Preventer HQ," a feminine voice answered.
"Hello, is Preventer Chang in?" Meilan asked.
"I don't think he is," she answered. "Let me check." Because the woman forgot to cover the phone's mouthpiece, Meilan easily overheard the conversation on the other end.
"Who is it, Brooks?" asked a firm voice. A woman's.
"Some woman asking for Preventer Chang," Brooks replied.
"A name?"
"Just a moment, Chief. Ma'am, may I ask who is calling?" the secretary asked.
"My name is Chang Meilan," Meilan said.
"It's Chang Meilan," Brooks repeated to the other woman.
"Put the call through to my office and ask her to wait for a moment," the Chief said.
"Yes Ma'am. Ms. Chang, I've been asked to forward you to the Chief's office. Please hold."
"Thank you," Meilan said. The line went silent. For a few minutes, Meilan stood there, waiting for the phone to be answered again. Finally, another woman answered.
"Hello, Mrs. Chang," she said. Meilan caught what she said.
"You know me?" she asked.
"Yes," the Chief replied. "I know a lot about the people who work for the Preventers. I'm Chief Earth, or Une."
"Meilan Chang. I was expecting Wufei's office, seeing as that was the number he gave me."
"When our teams are out, we usually reroute the phone calls to the secretary. You missed Wufei by a couple of days. He may not be back for about a week," Chief Une said. "He also stated that you were injured earlier. How's that going?"
"It's fine, thank you," Meilan said.
"Well, I suggest you try calling him in about a week," Une said. "He will hopefully be back by then."
"I will. Bye," Meilan said then she hung up. Lana then entered the room with a tray of tea.
"How'd it go?" she asked, setting the tray down.
"He wasn't around," Meilan said. "I ended up talking to his boss."
"That's scary," Lana said. She handed her a cup.
"Yeah…I guess," Meilan muttered.
The next few days did not progress very well. Meilan ended up sick half the time and finally decided to visit a doctor. Some cold was going around, it seemed. Lana was sick the other day, not to mention grumpy. Usually the family doctor came to the house but Meilan detested him with a passion. And he had this thing for going to others and giving them every detail about the patient. So she opted to go to the main part of town.
It was a surprisingly short walk from her house to the doctor's office. It wasn't a busy day, since she was able to get an immediate appointment. There was one other woman waiting and two men. Meilan sat in the empty seat near the woman. She was silent as she waited. After a moment, the other woman spoke to her.
"Hello," she said. She couldn't have been any older than 19 or 20. Unlike most of the colony's population, this girl was not Chinese. Rather, she seemed more American. Her wide eyes, light brown hair, and accent gave off that impression.
"Uh, hi," Meilan said.
"I'm Samantha Hanny," she said. "You?"
"Meilan Chang."
"Nice to meet you. May I ask why you're here? I'm getting an old check up."
"Oh. I've just been sick the last few days. It's driving me crazy. It comes and goes," Meilan said, enjoying the small talk.
"Pregnant?" Samantha asked. Meilan's eyes widened. It was possible, now that she thought about that.
"You know, that may be it," Meilan said softly.
Samantha smiled. "Lucky. I was pregnant once. I had a great fiancé and all that. Then I ended up in the war for a few months, before I was unable to. On my way home, our shuttle was hit. Some, plus me, survived. But I miscarried. Then my boyfriend died in the war. It sucked a lot."
"I'm sorry," Meilan said. The other shook her head.
"Don't. It was a few years ago. What about you? Boyfriend? Husband?" Samantha asked.
"Husband," Meilan said. "He doesn't live here on the colony. Not since the war began. He works on Earth for the Preventers. I only saw him once for about a week after the war ended."
"Wow," Samantha said. "Sounds rough."
"I guess," Meilan said.
"Ms. Hanny," the nurse called. "Dr. Marrow will see you now. Mrs. Chang, Dr. Saft will see you too."
The two women nodded and let the room together. Samantha was left at one room while Meilan went to another room. A moment after the nurse left her there, Dr. Saft entered.
"Well, good afternoon, Mrs. Chang," he said pleasantly. "I see you're not with your family doctor. Problems?"
"Only that his mouth runs too much to the wrong people," she replied cynically, smiling.
Dr. Saft laughed. "I know. I'm not fond of him either. So tell me, do you have any ideas as to why you may be sick like this?" As he spoke, he did the basic check up.
"Maybe," she replied. "I thought it may be the flu from a friend. But I was sick before her. Samantha suggested I might be pregnant."
"Pregnant, huh? That's entirely possible if you spent that kind of time with your husband."
Meilan blushed slightly and turned her head away. The doctor chuckled. "Don't worry. I have some kids of my own. If you want to, we can run a couple of tests. It won't take long for results."
She nodded and he set to work.
As Meilan waited in the lobby for her test results, Samantha rejoined her.
"How'd it go?" Meilan asked.
"Dull and slow as always," Samantha replied. "They go through the same damn questions and the same tedious procedure over and over and over again. Boring! Anyway, what about you?"
"Well, Dr. Saft is running some tests to see if I really am pregnant," Meilan explained. "Personally, I like him a whole lot more than our family doctor."
"Nice," Samantha said. "Mind if I wait with you? I'm sort of eager to hear those results myself."
"Um, sure," Meilan said, glad that she didn't have to be alone. "May I ask why?"
"I don't know," Samantha said "I guess it reminds me of when I found out about my pregnancy. Besides, you may seem calm and cool about it now but when the results do come in, it gets to you."
"Did it get to you?"
"Yeah. I thought I was pregnant. I was excited at the idea. Same with Jake, my boyfriend. When I went to get professional tests taken, I was cool and fine. But then they did come, I was a nervous wreck. It's one thing to tell your self that you're with child and it's another to have someone else tell you," Samantha explained. "Jake was the same. There's something about a professional telling you you're pregnant that makes it a complete reality."
"I see what you mean," Meilan said. "I'm glad you're here. It's been a while since I could talk to somebody who wasn't against me."
"You can't mean that you have no friends!" Samantha exclaimed. "A beautiful, sharp-witted girl like you?"
"I do but they're sometimes not the best of friends. During the war, I had my best friend, Misa, to confide in. She could keep a secret and would encourage me. After she died, that was it. I have Ailin and Lana to talk to but they are…different. They are fine with being a perfect, domestic housewife. I would rather do martial arts than clean. And I can't confide in them or my parents. They have a gossip habit. When I can see her, my mother-in-law is a good friend. But we rarely see each other. Right now, half of the clan is against me because I chose to stay married to my husband," Meilan told Samantha. "They all want me to break it off with him and marry some weak jerk that thinks it's all about him. We're not even married and he took the liberty of bossing me around and hitting me."
"I don't know any of these men but I'm suddenly compelled to support you," Samantha said.
"Mrs. Chang, we have those results," Dr. Saft said as he walked into the waiting room. He gestured for her to follow. Meilan followed him. Samantha was with her. Once they were inside the room, Dr. Saft looked over his papers.
"Both tests came in positive," he said. "Congratulations."
"Wow," Meilan whispered. Samantha was right: it seemed so unreal yet so real all at once. Reality did hit hard. She was going to be a mother.
Once he let it sink in, Dr. Saft continued, "If you prefer it, I could perform your checkups instead of your family doctor."
"Yes, I'd like that," Meilan said. After everything was set for her next appointment, Meilan left the hospital with Samantha. Once they were out, Samantha let out a small squeal and hugged Meilan.
"That's so cool, Mei!" she said. "Let's go out for lunch!"
Meilan smiled and nodded. "Okay." As they walked down the street, they two chatted constantly.
"You know, this is kind of frightening," Meilan said. "It's like what if I'm not a good mother or something goes wrong."
"I said all those exact same things to myself," Samantha said. "It's sticks on for a long time. It takes a lot of getting used to."
"I'm also scared of what Wufei will think," Meilan added.
"That's a classic," Samantha said. She led Meilan to a small coffee shop.
End of Flashback
Now Meilan sat in the field. Samantha and she were best friends now. Half her time was spent with the American woman. Since Misa died, Meilan found she couldn't trust or confide in anyone. It was great having someone she could connect with. Not to mention it gave her a chance to be away from the family and other clan members. She also had multiple chances to talk with Wufei, via phone and email.
Still, in all of those talks, she said or hinted nothing about her being with child. Always at the last minute, she decided against telling him. Now she was three months along and thankfully not yet showing.
Sighing, Meilan broken her train of thoughts and stood. The daylight was dimming more quickly than she anticipated. As she walked home, she was met by her grandfather, Master Long.
"There you are, Meilan!" he exclaimed. "Everyone has been looking for you for ages. Where have you been?"
"At the field," Meilan replied. "What is it?"
"Well, the ESUN's president, Horace Moorson, is hosting a large celebration for the nation's anniversary. He has invited the representatives and their family from each colony."
"Let me guess: we're going?" Meilan said. Master Long nodded.
"Indeed. Your parents, you, and I are going," he confirmed. "We leave day after tomorrow."
"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"We tried but a certain young lady kept disappearing," her grandfather retorted. "Good night, Meilan."
"Goodnight," she said. Sounds like a 'shopping spree' with Sam, she thought with an ominous unease.
Meilan went to Sam's house the next afternoon. She would've gone in the morning but she learned the Samantha never got up early. Does one know how dull it is to talk to someone who acts like a wall? It is very dull. Of course, Sam greeted Meilan with her usual American enthusiasm by afternoon.
"Mei! How's it going?" she said cheerfully.
"Okay," Meilan said. "Listen, my family's going to Earth for a big ball."
"Are you going to say what I think you're going to say?" Sam asked hopefully. In her eye was that evil glint that Meilan had learned meant danger. Americans were like that.
"Yeah, I need a little help with shopping," Meilan said slowly and warily.
"Yippee!" Sam jumped for joy. "Shopping! Hang on. Let me get my purse." Faster than lightening, Sam ran up to her room and came back down with her purse on her shoulder and a stylish denim jacket on. She grabbed Meilan's arm and pulled her along.
The rest of the day was shopping, which Meilan actually enjoyed. Samantha made things enjoyable for her. The first stop was a simple clothing store that Samantha loved, Jetta's Styles.
"What do you need for this thing?" she asked, looking around.
"A formal dress or two," Meilan said, grimacing a little. She hated dresses to an extent. Sam laughed. Meilan ignored her and continued. "Grandpa never went over what we're doing. So I have no idea what to get."
"Social functions usually require formal wear. And maybe you'll be down there for a little sightseeing. So you'll need some casual wear. Let's start with the dresses." Sam led her to the section of the store that held dresses. She looked over the first rack and at Meilan.
"I guess we should figure out what color would look good on you," she suggested.
"Hello, Samantha," said the store owner, Ms. Jetta. "How are you?"
"Fine. This is my friend, Meilan Chang," Samantha said. "We're looking for some new clothes for her."
"Really? What kind of clothes?" Ms. Jetta asked Meilan.
"Some formal wear, mostly," she replied. "I'm going down for the nation's anniversary party."
"Wow," Ms. Jetta said. "So you're looking for a few dresses?" She walked over to the rack and looked over a few.
"I personally think red, black, or a dark blue would match you nicely," Ms. Jetta said. "I think I can guess your size." After a few minutes, she had pulled five dresses. The first was a maroon red, strapless. Simple and elegant. The next dress was a navy blue with one inch straps. The neck line was rounded and showed the slightest cleavage. It, too, was slim and simple. It also had a silken sash around the waist. The third was just like the blue dress, only a deep violet. The fourth was a two layered dress. The outer layer was a fine black sheer with solid rose designs all over it. The under layer was a rosy red silk fabric, showing through the black layer. It gave the dress two colors at once. It also had spaghetti straps. The last dress was a silk black dress that fit tightly to the body. It had off the shoulder straps. It also came with a black sheer shawl.
"These are gorgeous," Sam said.
"Now we have to figure out the best ones," Ms. Jetta said. "What do you think we should try first, Meilan?"
Meilan gazed at the dresses. She wasn't too fond of the violet one. The maroon, black and red, and black silk dresses were her favorites so far. "It's a hard choice to make."
"It always is," Ms. Jetta said. "Why don't you try them on? Whatever looks good can easily be the worst dress." Meilan nodded. Ms. Jetta showed her to the dressing rooms. She came out wearing the silk black dress.
"What do you think?" Ms. Jetta asked. Meanwhile, Sam was drooling, in a sense.
"I think it's perfect," she said.
"I like it, too," Meilan said. "It feels nice."
"It's a prefect dress for dinner parties," Ms. Jetta commented. "Try the others."
A moment later, Meilan showed them the maroon dress. Ms. Jetta nodded. "Simple and sweet. How about you, Samantha?"
"The design is nice but I'm not crazy about the color," Sam said.
"You never liked red," Ms. Jetta retorted. Meilan left and came back with the black and red dress on.
"Not bad," Ms. Jetta said. "It was better than the maroon."
"I think so, too," Sam said.
"So the black dress and this one have it?" Meilan asked. The two women nodded. Next on the list was something for meetings or whatever. Meilan found a black, knee-length skirt and two white blouses. They both came with black dress-jackets, one grey lined and the other black lined. They also bought a pair of black heels that went with everything. That was the extent of their shopping at Jetta's Styles. After that, Sam dragged Meilan to the next store she knew, Flare.
"This is place is big," Meilan said.
"Yeah," Sam agreed, "and it has just about everything we'll need."
"Which is…?" Meilan prompted.
"Well, we still need a few casual outfits for you and a few needed accessories." Sam winked and Meilan shuddered. She was going to regret this.
Sam pulled her around. "If you hate skirts, then we'll need to find some nice pairs of pants. I doubt you'll need a Chinese dress down there. And there are so many styles. What do you think? Low rise, high rise? Flares, straight legs, capris, boot cut? Denim, cotton, khaki?"
"Sam!" Meilan said. Sam stopped talking and looked at her. Meilan sighed. "You know me. I know about modern fashion like you know about martial arts. And that's not a lot, you know."
Sam blushed sheepishly. "Oh, right. Sorry, Mei. Let's just browse and see what we find."
"That's better," Meilan said. "Just remember I'm part of the colony's delegation. No inappropriate clothing." Sam sighed and snapped her fingers.
"Oh darn," she said with false disappointment. Meilan rolled her eyes. They did browse around. On and off Sam would hold an article of clothing out for Meilan to look at. Eventually they were laughing, looking at wild styles, wondering what would look good on whom. Forget that hours passed by. Forget that they had other things to do. Forget life and have fun.
As they shopped around the store, the two women ran into, literally, Sam's other friend, Cherish Sorena. She was African American, with bright grey eyes. Unlike Samantha, Cherish was not as…energetic.
"This is Meilan Chang," Sam said. "We're shopping for some new clothes for her."
"What for?" Cherish gazed at Meilan, curious. Meilan sighed.
"I'm going with my parents and grandfather to Earth for that peace ball," she replied, liking the dark skinned girl.
"Sounds like fun. Loads of politicians talking about a load of politics. I can't think of anything better to do." The sarcasm was evident. Yes, Meilan would definitely get along with Cherish.
She laughed. "I know what you mean."
"Hey, your husband works at the capital, right?" Sam suddenly spoke. Meilan looked at her friend.
"Yes," she answered.
"Wouldn't he be at this thing? I mean, the war heroes usually attend these things, right?" Sam looked at her friends.
Meilan had to laugh. "Wufei? At a social function? Please, that's a joke. He's not one for attending these things. Besides, he'll probably be working."
"Still, there is a chance of meeting him. And you know how to contact him if he isn't working," Sam pressed.
"So we'll have to find something that'll look perfect on you," Cherish joined in.
Meilan was officially scared. Now she had two girls dragging her around the store, dressing her up like a Barbie doll. This was not my most brilliant ideas, she thought wryly.
It was evening before they returned to Sam's house. Sam made dinner while Meilan packed the newly bought clothing in the suitcase Sam insisted she used. Meilan would be putting a couple of belongings in later but most of the stuff was already bought. When she had finished, Sam served dinner, during which Cherish and Sam talked their mouths off. Something popped into Meilan's mind as they chatted.
"Sam, how do I hide the fact I'm pregnant from everyone, since I'm staying in the same room as them?" she asked.
"You're not showing for a while yet," Sam replied.
"But I'm still getting sick," Meilan reminded her. Samantha's mouth formed an 'o' as she knew the problem. Cherish looked thoughtful.
"Maybe you can say it's something you ate if they catch you," she suggested. "There has to be food down there you won't like and claim to be allergic to, maybe. Plus you may never have seen any of those foods. You are living in a Chinese culture."
"Or I could just tell them," Meilan offered. Sam gawked at her.
"Um, Mei, you mentioned that your parents hate your husband," she said. "I could only imagine what they would do if they knew you were pregnant with his kid. Don't forget that you're stuck with them for a week straight."
"Yeah, you're right," Meilan said. "I'll trying sticking with Cherish's suggestion."
The next evening, Meilan met her family at the shuttle port with her suit case and a small carry on bag. Unlike her family, who wore traditional clothing, Meilan wore clothing chosen by her friends. That included black slacks, boot cut style, and a sky blue blouse. Cherish also decided to 'test' the make up and play with a pair of hair chopsticks. Her parents looked at her in contempt. Her grandfather, on the other hand, thought that she looked lovely.
Throughout the first part of the flight, she never spoke a word to her parents. In fact, they both fell asleep, much to Meilan's joy. The shuttle was due to dock at L2 colony 3B0833-Soloris before making its decent into Earth's atmosphere. Meilan, bored out of her mind, read a book until the shuttle docked. It was silent before many of the passengers disembarked. Only a few people boarded again. One person happened to come as a surprise.
"Wufei?" Meilan said. He stopped and stared at her.
"Meilan? Do I want to know why you're here?" he asked.
"That anniversary celebration," she replied, softly, so she didn't wake her parents. She also looked behind Wufei, and noticed there was no one behind him.
"You're being drug to that as well?" he asked.
"You sound like you're going too," Meilan added. He nodded. "Where are you coming from? I thought you were on Earth, not in space."
"We were sent to Soloris to track someone," he said, then he looked pointedly at a blonde woman ahead of him, "but it was a failure courtesy of a certain blonde."
"I heard that," Sally said.
"Is that Sally Po?" Meilan asked.
Wufei nodded. "Yeah. Anyhow, I'll chat with you more later." He left to his seat by Sally, who was glaring at him for the blonde remark. Eventually the shuttle was launched again. Meilan saw Wufei working on some project on his laptop while Sally either slept or chatted with him. Other than that, she was left alone for the rest of the trip.
"So who's that girl? Meilan, right?" Sally asked.
"Yeah," he replied.
"And you had to call me a damn blonde in front of her?" she snapped. He wasn't at all fazed.
"I was being honest," he merely replied innocently. She scowled and left it at that. There was no need to cause a scene on the shuttle. She looked over at his computer screen and groaned.
"Is work all you do?" she asked.
"Those reports will have to get done sometime," he stated. "Might as well do them while sitting around for a few hours."
"Well, I'm taking a long wanted nap," she retorted. "Later."
The shuttle landed smoothly, and within half an hour, everyone was disembarked. Wufei and Sally caught up with Meilan and her family as they worked their way out of the port. The place was unusually busy, since there were three shuttles entering port and two of them were due to leave again in however many hours. As the Long family waited at the door for their ride, Sally handed a set of keys to Wufei.
"You're driving," she said with a laugh as she hurried off.
"Thanks a lot, Sally," Wufei said sardonically. He turned to Meilan. "When you find out where you settling at, let me know."
Meilan nodded and watched him leave after Sally. They were driving off when a taxi came up to them. She was silent as they were driven to the hotel where they would stay at for the next. Most of the ride, Meilan looked out the window at the new sights, all the time feeling the burning glare of, most likely, her mother.
Meilan never saw such magnificently built, tall skyscrapers. Half seemed to be all glass. Teenagers not much younger than her were wandering about, gossiping and laughing freely, something she had never done before, expect that latest shopping trip. She never even attempted anything of the sort with Mira. They were staying in the business part of the city, so Meilan saw no large neighborhoods or schools.
All the streets were busy; supposedly it was rush hour number one or two. Small crowds of people moved up and down the sidewalks, some walking a dog or just strolling around.
"First time to a big city like this, Miss?" the cab driver asked, glancing at her through his rear viewing mirror as he waited for a green light.
Meilan nodded. "It is."
"Well, not all parts of the city are this crowded," he offered. "An hour or so drive can take you to the beaches or the outskirts of the city, which are both nice." Green shined ahead of them; the cab driver began cruising down the street to their hotel, which began to appear.
"There seems to be too much to do here," she stated.
"And don't try doing it all," the driver warned her. "Then you get nowhere."
"Now where does that sound familiar?" Master Long asked lightly. Meilan smiled.
"How long are you folks here for?" the driver asked.
Meilan beat her parents to the reply, "A week. Most of it is probably booked though."
"There are a few open days," Master Long stated. "I couldn't image what we could spend that time doing."
"Well, from what I have heard, the High State Hotel has a great directory for activities and such for its guests. Speaking of which, we're here." He pulled up into the drive through. An attendant brought a cart out to carry in their bags. Meilan bid the driver farewell and followed her family into the hotel. There were multiple nationalities, so to speak, in the room, easily identified by their clothing styles. Meilan spent her time gazing around at every detail as her parents checked in. Everything was a daze to her.
Their suite had three rooms, one for Master Long, one for her parents, and another for Meilan. There were also two average sized bathrooms and a wide open living room. The colors were warm and pale, consisting of greens and white, trimmed occasionally with blues. It was three levels up. Once they were settled, Master Long spoke to the family.
"The rest of the day is free, so I suggest resting up," he said, looking at an agenda. "Monday we are attending a formal dinner with Senator Alderson at 6:30 pm. Tuesday, Senator has invited the L4 C6723 colony representatives and us on a tour of the city. He didn't specify where we'll be visiting. That'll take place in the morning at 8:00 am to about 6:00 pm. Wednesday is the celebration and I have a few meetings to attend, with or without Jiang or Yin. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are all open days. We board the shuttle on Sunday."
Meilan figured she could book those three days away from her parents easily, with or without Wufei. Finally, her grandfather let her leave to unpack her suit case. She hid the three dresses in the suit case, in case her mother tried anything. It was apparent over the years, but now it was evident that she hated the modern fashions.
Meilan received permission from her grandfather to call Wufei, knowing her parents, especially her mother, were hung up over the issue. While her parents unpacked in their room, she quickly dialed Wufei's home phone number. After a few rings she was beginning to think he was not there when he finally did answer.
"Took you long enough," she said sarcastically.
"Excuse me for, literally, just walking in the door," he retorted. From the other side Meilan heard him drop something onto what was probably a table or countertop. "So where are you staying at?"
"The High State Hotel," she replied, her voice a little below normal tone.
"I know that place. Which room are you in?"
"Room 142," Meilan replied. "Grandpa told us the plan for the week. We're busy up through Wednesday. Senator Alderson invited us to dinner tomorrow and a tour of the city Tuesday. After the celebration, I'm wide open."
"Unless you have other plans," Wufei began, "I could take that last part of the week off. I haven't had a break since I was at the colony."
"As long as I'm not with my parents," Meilan said in a low tone, to prevent any chances of her parents overhearing her.
"Actually, if you are up to it, Relena invited everyone over to her place for Friday evening. I wouldn't mind if you came along," he offered.
"Who's 'everyone'?" Meilan asked warily.
"Namely the ex-Gundam pilots and their girlfriends/fiancée/whoever," Wufei said.
"That doesn't sound too bad," she replied.
"It's not formal either," Wufei added, making her day. "Just look decent."
"I can do that," Meilan said exasperated. "I'll have to give you the short version of Sam's shopping spree with me. It's dangerous shopping that girl. I haven't figured out if it's because she's American or not." Wufei laughed.
"It's an American thing for sure. I know a couple myself," he said. "Anyhow, if you just want to preplan just to fill those other two days, I can take you out and around. At least you can call them closed for other plans."
"Thanks," Meilan said. "I suppose I'll talk to you another time."
"Bye."
"Bye." Meilan hung up and thought, 'I did it again. I couldn't say a simple 'Love you, bye'.'
Sighing, she told Master Long of her plans and left it to him to tell her parents. It would be a long week indeed. She collapsed on her bed away from home.
Monday:
Meilan spent mot of the next day at the hotel, exploring or reading. An hour and a half before the dinner Meilan began to get ready. She chose her black dress in favor of saving the red and black one for the celebration. Of course, she was no beauty and grace. Upon trying to pull the dress on, Meilan promptly fell back onto her bed.
"I'm hopeless," she grumbled.
As she managed to zip up the back, a yell was heard from the other room, indicating that her parents had a little 'spat'. Rolling her eyes, Meilan painstakingly applied a touch of make up to her face. The lightest blush gave her pale cheeks a little color. With her dark eyelashes, mascara was out of the question. Surprisingly, it only took her twenty minutes to get it right!
Realizing she only had another ten minutes before they left, Meilan tried to work with her hair. Figuring that it was just a dinner, a simple braid was all she could pull off.
"Meilan! We're ready to leave," Yin yelled through the door.
"Coming," she called back. Trying to gain any sort of balance in her black heels, Meilan picked up her hand purse and walked, more like wobbled, to the door. She stopped as her reflection passed in a body length mirror. Her figure was still slim and her stomach flat. It had not even been six weeks yet. Her free hand drifted over her lower stomach.
'That's right. I still have to tell him,' she thought. 'I can't image us as parents. I wouldn't know anything about being a good mother. Mother was certainly no role model.'
"Meilan!" Yin yelled louder.
"Coming, coming," Meilan said softly. 'Speak of the devil herself…'
"Where did you get that dress?" Yin asked her daughter as they walked out of the now dark room. Meilan shot her a glare.
"From my shopping trip with Sam," she answered tightly. Personally, she did not give a damn about her mother's fashion sense or approval. Downstairs, Meilan climbed into the limo after her grandfather, sitting down beside him. Her parents sat across from them. The limo was uncomfortable for Meilan. It held a formal atmosphere that was sprinkled with intense family tension. The ride wasn't much of a family moment. Guess what topic they landed in?
"I was out today and found a rather fascinating European Art museum," Yin said. "Perhaps we should consider visiting it this weekend before we leave. I hear there is a new exhibit this Friday. A 16th century piece they found in an abandoned church."
"I think it would be a wonderful place to visit," Master Long said.
"I'm…busy that day," Meilan said.
"Well, it's a chance for us adults to be without the teenage daughter, as an old friend said," Master Long said.
"What are you doing?" Jiang asked Meilan. "I don't recall you making any such plans with us."
Her temper flared, seemingly heating the limo a few degrees. "I'm not a baby anymore, Father. For your information, Wufei invited me to a dinner get-together with some friends of his. He's also showing me around town Thursday and Saturday."
"What? And who approved of these plans?" Yin demanded. Master Long nodded his head.
"I did," he stated calmly. "She has the right to do as she wishes. Besides, it is not like she'll be alone."
"We think she can makes choices, but you saw what the last decision she made turned out to be like," Yin scorned. The limo slowed and finally stopped. An attendant opened the door.
"No more bickering, please," Master Long pleaded as he got out of the vehicle. Meilan followed. They walked up a short flight of stairs and through a pair of open doors. The entrance was grand, with a classic European trend to the small manor's bright walls. Old paintings from the Renaissance Era peppered the walls, probably throughout most of the manor. Here and there were a few elaborate pieces of sculpted art pieces. The floor shone smoothly, the glare nearly blocking the view of a simple geometric design.
The dining hall Meilan found was just as lovely. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, bright and sparkling. A long, oak table sat in the middle of the room. Again, pictures were surrounding the room. As the Chinese family entered the room, they found the Blaine family already sat down with the Aldersons. Meilan looked intently as they were being introduced.
"Ah, welcome to my home, Shirin!" Senator Alderson piped. With open arms, he stood. "May I introduce my wife, Alyssa." The light haired woman stood to meet her guests. Her exchange with Yin and Jiang was stiff. Meilan was uneasy meeting with foreign officials. A mess was not hard to miss when she was involved with formalities.
"A pleasure, ma'am," Meilan said softly, as she shook Alyssa's hand.
"My, what a beautiful granddaughter, Master Long," Alyssa said, the title strange to her tongue. "So soft spoken and sweet."
Her parents 'humphed'. Master Long laughed softly. "If only you knew the real Meilan."
"This is our oldest, William, and our young daughter, Julia," Senator Alderson continued, gesturing to the sitting offspring. Julia nodded with a smile, her brown eyes sparkling. Her brother gave a cocky wave, earning a glare from his mother.
"And this is Senator Horace Blaine from L4 C6723, his wife, Melissa, and their daughter, Yvonne," Alderson said, pointing out each individual as he spoke.
"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Long," Horace said.
"The pleasure is mine," Shirin said. "This is my son, Jiang Long, and my daughter-in-law, Yin Long. And this is my granddaughter, Meilan Chang."
"I glad you brought your family along," Alderson said as everyone sat down. "I hope you will enjoy tomorrow's tour, all of you."
"It sounds wonderful," Melissa said kindly. The servants brought in the soup for everyone. Meilan studied it for half a second before tasting it. She couldn't place the taste; it was forgotten as she studied her surroundings. The paintings were more varied than the ones she already saw scattered throughout the house. One was of an angel surrounded by stars. Another older painting displayed an Eden like garden. It seemed to be the center of attention, stretching the length of two paintings. After a while, their soup bowls were being replaced with a plate of steaming food, all unfamiliar to Meilan; her attention was drawn back to the conversation.
"Are you interested in art, Miss…Chang, was it?" Alyssa asked, sipping her wine.
Meilan was silent before answering, "A little, Mrs. Alderson. There are some designs that interest me."
"Well, we're stopping by the art museum tomorrow," Alyssa said. "It holds different pieces from various cultures, including ancient Chinese pieces. I admire one with a phoenix and a tiger in it. Very elegant."
"Unfortunately, we don't have many original art pieces from China on the colony," Master Long said. "Most of what is there has been made since the move to the colony."
"I see," Alyssa said. "Julia is studying art at her school. It's a pastime for hers. What sort of activities do you do up in the colonies?"
"Much of what you could do here on Earth," Horace said. "Sports, art, games, and so on."
"I usually sew and read," Yvonne said. "I'm not much for sports."
"A real lady," Yin commented. "At least there are some young people who can behave properly."
"Aside from William's occasionally ruses, the two are well behaved. I can't remember the last time I had to reprimand them," Alderson said. "What about on L5? I understand the Chinese culture emphasizes respect to elders."
"It does," Master Long said. "And it is still applied."
"Of course, there are the rebels," Jiang said.
"What about you, Miss Chang? You've been so silent," Alyssa said.
"What about?" Meilan asked.
"How do you spend your time?"
Meilan was tempted to evade the question. She felt uneasy around these formal people. "I…divide my time between martial arts and my friends. It's only been the last couple of months that I have spent a large amount of time with a couple of friends."
"Aren't you at home helping your mother sometimes?" Melissa asked. Yin tried not to choke. Her husband ignored the remark.
"No," Meilan said happily. "I've been living alone since a few months before the war."
"Oh, you have lived alone that long already?" Horace asked. "That's amazing. Not many young people can do that."
"Forgive my intrusion, but I was curious about your name," Alyssa asked. She looked thoughtful. "I noticed it's not the same as your parents. Why is that?"
Meilan noted the Master Long nodded his quick approval. "Uh, Chang is my husband's name."
"You're married?" Alyssa's eyes widened in surprise; she wasn't alone. Most of the company was surprised by this statement.
"It was an arranged marriage a few years ago," Master Long explained. "Fortunately, it has worked out well for the two. I'm only sorry my grandson-in-law couldn't attend." Yin and Jiang glared at him for a split second. They hated the mere mention of it.
"Why not?" Alderson asked. "It would have been nice to meet whoever married such a lovely young woman."
"Believe me, getting the two married was a challenge," Master Long recalled. "Quite…colorful, you might say. Anyhow, he doesn't live on the colony, not since the war began. I believe he is stationed somewhere with the Preventers."
"He's stationed here, in the capital," Meilan supplied.
"What's his name? I do recall many Oriental Preventers in the organization when I attended a special meeting of theirs," Senator Blaine said.
"Wufei Chang," Meilan said slowly. "I think he also goes by Preventer Dragon."
"Ah, rats, I can't put a name to a face," Horace sighed. "If I saw him I would probably remember. There are many young Preventers, since the organization started. Chief Earth has been quite dedicated to her work. If I must say, it has been one of the President's best contributions in his term."
"I'm sure," Yin murmured. Meilan was silent, picking at her salad. The conversation drifted away from her to politics, something that Meilan could do without. By her, Yvonne and Julia would chatter constantly, drawing her into the conversation (more like gossip). Meilan refrained from rolling her eyes, taking a sip from her water.
A sudden hissy-meow sounded out as something large landed in Meilan's lap. She started, gasping and dropping her glass on the animal as it started to crawl onto the table. When the cold water wetted its silky fur, it bolted onto the table, ran down to the end, and off.
"Oh my goodness! Are you all right?" Alyssa asked. A servant went to help clean up the mess. Meilan dried herself.
"Yeah, just startled me," she admitted.
"Wonderful, you rebel against anyone but a mere animal frightens you," Yin scoffed. Meilan glared at her 'darling' mother.
"I'm not weak as to fear a small animal," she spat back, surprising the others of how she rapidly turned into a rebelling girl with a sharp tongue. "How was I to know it would jump on me?"
"I am sorry," Alderson said. "Chester is quite an attention grabber when he wants to be. I hope he didn't ruin your dress. Cats tend to do that."
"Its fine," Meilan replied. She sat back down. It was going to be a long evening, she decided.
Tuesday:
Meilan awoke at the crack of dawn and shut her alarm off, to prevent it from going off later. She readily stood up and froze. A wave of nausea washed over her. Swaying a little, she moved to the bathroom, where she emptied her stomach. After cleaning up with a warm shower and new clothes, black slacks with a lilac blouse, she returned to her room for a few warm up exercises. Her family finally began to wake when she finished. Straightening her clothes and hair, Meilan went to breakfast with her family. She said nothing to her parents and vice versa. The silence was a truce for the day.
The day itself was uneventful. The morning consisted of touring the large European Art Museum and the Government House. Lunch was arranged to be at the Sanq Gardens. It was a luscious park, full of many shades of green and assorted colors of various blossoms. The wide open paths were flat and smooth, lined with grasses and flowers. Meilan found plenty of freedom among the flowers and trees. She spent lunch on her own, away from the rest of the company after a small incident.
"Don't you hate being all alone?" Julia asked, walking over to her with Yvonne.
"Not really," Meilan said flatly, turning away from them.
"Hey, tell us about your husband," Julia inquired happily. "I've never known someone so young to be married."
"I'm eighteen, if you don't mind." Meilan stared at the girls. They didn't get the hint.
"But you were married at what…fourteen," Yvonne said. "I never heard of that before.
"It's around." Meilan was tempted to do something rash. "And as for my husband, that's none of your business. I don't find it amusing to go talking about him for no apparent reason. Gossiping is just a waste of time and breathe, meant only for lowering one's intelligence. Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to enjoy the day in peace." With that she left the group behind and ate her lunch in blissful serenity.
Wednesday:
Meilan spent most of the early morning reading or walking aimlessly around the hotel. Her only goal was to avoid her parents. Despite that she found Cao Xueqin quite interesting, sitting on an over stuffed sofa for more than two hours was not in her comfort zone. It was more Wufei's style.
Meilan shut the book in frustration. In actuality, she doubted that reading for hours on end was Wufei's everyday routine anymore. Realization dawned on her again that she didn't know Wufei as well as she should. Sighing, Meilan hopped off the sofa and walked to the balcony. As far as cities like this go, Meilan decided, she wasn't fond of the idea of living in one in her lifetime. How does Wufei do it, considering he was raised in the same place as she was?
The phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. Meilan walked back inside and picked it up.
"Hello," she said.
"Do I detect a hint of boredom?" a wry voice acknowledged. Meilan nearly dropped the phone.
"Wufei! I wasn't expecting you of all people to call," she said slowly.
"I have rights, you know," he retorted. "I was calling to see if you were free this afternoon."
"Other than the celebration, I have nothing to do," she replied..
"And don't tell me you would take more than half an hour to an hour getting ready for that?" he said. "It's not you, if I remember anything at all. If you have nothing better to do, want to go out to lunch? I'm off for the rest of the week and I sure as hell am not hanging around work or Heero's."
"You don't want to get drafted back to work?" she guessed.
"Not really. I'm just avoiding Sally and Maxwell for a while. The two are trying to kill each other with me in the middle. So…"
"Yes! Definitely!" she cried out enthusiastically.
"Trying to avoid your parents I see," he explained for her. She giggled.
"When are you coming?"
"I'll pick you up in half an hour, meet me out front," he told her. "Later."
"Bye," she repeated and hung up. A second later she stomped her foot childishly. I did it again! she thought miserably. The cloud dissipated when she hurried to her room to get cleaned up, which only consisted of straightening her clothes and putting her raven hair in a simple braid.
She left a note for her grandfather in case he worried. Her parents wouldn't give a damn, other than the fact she was going to be with Wufei. She settled down to read another fifteen minutes before meeting Wufei out front of the hotel. She found his pulling up as she walked out the double doors. Once the car stopped, she got in and they took off.
"You have great timing," he muttered. She smirked. He asked, "What'd your parents say?"
"They don't know until they get back," she replied happily. "Grandpa will be all right with me leaving. Like he said, at least I'm not alone."
"True," he said. He noticed her smiling and a mischievous glint in her eye. "Are you out to make your parents upset?"
"No, I'm out to piss them off," she clarified. Wufei shook his head in disbelief. He turned around a corner and cruised down the street.
"All right, who's this American friend of yours?" he asked curiously. "She's obviously rubbing off on you."
"Her name is Samantha," Meilan said. "We met at the…store one day and just hit it off. She moved to the colony after her boyfriend died in the war. We spend most of the time wandering around talking. Our last trip was a shopping spree, as she calls it. It was crazy with her dragging me around and rattling on and on about different fashion styles. Then we met Cherish and she added to it."
"At least your American friend doesn't pull wild pranks off at work," he complained. "Maxwell stuck a bucket filled with red paint and glitter in it over our office door when we got back Sunday. Thankfully I was held up by Brooks but Sally went right through the door. You could probably have heard her from the colonies. After that, Sally's been more irritable than she started out as and Maxwell won't stop antagonizing us."
Meilan stared at him. "He did that? Wouldn't he have gotten into trouble?"
Wufei shrugged. "This is Duo Maxwell. He's a pro as doing stupid things and getting away with them most of the time."
"And I thought my friends were odd," she muttered. "So where are we going?" Looking out the window, she saw the traffic more spread out.
"There's a small café I know down this way," Wufei said. "I usually come here with Sally to get out of the office. It's quiet and not crowded."
"Sounds nice. I have no idea how you could live in a city this big," Meilan looked back at him.
"It takes some getting used to, especially after I traveled around most of the war." He pulled the ebony car into an empty parking spot in front of a quaint little café. They found a comfortable seat by a window that overlooked a part of the sea from where it sat. Both ordered a salad and enjoyed a quiet afternoon talking. Meilan found herself talking more than Wufei, strangely. As much as she anticipated talking about the war and his new career, they only brushed simple topics, like friends and the city.
Still, Meilan marveled that she was able to talk to Wufei instead of arguing and fighting. If anything, she couldn't get enough of talking to him. A hand waved in front of her dazed face, drawing her attention from her musing. "Huh?"
"You didn't hear me," he stated, looking at her.
"What did you say?" she asked sheepishly. He shook his head and repeated, "We better get going."
"Oh," she muttered. "Let's go then." He paid for both of them as they left the café. Wufei was pulling on to the main road when Meilan spoke up. "You're going to the celebration tonight, right?"
"You know that," Wufei pointed out, watching the road.
"I mean, have you been to any of these functions before? What happens? Is there anything I should know?" Wufei chuckled. Meilan narrowed her dark eyes.
"Sorry, but you're sounding nervous," he laughed. Meilan frowned and whipped her head around to glare out the window. After a moment Wufei continued, "Meilan, relax. If you don't what to go in with your parents, I can pick you up."
His stubborn wife turned back to him. "You will?"
"Don't expect nothing fancy," he warned her. "I just want to get this over with and get out."
"We're in agreement," Meilan replied.
"And we're getting better at this 'getting along' deal."
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Sorry for the long, long wait. I finally decided to extend this story to more than three chapters. I'll be the revision later! Elda Aranel