At 2:30 PM, Mei was sitting inside her classroom as the instructor discussed the orientation about course details and classroom their first meeting, she dismissed the class 30 minutes ahead of time. She went by the name of "Miss Olson", a seasoned master nurse with 15 years' experience to her record.
"Okay folks, no more questions?" Miss Olson asked the class.
"None, Miss Olson.", the class replied in unison.
"Okay, then I guess that's all there is to it. See you all on Wednesday for our first discussion!", she smiled.
"Goodbye, Maam!" said each student as they left their desk. As Mei fixed her hair and tied it back into a bun, she then left the room with her books and bag and proceeded to walk downstairs. As she was walking downstairs, Miss Olson called her attention.
"Miss Lee!" she called. Mei then looked to her back and stopped on her tracks on the stairwell.
"Yes, Maam?" she asked politely.
"I'm sorry, but may I have a word with you, Lee, if you don't mind?" requested Miss Olson.
"Sure, Miss Olson, how may I help you?" replied Mei smilingly.
"Uhm, I'm very sure this question isn't new to you, but are you that panda girl from the temple in Chinatown?" asked Miss Olson intently, to which she was given a smile back by Mei in which she replied,
"Yes, Maam! I'm the panda girl, but I only switch to it when I experience strong emotions or at will in an appropriate place."
"Swell!" Miss Olson exclaimed sweetly. "By the way, I love the dumpling-like steamed balls you guys serve at the Temple. What's it called again, sweetie?" she asked.
"Oh, those are Baozis! It's steamed dumplings filled with meat, either pork or beef, depending on your preference." replied Mei.
"Right, Baozi!" Miss Olson said. "But I think you're going home or somewhere else and I might be wasting your time, sorry. See you at our next meeting!"
The two exchanged goodbyes and Mei then proceeded to a bench at the lobby, in which she texted Abby.
"Abby where r u?" texted Mei on her phone.
"Still in class. Instr is so boring. Im sleepy. U goin home now?" replied Abby.
"I c. Imma w8 for u here in da lobby. C u" replied Mei.
Then, she brought out her walkman and listened to the music she saved on it. She then pulled out one of her books and began to read Pathophysiology.
1 hour later
At 3:30 in the afternoon, Abby's class had been dismissed early due to it being their first meeting and it was an orientation day. She then proceeded downstairs and met Mei in the lobby.
"Yoooo hey Mei!" Abby greeted and hi-fived with Mei.
"Hey! How's class?" Mei greeted back and asked Abby how her day went.
"Uhm, it was fine, I guess? My last subject instructor was pretty boring, I almost fell asleep in class! Intro to Nursing Practice was fun, our teacher was so engaging and jolly that I think I've found my match!" Abby chuckled, almost screaming. She then untied her hair and wore her headband as they left the campus.
"You going somewhere else, Abby?" asked Mei as they walked down the sidewalk for the tram stop and untied her hair, which was wavy and full of curves after being in a bun for a long time.
"Nah, I think I'm gonna catch some sleep today." Abby yawned, apparently because she slept quite late the previous night.
"I'm going home, too. So far, no temple duties for today, though, besides praying to Sun Yee, like the usual." Mei said, and then they exchanged goodbyes and she walked into the streetcar.
As she left the streetcar, she walked into a Tim Horton's and bought donuts for her parents. Then, she walked home and gave her usual greeting to the two statues outside.
"Hey Bart, hey Lisa!", she greeted. Entering the temple courtyard, she then greeted Mr. Gao, who was playing chess at a round table with his nephew.
"Greetings, Mr. Gao!" Mei greeted, then proceeded to move a chess Knight into devouring a Pawn, leaving Mr. Gao's King in check.
"Hey, you checked me!" Mr. Gao laughed. "How was school?"
"It was fine, Mr. Gao. I think I'm late for our prayer!", replied Mei quickly as she marched into Sun Yee's temple where she was then greeted by Ming.
"Meimei! How was school? And what are those…." Ming greeted and let out a small gasp at the donuts Mei brought in her left hand. "Is that… for us?!"
"Yes, mom! It's ours, for a small victory celebration for my first day in college." Mei smiled, then proceeded to kneel down to Sun Yee. Ming then gave incense to Mei and they both prayed together.
"Sun Yee, revered ancestor, thank you for your guidance to Mei on her first college day." Ming prayed.
"And may we continue to serve you in this community. Always." Ming and Mei prayed in unison.
As they left the shrine, Ming looked to Mei and said,
"No temple duty for today, we're closed to give ourselves some family time together in peace."
"Fair enough. Let's go homet?" Mei said.
"Let's go! But be quiet as your dad decided to take a nap before you came."
Ming and Mei then went to their house and left their shoes at the rack by the door, replacing them with slippers to be exclusively used inside the house. Mei left the donuts at the dining table then proceeded to the bathroom to wash up, dress up in her house clothes, and went to her room and opened her laptop. There, she received a text from Tyler.
"Hey whats up?"
In which Mei replied with
"Am home. Sleepy. Wbu?"
"Off home. Ttyl."
Tyler had just finished his shift at the auto shop, and proceeded to enter his car, a 2-month old brand new navy blue Honda Accord, gifted by his parents after graduating high school. Afterwards, he drove to the Daisy Mart and bought a slushie, in which he drank it in the car.
Meanwhile, at the Lees', Mei was reading one of her books and she received a chat from Miriam.
"Hey, just arrived at Stuttgart from Munich. Felt sick on the plane earlier as we crossed the North Atlantic! :(" typed Miriam.
She read her message then chatted,
"Yo, sup?! Hope u feel better now, bruv."
"Im better now, thank God! How's school, girlfriend?" typed Miriam.
"Twas fine, i guess? Still can't get over the fact that i cant "besties assemble!" anymore every Monday, with you now being in Germany and Priya being in Montreal, so I'm stuck here with Abby, which is my saving grace lol." Mei replied.
Miriam had just settled in on her apartment with her aunt, who had early retirement in 2003 and moved to Germany that same year with her husband, although they vacation every now and then to Toronto.. Their children, Miriam's cousins, live back in Canada, who are now working adults.
As she replied to Mei's message, she felt tears rolling down her eyes and sent,
"Sigh. I guess that's how life is? We won't be together forever, but what's important is we're still friends despite our distance :-)"
"I really miss you, Mei. How I wish I took up nursing instead of chemical engineering :P", she added laughingly.
"miss u so much too mir! any idea when ure gonna come back?", replied Mei.
"Perhaps this coming december, I'll be back there in Canada." Miriam typed.
"see you then, habibi! ily 3" said Mei as she proceeded to close the chat app.
Meanwhile, Tyler drove home and pulled into the Baker residence. He then switched off the car, threw his two slushie cups into the garbage bin and entered home. He was then greeted by his mother, who was alone and making Banh Mi, a Vietnamese sandwich made with baguette.
"Xin chao, mother!" greeted Tyler in Vietnamese then English as he approached to give his mother a hug.
"Hey sweetie, so how was work?" smiled Mrs. Nguyen-Baker as she sliced another bread, making him Banh Mi.
"Nailed it as usual!" said Tyler confidently. "Most of my job today was changing motor oil and replacing punctured/worn tires.", he added.
"That's great, son! Now let's have a sandwich together.", said Mrs. Nguyen-Baker as she added fillings into Tyler's bread and the two sat by the dining table. They then had a conversation.
"So, are you really sure about joining the military, dear?" Mrs. Nguyen-Baker asked a bit worriedly, but sure, she really was also supportive of her son joining the military to become a pilot.
"Yeah, uhm, kind of, mom?" stammered Tyler as he took a bite from his sandwich. "Do you think it's good for me?", he added.
"Well, it's fine for me, I guess…. As long as it makes you happy… And safe.", Mrs. Nguyen-Baker stammered, and laughed.
Tyler then laughed it off and continued munching on his sandwich until nothing was left. He and his mom continued to have a conversation then he brought up Mei.
"Mother…. Do you think Mei's looks good for me?", Tyler asked, slightly blushing at the thought.
Mrs. Nguyen-Baker quickly noticed the blush and smirked at him like she was making fun of him.
"Uhm…. Yeah? She looks cute, to be honest." she said. She then recalled the memory she had of Mei pouncing on Tyler out of rage and nearly mauling him. "Except during that time when she, y'know. Nearly tore you to shreds." Although Mrs. Nguyen-Baker really loathed Mei at first, she had begun to accept her little by little for who she is, after the Lees gave the Baker family a private tour of the Temple way back in July 2002.
"Mom…." Tyler rolled his eyes. "I do forgive her for that, and now…", he paused. "Okay, lemme get this straight, mother. To be honest, I actually do love her, and I mean, the "I-wanna-date-then-marry-you" kind of love.", he professed.
Mrs. Nguyen-Baker stopped for a while then gave her son an "aww" look. She then went,
"Whomever you're happy with, Tyler. There my support will be!", she cooed. "If you like her, then go for her!"
Tyler smiled then the two hugged each other and then proceeded to fix the table. He then went upstairs to have a shower and rest for the day.
Meanwhile, at the Lee residence, the Lees were having dinner. The menu for the night was a deviation from the usual Chinese they normally had. This time, they had Italian, which Jin mastered a few years back. They had four-cheese pasta and Palermo-style steak, matched with red wine. Also, they had carrot cake for dessert, which Ming usually baked, but this time, it was Mei who did the baking.
After minutes of quietness whilst eating, Jin then decided to strike up a conversation.
"So, Meimei… How was school today?" Jin asked, sipping on his wine.
Mei, who was still chewing on her steak, elected not to utter a word yet, akin to how Ming strictly taught her dining etiquette as she grew up. When she finally swallowed what was in her mouth, she then replied.
"It was actually fine, dad. Probably because my saving grace is that Abby still is my schoolmate, although we aren't classmates. But we study the same program!"
"I see. Were you able to feed yourself well during your break time?", followed up Jin with another question for his daughter.
"Yeah, dad! Actually, me and Abby had burritos.", Mei replied smilingly. "It wasn't the good kind of burrito, but it was good enough to keep you full for a while.", she added.
Ming then chimed into the conversation.
"So… Did you have classes today?" Ming asked.
"Nope, mother. We simply had orientations as it was our first day. Discussions begin the day after tomorrow, though!" Mei replied.
"How's it feel wearing uniform for the first time?" Ming asked.
"Uhm, honestly, it felt pretty odd." Mei stammered. "But I'm also liking it as it made me feel different, it made me feel like wearing something that symbolises purpose!", she added cheerfully.
"Very good!", commended Ming. "But out of all degree programmes you could study, why Nursing?
That's when Mei paused for a while at the question, gathering all her thoughts. She initially wanted Accounting, then Marketing. Then, she explained how she eventually landed at Nursing after attending her school's charity outreach day at the Hospital for Sick Children in 2005. She really loved what the medical aid procedures that the nurses were doing, and totally found herself in the profession.
"No wonder you were an expert in accommodating me and your dad that same year when we were heavily drunk and messed the whole place up", chuckled Ming.
"Really?! Well, thanks, I guess, just doing my part in "extra" temple duties!" laughed Mei. "You should have seen Dad in the toilet, though. He was blabbering "I'm not drinking anyYymoOoOreE" then continued to hurl, hugging the seat". The three then laughed at that memory.
"Oh, I swear, I really am not gonna binge drink anymore!" exclaimed Jin laughingly.
"What was that event again and why were we so wasted, Meimei?" asked Ming quizzically in a laughing tone.
"Uhm, there wasn't anything significant, you two just brought drinks into the house and decided to have fun drinking, husband and wife!" chuckled Mei.
They all laughed together at their light-hearted dinner, then soon afterwards, Mei cleared the table up all by herself. Then, she whispered something to Ming as she wiped the table clean.
"I also wanted to become a nurse so I can have valid reasons to take care of both you and Dad medically, and so I could also be of help in the Temple if someone needs first aid", she said.
This put a smile on Ming's face as she finished cleaning the table. As Mei turned to the dishwasher, Ming then pulled her by the waist and gave her a hug and small kiss to her lower left jaw.
"That's my RN! You have my and your dad's full support in your endeavours, my dearest Meimei.", she cooed to her ear.
As Jin witnessed the tender mother-daughter moment in the kitchen, he then joined in and it became a group hug between the three.
Mei, now back in her room, resting in her old Lester B. Pearson Middle School PE attire, which surprisingly still fits her despite increasing in height, decided to doodle on her notebook in bed, lying in prone position. Like how she doodled Devon in 2002, she did the same doodling Tyler, first in topless, then in dress uniform, and then in a flight suit.. Ming then decided to come in, holding a plate with peeled oranges.
She then quickly hid her notebook.
"Meimei, do you want a snack?" Ming asked smilingly. She then switched her mood and went, "But what's that notebook, are you doodling someone again?"
A caught-off-guard Mei gave a pretty sly smile, and showed Ming the notebook proudly.
As Ming scrolled through the pages, she let out small "oohs" and saw Tyler's topless doodles, then a doodle of Tyler in an air force dress uniform. Mei was sweating bullets, but she knew this time that Ming would take it lightly.
"Oh my, this looks familiar." Ming thought to herself.
"AAAAAAA! Will Ming Lee snap again like she did 5 years ago?! Holy doofus moly!" screamed Mei from the back of her head.
Ming then showed the drawings to Mei, who was visibly sweating nervously. Ming quickly picked up on this and calmed herself down, asking,
"So you're a Top Gun fan now, huh?" Ming chuckled. "Wait, is this… Tyler?!"
Mei was lost for words and quickly blushed.
"You… LIKE HIM?!" screamed Ming.
Mei was still lost for words, blushing furiously, then she went,
"MOM! Gimme that!" she laughed then stole away the notebook full of Tyler doodles. "It's just my poor rendition of Tom Cruise. Top Gun, that is!"
Ming then smirked and she went "Tom Cruise? With curly hair and a headband? Meilin Lee, look me in the eyes… Are you in love with Tyler Nguyen-Baker?"
Mei stopped for a while then blushed furiously. Then, her tail popped and panda ears followed right afterwards. Not wanting to go full panda whilst on her bed, she replied,
"You caught me to it! That's Tyler, definitely.", chuckled Mei, her grin from ear to ear.
Ming then let out a small chuckle and cooed,
"And why is he in military uniform?" interrogated Ming.
Mei then explained that Tyler wanted to become a pilot, but his family couldn't really afford the premiums of flight school, so he decided to join the military via the RMC. Ming was stunned at the explanation, and she then went,
"Military?! Barbaric profession!" she gasped to herself. A puzzled Mei then wondered why her mother would say that, then Ming added, "I had pretty bad experiences with men in uniform, and seeing you're liking him, makes me feel you're gonna experience the traumas I've had with people in the profession"
Mei then defended her love interest. "But don't worry, Mom! He won't be like that, even though he can be such a bully sometimes!" Then added, "But then, I also understand where your disdain for uniformed people stems from.", hinting at her mother's arrest in 2002 at the SkyDome during her panda rampage.
"Not just that!." Ming yelped. "Somewhere in 1979, 10 years before you were born, we visited relatives in Hong Kong. My uncle, however, was quite a menace, as he was with the Royal Hong Kong Police. His profession was noble, but his attitude… Well, let's just say, scared me to death at some point." she said. "In uniform, he gave one of my cousins a beating for not scoring well in his exams, and when I tried to intervene, chased me out with his service baton.", added Ming. "Then, that's when your grandmother also gave him a very hard slap, being the older sister and he was second to the youngest."
Mei was left speechless at her mother's anecdote, then Ming finally closed,
"Now that's why I have a disdain for, well, uniformed personnel. My encounters with your school's security guard in 2002 don't count, however.``, she said. Then, she added, "But we'll be giving Tyler the benefit of the doubt, don't worry, sweetie", cooed Ming as she playfully pinched the cheeks of her daughter.
The two then had another tender moment in the room about Mei's feelings for Tyler, in contrast to 5 years ago when her mother went full ballistic about her drawings and basically embarrassed her in front of Daisy Mart customers, including who would be her secret crush since 2003, and love interest come 2007.
As they finished having a mother-daughter talk, both having eaten all the peeled oranges, Ming then decided it was time to go to bed herself and retire for the day.
"Goodnight, future Mrs. Baker!" Ming cooed laughingly, giving Mei a smirk and an evil smile. A pillow was then thrown by her daughter at her out of playful rage.
"MOOOOOM! Please just shut up, for once?!" laughed Mei, blushing so furiously her tail and panda ears popped out again. She was then charged by Ming who decided to give her a tickle.
The two then had a laugh together and Ming decided it was really time to go to bed, for real.
"Goodnight, sweetie! You still have a long day tomorrow." said Ming, who then gave a small kiss to Mei's forehead.
"Goodnight, mother! Sweet dreams." cooed Mei.
Lights were then turned off and Mei soon fell asleep, still with her tail and panda ears protruding. They then poofed away as she feel deeper into her sleep.
To be continued
A/N: Since Tyler's parents aren't named as per the movie, save for their surname, I might as well be naming them in the following chapters! Stay tuned.
Oh, and starting Chapter 4 or later, I might be switching the rating from K+ to T, as those may contain more mature content.
