She struggles to chase the time in her college admission exam. Five minutes ago, she swore her lungs were slowly shrinking, and the sweat on her palms could erase the ink on the questionnaires. The universe seemed to conspire against her that morning.
First, her alarm didn't ring, or maybe it did and the universe lulled her to sleep and made it seem like a dream. Second, the traffic was heavy as usual. But traffic heaviness depends on one's perspective, and to her, it was ten thousand times heavier. She hit the road at 7:16, hoping and praying to reach the room at 8. But no, universe was playing tricks with her again. A staggering 1 hour and 30 minutes travel time greeted her, not to mention the hot coffee which clung to her front.
So, it is indeed stated: Krishna Teng is late—super late.
For a 300-item exam, 44 minutes is not enough. Scratch that, one needs at least a minute to write their name on the box and shade the circles of letters and numbers below it. So, theoretically speaking, Krish-as what she prefers to be called- has only 43 minutes left. Yay!
Glancing every once in a while at the clock, panic slowly rises inside her gut and a wishful thinking that the clock hands reverse, or stop. Forty minutes in and three minutes left, Krish was slowly giving up, shading random letters just to make it seem that she finished the exam, and praying to the spirits and gods she never really believed in to at least have some numbers right amidst the random shading.
The examiner rang the bell, signaling that the exam is over.
"Son of a bitch," Krish muttered. She shaded the last five numbers in a pattern she made up and compiled the answer sheets and questionnaires before getting up and submitting her test papers. She gathered her things and stormed out of the room, avoiding the examinees, and headed to her car. Her watch said 9:37 making her crave for another shot of coffee.
She was about to start the engine when a familiar figure knocked on the passenger side of her car. She switched a button which unlocked the door and in came Lin Beifong.
"How was the exam?" the Chief asked. "I hope you did well."
"It was a nightmare," Krish replied, starting the engine and backing her car. Lin chuckled and fastened her seatbelt. "Why are you here, mother?"
Krish heard the lock of the seatbelt click and then her mother's answer. "I think it's just proper to cheer up my daughter after a dreadful exam?"
She drove out of the parking area and headed to Hung Bao's Coffee Club, hers and her mother's favorite coffee shop. It was ten blocks away from the University and just three blocks from the Police Station.
"Slow down a bit," Lin told Krish. "You're not on a highway."
"I know," Krish replied. "Ugh. What is with the world today?" When they were about to cross the last intersection just before the coffee shop, Krish was forced to step on the breaks when a man suddenly crossed the street, even with the walking light on red. "What a stupid man!"
Her mother watched her cuss when she parked her car just by the street and fed a yuan to the meter. Getting out of the vehicle Lin said, "Don't be late for dinner tonight. Tardiness is not tolerable in your grandfather's house," and went towards the police headquarters.
Lin Beifong arrived at the Beifong estate five minutes before seven. Liu, the butler, greeted her as she passed the front doors. "Good evening, Miss Lin. Your father is waiting in the dinner hall."
"Thank you, Liu. Has Krishna and Zoren arrived?"
Shaking his head, he answered, "Young master Zoren is with Master Satoru, but I'm afraid Miss Krishna is nowhere near the household."
"Hmm," Lin hummed. She looked at her pocket watch and saw that Krishna has a little two minutes left. Striding towards the dinner hall, Lin wondered where her eldest is. She reminded her not to be tardy. She doesn't want to repeat what has happened two years ago.
It Krishna's coming out birthday party. At age eighteen, it is customary in the Earth Kingdom among the upper class to present their future heirs to society. Krishna was near to finish her business degree from Ba Sing Se University and her grandfather, Satoru, offered to present her to society himself. All was planned that night but for some reason unknown Krishna arrived two hours late, undressed for the party and wearing a long face.
Satoru did not accept it well and nearly humiliated Krishna if it were not for Lin and Miko's interference.
Nearly reaching the doors of the dining hall, Lin heard screeching of tires. She looked at the front doors and saw Krishna dashing towards her, without even greeting the butler. Krishna stopped just in front her mother, panting.
"I am not late," Krishna declared while smoothing the front of her dress and composing herself. After a few seconds of catching her breath she turned to Lin and said, "Shall we?"
Lin exhaled and led the way, ushering the maids to open the door towards the dinner hall.
Several heads turned towards the two ladies who entered the dining hall and Miko Teng smiled at the sight of them. He strode towards both ladies and extended his arms to greet them. Lin gave him a curt nod and he turned to his daughter.
"Krishna, my love."
"Papa," Krishna responded a little too stiff compared to what he is accustomed. He noticed Krishna's eyes shift towards the edge of the table where his younger son, Zoren, and his father-in-law where sitting. Satoru was eyeing Krishna as well. "I…I should greet grandfather first."
She headed towards her grandfather and younger brother, conscious of the judging eyes she was receiving from the business associates of her parents as she passed by them. Reaching the patriarch of the household, Krishna bowed like a gentle lady of the upper class. "Good evening, grandfather."
"My dear Krishna," the elder man returned. "How have you been, my sweet flower?" He glanced at her from head to foot, as if trying to find a flaw, and smiled. Krishna side glanced at the rest of the table and swallowed a lump.
"I am doing fine," she replied and turned towards her seat opposite her younger brother. "Hi Zoren."
"Didi," the latter acknowledged.
Butler Liu entered the dinner hall and announced that food would be served. Soon, a number of servants entered each carrying platters and hot plates, and served them to the guests. After the servants have completed their job, Satoru rose from his seat and announced, "We shall eat."
Krishna scanned the dining hall for familiar faces and spotted a few. They were the usual guests, the He family, the Huangs, the Pangs and a few others: her grandfather's and her father's business partners. She spotted a couple or two of her former classmates in business school who gave her some acknowledging nods. Krishna didn't mind if they acknowledge her or not. After all, she never really enjoyed her time with and was basically a black sheep in her batch. Who could blame her? Business school was not her choice.
She glanced at Zoren who was in a quiet chat with his seat mate, the CEO of He Holdings Incorporated. 'Little brother has known a trick or two,' she thought. At age sixteen, Zoren has grown to be quite the good businessman. He has become the second head of the Young Entrepreneurs club in Ba Sing Se, and has been the top in his class. If he were only a year older, Satoru would usually say, he would be the head of the National Convention of the Young Entrepreneurs of the Earth Kingdom.
On her left was her mother, esteemed Chief Lin Beifong. She side-glanced at her and noticed that her mother was just fiddling with her food. Krishna wondered how her mother survived the tyranny that was her grandfather. Her father, Miko, told her the story of how Lin got to enter the police force years ago.
It was at the urging of Avatar Aang and of course, Toph Beifong, that Lin be allowed to choose whatever career she wanted. Lin only spent half a semester in business administration before shifting to mechanical engineering. Krishna loved that tale. She admired how her mother must have felt when she defied Satoru. She smiled inwardly at the thought, although wondering where that defiant side is now.
For the past two years, after her formal presentation to society, Krishna has been wandering. Her wanderlust seemed insatiable and the only way she could think of was to drive from city to city. Her grandfather was, of course, informed but she was surprised he did not send her an angry mail, a depressing phone call, or even a rejection of her greeting earlier.
Getting out of her daze, she now noticed her grandfather rising from his seat. "Good evening once again, my friends," he began. "Perhaps you are wondering why this dinner has been held tonight. I hosted this dinner to formally announce to you that the He Holdings Incorporated has finally joined the Earthen Fire Conglomerate."
There was a formal applause from the table and Satoru continued, "My uncle, Loban, and Lao Beifong built this company from the ground after the 100-year war, and after seventy years, this company has grown and is growing even more. I welcome the CEO of He Holdings, Mr. Chen and his son Ximen." The young lad next to the man Zoren was previously conversing with nodded to the rest of the table, acknowledging his own presence.
"My beautiful daughter, Lin, is here with us together with her husband Miko Teng who has been helping me build this company. Sitting next to Miko is my grandson, Zoren, whom I am very proud of; Intuitive and precocious.
My granddaughter is here with us as well. Krishna." There was silence and Krishna wondered what was happening. She wasn't really paying attention until she heard her name.
"Krishna was supposed to graduate business school two years ago," she heard him say, sensing a tinge of poison in his tone. She lowered her head. "My granddaughter, however, opted to drop out-quit, if you prefer- out of school."
"Papa," Lin spoke now. Satoru raised a hand to silence her but she went on. "Not now. Please."
"Hush Lin. This is my dinner party and I will say what is on my mind. My granddaughter disgraced me, and she dared to join this dinner party."
"Mr. Satoru that is enough," it was Miko who spoke this time. He stood from his seat, a stiff expression framing his face. The elder man stopped, and smiled stiffly at him.
"For your honor, Miko" He casted a last look on Krishna and said, "I don't know why but this girl seemed a bit…nomadic."
Lin and Miko exchanged worried looks, causing Zoren to shift his gaze from his mother to his father.
Her questions as to why there were no angry communications from her grandfather for the past two years have been answered. She felt naked sitting there. She excused herself from the table and left the hall, heading to somewhere away from her grandfather, away from the dinner's company.
Back at the table, Satoru faced her daughter and with a firm finger he told Lin, "If you cannot straighten up that girl, I will take matters into my own hands."
Author's Note:
Hi, I am bengbengdong. I hope you sort of enjoyed this chapter. Tenzin isn't involved here yet very much but he will be in the coming chapters. I know I made it seem that Lin's father is a monster and I kind of see him that way: a man who is so into modern technology but still has the mentality of a traditionalist.
I would love to hear your comments and constructive criticisms to further improve this story.
-BBD