A Night Remembered
Lightning lit up the night sky over Chinatown and one six year old girl found all this a little unnerving. In the orphanage she'd had issues with thunderstorms and here was no different.
At first she was stubborn; she told herself that she could face this on her own. Then a really close clap of thunder changedher mind and sent her seeking refuge in her Nana's room
Mei Hua was sleeping peacefully when she felt a small child crawl onto the food of her bed. She sat up and was surprised to see Sue Yee curled up and obviously shaken.
"Sue…" Mei Hua said
Sue silently dove into Mei Hua's arms clutching her nightgown.
"Sue, what is wrong?" Mei Hua asked confused and worried. Then another clap of thunder answered Mei Hua's question as Sue tightened her grip on the fabric of her nightgown.
"Ah, it is the storm" Mei Hua said
Sue nodded mutely
"Sue, look at me, that noise you hear, that is all it is, noise" Mei Hua explained
"Like Tobey's snoring?" Sue asked
"Something like that, either way, it is nothing to be afraid of, it cannot hurt you" Mei Hua smiled reassuringly
"Still, can I stay in here tonight?" Sue asked rubbing her eyes sleepily
"Okay, but just for tonight," Mei Hua said "now let's get some sleep"
"Okay, Nana, Sue crawled under the covers and was soon fast asleep, supposedly
"Sleep well, my precious girl" Mei Hua whispered gently before falling asleep herself
Present Day:
Sue Yee stood in the hallway by Mei Hua's door as the thunder rolled outside
"Nana, do you remember that time when I woke you up during a thunderstorm when I was six" Sue asked
"Yes, I do, I was so confused by that"
"And I'm confused about something you said that day"
"What is that, Sue?" Mei Hua wondered
"You called me, your 'precious girl' what did you mean by that?" Sue asked
Mei Hua was slightly taken aback; she had thought Sue was asleep when she said that.
"Sue, since I was your age, I dreamed of having a daughter and I realized then that you were and still are more than I could ever hope for in a daughter" Mei Hua smiled warmly "and now, beyond the magic and martial arts, I was hoping to teach you some things my mother taught me… that is if you want to learn"
"Of course I want to, Nana, it can be a tradition" Sue smiled and hugged Mei Hua and whispered in her ear "There is one thing I want you to know…"
"What is that, Sue?" Mei Hua asked putting the teen where she could make eye contact.
"If I can be half the mother to my children that you have been for me, then I would feel like I have done a good job"
Mei Hua embraced Sue tightly, tears forming in the elderly woman's eyes
"You do not know what it means to me to hear you say that." Mei Hua said
"I think I do, Nana"
The End
