“Yaffe, I appreciate your way, but things between he and I are not that simple as you imagine. I’ve made my decision. I hope you keep the secrete for me.”
Yaffe sees her determination, and persuades no more, “Since you’ve already decided, I’ll say no more. Just let me know if you need any help.”
“Thank you, Yaffe. Wish I have met you earlier, that way, I may have already hooked him up.”
Yaffe laughs, “It’s not too late now, believe me, you’ll meet someone nice.”
“Why?”
“You’re a nice person. If not for you, I may not be able to blend into your family.”
“And this I won’t oppose.”
“It’s getting late, go back to have some rest.”
“Good bye, Yaffe.”
“Bye.”
After Sabrina He leaves, Yaffe still thinks it’s too risky for Sabrina to keep the child.
**
Spring festival vacation passes soon. Anne comes back to work, bringing quite some hometown products to Yaffe.
The head of Obstetrics & Gynecology Department calls Yaffe on the condition of Rowie Yang.
Yaffe remembers to give Rowie a New Year call, but no answer.
She sends a text message, and no reply.
After getting off work, Yaffe is worried and drives to her place.
Rowie’ rented house is not far from the hospital.
That area are villages within the city, the land belongs to the local Chandely folks.
For that reason, the environment is relatively chaotic with all kinds of people.
Rowie has the capacity to live in a better area, but she always stays here.
Yaffe parks downstairs, and climbs up the stairways with the dim light.
She arrives at an old yet clean iron gate, and knocks on, “Rowie, Rowie, you there?”
Nothing.
Yaffe knocks a few times more, and in vain.
She goes back to the car, heads up to look at the window of Rowie’s house, seeing the cashmere coat she bought for Rowie hung in the balcony.
She pulls out her phone and calls Rowie again. It’s already turned off.
Yaffe thinks for a while, remembering Rowie’s brother’s phone number, and calls.
It’s picked up soon by a skittish young man, “Hello.”
“Hi, Reuben, I’m a friend of Rowie, do you know where she is?”
“Dead!” Reuben Yang hangs up the phone in an instant.
Hearing the busy tone, Yaffe gets agitated and calls the number again.
“Would you cut it out, already? Haven’t I told you she is dead? Why call again? Watch out, I may kill you too!”
“Little jerk, knock it off! If you really killed her, I dare you be this arrogant. Cut the bullshit, where is your sister? Speak fast! If anything happens to her, I’ll call the police saying it’s your doing.”
Reuben has long been bullying Rowie, thinking her friend is a pushover too. Now he gets softened a bit, “I don’t know, she left on the eve of Lunar New Year.”
“How did she leave? What did you do to her?”
“Why don’t you ask what she did? Found a rich man to be his mistress, yet came back pretending to be poor.”
“Watch your language, she is your sister!”
“If she didn’t find a sugar daddy, how could she have that many expensive clothes? My girlfriend said that coat is worth five thousand yuan. My parents asked her to give some money to buy me a house, but she wasn’t not willing. What use does this sister have?”
“You motherfucker, that coat was a birthday gift I bought for her. Reuben, are you crippled or not? You wanna buy a house, and you don’t make money yourself, then why the hell does your sister give you money? Is the money she gave to you guys daily not enough?” Yaffe gets tired of swearing, and throws her phone away.
She knows what kind of family Rowie has, how can’t she think of it earlier.
Yaffe scrabbles her hair restlessly, drives to a nearby restaurant to pack a few dishes and gets a sack of beers. Then she drives back to Rowie’s place.
“Rowie, open the door. I know you’re inside, let’s have a talk.”
Yaffe waits for quite some time, and then hears soft footsteps.
The door is open. Behind it, Rowie looks pale and weak.
Rowie throws an eye on Yaffe feebly, and steps back.
Yaffe carries inside two big bags of stuff, sees the mess of tossed clothes, pillows, and furniture. She is stunned.
The place Rowie rents has one bedroom and one living room. And she is a person who is good at keeping thing in order.
Although it’s a small house, and she doesn’t have much money to buy expensive decorations and furniture, she still keeps her little house in order and homey.
Rowie walks to the fabric sofa, cleans up the sundries on the sofa and tea table, and feebly says, “Sorry, it’s a little messy.”
“You should call me.”
Rowie squeezes a smile, “It’s New Year time, why bother you? It’s the first New Year you spend with He family. I don’t want to pull you into trouble.”
Yaffe looks at her helplessly, “Well, no more second-guesser. Go have a wash of your face and have some food.”
Rowie washes up and sits opposite to Yaffe.
None of them speaks, and finishes the hot dishes silently.
Yaffe opens two bottles of beer, and hands one to Rowie.
Rowie heads up, takes a gulp of beer, gives a belch without caring for image, and says hoarsely, “Yaffe, how the hell do I end up with this bunch of family? They did provide me for school. But didn’t I do my best to support them back? Why can’t they understand my hardship? How did they think that I’ve been a mistress and that I’ve kept money away from them? They are my family, why do they barely understand me and barely believe me? If I allow myself being a mistress, it wouldn’t be this hard for me.”
Her voice gets trembling when she finishes up.
Yaffe listens quietly.
“I passed out several time during overtime. None of them cares, they just keep asking for money. They want me to save up for their house, their pension, and my brother’s marriage. How about my life? How can I live? Now I’m afraid of falling in love, fearing the replay of my last scared-away boyfriend. Why the hell do I live in such a twisted way?”
Yaffe drinks up a mouthful of cold beer, giving her a shiver.
Her life is free from the pain Rowie has been through.
She doesn’t know what to say to comfort her.
Rowie leans on the sofa, looks ahead without any focus.