by Shinn A. H.
Failing to change their minds, Kellie gave in and replied, “I had a thought…maybe we should tell Dr. Lee….I know we should keep our knowledge sacred, but I trust him.”
Jory straightened up and said, “I agree. We could use his help. He seems to have an appreciation for Chinese legends and myths — I saw his collection of books in his library — He may be the only one who can help us.”
“We could also use the transportation,” added Jake.
Feeling a stitch of hope, Kellie said, “I’m gonna tell him tomorrow morning before he goes to work — so be ready.”
Kellie crept down the stairs the next morning and found Dr. Lee having a cup of coffee and fiddling with his briefcase.
“You’re up early,” he said when he saw Kellie approaching him in the kitchen. “And it appears you are ready to go somewhere,” he said, eyeing her backpack gripped in her hands.
“Can I talk to you?” asked Kellie, feeling her palms getting sweaty, dampening the strap on her bag.
“Of course, what is it?” he said, setting down his mug, looking concerned.
“The one who has kidnapped Master Zheng is a monkey and I know what he wants — His name is Hagos and he’s a mystical animal gone bad” — Kellie noticed Dr. Lee’s eyeballs protrude out of his eye sockets — “and the stone he is demanding is the other half of a jade rock that houses Anguo.” Kellie now thought Dr. Lee’s head was going to blast off his neck. “I’m not sure if you believe me, but —”
“I cannot believe this!” he said, marching around the tight kitchen, his hands pulling at his hair. He stopped and turned to her, excitement beaming out of his soul. “How can I help you?”
“Y-you believe me?” Kellie anticipated on having to first convince him she had wisdom of where Anguo resided and then second, to get him to agree to help.
“Of course I do! How do you have knowledge of this…about Anguo?”
“With the Seer. Jory found —”
“The Seer?” he asked, with a huge grin and all his teeth showing.
Kellie had never seen the normally ultra composed doctor so fired up before.
“Where did he find it? What does it look like? The mystical animals really exist? But they’re supposed to be good….”
Kellie didn’t have time to answer all his ardent questions. Too many hours had passed and she needed to help Master Zheng as soon as possible.
“Dr. Lee…I need to get to town and find Pei Chow. He has — I hope — the other piece of the stone. Then I need to get to Taiping Monastery and trade it for Master Zheng.”
“Sure, sure,” he mumbled, looking as if everything he just learned was sinking in. “Is it wise to give Anguo to the monkey? He’s the one who has been attacking them…no?”
“Probably not, but it’s the only plan we have. And yes, he is the one who has hurt the monks. We have to save Master Zheng.”
“Yes, yes…Master Zheng. How can I help? I am booked with appointments and it’s too late for me to cancel them. My patients are waiting for me as we speak.”
“We just need to get to Du Zhen and find Pei Chow… then we’ll figure it out from there.”
Looking at his watch, he chugged his morning drink and snapped close his briefcase. “I’ll take you to town. I know where Pei Chow does his vending. Then I’ll find a courier to take the stone to Taiping Monastery.”
Kellie’s reaction went from alacrity to dejection. She was elated he was willing to help, but she couldn’t hand over Anguo to a stranger; she had to undertake this mission.
“Dr. Lee…Jory, Jake, and I went into Shenmi Forest to get the jade stone back from Hagos, from which he stole. Either from luck or fate, we found it and I gave it to Master Zheng. To make a long story short, we, Jake, Jory, and I, believe we are Protectors and we need to make this right.”
He let out a long, heavy sigh, and Kellie waited as he seemed to have an inner debate with himself. She could see he was torn between protecting the three teens under his supervision and his zeal for legends.
“I will probably regret this, but I have always been fascinated by the great mysteries that have surrounded you….You are far from ordinary and I cannot stand in the way from what is meant to be. I will help you get to the monastery.”
Kellie thought for sure he was going to make the responsible choice and keep them away like the monks asked. “Thank you so much,” she said profusely, then darted upstairs. Seconds later, she, Jake, and Jory were by the front door, ready for their journey.
Dr. Lee left a note for his wife, who was still asleep, explaining that the kids would accompany him to work. It was a short ride to Du Zhen and when they got there, the town’s people were awakening. The shop owners had their doors propped open, each sweeping their entryway as they chatted with one another. The street vendors were setting up their stands and putting out their merchandise.
Overall, the mood of the quaint place seemed elevated, compared to when Kellie first arrived. She spotted Mrs. Ho walking with ease, although still supporting her weight on a cane. Mrs. Ho waved at Dr. Lee as he drove by. The sky was a powder blue, with a few cotton-like swirls scattered throughout. Kellie presumed the change Anguo created boosted the morale of the people of Du Zhen.
They parked behind the building of the medical clinic, and when they went around to the front, a line of patients were waiting for the doctor. They greeted him, then stared at his foreign company.
Dr. Lee handed Kellie some money for her to buy breakfast as they waited for Pei Chow. He pointed across the way to an empty space where Pei sets up his jewelry booth every morning.
“I will find a driver for you,” he said with some thrill in his voice. He checked his watch and said, “I am running late….Come back to my office after your visit with Mr. Chow.”
Anxious about the dire situation, Kellie didn’t have much of an appetite, but went out in search for a viable meal. Not wanting to go too far from where Pei Chow would be, she scanned the stands nearby and decided on a popular viand.
Jake and Jory looked at Kellie with some uncertainty when she ordered “zhou” and “you tiao.”
“Looks like a doughnut,” Jake commented.
Kellie instructed them to dip their cruller in the cup of warm congee. After taking their first bite, a smile developed on their faces.
“Yummy,” said Jory. “Can we get this in Milldale?”
With breakfast in their hands, they browsed all the colorful commodities surrounding them as they waited for Pei Chow. Jory purchased a small carving of a dragon for himself and Jake bought a paper fan with artistically painted cherry blossoms and swallows for his mother.
The street started filling with people, but Pei Chow’s booth was still vacant. Kellie repeatedly glanced over there, becoming nervous that he may not show. She worried how she would get the stone from him, if he even still had it; but it never crossed her mind that he would skip a work day.
By the time they finished their last bite, all the vendors were open and ready for business, except the table where Master Chen’s old childhood friend sold jewelry and trinkets.
Kellie was about to lose faith when Jory pointed and shouted, “Is that him?”
An old man, the same age as Master Chen, was opening up a case and carefully unwrapping his products onto a table.
Rushing over to him, Kellie said in Mandarin, “Hello!”
Looking up at her irritably, he said in heavily accented, broken English, “Not open yet.”
“Um — Mr. Chow, Mr. Quon Chen has been looking for you.”
His manner switched from grumpy to elation at the mention of Master Chen’s name. With a boisterous laugh, he asked, “How is Quon…my old friend?”
“He is doing very well,” answered Kellie, trying to get to the point as quickly as possible, but courteously. “He and I went to America eight years ago and we opened up a kung fu studio.”
Reminiscing to his younger years, he said, “Ah yes, he very excellent in kung fu….You, Bao Yu?” Hi
s eyes enlarged as she nodded. “You very small when monks bring you here.”
“I’m sorry to be in such a hurry, but we’re looking for a jade stone, hopefully, you still have —”
“I have much jade,” he said, unraveling a black cloth, displaying an abundance of jade stones, both white and green.
“Well, this is a special one…the one you and Mr. Chen found and broke in half….”
Scratching his temple for what felt like an eternity, he asked, “Broke in half?”
“Yes, when you were very young,” Kellie reminded him.
He put his hands on his hips and his cheekbones raised as he grinned. “I sold!”
Kellie heard Jory gasp in horror and Jake mutter, “Say what?” She couldn’t breath for a second and forced herself to take in air. All she could do was imagine Master Zheng enduring his captor’s wrath. Now what were they going to do? She didn’t have a backup plan. There was always the possibility he wouldn’t still have it, but hearing it from his mouth was devastating.
“Who — who did you sell it to?” she asked despondently.
“I sorry to sell,” he said with a short sigh, “but wife need surgery….Rich French tourist buy….He wanting only rare stone.” Waving to his variety of standard jades, he said, “He not like these, so I show old broken stone — He has good eye — I not seen one same to it…very rare.”
“More than you know,” said Jake.
“And he buy. We make good deal. I get good price and he say, ‘must be lucky day.’” He had a dreamy grin, as if reliving the profitable transaction.
“It sure was his lucky day,” said Jake. “Doesn’t know what he has.”
A French tourist? And it was his lucky day? This sounded much too familiar to Kellie. She racked through her brain. Where had she heard this before?
“What did he look like?” she asked Mr. Chow.
“Ohhh…he tall and very skinny.”
Could it be? Kellie had a notion of who it was, but what were the chances she was acquainted with the purchaser?
“Did he have black hair and a mustache, and hair here?” she asked pointing around her mouth.
Showing much surprise, he said, “OY! You know tourist?”
“I think I might…”
Jake and Jory looked flabbergasted.
Her spirits soaring, she scanned through his collection of stones and picked one up. Handing him some money, she said, “I’ll take this one.”
Shaking his head, Pei Chow warmly said, “Gift to you and old friend.”
After thanking him, Kellie grabbed Jake and Jory by the arms and pulled them toward the telephone booth. “I think I know who has it!”
“How on earth could you know that?” asked Jake, practically running to keep up with her.
“I saw it in his office….Principal Lemore bought it!”
“Principal Lemore?” repeated Jory. “He does do business in China….Even if he has it, how are we going to get it? We need it, now!”
“I’m gonna call Master Chen,” said Kellie, as she began dialing the public phone. After finally getting connected, she heard him crack, “Hello?” on the other end.
“Master Chen? It’s me. Are you feeling okay?”
“It’s three in morning…what happen?” he said sounding worried.
“I know who has the other part of the jade stone… Principal Lemore! Principal Lemore has it! It’s in his office….Do you remember?”
Kellie heard Master Chen groaning. “How I could not recognize?” he murmured. “I take care of it.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I get it.”
“But how? I highly doubt he’s gonna hand it over —”
“— I take care of it,” he said again, firmly, “…and you and friends stay with Dr. Lee.”
Kellie didn’t want to be untruthful with him, but she also didn’t want to make him worry. Technically, they were with Dr. Lee; they never strayed farther than eye distance from his clinic…for the moment. “We’re with him,” she said, crossing her fingers and crunching her guilt-ridden face.
After she placed the receiver down, Jory eagerly asked, “What did he say?”
“He said he’ll take care of it.” She gave him a blank look, a sign that she wasn’t sure what his intentions entailed. “We should check in with Dr. Lee and see if he found us a driver.”
“You still want to go there?” asked Jake. “We don’t have the other half of the stone.”
“We know that,” said Kellie, pulling out the jade Pei Chow gave her from her pocket and showing it to them between her thumb and forefinger, “but Hagos doesn’t.”
“Ahhh,” said Jake, looking impressed, “…a fake substitute.” He took the stone from her and examined it. “Not a bad match.”
With a nervous tone, Jory asked, “D-do you think that’s wise? What do you think Hagos will do when he finds out it’s not the real one?”
“Hopefully, he won’t find out too quickly,” said Kellie, who had already thought of that scenario. “We just need enough time to get Master Zheng to safety…. Come on, we need to get moving.”
They had spent over an hour waiting to speak with Pei Chow and it would take another couple of hours to get to Taiping Monastery. Precious minutes were ticking away.
They ran to Dr. Lee’s office. Walking into the waiting room, the cramped space was crowded with people, the young to the elderly, waiting for the doctor’s care: an infant was screaming, crying in his mother’s arms; an adolescent about the same age as Kellie had a swollen black eye; and an elderly woman was hacking into a handkerchief.
Kellie walked up to the person behind the window and asked to see Dr. Lee. The nurse instructed her to have a seat and wait her turn in a snippy way. Kellie tried to explain she wasn’t a patient and that the doctor was expecting her. Annoyed, the lady went to the back, and soon enough, Dr. Lee brought them into the area that led to the examination rooms.
“Did you get it?” he asked with anticipation.
“He sold it,” Kellie said, and saw the same anguish she felt from the news on his face.
“I got you a driver, but it’s fruitless now….”
“Dr. Lee…we have a plan. We’ll still need the ride up there.”
The same unfriendly nurse interrupted them, telling him Mrs. Liang was ready for her stitches in Room 2 and scurried off.
Shaking his head, he said, “I can’t. Mrs. Lee would never forgive me if something happened to you three.”
With a desperate appeal, Kellie said, “The monkey wants Anguo and he thinks I can get the other stone…. If I don’t give him something” — Kellie flashed him the rock — “I have no doubt he will not let Master Zheng live.”
He stared at the wall behind Kellie, quiet and still shaking his head.
“Dr. Lee!” called the nurse, making him jump slightly, causing his stethoscope to slide off his neck. She shoved a stack of charts into his chest and scampered away again.
“Mr. Ho is parked in the back of the building. Do not do anything without the help of the monks.”
“Thank you,” Kellie said and they shot out the rear entrance.
Mr. Ho was leaning against his silver four-door hatchback reading a novel. When he saw them exit the building, he threw his tattered book into the open car window.
“Ready to go?” he asked in his language.
“Yes,” Jory answered back in Chinese, smiling proudly that he understood.
“Do you have luggage with you?” Mr. Ho asked, continuing to speak in his native tongue.
Jory looked at Kellie confused.
“No,” she answered for him in Mandarin, “we won’t be there long.”
They hopped in the car for the roughly two-hour drive up the mountain. Kellie wishfully stared out into the trees and bushes, hoping she would set eyes on Mulin or Zurich. Jory and Jake drifted asleep in the back seat, probably due to the combination of the monotone drone of the engine and rising before the sun.
/> “How is Mrs. Ho doing?” Kellie asked.
“Better,” he answered in Chinese, both hands on the wheel, driving cautiously up the windy road. “Couple days ago, she woke up and was able to get out of bed without my help, and she doesn’t need to use the cane all the time. If she has no more pain, it would be a miracle,” he said optimistically.
His last words reminded her of Anguo and wondered what Master Chen was planning. Was he going to simply ask Principal Lemore for the rock and then ship it here? For Mrs. Ho’s sake, she prayed Master Chen succeeds in retrieving the stone and returns it to where it belongs.
Kellie’s eyelids began to feel heavy. Unable to get them to stay open, she closed her eyes during the drive, listening to Mr. Ho describe every pain that his wife suffered in her body.
Suddenly, startling everyone, Mr. Ho hollered out in his language, “What was that?”
“What happened?” mumbled Jake from behind, stirring from Mr. Ho’s outburst.
“I thought I saw something…never mind,” Mr. Ho said in Mandarin.
“What did he say?” Jory asked Kellie.
“He said —”
BOOM! Something landed on top of the car, creating an impression in the metal.
“What was that?” shouted Jake, shooting up and sticking his face between the driver and passenger seats.
A dark blurry figure shot across the windshield causing Mr. Ho to swerve to the side of the road. Kellie screamed as Mr. Ho smashed into a tree, thrusting everyone forward.
The force of the impact whipped Kellie’s neck forward. Her forehead hit the dashboard and her vision started turning black. In a daze, she leaned back and covered her spinning head with her hands.
Then she heard, “MONKEY!”
ON’T GO OUT THERE!” someone yelled from behind her. Kellie heard the door click open and shouting from outside the car with overlapping shrieks from an animal. Mr. Ho was hollering in Chinese, “GO AWAY!” The rear doors opened and she could make out Jake and Jory’s voices shooing away something as well. The ruckus around the car seemed to become more intense when her door swung open and she felt the cool air graze over her face. Someone pulled her out and she heard cries of her name as she went in and out of consciousness.
