by Liu, Cynthea
Eventually, it started to drizzle, and Kallyn groaned. “Of all days for it to rain.”
“I know,” Cece said as she watched the clouds gather. But it wasn’t long before the sight of the Great Wall distracted them from the weather. The Wall snaked along the ridge of the mountains, like a long, white dragon stretched atop the misty peaks. It had watchtowers like the City Walls in Xi’an. But unlike the City Walls, which were flat and in the middle of a burgeoning city, the Great Wall sloped up and down, and everything around it looked untouched. No buildings, no signs, no roads. So majestic and timeless. It was simply beautiful.
“I’m going to climb that bad boy,” Kallyn said. “All the way to the top. You want to do it with me?”
Cece nodded. “I’m up for it.”
Mark picked up the microphone and addressed the group as the bus made its way toward the Wall. “Due to the rain, I have good news and bad news. The good news is the crowds may be a bit thinned out, which should make your climb more enjoyable. The bad news is we’re going to have to cut our trip short if it pours. So if anyone has big dreams of going to the top, it may not happen. . . . ”
A collective sigh could be heard throughout the bus. Cece glanced at Kallyn, who looked disappointed.
“If it does rain hard, you will need to slowly make your way down and board the bus. I don’t want any serious accidents on the Wall today. Oh, and if you need an umbrella, vendors outside the entrance will be more than happy to sell you one. You’ll have two and a half hours to explore the Wall. Afterward, we’ll grab some lunch at a local restaurant and walk around the area.”
Jenny immediately launched into her overview. “The beginning of the Great Wall dates back to the Warring States period, around 443 to 221 B.C., when the various states each erected walls to defend their territory. Emperor Qin Shi Huang defeated these states and reconfigured the walls to accommodate the new empire—what we now consider to be China.”
Jenny went on to explain that through the dynasties thereafter, the Wall was modified as the defensive needs of China changed. The section they would be visiting now had been constructed during the Ming dynasty, a time when the largest efforts on the Wall were made to protect the country from nomadic warriors.
“When you climb the wall,” Jenny went on, “you will notice many watchtowers. Soldiers were posted there and would communicate to the Forbidden City in Beijing. They used smoke signals in the event of trouble. It is said the number of smoke signals indicated the size of the invading forces. One signal for one hundred men, two signals for five hundred men, and three smokes for a thousand or more. So when you think of the Great Wall, you may view it as a deterrent and a communication system, rather than a place where battles were fought. Few men were needed to man the Great Wall.” As Jenny finished, the bus pulled into the parking lot.
Kallyn and Cece got off, hurried toward the first vendor they saw, and bought umbrellas.
“Are you ready?” Kallyn shouldered a small backpack and popped open her umbrella.
Cece looked up at the Wall. Already tourists were climbing a chain of steps that seemed to stretch forever, hill after hill, ascending the mountain. It hadn’t looked that hard when she had seen the Wall from a distance on the bus. But now, up close, the steepness of it all caught her off guard. She swallowed as she held her umbrella over her head. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
“Pace yourself,” Kallyn said as they made their way up the wet steps. “You don’t want to wear yourself out before we reach the first tower.”
Kallyn and Cece steadily made the climb.
Somewhere along the way to the first tower, Cece heard Jessica not far behind her. “Chris, you think you might be able to walk a little closer or something, in case I fall? I didn’t wear the right shoes.... ”
Cece glanced back, wondering where Will was. Among the umbrellas, she saw him not that far behind Jess, climbing with Alex. He caught her eye and smiled.
Cece smiled back, then pressed forward with Kallyn.
Soon they reached the first watchtower, where many people had decided to take a break. Kallyn and Cece kept pushing though, hoping to beat the rain.
As they continued upward, the steps became much steeper, and the path narrowed. Even though Cece wasn’t afraid of heights, she was starting to get a bit dizzy. Cece looked back, gripping a handrail, and hoped to see a terrific view, but the cloudy weather made it hard to see much. She hoped the journey would be worth it.
Once they reached the second tower, Cece and Kallyn rested briefly, then higher and higher they climbed, the gap between them and the rest of the students widening. After about forty-five minutes, the rain stopped. Cece could see only a smattering of people ahead of them. Will and Alex were at least a tower behind. She caught her breath and looked up, unable to see where the stairs ended. “Kallyn, can we make it all the way?”
Kallyn took out a water bottle from her bag. She passed it to Cece, then got another bottle for herself. “Absolutely. You see that old lady?” She pointed to a lone woman who was coming down, high above them. “If she can do it, so can you.”
Cece nodded and chugged some water.
“Hey,” Kallyn said. “Go in front of me. That way you won’t be tempted to slow down.”
Cece did as she was told, and they climbed higher. It began to feel like she wasn’t visiting some tourist destination anymore. This was a crazy test of her endurance, even her courage, as the steps became steeper and narrower. Kallyn seemed to be enjoying every second of it. “Just think how good you’ll feel when we make it to the top, Cece.”
Just how good will it feel when I get to the top? Cece thought. This was one of the hardest things she had ever done. It quickly became a game for her. If she could climb to the highest point of this section of the Great Wall, she could do anything. Tomorrow’s trip to the orphanage would seem like nothing. Her eyes focused on every step she took. She started counting them off. After another twenty minutes, her thighs felt like they were on fire.
“We’re almost there,” Kallyn said.
Cece looked up again. They really were getting close. Only two more towers. She gritted her teeth. She could do this. She had to do this. Higher and higher, she went. The sky darkened once more, and it started to rain.
They moved faster. The rain came down harder, and Cece knew Mark would want them to turn back.
“Oh, we’re almost there,” Kallyn said.
They didn’t even bother to open their umbrellas. It took every ounce of Cece’s energy to push forward.
Other tourists who had already made it were coming back down.
Finally, Cece was only steps from the last tower. Now it was raining so hard she could barely see ahead of her. Her hair and her clothes were soaked. But she had just five steps left. Four... Her body filled with anticipation. Three... two...
She took the last step, and relief washed over her. She thought she would collapse as she stood at the final watchtower. No one was there. It was as though she was the only person on the planet who had reached the very top.
Cece looked all around her. She had a 360-degree view of the vast expanse of China below. She hadn’t even realized they had made it above a thin layer of clouds. The clouds rolled across the horizon, allowing the ridges of the Tianshou Mountains to peek through. She felt like she was literally on top of the world.
She stood before the tower, with her arms up to the rain. “We did it, Kallyn!”
Kallyn joined her, surveying the surrounding landscape. “It’s totally stunning.”
Cece squinted at the sky as the cool rain pelted her face. “You were right, Kallyn. I feel incredible.”
“Cece, you couldn’t look happier than you do now. We’ve got to take a picture.”
Kallyn opened her umbrella and grabbed her camera from her backpack. She snapped a shot of Cece, then Cece got one of Kallyn. Afterward, they stood together under the umbrella and gazed downward in the direction they had come. Through the rain and mist, Cece could see th
e stairs below snaking in and out of the clouds. They must have covered at least a couple of miles of steps, if not more.
“So, Cece,” Kallyn said, “are you ready for tomorrow?”
Cece looked at Kallyn, still in disbelief that they had made it to the top. Maybe she really could do anything she set her mind to. Maybe China was showing her that she did belong here in some way. Maybe. . . Cece took in the view once more... tomorrow would prove to be amazing, like today.
Cece grinned at Kallyn. “Actually? I think I am.”
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, Cece lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. “I can’t feel my legs,” she moaned to Kallyn.
Kallyn grumbled in her sleep.
“Kallyn, I can’t move.”
“What?” she said.
Cece looked over.
Kallyn was rubbing her eyes. “You’re probably just a little sore.” She slowly sat up.
“A little sore? I’m going to need a wheelchair to get to the orphanage.”
“Please. Today’s your big day. Are you sure you aren’t making excuses?”
Cece turned on her side. Yes, she was making excuses. When she had woken up, the first thing she did was worry about all the things that could go wrong today. Forget Will’s advice on the train—it was all doom, doom, and doom. What if Peter forgot to show up? Or what if they got lost on the way to the orphanage? Or what if no one would even let them in if they did find the place? She was practically nauseated. “But my legs really do hurt.”
“What happened to your enthusiasm from yesterday?” Kallyn said, getting out of bed.
“Gone,” Cece complained. “Completely gone.”
“Come on.” Kallyn came over and pulled Cece into a sitting position. “Rise and shine. I’m not going to hear this anymore.”
Cece groaned. She set her feet on the carpet and got out of bed.
It wasn’t long before they headed out of Beijing for a short trip southwest of the city to visit Zhoukoudian. Jenny explained the site was a series of caves where the largest samples of Homo erectus had ever been found, including a skull of the Peking Man, which was once recognized as proof of the theory of evolution. Once they arrived, however, Cece could hardly focus on what Jenny was saying. She was too busy mentally rehearsing how she would interact with the people at the orphanage. She’d have Peter introduce her as a former orphan. She’d tell them she’d always wanted to see where she’d spent her first two years. Then she’d ask for a tour like her father had suggested and get to know the care workers a bit. Finally, when everyone was comfortable with her, she’d say, “So ... um ... do any of you know why I was abandoned?” That’s when the room would go silent. No one would have any idea. She’d ask, “Well, perhaps you can tell me where my parents are?” At this point the care workers would gape at her in horror, kick her out, and tell her to never come back.
This was how it played in her head, over and over again, as Jenny walked everyone through the caves. By the time the group finished and returned to the hotel, Cece’s doubts had only grown worse. She sat at the table for their “special” lunch at the hotel’s restaurant, where she became convinced nothing even remotely disgusting would be served.
Kallyn nudged Cece. “Hey, you’ve had a permanent wrinkle in your forehead since you woke up this morning. Try to relax, okay?”
Cece whispered in her ear. “I don’t think I can go through with this.”
Kallyn whispered back. “Yes, you can.”
Jess and Lisa joined them at the table, followed by Chris, Dreyfuss, Alex, and Will.
Will took a seat next to her. “Hey, Cece.”
Cece gave him a weak smile, then realized she was so nervous that the act of his sitting beside her had abso lutely no incremental impact on her heart rate, sweatiness, or body temperature.
“You know, you don’t look so hot,” Will remarked. He glanced at Kallyn. “Kallyn, what do you think?”
Ugh. She really didn’t feel good. She knew Will was trying to help, but at that moment, she wanted to stop the whole thing. She put a hand on her stomach.
Kallyn studied Cece up and down. “Will, I think you’re right,” she said loudly. “Cece, is something wrong?”
Cece tried to find her voice. “Kallyn, I think . . . ”
“What is it, Cece?”
Just then, the servers started bringing out the food. One laid down a giant fish with bulging eyes and its jaw gaping open.
Oh, man. “I think . . . ” She put a hand over her mouth. “I’m going to throw up.”
Everyone pushed back from the table.
Kallyn stood. “Hold on. I’ll get you to the bathroom.”
Will got up, too. “Let me help.”
Cece took deep breaths. She didn’t want a repeat of her first night in Xi’an.
“I’ve got her,” Kallyn said quickly. “Will, why don’t you get Jenny instead?” She threw an arm around Cece and steadied her as she walked her out of the dining room.
As soon as they got to the hotel’s restroom, Cece’s head began to clear. It was good to be away from all the noise, the people, the food. She sat in a chair in the lounge area.
“Man, you’re good,” Kallyn said. “Seriously, you could have won an Oscar.”
Cece rested her head against the wall. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t really acting.”
“Really?”
She closed her eyes. “But I’m better now.”
“Cece, if it’s that bad we really need to get you upstairs.”
Just then Jenny walked in. “Are you all right, Cece? Will said you might be sick.” She looked at Cece with concern. “Do you need a doctor?”
“No,” Cece replied, opening her eyes. “I just. . . um. . . have a weak stomach when it comes to... Chinese delicacies.”
Jenny felt Cece’s forehead. “It is no trouble to take you to a doctor. Are you sure you don’t want to go?”
“Positive.”
“Then let’s take you to your room for now, okay?”
“I’ll help,” Kallyn volunteered.
Jenny and Kallyn got Cece up to her room and in bed. Kallyn brought her a glass of water.
“I will talk to Mark and see if I can stay with you,” Jenny said. “Though I’m not sure how he will run the tour without me—”
“You don’t have to do that,” Cece said. “I just need to rest. That’s all.” She took a sip from the glass.
“I would feel better if you were not alone.”
“Hey, Jenny,” Kallyn said. “Why don’t I stay with her? We’ll just hang out here until the group comes back.”
Jenny considered this for a moment. “But don’t you want to see the Forbidden City?”
“I’ve already been there. I saw it last year with my mom,” Kallyn said.
Cece looked at her and raised a brow.
“If anything comes up,” Kallyn continued, “I can call you.”
“Well . . . ”
“Really. It’s okay,” Kallyn said.
Jenny thought it over.
“All right then,” she said, reluctantly. She wrote on a notepad and handed a phone number to Kallyn. “The group will be back at seven. Then we’ll go to the train station.” She got up and made for the door. “Cece, I hope you feel better. Kallyn, thank you.”
After Jenny left, Kallyn leaned against the door. “I thought she’d never leave. What time is Peter coming?”
Cece glanced at the clock. It was one ten. “We’ve got twenty minutes. But you don’t really think I should go through with this now, do you?”
“Um, yeah,” Kallyn said.
“But I think I might really be sick.”
“Cece.”
“All right, all right.” Cece pushed back the covers and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
When Peter arrived at the hotel, Cece met him downstairs, and they got into a cab. Peter gave the driver the address and soon they were off. Peter turned to her. “Are you ready, Cece?”
“No
t really,” Cece said. “I’m too nervous.”
“Then you must find your focus, Xiao Mei.”
“I don’t think I can, Peter. My focus is completely shot.”
“Maybe you need something to remind yourself why you are doing this. Take out your photograph.”
Cece pulled her wallet from her purse, then took the picture out. “Here.”
“No,” Peter said. “You keep it. I want you to look at it, Cece.”
“Okay . . . ” Cece stared at the image.
“Now do you remember why we are here?”
“I remember.”
“No, think harder. Why have you come all this way?”
Cece looked at the picture. “I’m here to find out why I was given up for adoption.”
“And?” Peter said.
“And . . . ” Cece glanced at her parents in the photo. “I want to know who my birth parents are, too.”
“And?”
This time, Cece studied the girl, her innocent face... like before, she wished she could connect with her. “And I guess I’m tired of not knowing who I am.”
She took in a breath. She hadn’t expected to say that. It was almost painful to think of it that way. But wasn’t that what she wanted in the end?
“Cece,” Peter said, “are you more focused now?”
“Yeah.” Cece sighed and put the photo away. “A little.”
“Good.” Peter smiled. “That’s what Da Ge is for.”
Soon, the taxi pulled up to the curb.
“This must be it,” Peter said.
Cece looked out her window. Suddenly, what little calm she had felt all but evaporated. “No, this can’t be right.” All around her were high-rises. It looked like a business district, with company names and logos marking the buildings. Where were the cobblestone walk and the concrete building from the picture? “Peter, do something.”
Peter checked the address again with the driver.
The driver sounded agitated, but he didn’t move the car.
“No, Cece, this is it,” Peter said. “We need to get out. The taxi is blocking the road.”
Cece paid the driver and opened the door. “This has to be a mistake though, Peter.”
