by Zoey Gong
Only a week later, Winnie was the one waiting in the arrival hall for Kai and his mother. When she saw them come through the gate, she waved wildly, grinning from ear to ear. She was far too happy to see them, considering the circumstances.
“Winnie,” Kai’s mother said, gripping her hands tightly. “It is so good to finally meet you in person.”
“And you,” Winnie said. Then she looked up at Kai and resisted every urge to run into his arms. “It’s good to see you again,” she finally settled on, though it hardly did her feelings justice.
“You too,” he said, and she had a feeling he was holding back just as much as she was.
Winnie helped Kai’s mother with her luggage as they walked to the taxi area. While they rode to the hospital, Winnie explained the situation in more detail.
“This is only a trial for a new drug,” Winnie said. “But these are the last trials. The drug is in the final form it will take before approval, and the previous trials have been positive. We got lucky. You were put into the group that is getting total treatment--the new drug, chemo, Chinese medicine, the works. They need to know how effective it is when coupled with other treatments.”
“That is wonderful,” Kai’s mother said, and Winnie could see her eyes were wet with stifled tears.
“And since it’s a trial, it’s all paid for by the drug company,” Winnie said. “Your treatments, your room, your food, everything is covered.”
Kai’s mother put her hand on her heart and took a deep breath. Winnie realized that this all must be very overwhelming for her. Winnie reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Everything will be fine,” Winnie said. “You just relax and focus on getting well.”
“Thank you so much,” she said.
At the residence rooms at the hospital, Winnie was amused by how Kai’s mother marveled at everything.
“This room is so big, and so nice!” she said.
To Winnie, the room was rather small and plain, but she had no idea how Kai’s mother was used to living in China. She knew that many people lived very simply, especially when they needed to spend money on something else, like medical treatments.
“Well, if you need anything,” Winnie said, “just ask me.”
“Oh you have done far too much already,” she said as she eased into a recliner and sighed. Winnie realized that the woman must have been exhausted from her trip, but before she could do anything to help, Kai was at his mother’s side with a blanket.
“I’ll find the kettle and boil some water for your tea,” he said as he tucked her in. “You just relax.”
“Such a good boy,” she said as she patted her son’s cheek.
Winnie walked out of the room to give them privacy--or so she told herself. But seeing Kai and his mother together caused a stinging pain in her stomach. She remembered when she was a little girl and she had a terrible flu. Her mother didn’t leave her side for days, sleeping with her, running a cool washcloth over her head, spoon feeding her weak broth.
It had been a week since she had told her mother the truth, and she hadn’t heard from her since. She had tried to call, but her mother never answered. What was worse, her whole family was ignoring her. Lingling and her father didn’t answer their phones either. She had found a distraction in preparing to bring Kai’s mother to Australia and arranging her treatments, but now that she was here, Winnie was once again left to ruminate over her many egregious mistakes regarding her family.
22
Kai tried not to let it show, but he was just as enamored with Sydney as his mother was. He had never traveled out of China before. He and his mother had gotten passports as soon as he graduated college, sure that he would soon get a job that would let them see the world. But then his mother got sick, so all their money went to that. Thankfully, Winnie helped them get expedited medical visas so they were able to get to Australia easily. He used the last of his payout money from Whirlwind on the flights. Even though there were a million things he wanted to see and do in this new country, he didn’t even know how he was going to find food to eat while he was here. The treatment facility was providing for his mother, but not for him. But he couldn’t let her travel to a strange country all alone. He hoped he could sleep in the chair in her room, but he couldn’t take her food. The treatments often left her without an appetite, but she needed to eat as much as possible to keep her strength up. On his visa, so he wasn’t supposed to work, but he hoped that once he got there, he would find someone willing to sponsor him for a work visa. Or maybe he could find some sort of freelance work. He wasn’t sure. At this point, he’d mop floors if he had to. He didn’t think Rad Phoenix could press charges against him if he was overseas, but he didn’t want to risk it. He had to find some way to make money while he was here and make his next payment.
After his mother was settled into her room, she quickly fell asleep. The flight had completely worn her out. He stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. He was surprised to see Winnie in the hallway.
“Oh, hey,” he said. “I thought you had left. I’m sure you’re busy. You don’t need to babysit us.”
Winnie smiled. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Your mom is sweet. I’m glad I could help.”
“We are both grateful for everything you’ve done,” he said. “I know you don’t want me to thank you, but I can’t help it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. “Want to walk with me?”
“Sure,” he said, as if there was anything in the world he would rather do.
“I wanted to apologize,” she said. “For what happened back in Shanghai.”
“Don’t--” he started to say, but she cut him off.
“I told my mom the truth,” she said. “About me living here. And I ended things with Chang.”
“What did she think about that?” he asked.
“She disowned me,” Winnie said.
“What?” Kai asked, stopped in his tracks by the news. “Winnie, that’s terrible.”
Winnie shook her head. “I know. I’m sure she will forgive me someday, but I’m just giving her space for now.”
“No, Winnie,” he said. “She’s your mother. She loves you. She’s hurting. She’s probably scared for you. You need to work this out with her.”
“I will,” she said, “on my own time. But thanks for the encouragement.”
Kai shook his head and they resumed walking. He knew that Winnie was stubborn, so no amount of pushing her to make amends with her mother was going to help. But he wished there was more he could do to help them work things out. He thought about his mother and fought the urge to run back to the room to check on her. He knew she was fine, but he couldn’t imagine ever being so distant from her that they would cut one another off. He had spent the last several years doing everything he could to save her life. To spend just one more day, one more hour, one more moment with her.
“What happened with your job?” she asked.
“I screwed up,” he admitted. “Stole company secrets and sold them to Whirlwind.”
“Whoa,” Winnie said. “That’s bad.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I got caught. Got fired. Got fined. Might go to jail if I can’t pay said fine.”
“I’m sorry,” Winnie said. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “You wouldn’t happen to have a job in that bag of tricks of yours too, would you?”
“I don’t think so,” Winnie said.
“It’s okay,” Kai said. “You’ve done so much for me already. I can’t ask for more.”
“I’ll keep my ears open,” Winnie said. “If I hear about anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay,” Kai said.
“I need to get back to work,” Winnie said. “I’ll come back later. Want to have dinner with me and my friends?”
“Sure,” he said. “Sounds fun.”
They paused and faced each other. The silence between them was strained, awkward. They w
ere no longer on the easy terms they were before. Something had broken between them, and neither one of them seemed able to fix it.
“Well...see you later then,” she finally said and quickly turned away.
Kai went back to his mother’s room and slipped in silently. His mother had fallen asleep in the chair, so Kai took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed. He pulled out his phone to let the rest of the family know that they had arrived safely and were settled in. As he went back and forth on a dozen conversations, one from his cousin piqued his interest.
I think I got it, Fenghe said.
Got what? Kai asked.
The idea that is going to make us rich! he said.
Cool, Kai said, not believing him for a moment. What is it?
I’m not exactly sure, Fenghe said. The guy only speaks English. I know it has to do with developing an app for China, which is why he needs a Chinese partner. But I need you to talk to him since you speak English.
My English is garbage, Kai said.
Better than mine, Fenghe said. I set up a meeting for this evening. He will add you on WeChat and call you, okay?
Fine, Kai said. I’ll see what he has to say.
He didn’t hold out any hopes for this little project, but what else did he have to do with his time?
“And then Winnie said, ‘sorry, I don’t date crustaceans!’”
The whole table burst out laughing as Brock finished telling his story.
“I can’t believe how dumb that guy was,” Lian said.
“You’ve had some real winners too,” Winnie said.
Lian shook her head. “Ugh, don’t remind me.”
Kai reached across the table with his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of pork. He was surprised that Winnie and her friends wanted to have Chinese food for dinner. He was looking forward to trying some Australian food...even though he didn’t really know what “Australian food” would consist of. Still, the restaurant was pretty good. Not as good as the food back home, but after the long trip, it was comforting.
Winnie was laughing as she shoveled rice into her mouth. She was the happiest and most relaxed he had ever seen her. Even back in Harbin, she had never laughed so much, or eaten so much! In the past, she was always stressed about something, too stressed to eat. Now, she was eating, laughing, telling jokes. He wasn’t sure what prompted the change, but he was glad to see it. He knew that telling her mother the truth was probably helping, but he was concerned that she wasn’t more upset about being disowned. He hoped she would find it in her heart to reach out to her mother soon.
“What are you doing?” Lian asked Brock as he pulled out his phone.
“Sorry,” he said. “I have to try to connect with this Chinese guy. The meeting was supposed to be later, but the time difference messed things up..”
“You don’t speak Chinese,” Lian said.
“I guess he speaks English,” he said. “Hold on.”
“So where are you from, Lian?” Kai asked, making polite conversation while Brock turned away to talk on his phone.
“Oh, I’m from--” She stopped when Kai’s phone rang. “Do you need to get that?”
“Right!” Kai said, suddenly remembering he was supposed to talk to that app guy for his cousin. “Sorry, I forgot about a thing.” He answered the phone. “Wei? Hello?” He looked up when he heard his voice echo.
“Hello?” Brock and the voice on the other end of the line said at the same time. Brock and Kai looked at each other.
“It’s you!” they both said in unison.
The guys exchanged glances with Winnie and Lian, and the whole table erupted into laughter again.
For the rest of the evening, Kai and Brock talked about Brock’s new business plan.
“It’s basically Tinder for patients and doctors,” Brock said.
“Tinder?” Kai asked.
“Oh, right,” Brock said. “I guess you don’t have that in China. It’s a way for patients and doctors to connect through an app. There is a low membership fee to cover the costs and to encourage doctors to sign on. But it’s cheaper than actually going to a doctor for people who can’t afford it. It’s, of course, not as good as going to a real doctor, but for people who live remotely or who wouldn’t see a doctor at all otherwise, it’s at least something. They can chat or talk with video, like on WeChat, or send pictures so the doctor can really see what is ailing the person.”
“That’s really clever,” Winnie said. “How did you come up with the idea for that?”
“Remember when Kai started asking you about treatments for his mom?” Brock said. “You joked that you were the only doctor on his friend list. That got me thinking, what if people could have doctors on their friend list to get help from?”
“That’s great,” Kai said. “This could save a lot of lives. Millions of Chinese still live in the countryside, far away from any city with a hospital.”
“Exactly!” Brock said. “So you’ll help me with it?”
“I’d like to,” Kai said. “But it will take a lot of work, and I need to find a job.”
“Oh, this could be your job!” Brock said. “I don’t expect you to do this for free, silly. My dad is an investment banker, and he has found me some people who are interested in supporting the app’s development. They see its potential.”
“Really?” Kai asked, surprised. It seemed too good to be true.
“Yeah,” Brock said. “I have the medical expertise to know what the app needs, but you know Chinese language and culture so we can make sure it meets the needs of the people. It’s a great partnership, I think. We can ask the investors for money up front to cover our time and to hire whatever technical people we need to develop the app. Now that I have you as a partner, I can arrange a meeting and arrange everything.”
Kai looked at Winnie. “Did you know about this?”
She shook her head. “I wish I could take credit for bringing you two together, but I had no idea.”
“Well, I’ll be here in Sydney for a while,” Kai said. “So let’s get started.”
Over the next few weeks, Kai met with Brock’s investors, who were impressed with Brock’s plan. The investors were so thrilled with the app’s possibilities, they paid Kai and Brock enough that they could just focus on developing the app for a whole year.
It was enough for Kai to pay off the fine.
There wasn’t much left over, so Kai would still be eating lean for a while, but the fine was gone. The threat of going to jail was gone. And if the app did well, there was unlimited earning potential in their future.
As Kai and Winnie sat in his mother’s room waiting for her to return from her latest round of tests, Kai couldn’t help but thank Winnie for her help--again.
“When I lost my job,” Kai said. “I thought my life was over. I thought my mother was going to die and it was all going to be my fault. You saved me. You saved both of us. I’ll never be able to repay you for what you’ve done for me.”
“I don’t want you to repay me,” Winnie said. “Just be happy and live a great life. You’ve earned it. You and Brock are going to save so many lives with that app. That’s repayment enough.”
“Winnie, I--”
“I’m in remission!” Kai’s mother yelled as she rushed into the room.
“What?” Kai asked, jumping to his feet.
“The doctors just confirmed it,” she said. “I knew it was working. I feel better than I have in years. But the tests showed, the cancer has shrunk significantly. Partial remission, they called it. But they suspect that in a few more weeks, I’ll be full remission! Can you believe it?”
“That’s wonderful news,” Winnie said, giving Kai’s mother a hug.
“Thank you so much, you wonderful girl!” she said, patting Winnie on the cheek. Then she pulled out her phone. “I have to tell the family the good news. Wei? Meimei!” She was already on the phone with one of her sisters.
Kai and Winnie stepped out into the hallway.
“This
is cause for a celebration,” Kai said. “Can I take you to dinner?”
“Sure,” Winnie said, “but only as friends.”
Kai’s heart sank, and he knew it showed on his face.
“Sorry,” Winnie said. “I love having you as a friend, and I am so happy for your mother. But...I don’t know. I’m still figuring stuff out.”
Kai nodded. He knew that Winnie still hadn’t reconciled with her mother. And even though she still had dreams of becoming a doctor, he knew she was dissatisfied with her schooling here in Australia. He didn’t pry, so he wasn’t sure why she was suddenly so unhappy, but he knew that she still felt unsettled. In need of a change. She still needed to get her life in order.
“I understand,” he said.
“You do?” she asked, surprised.
“I...I care about you, Winnie,” he said. “I won’t deny it. If there was a place for me in your life, no matter how small, I’d happily take it. But I don’t think so highly of myself to try and force myself into your world if you aren’t ready.”
Winnie was quiet for a moment, and she reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Thanks,” she finally mumbled. “That means a lot to me. So many people have tried to control my life for so long. My mother. Chang. My whole family, really. This break from them has been painful, but it has given me time to think. And seeing you with your mother. Well, it has just put everything into perspective.”
“That’s good,” Kai said. “I hope you work things out with them.”
“We will see,” she said. She was being guarded with her answers. He figured there was still a lot spinning around in her head, but she didn’t want to commit to anything right now. She still needed time.
He’d give her all the time she needed.
23
“Any word?” Brock asked Winnie from over the partially dissected body between them, his hands wrist-deep in the body’s abdomen.
Winnie shook her head as she noted any abnormalities the Brock or Lian pointed out.
