August 10, 2007

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-1

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei

    part one

    I have enjoyed writing fiction. I've written a good amount that has never been published and never will be. Writing is fun and does mix a bit of catharsis as well. I am able to kill a lot of ghosts by writing about them. It could be the same for you... if you tried.

    This story was originally "published" long ago in my email newsletter "The Runyon's Way Gazette". It appeared in serialized form from July, 1999 to January, 2000.  It has also been reissued through the web site of my friend, Bircan Culkin. That web site is called "The Light Millennium". It features articles in English and Turkish.

    Grandfather never liked to spend too much time with me. He was always busy. He came home late and no one would talk to him. He had to start all the conversation. It was our ritual. Grandmother was a quiet woman anyway. Many times they would speak to each other in shrugs and raised eyebrows. Who needed words? My mom was their second daughter. She had returned home after my father disappeared. If there was any conversation about what had happened, I was never part of it. It was just one more thing among many that was not part of conversation.

    One day my teacher came to my home. He told Grandmother I had been bad at school and had a fight with one of the other boys. Grandmother said nothing. She looked at me and raised her eyebrows. I could not imagine what she was thinking. The teacher went on and on about the fight and what happened to the other boy. He politely asked that my Father speak to me so that such fights would not happen again. Grandmother nodded her head. She brought the teacher a cool glass of tea as a way of thanks for coming so far out on the long, dusty road from town. Teacher did not know that Father was gone. He knew nothing about me except where I lived. It was on the records in the office. Those records had names and dates. Maybe some of it was true, maybe not.

    Grandfather came home that night. I thought I was safe. He was in no mood for conversation. The work that day was hard and Grandfather was becoming accustomed to the limits that age had put on his body. I could not understand this because I was still so young in those days. If Grandmother did not speak to him, he would not learn about the fight. I would not be punished. I would be safe. Mother had not been at home, so even she did not know about the Teacher's visit.

    "Safe", I kept thinking over and over. "Nobody knows and nobody cares. I am not in trouble." Besides that idiot Chen deserved a punch. He was always annoying me about something. He would brag about his grades. He would brag about his family. He would do nothing but talk, talk, talk. He talked about his own life and family, so that was ok. When he started to push me around, when he kept asking me why I was so quiet, when he wanted to know why I never said anything... that is when I told him to shut up and leave me alone! Hah! I might as well have invited him to continue to pester me, because that is what he did. He found my weakness. It would not stop until I shut him up. I think I broke his jaw. Two of his friends told me he would be more quiet than I am. He had to have his mouth wired shut! Chen would be drinking liquid for a month. Ha ha.

    How foolish I was. I thought Grandfather's silence was ignorance. He was testing me. Grandfather never spoke to me before Grandmother or mother. If he said anything at all to me it was usually "Good Night". Today he spoke to me before anyone else.

    "You fight?", he asked.

    "Yes."

    "You win?"

    "Yes."

    "Good."

    That was it. Grandmother heard all this and raised her eyes to look my mother. Mother looked back and shrugged her shoulders. Dinner went on without any further interruption. Before he went to bed Grandfather added only one instruction:
    "Wei, be up at 5 a.m. Tomorrow is market day. You come with me."

    I was going to spend Saturday with Grandfather Wei? After all this time... Ah! He was proud of me! He was pleased I won my fight. At long last he was going to treat me like his equal. My manhood had been proven to him. Finally! I could not sleep, of course. I spent the whole night thinking of this day to come. It would be memorable indeed, but not in the way I had thought.

    to be continued

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-2

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei

    part Two of ten

     

    It was 5:00 in the morning. It was still dark when Grandfather came to get me. I was awake already and when he saw me he just motioned with his hands for me to follow him. If he was pleased to see that I was eagerly awaiting him he did not say so. As usual Grandfather was waiting for me to talk to him first.

    I thought this was my chance to show my manhood to him. I kept silent, too. On the long walk to the market we did not talk about anything. Grandfather walked ahead of me and did not turn around once to see if I was still behind him. Maybe he could hear my footsteps and so was not concerned about me. If Grandfather felt I was now a man, why did we not walk shoulder to shoulder and talk? He always spoke with other men from the village when he walked to work. They always walked shoulder to shoulder. I tried to walk up near Grandfather, but every time I walked quickly, so did he. He was telling me this way to stay behind him. He did not bother to explain why.

    Grandfather was thin. He had been a strong man. I remember how he would hold me and play with me when I was younger. It was so long ago. I had a family then. I had a father. Now we lived with Grandfather again. Was he angry to have to support us? Did he now hate our need? He never complained. He never chased my mother away. In his eyes I always saw some sadness when he looked at her. It was not tears, for a man does not cry. It was a softness, a sharing of her pain. Her husband had left her all alone.

    What had these years done to Grandfather? He was less tall than I remembered. He had become old and gray haired. His skin was tougher. His laughter was less frequent. It had been replaced with silence... as if Grandfather was preparing for an after life of only a cold grave. I wanted to know so much about how he felt about us and about me. It might be a long time before there was another chance to ask him. I had to try to break down the wall between us, but I did not know how. I kept my distance behind him always thinking of how to reach out to him. I would wait for my chance.

    In the marketplace he would have to give me instructions. I would have to ask questions. He would be bound to teach me something, and in that exchange I had the hope to reach his heart and tell him the truth. I wanted to let him know I respected him. I wanted to thank him for taking care of us. I wanted to thank him with all my heart that in all our time together, words of praise were few, but so were words of criticism. I had wanted to tell him I had learned something valuable from him and that I would be sure that his name, which was my name, would always be a good name to all who heard it:

    "Young Wei? Oh, you mean Old Wei's grandson? Yes, a fine family. He certainly has made his grandfather proud. He is spoken about everywhere in the country now. The poor man can't find anywhere to be at peace without hearing the name of his grandson spoken. It is a problem we all wish we could have!"

    Ha! That would serve Chen right. That pest had been properly punished. he would drink liquid for a month because he could not chew his food. Hah! It is a mistake to pick on me or my family. That was for sure.

    We were almost at the marketplace now. I was wondering when Grandfather would speak. He did. He said: "Wait here. I will come back." I was surprised. Why did we walk all this distance together if I was not to go to the market with him? Was I not to carry his bags? Or help him to select the fruit and vegetables we were to buy?

    "Grandfather? Why do I wait? Don't you want me to help you?"

    "No. Wait. When I return we will go on."

    What did that mean? I was too afraid to ask another question and anger him. I watched his back disappear into the dust of the road. He was going to the market and leaving me alone.

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-3

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei
    Part 3

    Grandfather Wei, without much explanation had left me at the gateway of the marketplace with instructions to wait for his return. We had walked the long road to town together and I had surely thought he intended to do this so we might spend time together. I was confused, but with nothing else to do this day, I decided to wait as Grandfather had told me to. Perhaps upon his return he would explain his reason for not wanting me to shop with him.

    Our town is a small one. Local farmers bring their produce to town only on the weekends. If you do not shop, you do not eat. Many in the town are farmers but some, like grandfather, are laborers. It was for this reason that our trip to the marketplace was so unusual. Grandmother or mother would have made this trip today, not us.

    I took a seat by the side of the road to wait for Grandfather. There was a lovely, large tree that offered a good amount of shade from the heat. I sat with my back to the tree, thinking. I could see all the passersby and I suppose they also had a good view of the lazy, young boy braced up against a tree doing no work and not seeming much to care about what anyone was assuming.

    Fang Li and her mother were coming to market. I could see Li's distinctive walk and clothes from a distance. Li was a beauty. She dressed well, went places most others did not go and did things the rest of us could not do. She carried herself like a Queen, but her manner was always friendly. Her mother on the other hand had known our family for thousands of years. I think her mother must have given birth to Li when she was at least 90. She did not like me... and I did not like her. We never had a bad experience with each other, but if you noticed that Li was pretty you became a dangerous enemy from her mother's point of view. It was funny. Li would never do more than say hello to me, but her Mom behaved as if I was able to steal her only treasure away. I could talk to Li in school, but everywhere else she went some family member often was close by. Most of the times I'd seen Li it was her mother who had her in tow.

    Li smiled and nodded to me, but the mother elbowed her and she had to look ahead and watch the road. She did so, but kept her smile as she walked. Her mother was whispering in her ear and at one point Li put her hand to her mouth and giggled. Mother Fang obviously told her I had many problems and perhaps even listed a few outrageous things to frighten her daughter away. I imagined just what she'd say:

    "That Wei boy is bad. He has no education and will never make a good husband. Just look at the road and pay no attention to him. He once walked in front of me on this road and made bad sounds with his mouth. He is rude. He looked over his shoulder at me and waved his arms behind himself, waving the air toward me. He had made the air foul with his body and he was blowing this at me. Do not laugh, daughter. You want to marry such kind of man?"

    I knew this was the kind of thing poor Li was forced to hear. It was possibly worse. I am not even sure what might have gotten her to laugh, but I'd bet this was the story being told. The real truth was that it had been an accident and that I waved the air to send the bad smell far away, instead I had just looked as if I were trying to break wind in Mother Fang's face. From that day on I think I lost any chance to be able to return Li's smile.

    "You dream too much, Wei," I heard a voice say. "He has only dreams. Ha ha. He is in love," said a second voice. The Liu twins were behind me. Jwo was the taller of the two and Min was the fatter. They both annoyed me. These classmates loved to torture me as much as Chen did. You would think that in school only Wei was the one to find and insult, wouldn't you? It was almost true. It was the Liu sisters' good fortune that I did not hit women. If it were only possible I would begin with Min. I would probably break my hand trying to hit her big, fat triple chin.

    "Wei is like a fly landing on a turd and thinking he has found a treasure," said Min. "No," Jwo said, "Wei knows it is a turd but thinks that it is a treasure anyway."

    "Jwo, did you come to the market to sell Min? Ha. Sell her by the pound and you will take home many yen. Too bad there is not a donkey big enough to be able to carry the load home." Min hit me on the shoulder. Girls have so much freedom these days.

    "You could not afford to buy her eyelash if I sold her by the pound, Wei. You are poor as mud and not as smart. What do you do here sitting by the road? You look for a wife but find only angry mothers?"

    To be continued

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-4

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei
    Part 4

    [Please page down for the other parts to the story which were posted earlier. They appear in reverse order.]

    Jwo and Min had teased me for a time but I ignored them and, since they had
    shopping to do they soon left me alone.

    It was starting to get warmer. Grandfather and I had left for the
    marketplace early in the morning, so I did not feel the heat at that time.
    Now, even in the shade of the tree I had found, the Summer sun was making
    things quite hot. I hoped Grandfather would return quickly, but I knew he
    would not. If he took too long I would simply melt in the heat of the sun
    and he would have to carry me home in a bottle.

    I looked out on the road to the market and saw Gao. He was walking ever so
    slowly with his stick, sweeping the ground back and forth with it. If Gao
    had started around the same time we did, it took him a lot more time to get
    here and it would be longer for him to go back. How would this blind man
    carry his food and walk with a stick I wondered.

    "Gao," I cried out. "Nee How Mah?"
    "Wei, Nee How."
    "How did you know it was me?"
    "Who else would be you?", said Gao as he approached the shade of the tree.
    "Ah, you have found a way to escape the sun. I am not so lucky today. I
    should have begun my journey earlier."
    "Why didn't you?"
    "Too dark outside," laughed Gao. He was such a strange blind man. He knew
    me just from a few words. He laughed about being blind. He often joked
    about it. I wondered how he could do these things. If I was blind my eyes
    would still be good for tears.
    "You always joke with me, Gao. What did you come to buy today?"
    "The usual things: rice, fruit, vegetables. A good thing that I can smell
    the difference, eh? A good thing I can feel the difference. My guests would
    be upset to eat rice and steamed fruit. Ha ha."
    "Well, if you are not in too big a hurry why not join me under this tree.
    When Grandfather returns I can help you to carry your food."
    "Help? Hah. I am not buying enough for an army, Wei. I am buying only
    enough for myself. I can manage that, but I will sit in the shade for a
    while to rest."
    Gao put down his stick and rested beside me with his back against the tree.
    "Where is your Grandfather anyway? Why did he leave you here? Are you
    guarding the entrance from demons?"
    "He asked me to walk with him to the marketplace, but when we got here he
    told me to wait for him. I don't know why."
    "You didn't ask?"
    "Grandfather and I did not make conversation along the way. He makes it
    very hard to ask questions. He does not expect them. He does not like them.
    I have found he often ignores them."
    Gao stroked the small beard that was growing out from his chin.
    "Aha. You will just sit and wait then. Too bad. Waste of time, I think.
    What would you be doing today if you did not go to the market with him?"
    "I guess I would help my Mother to do some errands or to do some work
    around the house. Mother does not let me waste my time. She says I have to
    learn to use my time well since there is so little of it. If I am too slow
    she pulls my ear. She says if she pulls often my ears will grow big enough
    for me to hear her. Your mother was this way too, Gao?"
    "No. My mother died when she was young. My Grandmother raised me. She died too, eventually. Now it is just Gao and Gao alone who is the master of his
    destiny."

    I looked at Gao when he said this. Some of the humor was gone from his
    voice. He was not an old man, but he had some years behind him. They showed on his face. All his laughter could not hide the truth. He had been given a hard life no matter what his good nature was. It must have been frightening to be left alone. It ran through my thoughts. I wondered if I would be alone someday. It was bound to happen. I felt a ghost trying to enter my thoughts, and ghosts are best kept away. When I began to listen to Gao again he was in mid-sentence.

    "...neighbor. Good man. So kind and helpful, but how could I impose on
    anyone? They are not responsible for me or my circumstance, are they?"
    "You don't want help from anyone at anytime? Everyone needs help sometime
    Gao. People who can see need lots of help."
    "I don't argue that. I just know if I do not help myself then I will become weak and helpless. Now I can live on my own and be a man. What would they do to me if I was weak? Put me in a home for the blind? No. I would not want that. I would rather be on my own, even if it is difficult. Do you understand? I cannot be weak. I cannot."
    "Neither can I, Gao. Neither can I."

    We stopped talking for a while. I could feel a light breeze across my face.
    It was cool and gentle. Where had it come from? Gao felt it, too.

    "Ah. Grandmother is fanning me. She wants me to be strong and finish my
    shopping. Enough rest for me, Wei. I must move on. Say hello to Old Wei
    when he returns."
    "I will ask him to wait for you. Maybe we can all walk back together."

    Gao smiled and waved goodbye. I watched him until he disappeared into the
    marketplace. If I had to wait for him I would, even if Grandfather had to
    leave without me. I was determined to walk home with Gao. At least there
    would be conversation on the way home. I did not realize how much I missed it.

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-5

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei
    Part 5

    [Please page down for the other parts to the story which were posted earlier. They appear in reverse order.]

    Grandfather returned just as the sun was an hour or two from setting. It
    was low in the cloudless sky and the heat of the day had lessened a bit. He
    found me almost in the same place he had left me. I was sitting still
    beneath the shade of the tree.

    "Come to the market with me," he said. I noticed he was carrying two
    melons. He handed one to me.

    "Why are we going back? Did you not finish shopping, Grandfather?"

    "Look at the melon." I did.

    "Sniff it." I did.

    "What do you smell?'' I did smell something strange, but I was curious to know what all this was leading up to. It smelled like melon and I told my Grandfather just that. He snorted and walked on.

    "It isn't a melon? It looks like a melon. It smells like a melon. It even
    feels like a melon. What is wrong?"

    "You are holding a monkey melon. It is not best. It is fit for a monkey,
    but not for your family. If you do not use your eyes and nose, your family
    will not eat well. Learn to be careful.''

    "Grandfather, if you are carrying the melon out of the market, didn't you
    buy it?''

    Grandfather stopped and looked at me. He even smiled. He was happy. I
    rarely saw him smile this way. What had I said to make him so happy? What
    could I do to keep that smile upon his face?

    "I bought two," he said. "They are both monkey melons. I bought them from
    two different fruit stands. I want you to return them for me and get a
    good, fresh melon.''

    Ah. It was a test. I was here to show Grandfather that I could be a true
    man and make a merchant who had cheated us be honest. I was here to defend
    my family honor and let that seller know he could not take advantage of an
    old man and his family. Everyone heard that monkey melons were sold by
    scoundrels who tried to pretend their fruit was sweet and delicious. They
    knew it wouldn't be tasted until dinner time, and by then it was too late.
    They go from market to market, never selling in the same place twice.
    Grandfather was aware of this when he bought the melons. He could tell by
    their smell. He could tell by their look. He left me at the tree so I could
    return the melons as a test. How clever Grandfather was. I would not make
    him ashamed of me. I would get a fresh melon or someone would get a black eye.

    To be continued

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-6

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei
    Part 6

    [Please page down for the other parts to the story which were posted earlier. They appear in reverse order.]

    My luck is like a crow. A crow that makes a lot of noise. You know the crow is somewhere in the trees, but it is always hiding. If the crow is seen, it flies away. That is my luck.

    Grandfather was putting me to a test. He had bought two monkey melons in the marketplace from different merchants. He told me what they were and that they had to be returned. I had vowed that anyone who sold bad fruit to Grandfather would pay. I would finally show Grandfather I had become a man.

    Do you hear that crow laughing? Ah. I thought so. You are older and wiser than I was that day. You have already suspected it would not be so easy, didn't you? Hah. It was true. I knew that it would be a horrible experience as soon as Grandfather took me to the place where he bought the first melon. He pointed out the stand to me. It was on the side of the main road in the marketplace.

    Any merchant wanting to sell a lot of produce always came early to get the best location. Some farmers were always in the same place, so they had a permanent stand built right inside the market on the main road. Other poor farm families who brought produce less often were on the side of the main road. You could find bargains on the side of the road, but you could also get tricked. Men who looked for a fast yen or two were always coming to the market when they passed through town. They would get rid of their junk
    and move on. You might never see them again. If they did return, they would try to change their looks or what they sold. Repeat customers were something to be avoided. Many times they would leave the market early fearing a customer might return and cause trouble.

    Grandfather went to just such a stand. It had a crude hand-lettered sign that said "Lung's Fresh Melon". Lung was standing behind his merchandise, which was a table filled with monkey melons, just like the one Grandfather bought. Where is the crow you ask? Ah. I was coming to that next.

    Standing at that very table ready to purchase a melon was that old bag of bones in a dress, Fang Li's mother. I had half hoped the woman would bite into the monkey melon just as she was bragging to all her friends what a good shopper she was. I was chuckling to myself as I thought of this. I saw the witch spitting out pieces of melon from her mouth half choking on the rancid taste. What a thought. Ha ha. Then I saw dear Fang Li helping her mother to inspect the melons. It was then I knew how it would happen. Poor
    Li would carry these heavy melons home. She would be gentle and kind to her mother, of course. When the melons were served at dinner and the taste became obvious, her mother would save face by blaming her daughter. It was Fang Li who would be punished. I was even sure that the mother had been the one to turn off the main road, thinking to save money and keep the difference from her husband. Women like this in China were all too common in those days.

    What could I do? I turned to find out where Grandfather was, but he had vanished again. How was I supposed to prove myself to him if he was not around to watch? What should I do to protect Fang Li? My heart was racing and the monkey melon that I had to return was growing warm in my hands. I decided to act as soon as I saw old Lung leer at Fang Li. He smiled at the mother, but he licked his lips when he looked at the daughter. What an evil old man, I thought. It will be justice for me to make him take back his melon..... and Fang Li's as well! I would be a hero and Fang Li would see the real Wei. I would be her champion at last.

    Yes. Now you know how the crow began to shake his wings preparing for flight. My lucky crow, who would circle the market laughing out loud before flying away.

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-7

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei
    Part 7

    [Please page down for the other parts to the story which were posted earlier. They appear in reverse order.]

    Lung looked up and saw me coming. His watery eyes blinked. He suspected trouble. Anyone can walk toward a fruit stand with empty hands and not look suspicious. I was not walking with empty hands.

    Lung continued to wait on Mother Fang. She was still in the process of choosing some melons. Clearly she had no skill as a shopper or she would know what Grandfather knew. The melons were Monkey melons. They would make the people who tasted them spit them out.

    Lung called out two names. If he called them to help him because he was busy, then he would be a good merchant, hoping to make sure a customer was served. I knew he did not call them because he was busy with Mother Fang. The first man who came to the front of the stand was slightly taller than Lung. He had dirty skin that was coated with sweat. The muscles on his chest told me he lived a life of hard and heavy labor. All that work must have made him angry. His face did not smile. His anger showed in the red color of a scar that was on his forehead. It ran across his forehead and ended down near his right eye. He should have been happy. Whatever had marked up his face so badly might have taken out his eye.

    If the first helper looked ugly and menacing, the other one was even worse. He looked like a monster. He was big and fat. He looked like he was big enough to fight an elephant and win. He had a cold, dull stare. He clearly did not like trouble makers. He wanted me to know this with the angry grunt he let out.

    "10 yen," he said, reaching his hand out toward me. Mother Fang turned to watch our exchange of words. She was interested in all this. Why was I carrying a melon? Fang Li, her angel of a daughter, was behind her mother. I dare not look at the daughter for fear her mother would know the truth and kill me with her bare hands. I had to think about doing what was expected of me.

    "This melon was paid for by my Grandfather. He gave it to me to return to you. It is not good."

    The man grabbed the melon out of my hands. He inspected it and then sniffed it, nodding his head accordingly. "This is a monkey melon," he said.

    "That is exactly what my Grandfather said. Since you know it is a bad melon, please give me our money back."

    "This melon is not ours," he said, tossing the melon back to me. "We don't sell bad fruit."

    "My Grandfather told me he bought this one from your stand."

    "Your Grandfather? Where is your Grandfather? I might remember him if I saw him, but I know I haven't seen you before. You think that I am going to give you one of my fresh melons for this monkey melon? Hah. Think again."

    "Xu, my son, is there some problem?" Lung had turned ever so slightly away from Mother Fang. Mother Fang had yet to pay for her melons, but both old people had heard every word of our exchange.

    "This boy wants to make us take his monkey melon and exchange it."

    "Yes. That is exactly what I want. However, if you try to give me another monkey melon, I'd prefer you returned the money to me that my Grandfather gave to you."

    "Oh," smiled Lung, looking at Mother Fang, "Do you know how many boys play this little trick on us? They think we are so stupid just because we come from another town. Ha ha. Well, boy, it was a nice try. Take your melon and go eat it. Your little trick will not work today."

    Mother Fang was looking directly at me. Her face was a mask. She was expressionless. Here I was, the boy who broke wind in her face, and now I was trying to cheat an honest merchant. Here I was, the violent little boy who broke Chen's jaw. Would some low life like me not stoop so low as to cheat a seller of fruit out of a melon? I knew exactly what she was thinking. It was all so clear to me. I looked back at Lung.

    "I am not the cheat here. You are. This melon was sold to my Grandfather and is no good. I will not leave here until you do the right thing. Return the payment or exchange this for a good melon... if you have any."

    "Why, you insulting young puppy! Look at all that you see! All these melons are top quality! Not one melon is a monkey melon! Be gone, or my sons will teach you the value of having proper respect."

    The son called Xu had moved out from behind the stand and now stood right in front of me, stomach to stomach. If we had to fight, I would not give him too much advantage. I moved around him quickly and addressed the father.

    "You have insulted me, sir. I have been honest in my speech. You have taken advantage of someone who has my deepest respect. How do you think I can go back to him with the bad melon you sold to him?"

    "Excuse me, Madam.", said Lung. "Young man, let us go into the back of our stand and discuss this like gentlemen." Lung was smiling. He wanted to kill me, of course, but not in front of a customer who had yet to pay for her melon.

    "I will do no such thing. I want money or a fresh melon."

    Without even a moment's hesitation I felt the hands of the other son reach behind me. He grabbed my arms causing me to drop the melon to the ground. It split open and the smell was strong and terrible. I was then, with my hands being firmly held behind me at the mercy of Xu. Xu was standing and waiting for his brother to spin me around. The first punch landed right in the middle of my stomach. I felt the air go right out of my body. Ah, such pain, such humiliation. I did not think they would be so foolish as to do this in front of a customer. It was my mistake. Xu lifted my head. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Fang Li had grabbed her mother's arm in fright. She had cried out when Xu hit me. Ah, the pain of my humiliation was even greater. I would be beaten badly. I would return without even the monkey melon. I would lose face with Grandfather forever. All would happen in front of Fang Li to witness. It could not be worse.

    Xu flexed his knuckles, readying for another blow. How Mother Fang must be enjoying the punishment of the rude ruffian she knew was in front of her. I was the cheat. I know she thought that. I could not struggle against the other son, his grip was too tight.

    "Deng, my son. Let the boy go. If he wants to fight, let him fight Xu fairly. If he wants to leave, let him leave." The wily old bastard waited for Xu to get his first punch in before making the offer. I was out of breath and could hardly fight back, but if Lung thought I was going to leave, he would soon learn that Zhang Wei was more of a match for him than he thought!

    To Be Continued 

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-8

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei
    Part 8

    [Please page down for the other parts to the story which were posted earlier. They appear in reverse order.]

    Xu had punched me. It was a shameful thing. His brother Deng had to hold my arms behind my back. Now old Lung thought I'd creep away, but he was wrong. The use of such force only deepened my determination. It was no longer a matter of the fact that Fang Li or her mother were watching all this. Now it was a matter of honor and I would not leave until I was given a refund or a fresh melon.

    When Deng released me I made it a point to slowly brush myself off. What I was really doing was stalling for time. I needed to catch some air back into my lungs.

    "You," I finally gasped, "are the shameful fraud. Every one of these melons is a monkey melon. Did you notice the smell of my melon when I was forced to drop it?"

    I turned to Fang Li's mother. "Watch," I said to her, and without a moments more hesitation I grabbed the melon out of her hand a threw it on the ground. Deng, angered by all this, grabbed me around the waist and began to squeeze me. My air was in short supply, but I had enough energy to swing my foot back deep into his groin. He howled with pain and dropped me, but it did not matter. Brother Xu was closing in fast. He shoved Deng to the side
    and Deng, who was doubled over in pain, dropped to the ground.

    Xu picked me up by one hand right around my neck. He lifted me up and off the ground. He was shouting a lot of extremely bad words. I figured this was the end of a short, sad life. I closed my eyes waiting for the end. It did not come. Xu dropped me completely. When I opened my eyes I saw Mother Fang standing over Xu, the cane she hit him with was still in her hand. Fang Li rushed over to me. She cradled my head in her arms. Oh the pain. Oh, what heaven. I felt wonderful and terrible at the same time. She looked right into my eyes. Her hand gently brushed my cheek. Mother Fang walked over and had Li brace me until I was sitting up.

    "The boy is right. Smell this melon you were about to sell me. Do you deny it?"

    Lung looked over the top of his glasses and his eyes narrowed. "It must be some mistake. I know boys like this are always trying to trick honest people. Who knows what he rubbed on the melon before he dropped it?"

    "If he rubbed this melon it was only on the outside. You take your melons and leave this market. If I see you again I will report you to every honest merchant with a stand here. They will not let you stay. Leave our town. Pack quickly and you may avoid spending the night in jail."

    Mother Fang prodded me with her cane. "Get up, boy. You can do it on your own. Li, you can let him stand up on his own." Mother Fang looked at me. She ran her hands over my neck.

    "Good thing you have a strong, thick neck. It must be from all the exercise of carrying around that bone head you try to think with." She smiled at her own humor. It was her chance for a bit of a reprimand, but it was not forthcoming.

    "You are just like your Grandfather, Wei. He would not let anyone take advantage of him when he was your age. He liked to fight, too, as I recall. Have him tell you about the time he took me to the Park. If he remembers it, that is. It was a long time ago."

    I was shaken. Grandfather dated the old crow? Hah. My lucky crow had flown away and had been replaced by an old crow instead. I guess that is a bit unkind as, after all, she did rescue me. I wondered then if it was because I had been right or if it was because she knew Grandfather.

    Lung's two sons were shaking themselves off and I was worried that they would soon attack again. However all the commotion had drawn a crowd, and this was something that Lung feared most. I walked right up to the old man and stuck out my hand.

    "Ten yen, please." I looked the old crook right in the eye. He was really mad. He looked at me, Mother Fang and then the crowd. A smile seemed to cross his face. He looked out and spoke to the crowd.

    "We must close early today due to a family emergency. Sorry for any inconvenience."

    It was spoken as if nothing had happened. He was trying to save face, so I shouted a bit louder demanding my money.

    Lung threw the coin at me and cursed me. "May that one be your mother-in-law someday" he said. I returned the intended insult in kind. "And may your sons never find a mother-in-law to care about them!"

    "What happened here?" I knew that voice. It was Grandfather. "I turn my back for one moment and the boy disappears. Wei, what did you do?" I handed Grandfather the coin. He took it and put it in his pocket.

    "Come, boy. We have shopping to do and you have wasted enough time."

    I turned around to Mother Fang, who was walking back to her daughter. "Thank you," I said to her back. She looked over her shoulder and said, "No, Wei, I thank you. You bought only one melon. We were about to buy several. Thank you." Mother Fang smiled at me. From the distance beyond I could see Fang Li's smile. Her head nodded to me and I nodded back.

    What Mother Fang said reminded me that Grandfather had not bought one melon, but two. Where was the other melon? I ran to catch up with Grandfather. I had questions to ask him, but of course I would not be able to. If I did ask, he'd never answer them. I wondered what had happened in the Park. I wondered why they did not greet each other. Questions on top of questions. My Grandfather was a bigger puzzle than I had thought.

    To be continued

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-9

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei
    Part 9

    [Please page down for the other parts to the story which were posted earlier. They appear in reverse order.]

    I was wondering about the second melon I had to return. It seemed that I had passed Grandfather's test by getting his money back for the first melon. Why did I need to return a second one? Did Grandfather want to see if it was skill or luck? If I could return one melon it might be just luck, but two melons would prove to him that I was a man. I was thinking about all these things as I walked behind Grandfather. Since we had left the first fruit stand he had said nothing to me... as usual.

    Ahead of us was the second melon. Gao was holding onto it for Grandfather. It was why Grandfather did not have it in his hands when he came to look for me.

    Grandfather approached Gao and offered his thanks to him for holding the melon. He then curiously asked Gao to take me to Bin Su's fruit stand. The second melon was bought there, I guessed. Why did Grandfather want Gao to take me there. Gao was blind. It was more likely that I would be taking him to the place. Grandfather's only communication to me, as Gao started down the road back into the market, was "Go on, follow after, Gao. Return the melon and bring me my money back. Hurry up. It will be growing dark once the sun sets and I want to be heading home."

    I caught up with Gao, who had not walked very far. I took the melon from him without protest. His hands being free, they found my arm. We walked the rest of the way with me as a guide for his footsteps.

    "Why do you suppose Grandfather wanted you to go with me?", I asked Gao.

    "He did not tell me. He just said to go and that when we were done we would all walk home together. He is watching my bags of food while he waits for us. Since you will have no food to carry, he offered to carry my things while you walk with me. I am curious, too. Why did Wei come all this way to buy and return two melons? He did no other shopping. Isn't that crazy?"

    I agreed. I could understand none of this. If it was only to test me, then might it not also be a test of my character. Would Grandfather think I was weak if I said too much to Gao about my suspicions? Grandfather was a man who said so little... what would he think of a chatterbox for a Grandson? I decided to say as little to Gao about my thoughts as possible.

    It was not long before we arrived at Bin Su's fruit stand. Bin Su had been in this market for many years. Everyone knew her. She was a good seller of fruit. She never lost a customer. Her prices were higher than others, but people rarely complained to her. Could she have really sold a monkey melon to Grandfather? I decided to check the melon again. I held it up to my nose and smelled the strong, pungent, rotting aroma from deep inside the melon. It smelled terrible, but you wouldn't know it unless you held it right under your nose. It was a monkey melon sure enough, but the question I asked myself is if it came from Bin Su? Grandfather said it did, so it must have. Maybe Bin Su was sold some bad melons herself. Would she not know these were bad melons? I wondered about this as we approached her stand.

    Gao spoke to me in a hushed whisper: "Look, Wei-chan, I still have to buy some fruit. Bin Su must have seen us walking together. If you make her angry she will not sell me any fruit, perhaps. Please let me buy my fruit from her first before you try to return that melon."

    It seemed a reasonable request. I did not enjoy being called "Wei-chan" because I was not a baby any more, but I decided he was only teasing me. I brought Gao up to the stand. He asked me to let him feel the peaches. I took him to Bin's large tray of peaches.

    "How do they look?", asked Gao. "What is their color?"

    "Do you know what color they are supposed to be, Gao?"

    "Of course. I have bought peaches before. I can buy better ones than you. You are blinded by all the colors you see. When I choose the peaches it is by their touch. My hands can feel their rich flavor. Ha ha. I am an expert at finding the best fruit. If Grandfather Wei was with me he would not have bought those monkey melons. Ha ha."

    Gao was wrong of course. Grandfather deliberately bought the melons to test me, but I was not about to explain all that to Gao. Bin Su saw us and walked over. She greeted us together.

    "What do you want today, Gao? Fresh peaches? These are the best in our province. They are sweeter than I was when I was this young, and I was once very sweet at this age."

    Gao laughed with Bin. I found this amusing, too, but I had to stay a bit more serious since my work was still ahead of me. Bin could joke about her young age, of course, now that she was an old woman. Bin must have been at least 30 years old. Her youth was a long time ago. At least that is what I thought back in those days. I stood back to let Gao do his shopping. Bin was helping him now and I was just in the way. I watched them chatter with each other. Bin was a good match for old Gao. They laughed with each other like lovers. If Gao had not been blind would Bin have married him? I felt
    something sad in all that as I watched them get along so well.

    Gao chose his peaches and I watched as Bin put them in her scale. A funny thing happened next. She looked at me with a wink. She put her finger to her lips, motioning me to stay silent.

    "Gao, you wanted only a few peaches? These weigh less than you think. Go pick out a few more so I can make some money. It is the end of the day. I promise to give you my discount price. It is better to sell these cheaply than to see them go bad. I don't sell bad fruit to my customers, you know."

    Bin Su had deliberately lied to Gao. His fruit weighed more than she said. She was not only going to give him more fruit, but she was going to charge him less for it. Ah, how heavy that melon felt in my hands then. I watched Bin Su sneak a few extra things into Gao's bag, too. She charged him next to nothing for his fruit and complained bitterly about how tough a customer Gao was. She was smiling as she complained.

    "Ah, a customer like me is what you need to stay honest. If all of your people knew fruit like I do you could not charge them your high prices!" Gao was teasing with Bin Su.

    "Hah. My customers could easily be like you. If they looked more at me than at the fruit they would be blinded by my beauty. I am the best pick in this store, and a bargain, too."

    "I don't argue about that. You do treat me well, but only because you know you have to. I know fruit better than you do!"

    They went back and forth like this as Bin Su packed Gao's fruit into a bag. She actually snuck even more into the bag. I felt my melon weighing in my hands like a stone. My heart told me this woman could never sell anyone a monkey melon, even if they begged for one.

    Bin Su turned to me to ask if I needed any help. She saw me holding the melon in my hands. It was time to decide what to do.

    "No, I am fine," I said. "I was just walking with Gao. I will help him to carry these packages home."

    Bin Su handed me a peach and said: "Good boy. Eat this on the way home if you can find a free hand. That monkey melon you are holding looks rather heavy. You do know it is a monkey melon, don't you?"

    "Oh, yes. I know. I know very well. Thank you."

    I knew I had made the right decision then and there. I put the melon down and took the peach from Bin Su, thanking her. Gao took my arm and I took his packages.

    "What about the melon?", Bin Su asked as we walked away. "Save it for Gao when he comes back," I laughed. "We'll see if his memory is as good as his knowledge of fruit."

    All along the way Gao spoke quite affectionately of Bin Su. He stopped at one point and told me he was glad I did not try to return the melon.

    "Do you know that woman always puts extra fruit in my bag. She thinks she is fooling me each time, as if I never count how many things I take. Ha ha. She has such a good heart. It would have been a shame to make her take back that melon."

    I was silent all along the rest of the journey. I was right. Gao knew it. Would Grandfather agree? Or would he think I cheated him by exchanging his melon for a peach?

    The next installment will conclude the story of "Old Wei and Young Wei".

  • Young Wei and Old Wei-10

    Old Wei and
    Young Wei

    Conclusion


    We walked with Gao along the road until we reached his home. Grandfather waited while I helped Gao into his house with his packages. It took a few minutes as Gao asked me to help him store away his food. He would need to know where it was placed, so he could find it again easily. I followed his every direction.

    We did not have the chance to make conversation on the way home. Grandfather was silent, and neither I nor Gao knew where to begin to chat without seeming to disturb the atmosphere of thought that Grandfather seemed so absorbed in. Nothing was said about the second melon or the money to be refunded from it. As we stored the groceries away, Gao spoke first.

    "That Bin Su at the marketplace, Wei, what does she look like?"


    "Oh. She has a good smile. I do not think she is so young, but I am sure she was very pretty when she was my age. Are you in love, Gao?"

    "Hah. A blind man like me does not fall in love, Wei. If you fall in love, you get hurt by reality easily enough. Beautiful or ugly, no woman wants a man like me, Wei. I know I will always live alone this way."

    "You're afraid to love her, aren't you?"

    "Hah. I should have asked Old Wei to help me inside. At least he has no questions for Gao."

    "He has no questions for anyone. The way he walked towards home is just the way he walked to the market. We never talk. He is almost as silent at home. I think words bother him. If they were like Yen, he'd be rich because he'd save them all and never use them."

    "He is a very quiet man. He thinks but does not speak. I find that more uncomfortable than you. I sense people by their sound, and I am comforted by that sound. If they are silent, then they are like living in the company of ghosts, and how can a blind man know when a ghost is in the room?"

    "A ghost would find a way to make some noise, Gao. Grandfather will give me another ten minutes of silence until we reach home."

    "And then?"

    "I think I want to ask him why we went to the marketplace today. We bought nothing to carry back."

    "Maybe he just wanted some exercise, Wei. Too bad the melons he bought were no good. Didn't he want you to get good melons?"

    "No, I was just supposed to get his money back."

    "Ah, but you never asked Bin Su for a refund. Why?"

    "He did not buy them from her. I am sure of that."

    "Then why did he want them to be returned?"

    "That is another one of my questions Gao. I wonder if he will ever tell me."

    Gao nodded his head and we continued to unpack all the groceries onto his shelves. When we were finished I held Gao's hand and made my farewells. Grandfather began walking away as soon as he saw me close Gao's door and I had to run to catch up to him. I called out to him and he paused for a moment and then walked on. I reached his side and was breathing heavily.

    "I did not return the second melon. I threw it away."

    Grandfather grunted and walked on, staring down the road and doing his best to ignore me. I did an unpardonable thing. I touched his sleeve and repeated myself.

    "I did not return the second melon. I threw it away. Are you angry with me?"

    "What did you learn today?"

    "Wh---? What did I learn today? I---I am not sure what you mean."

    "Think about it. You tell me what you learned and I will tell you if I am angry."

    When Grandfather said to think about something, he was serious. Grandmother had to think about things for days before answering him. When Grandfather asked questions they were not the kind for immediate replies. Anything that could be answered simply did not require a question. What a terrible old man he was. I was a boy and he treated me like a man. He did from the very first day we moved in to live with him. He treated mother the same way... she was not his child, just his daughter. In all the days we lived in his house I can honestly say I never knew what he felt about us. I did not know how he felt about us. It was one of those maddeningly simple questions that were never asked. On that day, by the road as we entered home I wanted to ask him if he loved me. I didn't. I was supposed to know the answer.

    The next day at school I saw Chen Guo. His mouth was still shut because of the punch I had landed. The talkative Chen Guo, silenced by a lucky punch that I had thrown at him when he began to taunt and annoy me. Now, seeing him suffer so much at not being able to talk, I felt nothing but shame. I had hit him first and he never saw it coming. I was very remorseful. I was wrong.

    "Chen," I cried out, "wait a minute." He turned to see me running toward him. " I know you cannot speak. I just wanted to apologize to you. I did not mean to do this to you."

    Chen's eyes rolled in disbelief and he shook his head and began to walk away. "No, really, Chen. You have to believe me. I am sorry. I want to apologize to you. I---I have been thinking about what happened. I cannot undo what was done to you, but please give me the chance to make it up to you.''

    Chen looked straight past me. " I---I was thinking that I might go to help your family after school. If they will let me, I will ask them to let me do your chores. You will be free to read or rest. It is up to you. I will come to your home every day, until you are better. I will not go home until your work is done. I asked our teacher if this would be a good idea and he said to ask you."

    Chen shook his head back and forth. At first I thought he was refusing my offer and my heart sank. When he looked up at me, there was a smile on his face.. or at least the best smile he could manage. I knew it hurt him, but he was amused at my offer. He gave me his hand and we shook on our agreement.

    For two months, after school was out, I did all of Chen's cleaning, farming chores, and family errands. When they were done, I arrived home to begin my own. The day was late when I finished. Some nights I had no energy to study, I'd just collapse in bed.

    When the two months were over I told Grandfather exactly what I had learned that day we went to the marketplace. He put his hands on my shoulders and nodded his head. It was one of the few moments that I think I really pleased him, even if he never said so.