Story Twenty Three

“Dear…is there something bother you?” Grandma’s voice was surprising Gui Gui who still thought about what happened when they had breakfast together.

“Nothing,” she shook her head as she looked out through Grandma’s room window.

“Are you thinking about Aaron?” Grandma giggled, like a young woman.

“I…”

Grandma sighed. “Don’t talk about what just happened in front of Aaron, okay?”

“Yes, Grandma…” Gui Gui nodded. “Umm…is it true?”

She sighed once again. “Sat here, I’ll tell you the story.”
“Is it okay? I…”

Grandma interrupted her. “I believe on you, you’ll never talk about it to the others.”

Gui Gui sat down beside Grandma on the bed.

“It was twelve years ago,” Grandma started to tell. “I came to the reunion of Taipei High School since I ever taught there. But I was late because I just came from Spain. It was twelve p.m. already when I arrived. Of course everyone went home already. Then I just took a walk until I was in the hill near that place already.”

Huh? The same time, the same place I met Ya Lun at the first time, Gui Gui thought.

“And I found a boy who was about ten or eleven in that place,” Grandma told. “He was lying there, , pale and motionless. He was left so I brought him home. And then I adopted him as my grandchild.”

“He doesn’t know about it, does he?” Gui Gui asked.

“He knows,” Grandma’s face turned to sad. “That’s the way he decides to work, finances his own need. Maybe if I didn’t ask him to stay, he moved already.”

“That’s because he really loves you,” Gui Gui said.

Grandma stared at her for a moment before smiled. “I’m glad Aaron meets someone like you…he never has friend before…just Chun, Jiro and Calvin…”

“Not surprised, he’s so arrogant,” Gui Gui mumbled.

Grandma laughed when she heard that. “So he’s so arrogant, huh?”

“That’s…no…he just…” she stuttered, nervous because she was heard.

“It’s okay. You’re true, he’s so arrogant.” Grandma said. “But I think he can have friends if he mustn’t be hospitalized frequently.”

“Huh?” Gui Gui asked confusedly. “Why must he be?”

“Maybe no one ever notice, but he is so weak. He falls sick easily,” she told. “At the time the others be friends, he must be in hospital all alone…”

Gui Gui remained silent for awhile. She never expected this. That arrogant person can be that weak…

“Thanks God he doesn’t be like that again. Since he was out from hospital the last time, he seems stronger than before.” Grandma said again.

“So healthy and strong,” Gui Gui joked. “So he can be so arrogant and annoyed and…”

“Talk about me behind me,” suddenly Gui Gui froze when she heard someone spoke. She turned around and saw where Aaron stood.

“Don’t blame her. That’s entire your fault,” Grandma defended her.

“Why is my fault?” Aaron protested.

“Because you’re so arrogant!” Grandma talked as she pulled Gui Gui up and pushed him to Aaron.

“Nah, Aaron…take care of her…I want to sleep now,” she said and winked as she pushed them outside.

“Grand…” before Aaron could protest, Grandma slammed the door closed already.

Gui Gui glanced to Aaron and remembered about the dream again. She bent her head down to hide her blush, as Aaron felt awkward about what happened last night, when he kissed her.

“Let’s go,” Aaron pulled her hand and dragged her.

“Ey…where will we go?” Gui Gui protested.

Aaron ignored her until the entered the family room.

“Sat down,” he commanded as he started to search something between piles of CDs.

Gui Gui sat down on the couch in front of the TV. She watched Aaron took a CD and thought for a moment before set the CD.

“Ey…” she called.

“What?” Aaron asked.

“I’m sorry…and thank you…” she said, almost whispered.

“For what?”

“For what happened yesterday…” she said.

He sat down beside her and faced her. “No need…just promise don’t cry anymore…”

She was surprised when saw he took out his little finger. But she still linked it with hers.

“I promise,” she smiled.

He was surprising her again when he smiled back. “Then, watch this film!”

Gui Gui turned around and shaped O when saw the title on the TV screen.

It was ‘Titanic’.

“What kind of film is this?” she asked, terrified.

“My Grandma’s favorite film,” he told. “It is the review for your material.”

“What’s the intertwined with Eternal Sleep?” Gui Gui protested.

“Just watched,” Aaron answered shortly.

She forced herself to watch it. Without she realized, she was overwhelmed in that film. She ended with cry when the film has finished.

“Ey, why are you crying again?” Aaron asked when he saw her tears started to out.

She shook her head. She just continued crying as she remembered about Ya Lun again. She felt she was just like Rose. They both were left by someone whom they loved so much.

“Gui…don’t cry…you promised already you won’t cry again…” Aaron tried persuading her.

She turned to him, still cried. “You think can I be like Rose?”

“What?”

“Like her,” she wiped her tears. “Rose can still remember about Jack, even she has no photo, nothing to remind her about him…and she still can continue her life by herself, smiling when she recalls him…”

Ya Lun felt his heart was pain when saw her beloved one cried, afraid if she couldn’t always remember about him.

“You can,” Aaron encouraged her. “You can…”

Gui Gui looked through his eyes, “Can I? I always scare if one day I forget him…I don’t want to…”

She cried again as Aaron embraced her. “You can…because you really love him…If you loved someone deeply, even they leave you, you will always remember them…not in your brain, but in your heart…”

She cried harder as Aaron hugged her tighten. First, he thought Gui Gui was a annoyed girl who couldn’t accept the fact that Ya Lun was dead. But he knew now, she wasn’t annoyed, she wasn’t weak. She just needed someone by her side who didn’t ask her to forget her love. She just needed someone by her side who said to her, ‘You can remember him forever, because you really love him…’

And Aaron is that person…the person whom she needed…