Story #7 - Wheels

When Qiu Ying arrived home one Saturday afternoon after having spent the afternoon with her best friend, Lu Yi Yi, meeting for lunch and then going shopping afterwards, she found her husband rifling through the cushions of their living room couch and looking frazzled.

“What are you doing?”  She set down her shopping bags by the front door to take off her shoes and slip on her house slippers, and watched him put the couch cushions back in their place.

Ji Xiang Kong stood up and ran an anxious hand through his tousled hair.  “Have you seen my motorcycle?”

Qiu Ying felt confused.  She’d just parked her car next to his motorcycle outside and why would he be looking for it in their couch anyway?

“Isn’t it outside?” she asked and pointed her finger to the door behind her.

Xiang Kong gave his wife a pointed look and said, “Not that motorcycle.  I’m talking about the model motorcycle you gave me.”

“Oh!”  Qiu Ying’s eyes traveled to the bookcase where it was normally kept.  “Isn’t it . . .” her voice trailed off when she realized the motorcycle wasn’t in its usual place.  “Where’d it go?”

“That’s what I’m asking!”

Xiang Kong continued to look around their living room while Qiu Ying joined in the search.  He couldn’t understand how the motorcycle could have grown legs and walked away.  It wasn’t fancy or an antique and monetarily, it really wasn’t anything expensive.  But sentimentally, it was without a price.  The model motorcycle was one of the first gifts he had ever received from Qiu Ying a