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Reminisce [part II]...

7 years ago in Hebe’s POV

“Hi senior, you forgot your book.”

I thanked him as I took my encyclopedia of all things green before I made my way out to meet Gui. “Tattoo? YOU ARE GETTING ONE?!” As I made my way out of school, I couldn’t help overhear some of the girls talking about the latest topic—tattoos. Sure I am interested in them but I can picture mom kicking me out of the house and I’m positive dad won’t like the idea either. But the idea is still in my mind as I made my way out to spot Gui talking to Aaron.

“Hi Aaron!”

“Hi Hebe!” He looks over to Gui and smiles. I shake my head at him as he made his way over to meet up with Mike. He likes her and she likes him back—how long will it take for these two to be together?

I snake my arms through Ying Jie’s as we headed home together. I stared up at the sky and smiles. “So you and Aaron are—” I peeked over to her and saw her blush. “REALLY?!” 

“No!” So she says and I love teasing her! I bit back my laugh and she hit me on the arm. “He doesn’t see me that way! We are both friends so don’t tease me anymore Hebe Jie.”

I look up at the sky and smiles. “Today my teacher gave me the graduation sheet. I don’t know what I’m going to put down. What can I do? Mom and dad are both doctors, along with our entire family who is dedicated their lives to saving life. You are still a year too early to think about this but if I were you, I would start planning now. That way, you aren’t stuck like me.”

Gui looks over to me and smiles. “I had always imagined you in a white coat.”

“You think I’m going to be a doctor too?”

“Think about it Hebe Jie, you have always aced all your school work. From assignments to tests, you were always on top or close to the top of the list. Unless there is something on your mind that you want to pursue…” Gui smiles. “Just saying.”

Gui opened the door and we both skipped to the kitchen to see our mother sitting down on the table. I have been watching my parents for a while now and they seemed to be lost nowadays. They would blankly gaze at something for a period of time before rejoining a conversation. 

“Hi mom!”

“We are back mom!” Ady looks over and smiles as she glanced at her two daughters coming back from school. “Where is dad?”

“Maybe he is working a late shift.” I heard her whisper it again as she goes into deep thought again. “Maybe…” Then it hit her, what was he doing at this hour? He came back for a brief moment but he dashed out like the wind.

Flashback

“Honey, I will be going out for a bit.” Was all he said when he left with wilson. When the door closed behind them, Ady ran over to the window to see them get into the car. “What are those two up to?” She shook her head an smiles.

End of Flashback

“I’ll be right back girls.” She kissed them on the forehead before running out of their room.

Gui sat down on the kitchen table and smiles to see my blank sheet of paper. How can this piece of paper be so stressful? It has all the questions and no answers, how can I answer something if I don’t know what the answer is? I stared at the dozens family photos, all of them wearing their alma mater. “This is so stressful!” I cried out as Gui snacked on an apple. “I’ll help you.” She says as she writes down something before I read it: Doctor.

“A bunch of girls were talking about tattoos today, did you heard anything from yours?”

“Yeah, a couple of girls were trying to be sneaky about it. They talked about it when the teachers aren’t here—that way they don’t get into trouble.” I shook my head. “We have rules for a reason.”

Meanwhile Ady stepped into their office, She quickly located the folder VanNess worked so hard not to get noticed. She ignored the ‘confidential’ stamp and flipped through the pages. After her eyes scanned the pages, she gasped and fell on her knees. She knew her husband was working late lately, but she know that this was what he was doing the entire time. 

They were both doctors, husband and wife, and lovers but what she saw that day—didn’t reflect who they were.

“Wh–Wh–What is t–t–this?!”

What the hell is happening?

Without much thought, she scanned the piece of paper once again, wishing that what she read was caused by the stress form these couple of days of endless worry. That none of the words on the page would come to the conclusion that it was dangerous. But when she read it again the third time, the words went against her and she knew it. This is not the ending she wanted. 

“Why would VanNess do this?! Why?! How can he do this?!” Ady glanced at their family photo. “Why did you do it?”

But no matter how much she asks, there was no explanation to it. Then it hit her, if Wilson and VanNess brought this home thinking it would be a safe place to put it, they must want it hidden? They must've. “But how can I hide it without them knowing?”

She lifelessly went back to the kitchen hoping that maybe chatting with her daughters would be the key to forgetting about it for just a moment. She was ready to be walk in when she caught her daughters talking about the latest trend. It hasn’t occurred to her that maybe this was the key to their problem. 

“Really, and here’s why security cameras with audio might be a good idea.”

“Security cameras in school? I seriously doubt that will ever happen. It’s an invasion of privacy for one and sooner or later, the girls will all get caught. They expose themselves to easily so they will get caught eventually.”

“Hebe Jie, they are living the moment.” 

“Living in the moment?” Mom sat down between us and smiles. “Some of the girls at school was showing off their new tats.”

“Tats? As in tattoo?”

“Yeah, it was pretty annoying to hear everyone talking about it.”

“When I was a student, having a tattoo was taboo.” I look over to mom who was in deep thought again. “Mom?”

“Yes honey?”

“What made you want to be a doctor?”

Ady glanced at her daughter and smiles. It was always in her heart to help those in need, she always knew what she wanted to do. In the case of her daughters, she made a promise to herself that she will accept whatever career they wanted to pursue. Seeing how their term is closing on Fu Chen, it makes sense for her to be troubled. Especially when it comes to making a life-changing decision, like this.

“I followed my dad and mom for a long time, I watched them as they nurse people back to health. Ever since then, I always knew who I wanted to become. So no matter what you choose, your dad and I will stand by it.”

Ady glanced over to one of her medical textbooks she had when she was in school. ‘Tattoo…’ She can’t be seriously contemplating with the idea of scarring her children with it. They have to live with it forever.

Wilson was always interested in things anyone wouldn’t be. During his teens, he thought it would be a good idea for him to become a tattoo artist—so he went and got himself the machinery. Costed a fortune, he loved it. Everyone was against it but Wilson argued and argued his way into keeping the machine. 

“Do you guys want a tattoo?” Ying Jie and I laugh in disblief. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

“That thing actually works?” I ask skeptically as I see her nod. I look over to Ying Jie who was weighing the pros and cons in her mind. Seriously? We head downstairs to see mom uncovering the machine, revealing it’s fine metal as we stood close to each other. Something isn’t right. “Mom, what is it?” 

“Mommy is sorry but can you guys help me out?” She asks as I sensed a sense of urgency in her voice as we stared at the tools mom was preparing. “This is urgent!” She urged them as Ying Jie nodded, walking over to her mother without the slightest clue of what was going to happen. My eyes widen even more as I ran over. 

“What are you doing? Are you certified to do this?”

“Honey, we have no time. Please, lay down. I will explain everything later but now, we are in danger.” As mother kept rushing us, I glanced down at the paper that was beside her. I had always been interested in flowers, I found them fascinating. When Ying Jie lied down, exposing her back. I quickly stopped mom again. 

“Please, don’t go to hard! Ying Jie has delicate skin!”

“I know darling.”

When the cold metal reached her skin, Ying Jie cried out, feeling the strong vibration penetrate her skin. I held onto her hands tightly and she closed her eyes, afraid of the pain that came with this. After a couple of minutes, it was my turn. Mom helped me on the another table, I laid next to Ying Jie. She held onto my hands tightly, just as I did with her. I turned around and saw my mom in tears, she drops the tool and shakes her head. “I’m so sorry!” 

“It’s okay mom, this has been troubling you right? There is something you can’t tell us and I’m sure you wouldn't do this if there wasn’t any other way.” Ying Jie turns around and smiles weakly. “Jie’s right, I’m alright and Fu Chen Jie will be too.” 

“I’m sorry... mommy is sorry... but this is the only way I can think of that might be able to save us...” She whispered as she wiped away the tears, picking the tools back up. “Mommy, it’s okay.” Ying Jie whispered as I nod one more time before I cried out. The cold metal touched my skin and I closed her eyes, squeezing my sisters hand. 

“Do not show your backs to anyone.”

“Mommy, I understand.” I smile as she looked at Ying Jie, who nodded.

As the metal touched my skin, I winced at the pain as Ying Jie squeezed my hand, reminding me it was “okay.” After awhile when the sound stops, mom threw the tool away. She bent down to look at her beautiful daughters. She caressed our cheeks and smiles, while tears flow down her face. 

“Mom!” Ying Jie and I cried out as mom shook her head again and again. 

“Listen carefully, I love you girls from the bottom of my heart. I will continue to love you for as long as I live. I want you guys to never leave one another and you guys are forbidden to show your s to anyone. Not even to your father or me, I forbid it. What I engraved on your backs are two sides of the puzzle. These two puzzles MUST stay hidden, no one will know about this. No one. This will be a secret between you and me. Understand?”

“Not even to dad?” Ying Jie asks as I saw mom nod in confirmation. “Daddy must never know.”

I squeezed Ying Jie’s hand and smiles, assuring her that this is okay.  Mom smiled as she planted a kiss on their forehead.

A year later, as time goes by, Ady became very sick. She would clench her heart and notify anyone how it was hard to breathe, like someone was squeezing her heart. When his wife said her goodbyes, VanNess was determined to keep everyone safe. Therefore he placed everyone’s safety above his. There will come a day when everything will subside and until that day comes, he will just have to wait.

“ Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.

If you concentrate on what you don’t have; you will never, ever have enough ”

Oprah Winfrey.

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