AURELIA

The low zephyr made its way towards her, she blinked away the dust rushing into her eyes. The smell of lavender, jasmine and sunflower was wrapping itself around her. ‘Yue'er.’ She turned, a faint smile playing on her lips, ‘..Here.’

The narrator, sitting, idle, with a mic in her hand, scoffed. 'She's no where as pretty as I am.' Joining her parted legs, 'Anyways let's continue.. '

An old woman, probably in her 70s, shouted out, ‘Come on, get out of that mud, you are going to be, ahu, ahu..’Her cough made her throat ache, her voice no longer audible. Lin yue rushed to her, ‘Grandma, don't scream, see, I'm not that dirty.’ Her grandma stops to look at her for a moment.

‘Yes,but Aa—’ a squeak,'Grandma... Grandma' She grabbed the old woman who was falling down, screams followed as people around them ran to see the scene, everyone was tensed. Sirens wailed in the distance. Her grandmother layed still—terrifying still.

They had arrived at the hospital, the old woman was taken into the emergency room, cries, hopelessness, frustration, restlessness followed around the young child. Lin yue was grieving when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

'Little one, can you call your guardian?' The man stopped for a bit, she looked up, it was their neighbor who had come with them in the ambulance. 'We need to settle the accounts before the doctors are out...' He stopped. The redness in Lin yue's eyes was a quiet, crushing blow to his conscience.

My guardian? My father, must I call that man? Have mercy on me, you wretched people.

Lin yue flinched, a tsk sound made by her made the man feel even worse. 'My apologies, uncle. I shall do it now.' Spreading a small smile across her face she said, not knowing how she had managed to make the man feel a thousand things.

She had dialed the only number she had, which was Haoran's, '... The number you have dialed is busy.. ' she cut her call before anything. Experiencing new things was something she was never open to, she started to hit her head on the wall. Their neighbor, Mr. Ji, was still watching her. Hesitation was all over his face, but he had made up his mind, fidgeting, he walked over. 'Child, umm' taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on her head, 'Do not worry about the cost, I will try to help you with it, do not stress, ahh, and take your time, umm your father might be busy, he will definitely come once he knows the situation.'

The narrator smiled, ‘So, this is a lost family genre.‘

Lin yue did not know whether it was the gentle pat or the reassuring or the voice, something in her just disarmed , she felt herself go limp, as she fell on the ground, her convulsing was now hysterical, she was in no touch with her surroundings as her tears kept falling. Mr. Ji was a total goner by now, not knowing what he had done to cause this, her hysteria caused panic in him.

'What the...,' Mrs. Ji screamed as soon as she arrived and hit Mr. Ji on head. Rubbing his head, he asked, 'Why did you hit me?' 'Why is she crying?' Mrs. Ji was about burst out into tears as she carefully examined the girl's puffy face. Mr. Ji took Mrs. Ji to a corner and explained her everything.

‘So, now, you decided to play the hero? See if you want to be kind, be kind to your children and your wife.’Mrs. Ji's hands clustered,aching to hit someone. ‘You know what our financial position is like, the children are no longer young, they need money, and she has that big of a house she can sell it to pay for their expenses, if you want to help them, be nice to them, that's enough. Don't go ahead and sell yourself for their wellbeing. You have a family and you can't even take care of them how will you take care of her?’ She took a breath,‘Call me heartless if you must, but I am a mother first. I cannot sacrifice our children's future on the altar of a neighbor's tragedy. I can not go around selling my kidneys for random people and then starve myself and my children.’

‘That's enough, what if she hears this!?’ Mr. Ji scolded his wife, they turned only to find out that Lin yue was already asleep. Sighing, they made her lie on the bench. Just when her phone started to ring, 'Haoran' was the name written.

I'm so pathetic,why the hell did I cry?

The narrator rolled her eyes, ‘Pathetic, that you are. I suggest it's better if stop this tomfoolery.’

Lin yue was flabbergasted, the voices in her head sometimes sound weird, almost as if a real person.

‘I am your subconscious, and yes, get your act together. If your going to keep crying, I'm drop this narration.’ The narrator sighed. Not that she will remember whatever I say but it's better to warn her, honestly so pathetic. ‘Now wake up.’ The narrator patted her gently, as if she were a feather, ‘And take care, after all you're the main character.’

Ring, ring, ring

Mr.Ji took the phone and explained the situation to the man on other side. He replied, 'I will be there by evening.' And the line was off. 'That's it? ' 'Is he even going to come?' Mrs. Ji was doubtful. Mr. Ji tried to soothe her by patting her shoulder.

Lin Yue shifted uncomfortably, she was grimacing. She moved her hair onto her face, biting her lips to ignore the ache in her stomach and the words of the people which cut deeper than the pain itself.

After 3 hours

'There's still no reply from her parents?' Mrs. Ji asked. She had returned home with her husband. 'No.' Mr. Ji replied. They were both tensed, they did not have any money to pay the fee, and the doctor kept on calling them.

Buzzz, buzzz

The sound of ringing made them startled, they picked it up. 'Hello.. ' Mrs. Ji said meekly.

'Hello, madam. I am Lin yue's Father, I wished to ask you about the hospital, I do not know the location, Hence could you... '

The couple were overjoyed. They went to the train station to pick Mr. Lin and his son, Lin Feng. They had told them about how pitiful Lin yue is, and her crying. Mr. Lin felt a twist in his stomach just by hearing how broken his daughter was.

It took them a few minutes before they arrived at the hospital. Both Mr. Lin and his son were dressed in suits, their hair were messy, they looked like they had just ran a mile before coming.

Lin yue was standing, taking to a Doctor, who had came out of the room where her grandma was placed. She had a small reassuring smile on her face, lin yue smiled back.

'What happened?' A manly voice spoke,draining the happiness out of Yue's face. 'The doctor just said that grandma was out of danger.' She spoke, without turning around. 'What had happened to her?'

'A heart stroke.'

Lin Ziye walked over and hugged his daughter who neither reciprocated it nor rejected it. She stood still. 'I am sorry that you had to go through all this, do forgive your father.' He pulled apart. The redness around her eyes, the puffy face, dry lips, and the exhaust written in her eyes. 'I have decided that we must take grandma to Shanghai along with you, it's better than staying here in Wuxi.'

Lin yue backed a bit, 'I can't go right now, my exams have just began. So, it's better if you take grandma with you, I will come to Shanghai later.' Lin Ziye contemplated, then decided to make Lin Feng stay with yue'er till she completes her exam.

But it was not possible as Lin Feng had just started his job. So, Mrs. Ji said that she will take care of Lin yue for a few days till her exams, to which everyone nodded. Lin Ziye thanked Mrs. Ji and had transferred money in her account as Lin yue's pocket money.

Lin Yue couldn't stand the presence of the man whom she had to call her guardian. She walked into the room where her grandma was placed. A very regular, hospital room with one bed and a chair. She sat on the chair, ‘My dear.’ Her grandma called out as she held her hand.

Lin Yue leaned closer, yet could only hear a few words, ‘in my drawer.’That's it. She was unable to understand the rest of script said by her grandmother.

She hurried. ‘I am going to change. Excuse me.’She bolted away. The two Lins stood perplexed, watching her as she ran.

​Nothing had changed; everything was exactly as it had been. She charged toward the bedroom and began yanking open drawers, since her grandma hadn’t specified which one to check.

​‘Nothing here.’ ‘Nor here.’

​Finally, her eyes landed on the last drawer—the one her grandma had always refused to open. She had never seen what was inside. ‘She was the one who told me to do this,’ she whispered to herself. ‘It’s not my fault.

​A brilliant light spilled from the drawer the moment she pulled it open. Instinctively, she squeezed her eyes shut. Why did I close my eyes? she wondered. Open them. As if moved by a will of their own, her hands forced her eyes open. Inside sat an open box filled with shimmering jewelry, and resting on top was a letter.

​To my dear granddaughter...

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