Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:31:51 +0800 From: Johnny Kape Subject: Story submission - Love Needs Learning, Chapter 8 Before this chapter: This story, well, is _NOT_ a pure fiction. Some parts of this story, some words spoken by the characters, even some places in this story were true. They are parts of my childhood memory. However, all the names, and all the sex descriptions and actions were made up. Hope you like this story. Again, I wrote this story in my own language first, then tried to translate into English. Great thanks to Matthew Templar, who helped me with my English, and helped me walk through a hard time during the days I wrote this story. I don't know how to show my appreciation to him, so I can just say "thank you, Matt". I recommend everyone to read his stories, especially 'One Gift To Give', which I like very much. He and his stories are listed in the prolific writer list of Nifty, except his new story 'Julian and Roman', which was just done a few days ago. All story writers like to receive your feedback, and I am no exception. I'd love to hear from you about your thoughts, comments and criticisms. I'll answer all emails. Of course, if you read Matt's stories, please give him your feedback, too. Thank you. -- Johnny Kape Love Needs Learning -- Chapter 8 I was not fired by my company. However, because I had argued with the inhabitants and was hit, I was transferred to another building and was fined for half-month of salary. I thought that the main reason why I wasn't fired was that Fu must had interceded for me in front of our boss. However, I didn't worry about if I would be fired or not. I worried about Fred the most. I didn't know how seriously Fred quarreled with his father after I left them and how Fred had been those last few days. I heard from Fu that Fred's father moved to another place with Fred after that day. He didn't know where they moved to and he had never seen them anymore. Though I worried about Fred so much, I had no choice but to give up. I always took Fred to the fishing port or the park when I was off duty. We would chat and laugh there. After that day I could only stare at the sea alone, thinking about Fred. If I was not with him, then who could he talk to about his worries? Fred was so lonely before we met. He didn't have many friends, and the only family, his father, could not understand him. His father might even think that it was enough to give him money to take care of himself. Fred's father had never thought about how lonely Fred would be. Well, even I could not imagine how lonely he would be. He had tried to commit suicide three times, but still didn't get his father's concern. Would he do the stupid thing again if I wasn't with him? I took some time to clean my own apartment. I saw the paper box under my bed and thought of those old comics, novels, and classical music CDs I loaned to Fred. Well, Fred didn't give them back to me, and I didn't ask him for them. Maybe, it would be fortunate that I had left something with him. Oh, and that sketch notebook; maybe Fred could talk to my picture to release his pressure. Would that notebook be destroyed by his father? Even so, Fred could draw more. He could. His drawing skill was so great, and his memory was too. He could draw me with so much detail without me being there as his model. He could draw more, I believed. A lot of such thoughts ran through my mind day by day. I felt myself about to explode. I found that I really fell in love with this boy. Since the day we were forced to be kept apart; all I thought was if he would be all right or not. I didn't care about myself anymore. Fu sometimes called me to ask me if I was okay or not. He even found some reasons to treat me to dinner because I was fined for half-month of my salary. I didn't tell him much about my concern for Fred. I didn't even say "thank you" to him. I just put my appreciation to him in my mind. I was transferred to an old community. Most of the houses in this community were empty because their owners just bought the houses but didn't live here. I was the youngest guard there, so I was arranged to be on most night duties. When I was off, or before going to work, I would still go to that bookstore to read books. It was just that, most of the time, I would not concentrate on the books. I always raised my head when someone walked into the bookstore. I always expected that Fred would come into the bookstore to push me or pat my back, like before. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * It was about 1 o'clock in the morning. I sat in the guard room, listening to the classical music from the radio. A luxury car came to the gate of the community. I walked out of the guard room, to see who had come here. "Good evening, sir. Who do you want to ..." I stopped in shock. The man in the driver's seat was Fred's father. He stepped out of his car. My mouth was open, but I couldn't speak anymore. I saw Fred's father walking toward me and look at me. He looked very wan and sallow, not nearly as arrogant as before. "Mister... mister... mister Mai..." he stammered. I closed my mouth, but still couldn't speak. After a long silence, I tried my best to squeeze out some words. "Hi, Mr. Don. Long time no see." Fred's father looked at me. All of a sudden, he knelt down in front of me! I was thrown into panic. I cradled his arms. "Mr. Don, please, please get up! Don't be like that. What happened?" Fred's father didn't get up. On the contrary, he put both of his hands stretched out on the ground, falling into a prone position. "Mr. Mai, please, please save Ming Jun..." My heart sank when I heard Fred's name. "Fred? What happened to him?" "He... he..." "What happened to him? Tell me!" I asked nervously. "He hasn't eaten and drunk anything for two weeks and he doesn't want to speak to me anymore. Then he couldn't hang on anymore and fainted and I sent him to the hospital. He woke up, but still didn't want to speak to me. I begged him to speak to me and he finally said, 'I want to see Eric...'" Tears dropped through the face of Fred's father. "Please, Mr. Mai, now only you can save Ming Jun. It's my fault that I hit you and almost made you be fired. It's my fault. I... I apologize to you. Please save Ming Jun. He is my only son. His mother passed away so early. If he... if he... I..." Fred's father couldn't speak anymore, just hit the ground with his own head. I grabbed his shoulder. "Okay, okay, Mr. Don. Please get up." I cradled his arm to help him get up. "Where is Fred now?" "In the City Hospital." "Okay, I'll go with you. But I can't go now. I need someone to be on duty for me. Please wait here." I ran into the guard room and thought for a moment. Only Fu could help me. I called Fu's home number with my cell phone and prayed that he was not on duty. After ringing for nearly two minutes, a sleepy voice answered the phone. It was Fu. "Hello? Who do you want to speak to? Do you know what time it is?" I sighed with relief. "Fu, it's me, Mai." "Mai?" Fu's voice became clear. "What happened?" "Are you on duty now?" "Apparently not." "Then, can you give me a hand? Now I have something urgent and I have to leave. Can you come here to be on duty for me?" Fu thought for a while. "Is it for the Don boy?" "Yes. His father is here. He said that Fred has been on a hunger strike for two weeks. Now he is in the hospital." "Okay, wait for me. I'll be there soon. The Sunrise Community on the 4th boulevard, right?" "Yes. Thanks." "Okay. And Mai?" "What?" "Listen. Now you are the only one who can save the boy's soul. Don't give up. Okay?" Listening to Fu's words, my tears almost escaped from my eyes. "Okay." "I'll be there soon." Fu hanged up the phone. I walked out of the guard room to Fred's father. "Another guard is on the way here. Please wait for a moment and I'll go with you." Tears were still on his face and he held my hands tightly. "Thank you, thank you." He went back to his car, and I waited in the guard room nervously. After about ten minutes, a motorcycle came at a very fast speed. It was Fu. When Fu walked into the guard room, I couldn't control myself anymore. I embraced him tightly. "Thank you, Fu. You always help me in my most needy moment." Fu was surprised at my action, but then he smiled and patted my shoulder. "Hurry up. The Don boy is waiting for you." I ran out and entered the car. Fred's father started the car and made a U-turn. He sped up. It was a long, awkward silence in the car, then Fred's father finally broke it. "I really don't understand why Ming Jun would try to commit suicide again and again... What on earth is wrong?" "You still don't understand why Fred would try to commit suicide?" His words irritated me. I yelled at him. "Do you know how he was bullied and teased in school? Do you know what he liked and disliked? Do you know what he wished to have? Do you know what he worried about the most? Do you know what he took for his meals? He had tried to commit suicide three times, now the fourth, to try to make you more concerned about him; and how about you? Have you done anything except feeling ashamed of him? Have you shared some of your time with him?" Fred's father was no longer arrogant and mean. Instead, he was totally depressed, frustrated, and lost. "I... Since Ming-Jun's mother died, I always thought that I must give him a good life..." "A good life is not built by money. It must be built by love, concern, and time." "He is my son! I love him! I am concerned about him! I... I just have no time... and he hates me! I know that he hates me!" Fred's father became agitated and he shouted. "No, Fred doesn't hate you at all." Contrary to the actions of Fred's father, I calmed down. "If he hated you, he wouldn't need to try to commit suicide at all. Why can't you see and understand that clearly?" "He told me that he fell in love with you. Apparently he accepted you, but not me," Fred's father said in frustration and depression. "Did he really say that?" I was surprised. A complicated feeling filled my mind. Fred's father nodded. "He told me when we argued. Then he started to..." "To be honest, I fell in love with him too," I said, without taking any consideration. The car stopped suddenly, in the middle of the road. Fred's father looked at me in surprise. I went on. "Since the day I left you, there has not been a single day that I didn't miss him. What worried me the most was that Fred fell out with you and did the stupid thing to harm himself again. I prayed a lot to hope my worries would be just worries, but your pressure, your lack of patience overrode God's desires. You wouldn't let up on him so he fought back again." "I..." "And, let me tell you. You are totally wrong," I said, interrupting his attempt at making excuses. "You are his father. You are always the most important one in his mind. He just doesn't know how to love you, just like you don't know how to love him. You both need to learn how to love!" Fred's father didn't speak anymore. He just started to drive again, and kept silent all the remaining way to the hospital. Soon we arrived. He parked his car and took me to the ward. Different floor, and different ward. However, very coincidently, the nurse on duty was the same one; the one who cared about Fred too. She saw me with Fred's father and was a bit surprised. But soon she gave me a smile and nodded to me. I entered Fred's room with Fred's father. Fred was lying on the bed and again his left hand was connected to an intravenous feed. He seemed to be deeply asleep. I walked to the bed and watched Fred's face. He looked pale and was a lot thinner than the last time I saw him. It must be because of his hunger strike. His eyes were closed, but I could see tears on his face. I squatted beside him and caressed his head and face gently. Fred was awakened. He looked at me and his tears escaped from his eyes. He said weakly, "Eric... you... you finally came at last..." Just like him, my tears had already fallen down uncontrollably. "Yes, I have come. You little fool... you promised me that you would never do the stupid things again... didn't you?" I made sure I spoke softly but sternly. "But... without you... I..." "Say no more," I stopped him. "I won't leave you anymore." Fred closed his eyes. He nodded. "Have a good sleep and start to eat something tomorrow morning, okay?" I said softly. He nodded again. I heard a sigh of relief behind me. "Well, actually you look a lot thinner. It's good," I said. Fred opened his eyes and laughed weakly. He gave me his hand, and held mine. I turned my head to look at Fred's father. He hesitated for a while and walked to the other side of the bed. "Ming-Jun, I found your Eric, and he is here now. Can you forgive Daddy?" Fred looked at his father. His tears dropped again, but he nodded as hard as he could. His father held his hands tightly. -- To be continued.