Dreams Unleashed (5 page)

When my forward companion began to snore so loudly that he nearly drowned out the sound of the jet engine, I admitted defeat, escaping into Dan Brown's latest thriller. After a few pages, I realized that his plot was more intense than my flight.

Leaving the plane behind, I made it through customs along with my luggage without any serious problems, which was a surprising relief. I always expected to be held up at length when entering a foreign country and loathed the concentration and necessary seriousness of being interviewed for entry. Clearing through the other side of customs, I entered a crush of people from every nationality, and a collage of smells fermenting in the compact space pounced. With a nose as capable as a coonhound's, I suffered in the human holding tank, while anxiously looking for the sign that would bear my name. Thank goodness I could see over the throng of bodies.

"There he is," I blurted out loudly to no one when recognizing the sign meant for me.

As I pushed through the crowd, I waved at him.

Making eye contact with me, the man holding the sign quickly nodded. He took my two bags and guided me to the side of the crowd. I was in awe at his skilled maneuvering.

"Good afternoon. Miss Torgeson, I presume?"

"Yes," I exhaled.

"I am Chow Lai," he said, presenting me with his business card while bowing slightly.

He spoke perfect English.
He must have gone to school in America
.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lai. Thank you for meeting me," I replied with my practiced bow, feeling rescued by my young Chinese crowd-warrior.

He was taller than I expected, and bulkier too. Chow had kind eyes, black hair, and stood eye-to-eye with me.

"I hope that your journey was pleasant, Miss Torgeson."

"Let's just say I'm happy to be here," I replied with a forced smile, unable to lie about my distressing flight, fatigue, and wrinkled clothes.

"It is never an easy journey from America," he replied directly. "If you are ready, would you like to go to the car, Miss Torgeson?"

"Yes please. I can follow you, Mr. Lai."

When we reached the car in the airport's loading zone, the man who had been sitting in the driver's seat exited upon seeing Chow and obediently waited on the curb as a companion to my luggage. Chow held the car door for me, closed it when I was settled, then carefully loaded my luggage into the trunk. He then handed the man some money, and the nameless placeholder walked away.

I've gotta thank Edwin for helping me find this guide
, I reminded myself.

Chow took his position in the driver's seat. "Miss Torgeson, we will be driving for approximately one hour to arrive at your hotel. Please tell me if there is anything I can do to make your ride more comfortable."

"Thank you, Mr. Lai."

I asked Chow to explain the sights of Shanghai's futuristic concrete jungle. As I relaxed in the back seat brushing through my hair, I passively took in this new, foreign world. First we drove through a section of the city that was modern China, where skyscrapers and other buildings resembled the Western world in so many ways. We entered the Bund area, which ran along the bank of the Huangpu River, north of the old walled city of Shanghai. Along the golden mile of The Bund were historic buildings built in the Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical, and Art Deco architectural styles.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the Bund Garden Hotel with a gentle stop at 200 Hankou Road. I took a deep breath as I looked out my open window. It looked as though we'd turned the clock back a century. Before me, I beheld well-manicured, beautiful gardens with sweet, spicy smells surrounding the front of the vintage hotel.

I chose this Shanghai hotel because I liked its history and symbolism.

It was built eighty-five years before, during China's communist-free Republican Era, when Shanghai was the largest cosmopolitan city in the world. It was 1930, the birth of Swing, and the sounds of Duke Ellington penetrated the Shanghai air. Yang Li was one of the progressive Chinese elite that helped modernize Shanghai into the Paris of the East. He built the Bund hotel in honor of Song Yue, the woman he loved when he was a young man. Tragically, Yang Li was not allowed to marry Song Yue, who was a common peasant. In defiance of his elders, Yang Li saw her in secret, courting her for nine months before they were discovered.

Song Yue was found one morning, naked on the bank of the Huangpu River, having been decapitated while still alive, and in place of her head lay one perfect, long-stemmed red rose. It was a brutal but symbolic message meant for Yang Li from her killer: to defy one's elders and stray outside your class had deadly consequences. The murderer was never identified. When Yang Li was able, he built the hotel as a memorial to his lost love. He designed the hotel with only nine guest rooms, in honor of the nine months of courtship with Song Yue. Staying at the Bund hotel was my tribute to the purity of love.

As Chow opened the car door releasing me, I glided through the magnificent neo-Gothic entry, beckoned by its history. Slowly I made my way through the lobby, gazing in awe at the majestic arched window recesses and the magnificent sculpted wooden staircase in the center of the foyer.

It's peaceful. I can rest here
.

I watched Chow communicate with the front desk clerk, speaking in a Wu Chinese dialect.

He's handsome
, I thought, observing Chow.

He crossed the lobby, then led me up the grand staircase. I slowly climbed the stairs, thinking about the story of the Bund Hotel, while unconsciously caressing the curved banister with my long fingers. Reaching the elevator floor, I was reluctant to let go of the smooth masterpiece. We reached my floor and departed the elevator, then Chow stopped and faced me, gesturing to the door of my room.

"Miss Torgeson, these Chinese characters are translated into English as Love 9. All the room numbers in the Bund Hotel are preceded by the word 'love.'"

As I silently absorbed the symbolic meaning, I noticed something in Chow's dark eyes as they met mine, unexpectedly revealing a tender reverence for the hotel's sad history.

He unlocked my room and motioned for me to enter first. I moved under the archway entrance, excited to discover Love 9. The space was elongated with a ten-foot ceiling and was bathed in a soothing green color palette.

Of course---green---the color of the heart chakra
.
Love...green...heart...Yang Li thought of every symbolic tribute to love
.

My eyes rose effortlessly to the echo archway leading to a balcony with a door flanked on both sides by floor-to-ceiling windows. It was a full wall of glass. I walked over and stepped through the arched door onto the balcony, which was enough space for two chairs. Just beneath me was a splendid garden, with mature plants surrounding a fountain in the middle. The intricate garden had obviously been planted long ago and looked as though it was meticulously maintained. I lingered, admiring it, then realized that my room was quiet.

Quickly turning, I saw Chow and the bellman patiently waiting for me.

"I'm sorry; I was admiring the garden," I blurted out, embarrassed.

Chow smiled sincerely in reply, "Of course Miss Torgeson. Would you like to have your luggage unpacked?"

"Oh, no thank you, Mr. Lai. I can do that."

"Yes, Miss Torgeson. The bathroom is here," Chow gestured as he opened the door. "Is everything to your satisfaction?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you, Mr. Lai."

Chow spoke to the bellman, handing him a tip, then followed him into the hallway. He held the door open to speak to me.

"Would you like a wake up call this evening or tomorrow morning?"

"No, thank you."

"There is a tai chi class in the garden tomorrow morning at seven AM. Would you like to participate?"

"Yes, that sounds like a perfect way to begin my visit here."

"I will arrange this for you. Simply arrive in the lobby tomorrow morning at seven."

"Thank you, Mr. Lai, for everything," I sincerely smiled.

As Chow bowed toward me, he said, "It is my pleasure, Miss Torgeson. In case you need anything, please call my cell at any time. The number is on my card."

"Thank you and good night," I replied, respectfully returning his bow.

As he closed the door, he hooked the Do Not Disturb sign on the knob. I quickly latched the door and exhaled in exhaustion, then immediately kicked off my shoes, stripped off my clothes, leaving everything where it landed, and moved into the bathroom for a hot bath.

As I saw my natural reflection in the bathroom mirror, I noticed the fine lines near the corners of my eyes---smile lines---that hinted at my years. Taking care of my fair skin all these years had paid off, for there was no age showing around my lips, and of course my high cheekbones and heart-shaped face helped defy my age, along with my bob haircut. I was happy to see that I still had no gray among my auburn locks.

The running and yoga is paying off
, I told myself.

As I watched the tub fill, I appreciated the simple perfection of the room. The bathroom was a vision of simplicity, adorned in a light green marble, with a large deep tub situated perfectly for a relaxing bath, with a view straight out the wide bathroom door to the far archway. Near the sink was a simple decorative bowl with one fresh ivory-colored lotus flower floating within.

As I looked into the bedroom, I admired the majestic carved bed of rosewood claiming the long wall, with two matching nightstands. The wood was a purplish-brown color, richly streaked and grained with layers. Above the center of the king bed hung an enormous, ornate gold and lead crystal chandelier suspended from an even higher ceiling cove, which mimicked the bed size. I was drawn to the headboard, where two beautifully intricate hummingbirds were symmetrically carved, facing one another. I remembered a friend that once explained the Chinese meaning of hummingbirds as "time that stops." As I ran my fingers across the hummingbirds, a lump formed in my throat.

Hearing the water fill in the tub, I checked and found it nearly full and glided into the hot water. It didn't take long to drown any remembrances of my dreadful flight. As soon as I let it all go, I was ready to contemplate sleep.

Standing in my towel in front of the matching rosewood desk, I emptied the contents of my purse, searching for the extra-strength Tylenol. I needed to sleep fourteen hours to throw off my jet lag. I swallowed three pills with a swig from the bottled water.

Tylenol sedated me. No doubt the response was the result of my near suicide when I was sixteen years old. I'd ingested a whole bottle of Tylenol after my mother split up my boyfriend and me. I had every intent of dying that night, having apologized to God for not being stronger and then leaving a note for whoever found me. I took the pills in secret while my parents were on vacation. When I awoke in my bed twenty hours later, I was groggy and realized sadly that I was still alive.

In that moment two thoughts came to me with perfect clarity.

One...I was not alone.

Two...I had a purpose.

My head pounded, but somehow I recognized that the thoughts had come from somewhere outside myself. I accepted the message, whispering "Okay," as I once more surrendered to unconsciousness.

It was profound how that single event changed my entire life. In that simple moment, I felt that I had an understanding with God, an agreement that I would never voluntarily give up my life again, until my purpose on earth was fulfilled. That knowledge---that there was meaning in my life---was enough for me to choose to be strong from that point forward.

The same Tylenol that I'd used to force an end to my life served now as a valium-like sedative for me when sleep was critical; it was the essence of yin-yang, that everything has its opposite force.

I pulled back the covers and slipped into the soft, fine ivory sheets with my head cradled on the pillow. I was asleep in minutes.

Awaking to the gentle sound of Toshiyke Watanabe's piano on my small iPod speakers, I was grateful to have slept well. I felt rested but could still feel some jet lag weighing me down.

They need to find some way to perfect travel so it's easier on the body
. "We should have used all the energy we put into liposuction development into jet lag prevention," I said out loud to the walls.

As I arrived in the lobby, I immediately spotted Chow, who looked perfectly rested and relaxed.

He greeted me with a smile and a bow, "Good morning, Miss Torgeson. May I show you to the tai chi class?"

Bowing with a returned smile, I replied, "Good morning, Mr. Lai. Yes, please. Would you be comfortable calling me Ann?"

"Yes, of course. You may call me Chow, if you like."

"Thank you, Chow," I replied with a slight tilt of my head.

I followed him into the same garden that I had seen from my balcony; it was open to the sky. There were beautiful Sakura trees and many layers of green and flowering plants that created an oasis in the center of the courtyard. In the middle was a fountain that splashed the water-loving plants nearby, creating coolness and a soothing sound in the garden.