Tangled Vines (17 page)

L
i Jin fumbled through the linen cabinet, glad it was in the bathroom and she didn’t have to try to access it from the bedroom. When they’d moved in and Erik had filled the bedroom closet up with all his designer clothes, she’d been happy just to have a few shelves between the towels for her meager belongings. But that was before she’d realized how selfish and arrogant he was.

Clumsily with only one useful arm, she dressed, then finished packing her bag and slid the lid off the tank of the toilet to the side. The heavy ceramic screeched as it moved and Li Jin froze, listening.

When she heard nothing from the bedroom, she fished out the small waterproof bag of money she’d hung on the inside of the toilet tank. She dried it, then pushed it down into her jeans pocket. She checked her face in the mirror one more time. She’d found a bandage to put over the gash but it wasn’t big enough to cover it completely. It would have to do.

Holding her throbbing arm against her, she quietly crept out of the bathroom and paused beside the bed. She stared at Erik and wondered how someone who looked so peaceful in sleep could be capable of such violence when awake. Would he miss her? Even a little? She’d given him over a year of her life and was leaving with nothing but a small bag of clothes and a tiny sum of money she’d been able to save. It wouldn’t get her far, but anywhere away from him would be a start.

She looked around the room to see if there was anything else she wanted to squeeze into her sling bag. Living from the streets and bounced around from hostel to hostel, she didn’t have much of value when he met her, and still didn’t a year later. Then she spotted his jeans lying in a pile beside the bed. Could she do it? If he woke up and caught her, he’d snap once and for all. But he owed her, dammit.

She crept over to the jeans and set her bag on the floor. She had only one useful arm and needed it to check his pockets. She first went through the back pockets but found nothing except his wallet. She knew he didn’t keep much in there and what he did have was probably wiped out in last night’s partying binge. She felt in the front pocket and found what she was looking for.

Holding the keys tight to keep them from jangling, she picked up her bag and walked to the bedroom door. It stood open and she peeked into the living room. She saw Obi’s feet hanging off the edge of the couch and froze. She waited and
watched. When they didn’t move, she slid through the door and stayed close to the wall while she made her way to the coat closet. Once there, she opened it and bent down. She slid the key into the safe and entered Erik’s birth date, praying it was the right code.

The light turned green and the safe beeped. The door popped open and Li Jin held her breath, hoping Obi didn’t hear the loud beep or following click. When she heard nothing from the living room, she opened the door the rest of the way and her eyes widened when she saw the stacks of money.
Dare she? Could she?

Her hands shaking, she pulled one stack out and was surprised to see it was made up of all one-hundred-reminbi bills. She didn’t know how much was there but she did know it was more than she’d ever seen. With at least ten stacks just like it, would he possibly miss just one? He owed her that much and she made a quick decision. She stuffed the money in her bag, spaced the other stacks out to cover the empty spot, then closed the door to the safe and stood up.

She heard Obi move and hesitated. She was only a few feet from the door and freedom, but she needed to put Erik’s keys back in his pants so that he wouldn’t think to check the safe. She waited until all was still, then slowly tiptoed into the bedroom. She returned the keys to his pants pocket and turned to leave.

“Li Jin?”

She froze. He was awake.

Erik turned over with his eyes still closed and felt across the bed. Li Jin knew he was searching for her. Of course he’d think after all he’d done, a few sweet words and caresses and he’d be forgiven.
Not this time
. She looked at the heavy cricket bat propped up in the corner and hesitated. How many hits could she get before he overpowered her? Sighing silently, she realized violence was his thing, not hers.

“Li Jin, where are you?” he mumbled, reaching farther.

Thinking fast, she dropped her bag quietly on the floor, slipped out of her shoes, and crawled in beside him. He reached again and this time made contact with her hair. She held her breath, willing him back to sleep as she fought through a wave of nausea caused by his touch. When it looked like he had nodded off again, she waited five more minutes, silently counting out each second.

With her eyes wide open, she saw the bracelet Jojo had made her sticking out from under Erik’s pillow. Slowly she stretched her good arm up and reached the end of the strand of beads. Gradually she pulled it out from under the pillow and closed her fist around it. She prayed Jojo would stay gone and not come up looking for her.

Finally she felt secure enough with the rhythm of his breathing that he was not going to wake up for a while. She scooted away until his fingers were no longer wrapped in her hair and then got up again. Careful not to step on any of the broken pieces of ceramic, she slipped her feet back into the shoes and picked up
her bag. She dropped the bracelet into it and quickly this time, she moved out of the room. She paused just outside the bedroom and when she saw Obi was still motionless, she went to the door and opened it quietly. It squeaked like usual and she waited just a second, then slid through and closed it behind her. Almost there.

On the other side of the door she saw Jojo’s yo-yo on the floor. It looked like it had been stomped on. Just like her heart, it lay broken into many tiny pieces. Suddenly she knew without a doubt that it wasn’t an accident—it was Jojo’s way of telling Erik what he thought about his gift. She moved down the stairs quietly and as fast as her aching body would let her, then stepped through the door to the outside sidewalk. She looked around but Jojo was nowhere to be found. Dammit! Where was he?

Sighing with frustration, she pulled her sunglasses from her bag and put them on, then went to Ms. Jing’s door and knocked softly.

The door opened and Ms. Jing pulled her in and shut and locked it behind her. Li Jin was shocked; she’d never seen the old woman move so fast. She looked around and saw Jojo sitting at the table in the kitchen cove, eating from a bowl. He gave a guilty wave, then went back to eating.

“
Zao,
Lao Jing,” she mumbled, feeling self-conscience about her face.

Ms. Jing stepped back and crossed her arms, a knitting needle still in one hand and a half-finished scarf in the other.

“Don’t good morning me, young lady. Why didn’t you tell me you were in trouble? I knew something dark was going on up there. I’ve heard him screaming at you too many times.”

Li Jin looked at Jojo and he stared down into his bowl. He’d told her something—that much was obvious. She just didn’t know how much he had said.

“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” she stuttered, moving toward the table. “Jojo, come on. We’ve got to go.”

She made a move to switch her heavy bag to her other shoulder and cried when the pain shot through her. In the terrifying moments of leaving the apartment, she’d forgotten about it.

“See. Your arm. What’s wrong with it? And where did you get all those bruises on you? What’s under the bandage? And take off those sunglasses.” The old woman acted indignant and Li Jin twirled around to face her, almost fainting from the pain and dizziness that overtook her. She reached out and steadied herself against the wall.

“Look, Ms. Jing. I appreciate your concern, I really do. But my son and I need to go and we need to go fast. Can you understand that?” Her eyes pleaded with Jing to understand without her having to say it out loud.

Jing crossed the floor and came to stand before her. She reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Squinting her eyes, she looked at the fingerprint bruises running up Li Jin’s neck and peered through her sunglasses.

“Oh, you poor girl. I know what’s going on now.”

Li Jin shook her head. “No, you don’t know.” Could the woman see right through her? She needed to think fast. “I was in an accident in the taxi last night.”

Jing nodded sympathetically. “I know more than you can imagine. I’ll let you go, but first, my husband, bless his spirit, was a doctor. Because of him I know how to fix you up. Let me do that much and then if you need a safe place to stay for a while, I can hide you here. Your secrets are safe with me.”

Li Jin hung her head. She couldn’t talk or she would really lose it. She wished
she’d
known all this time that humanity was so close. She hadn’t realized it before but the woman was a gentle old soul—and gave out a feeling of protectiveness Li Jin had not felt much of in her life. The tears came again and though she tried to fight them, they poured from her eyes in a silent plea for more compassion. She kept her back to Jojo so he couldn’t see. One good cry in front of her son in one day was already too much. He needed to see her as strong and able, not a blubbering mess.

Fortunately, the old woman saved her. “Come on in here with me, Li Jin. Jojo, you stay there and eat your breakfast.”

She led her through the modest living room and to her tiny bedroom. She guided her to the antique wooden bed. Gently she pushed her down to sit and took a place beside her. The woman took a deep breath and began again. While she talked, she examined Li Jin’s arm, using her soft fingers to push along the bone.

“The skin’s not broken, so I don’t think it’s a compound fracture, but it is going to need setting. And we’re going to have to look under that bandage on your face, in case you might need some stitches.” She reached up and carefully slid the sunglasses off Li Jin’s face. “Do you have family you can go back to?”

Li Jin shook her head. A mess it was for sure, but the old woman didn’t know the half of it. She’d be shocked if she knew what had really gone on in that apartment the night before. She thought of the ways Erik had used her and crossed her legs, feeling the shame spreading across her face. She hung her head.

“Okay, no family. So do you know where you’re going?”

Li Jin rubbed at her eyes, wincing at the tenderness. She shook her head again. She really didn’t know where to go. Now that she had some money, she could really choose anywhere. They’d start over. Again. And she was so very tired. But she hoped she would not be stopped by the authorities until she could get some things straightened out.

“Well, I know just the place to take you in. You aren’t the only one with secrets—this place is almost invisible except to those who have been dealt a rough hand. My sister runs it and all you have to do is tell her I sent you. It’s quite some traveling by bus but once you are there, she’ll help you get a new start. She can get you a resident permit, a job, and possibly get Jojo into a local school. At least you won’t be on the streets.” She patted Li Jin’s hand. “Can you trust me?”