The Scavenger's Daughters (Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book One) (31 page)

“Which way?” Benfu asked. He didn’t even remember arriving at the hospital. His world had been limited to only the small room and the window overlooking the crowded parking lot. He’d spent a lot of time staring out over the smog-covered street while wondering if his stay in the hospital had resulted in lost children not being found. But he hadn’t ventured out of the room. How was he supposed to know how to get out of the hospital? He reached and grabbed the largest bag from Calli as she moved to get in front of him. He wasn’t totally incapable and didn’t want her straining to carry everything, even if he did have to follow behind her like a darned baby chick.

“This way, and stop being so cranky. Linnea is supposed to be waiting downstairs for us. She said she’d arranged a car service.”

Benfu muttered under his breath. He didn’t need a ride home in some fancy car. He’d rather take a taxi or the bus, like they always did. But on the other hand, it would get him there faster and he could see his girls.

He kept his grumbling to himself and slowly followed Calli to the set of elevators. She pushed the button and watched his face as they waited. He was winded even more than he let on as he tried to control his breathing. He knew she was wondering if he was really feeling better or just faking. For sure he was weak, but he was going to fight hard to get stronger. He needed to get her and the girls into better shape before the tuberculosis overtook him or completely shut down his heart. He had to—he just had to find a way to leave behind something other than a trail of debt to the hospital.

Calli smiled affectionately. “There you go with all that dark thinking again. Can you just relax for a while? At least let me get you home, old man.”

The elevator doors opened and to their surprise there stood Jet, a polite smile pasted on his face. He stepped out and patted Benfu on the shoulder.

“Good afternoon, Lao Zheng. Ready to go?”

Benfu looked around him but didn’t see Linnea.

“What are you doing up here? I thought Linnea was meeting us in the parking lot? Where is she?” he asked. He hadn’t yet had a chance to tell Linnea to make her own decisions about the boy and yet here he was, showing up to drive him home, of all things!

Calli nervously beckoned for them both to get in the elevator. “Come on, you two. We need to get going.” They followed her in and the doors closed.

The silence was awkward until Jet finally broke it.

“Linnea couldn’t come. She’s waiting at home with the girls. I hope you don’t mind that it’s just me. They’ve been real busy preparing for your homecoming.”

“Oh, that’s fine, Jet. But you didn’t have to come up here. We could’ve taken a taxi,” Calli fretted. Benfu silently fumed.

Jet smiled. “That’s okay, Lao Calli. It’s no trouble at all. Seriously.”

The boy lowered his eyes and fiddled with the zipper on his light jacket, avoiding eye contact.

Benfu frowned. Jet was up to something sneaky and he didn’t like it. And Linnea couldn’t tear herself away to come meet him? That was strange. He hoped they hadn’t gone to too much trouble just for his return. He imagined that they had probably done more paper cutting and the house was probably a flutter of girly red and yellow designs. He didn’t care; as long as he could get to his bed, they could fill the whole place with paper dragons and rainbows. He sighed, fidgeted from one foot to the other, and wished the elevator would hurry to the lobby floor before he lost his fight against the deep cough that threatened to erupt from his lungs.

On the bottom floor the elevator doors opened and they all stepped out with Jet in the lead. He led them toward a small sitting area and turned around.

“Lao Calli, can I have a moment with Lao Zheng?” he asked.

Calli nodded. “I’ll just go find a bottle of water to wet my lips. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Benfu reached his hand out to stop her but she skirted on by. “Wait, no, we need—”

Calli put her finger to her lip. “Please Benfu, just listen to what the boy has to say. Can you do that much for Linnea? For me, please?”

Benfu sat down heavily in the plastic chair behind him. He’d listen because what choice did he have? He felt sure with or without his blessing, this relationship was going to have to run its course. He’d give the boy a minute and see what he had to say.

Jet sat in a chair across from him and propped his elbows on his knees. Benfu could see he was nervous by the way he was breathing, but he wouldn’t make it easy on him. He waited. He wouldn’t be the first to speak.

He watched Jet’s Adam’s apple jump up and down as he swallowed a few times, then took a deep breath. “Lao Zheng, I’m aware that you do not
approve of me. As you know, without your approval, Linnea doesn’t want to continue a relationship.”

Benfu stared at the floor. Jet waited on him to say something and when he didn’t, the boy began to talk again.

“I can’t promise you that I am worthy of being anywhere near your daughter. And I can’t promise you that we’ll never have cross words between us. But what I can promise you is that I am my own person and many of the philosophies that people around me have tried to drill into my head about differences in class mean nothing to me.”

That got Benfu’s attention. He had to give it to him; the boy didn’t beat around the bush. He got right to what he knew was the thorn under the saddle between them.

“How do I know you aren’t using my daughter as a plaything to add some interest to your pampered life? And when you tire of her, you won’t just drop her and move on to the next pretty—but more acceptable—girl?” Benfu stared Jet right in the eye.

As he watched, he saw a boy trying to be a man. More than that, he saw a man’s anger threatening to explode from the boy. Jet’s face turned red and Benfu held his ground as the boy struggled to bring his emotions under control, a fight that was obvious from the expressions that flitted across his face.

Finally Jet nodded his head and maintained the direct stare. “I can understand your concerns, Lao Zheng. I really can. But I can only tell you that Linnea means more to me than any girl I’ve ever met. I don’t care if she decides to make a living by planting shoots in a rice paddy. If I have to, I’ll stand right beside her with muck up to my ankles. I’ll do anything to be near her.” He dropped his gaze and sighed.

Benfu was impressed at the boy’s self-control and his passionate speech, even if he didn’t want to admit it, and he sure wasn’t ready to show it. He waited to see if he had anything else to add.

Jet looked up again at Benfu. “I just can’t live without her. But I can only give you my word as a man that I won’t hurt her. Can you just give me a chance to prove to you that I mean what I say?”

Benfu continued to glare unwaveringly at Jet. And to his astonishment, he saw honesty and sincerity staring back at him. Benfu realized suddenly that he had been judging the boy only based on his family background. It was ironic that what had been done to him so many years ago had now come full circle. So what if Jet had family involved in the government? That didn’t make him a criminal or a bad person. From what he knew the boy hadn’t done anything to wrong anyone—of any class. Benfu felt a streak of shame at his unfounded prejudice. But still, he had to make sure the boy knew he meant business.

“You do know that if you hurt my daughter, you cannot possibly run far enough or fast enough to avoid my wrath, right?”

Jet chuckled. “I sure do know that, Lao Benfu. I’ve already heard about your encounter with the bike man. You can bet I won’t put myself in jeopardy like that.”

Benfu stretched out his hand. Jet hesitated, then took it and they shook, knowing a silent oath had just taken place. Jet would promise to respect and treat Linnea like she should be treated, and Benfu would withhold judgment until the boy had a chance to prove himself.

Calli returned with a bottle of water for Benfu and handed it over. He stood and took off the cap, then took a long swig. Looking at Jet, he nodded.

“Now get me home so I can see my girls,” he said gruffly, and with that he led the way out of the hospital, struggling to put his spine straight and shoulders back as Calli and Jet followed him. He might be exhausted, sore, and homesick but he’d leave the hospital like a man—the way it should be.

B
enfu breathed a sigh of relief as Jet turned the corner and came to a screeching stop at the entrance to a parking lot near the end of his
hutong
. After Jet handed a ten-yuan bill out the window to the attendant, the surly man finally directed him to the other side of the lot.

Jet guided the car into the small space and turned off the ignition. He turned to look at Benfu and Calli in the backseat. Traffic had been chaotic and Benfu just wanted to get home. In his current shape it was going to be rough, but they’d have to walk the rest of the way, as a car couldn’t fit through the small lane.

“Wait right here for a minute. Don’t get out.”

Benfu immediately sat up straighter. He didn’t like to be told what to do, especially by someone only a third of his age.

“Don’t get out? Now look here, son. I’ve been waiting to see my girls for almost a month now and I’m ready to go home. Open this blasted door.”

Calli reached over and patted his leg, trying to shush him before he got angry. He hated it when she did that and was about to tell her so.

Jet interrupted. “Please, Lao Zheng. Just one minute. I promised Jasmine.”

Benfu sighed. The kid knew where to hit him. If it was for Jasmine, he’d wait and see what he was up to.

Jet opened the door and jumped out. Benfu strained to see what he was doing and saw him beckon at someone around the corner. A dark-skinned small man rode up on his pedicab, stopping just outside the car. Benfu opened the door and stepped out.

“Why didn’t you say so? I’m not so stubborn to refuse a ride that’ll save me that long walk. My old legs are tired, boy. Come on, Calli. Climb in so we can get on home. Jet—we can take it from here. Thanks for your help.”

Jet chuckled and helped Calli into the pedicab. He settled their bags around their feet and whispered to the driver. They took off, with Jet jogging behind. Benfu looked back and shook his head. He just couldn’t get rid of the boy. Now he was going to follow them all the way home?

The driver guided the pedicab out of the parking lot and turned the corner to go down to the street where the
hutong
began. Benfu was relieved to see all the familiar sights, except he didn’t see the usual old men out playing their sidewalk games, and most of the usual shopkeepers were absent from their posts. He sighed. He would have liked to greet them, seeing how he hadn’t seen them in weeks. But they were nowhere to be found.

“Where is everybody?” he wondered out loud. “Is today some sort of holiday?”

Calli looked puzzled and she shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

As they neared their street, Benfu struggled to see around the driver’s head. He could see a crowd standing around the entrance of the
hutong,
and he wanted to know why. And he wanted to know now. He hoped there hadn’t been some sort of accident, and his heart lurched as he wondered if something had happened to one of his girls.