AAE LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR by Cynthia Muak

 

Author: Cynthia Muak

 

Chapter 1. 1

Chapter 2. 5

Chapter 3. 11

Chapter 4. 17

Chapter 5. 22

Chapter 6. 29

Chapter 7 (Final) 37

 

 

Chapter 1

 

The story opens with a beautiful Sunday late morning in Melbourne’ most exclusive CBD address, Collins Street. Vendors were busy setting up their Sunday Market stalls in Collins Square, the open atrium adjacent to the Regent Hotel building complex housing the hotel, a cinema outlet with 8 mini theatres, a covered arcade of shops and specialty mini-restaurants.

The most popular stall owner, Zhen Shan Mei, a beautiful young Korean girl now studying at Melbourne University, was busy setting up her extensive array of scented candles, on her makeshift stall that sat on one of the most advantageous positions at this Sunday market.

As was her usual practice on Sunday mornings, after she had parked her van and before she set up her stall, she would stroll over to the beautiful and peaceful park across the road from Collins Street, next to Parliament House. She wanted to leave the fruits that she had picked from her garden earlier that morning, out for the possums inhabiting inside the trunks of the old oaks standing so stately on park grounds.
==

Shan Mei stood a little bit afar and looked critically at her stall display, not quite so satisfied. Oh, there was still room on the display board for a few of the small candles she found in her store room yesterday. They were scented with rose and jasmine, and were known as Jassy Rose and she wondered how she could have missed the little box containing these heavenly-smelling candles, all these months.

She turned around to the spot behind her where she had placed her stock of candle boxes, to try to get out some ‘Jassy Rose’, when to her consternation, she found some large, odd sized heavy-duty carton boxes, not belonging to her, stacked right on top of her lighter cardboard weight candle boxes. She wondered who had so brazenly done that without getting her O.K. She looked around and noticed the stall next to hers. The stall-owner was blithely setting up his wood-crafted items on his display stand. With fisted hands on her waist and brows crossed on her face to show displeasure, she coughed slightly to clear her throat, trying to get the stall-owner’s attention.

“Hey, respect other people’s property, pl-e-e-a-z-e!! I’ve had this space for more than a year. You only turned up last week, and this week you’re already trying to spill your things over to my territory.” Shan Mei chastised the man setting up his stall next to hers.

“What things? What territory?” the man shot back at her in a disdainful tone, his glance darting away after giving Shan Mei a brief, impatient look. He cursed silently to himself. “Oh Lord, just my luck; one of those whining nit-pickers breathing down my neck again! Women!”

“Your cartons, if you haven’t noticed, are sitting on my boxes.” Her voice with concealed anger, her eyes clearly telling him he was a rude and inconsiderate so and so……..

“Aiya, why so petty? Share-share, mah? When I took this space over from Kim Zian Da, he told me you let him use part of your back area to store his cartons. Can’t you extend the same courtesy to me?”

“He was here five weeks, before he asked me very nicely. When he was first here, he stacked up his cartons here [she pointed to the space where he had his display] and placed his merchandise on top of his cartons. Why don’t you do the same?” Shan Mei gave the man an uncompromising stare, thinking this man was thick, not able to work something out so simple in his mind.

“Little Miss, just in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve got more stock than Zian Da, which means more cartons. If I stack my cartons one on top of another, they’ll reach up to here [he put his hand at level with his eyes], no one will be able to see my goods, how am I going to be able to sell? You teach me! In case you haven’t noticed, my stuff is selling much faster than his.”

“Good for you. In that case, why don’t you rent two spaces, or take the space at that corner. It’s much larger and the rental is the same as for this small ‘tofu’ square,” she smirked.

“No way! Zian Da has stressed that I should stick to you. Your stall always attracts a lot of buyers. After they look over your candles, they always look over his wooden stuff as well. Come on, I’ll return the favour by helping you pack up afterwards.” He didn’t add that Zian Da had insisted he stick with her, because she was not only the prettiest vendor at the Collins Square Sunday Market, she was also the friendliest and the most helpful. No buyer could resist her charm and megawatt smile. He had seen buyers coming back week after week to chat with her, and buy some candles from her each time. When Zian Da said that, he had laughed, saying some houses must be resembling the tops of birthday cakes by now. His business was mostly spillovers from her customers. And his space was very much sought after by potential vendors.

“Who needs that kind of favour? By the end of the day, about 90% of my stock will be sold. What’s there left to pack? For today, I’ll let you put your cartons here. Next week, I’ll need to use up all my space. New stock will be arriving.”

The man, Yin Xiang Zhe, thanked her with a friendly smile, but he sounded gruff.

“And don’t try to seduce me with your sexy eyes and charming smile. The girls around here may be swooning over you, telling me how gorgeous you look, but I don’t think you are that handsome. I’m immune.” Shan Mei thought she’d better warned him off before he started any of his funny games.

“And don’t you dare mesmerise me with those big, innocent-looking eyes and your dazzling smile. The men walking around may think you’re irresistible, browsing around the market every Sunday just to catch a glimpse of you, but I don’t think you are that beautiful. You’re way too petty minded for me to waste time on.” He said this as a matter-of-factly, with tongue-in-cheek.

There was no time for further bickering. The Sunday crowd was beginning to appear by lunch time at the open atrium of Collins Square. The crowds were a good mixture of students, locals and tourists. Shan Mei organised her display and placed within easy reach her wrapping paper and paper carrying bags. It was a warm sunny day, although winter had set in. Shan Mei prayed the weather would hold up.

Every Sunday her candles sold well, except rainy Sundays. She wouldn’t bother to open her stall on such days. It was nearing 5 p.m. when the crowd began to thin out. The management of this Sunday Market on Collins Street, right smack in the middle of the most exclusive spot of Melbourne’s Central Business District, wanted the stall owners to clear out by 6, because the complex’s mini- cinema’s Coffee Shop would want the space to set up their tables and chairs for alfresco dining in the evenings.

There wasn’t much for Shan Mei to pack. Almost all her candles were sold. She counted her takings for the day, and placed the money carefully in her locked waist pouch. She rolled her wrapping paper into a stack together with her carrying bags. She looked over; that nasty man had sold most of his stock too. She noticed this afternoon, many girls were standing around his stall, drooling over his looks and flirting outrageously with him in conversation. He was smart. As he chatted with them, he was pushing his merchandise too. Shan Mei saw him busy talking to the girls, then wrapping up the sold items for his customers, and putting money into his waist pouch.

Shan Mei pushed her stuff and wooden board to her van parked in a legal parking spot at a quiet, leafy cul-de-sac behind the Regent Hotel, a little away from the main road. She loaded her stuff inside her van and was hopping mad after that. Another big van was parked alongside her van, blocking her exit path. She stomped around, both her hands at her waist, cursing that inconsiderate idiot silently. When the owner of the van arrived, she was going to give that person a good piece of her mind.

Someone approached the biggish van, and began loading his cartons, etc.

“It’s that nasty man!” she discovered to her horror. She was furious. Her hands still on her waist, Shan Mei yelled out to him, “Hey, you, don’t you have any road courtesy? How can you be so selfish, blocking another vehicle’s exit way?”

Xiang Zhe glanced up from the task he was doing. He wasn’t surprised when he saw her because he had thought that whiny voice sounded familiar. “Oh, it’s you. I must admit you’re quite big on your ego. This morning, I was disrespectful, now I’m selfish and discourteous, wonder what I’ll be this evening?” He wiped his face with his hands as he let off an impatient sigh. Wanting to remind her she was being unreasonable, he continued, “Zian Da told me you manage to secure this spot because you’re here early, and you normally leave late, because you like to tally up your accounts, do a stock check and other things. I thought I was doing good time, and would have left before you were here.” There! He gave it to her straight. He smugly thought to himself, and his facial expression was very transparent for her to read, [“Don’t think because I’m new here, I am not aware of what has been going on!]

Shan Mei caught that fleeting smug look and was riled. In a reined-in velvety voice, tinged with a heavy undertone of disgust, she shot back. “Obviously, Zian Da can be wrong sometimes. And I suppose Zian Da also forgot to tell you he usually leaves the place well before 5 p.m. leaving the exit clear? Check out your facts carefully before you embark on your next ‘boo-boo’. You’re really impossible!”

Xiang Zhe scratched his head, wanting to apologise, but that smirking look on her face was not making it easy for him. “Aiya, today you made very good sales and you still have such vile temper. I dare not think what your temper will be like, if you cannot sell your candles?”

Not satisfied with having delayed her departure for home, he was now cursing her, Shan Mei thought. She got so angry, she blasted her horn to get him to move his van, then she hopped into her vehicle, slammed the door shut, and drove off in a huff. After a few turns and some sets of traffic lights, she noticed his van was tailing hers. [What’s wrong with this guy?]. “I’ve got to ask Zian Da whether he really transferred his space to this guy.” He could be squatting on Zian Da’s spot, who knows? because she suddenly remembered Zian Da telling her he was going off to North Shore on the Gold Coast for a bit of surfing and might decide to remain there indefinitely.

She turned into a street where she usually bought take-out from an Indian restaurant. The Indian owner of the restaurant was very nice to her, always giving her extra portions of his naan bread that he knew Shan Mei was very fond of, and extra dollops of his delicious curry sauces.

She looked in her rear window and didn’t see any vehicle turn into the street after her. She felt light hearted and breezy; it seemed she had managed to shake off the nasty man following her. Happily, she alighted from the van and went into the restaurant to place her order.
==

The next morning, as she backed her van out of her garage, she almost lost control of the steering wheel and knocked into the big tree in her front garden. Right on the driveway of the property next door was the biggish van driven by that nasty man! What was his van doing there? The property next door belonged to a very polite and quiet Australian elderly gentleman, living on his own. Shan Mei used to share her Indian dinners with him. Whenever she had Indian take-out, she would usually bring the extra Indian bread with curry sauce to him, knowing he ate by himself all the time. Last night she arrived home late, being so unceremoniously delayed by that nasty man, she didn’t want to disturb the elderly uncle. She didn’t notice any vehicle parked on his front driveway?

She didn’t have time to investigate the matter further; she had promised to drive over to a friend’s place at Flemington to check out her candle stock that just arrived a few days ago from China. After that, she had to attend several afternoon classes at Melbourne Uni. She had rushed through some class assignments last night, and was quite worried whether she would be able to score good with these papers.

==

Zhen Shan Mei was a few months short of her 22nd birthday when she graduated from one of Seoul’s premier universities for girls, Namhan University, with a degree in Mass Communication. She was beautiful, vivacious, with a sweet and gentle nature. She knew she was too protected at home by her doting parents and elder brother. She was also aware many of her college mates didn’t lead the same kind of life as she did but they enjoyed the freedom to lead their lives in the manner that Shan Mei had only seen from movies and dramas on TV, or dreamt about in her sleep.

Her father, Zhen Gui Cheng, ran a successful construction company, enjoying close relationship with many of the big property developers in Korea. Her elder brother was married to the younger daughter of the chairman of Daesung Property Development. Zhen Gui Cheng didn’t want his daughter to work after her graduation, so when Shan Mei told him she wanted to study English abroad, he readily agreed.

So, in August of the same year shortly after her family celebrated her 22nd birthday with her in June, accompanied by her elder brother and armed with recommendation letters from her Seoul university, they flew off to Melbourne, Shan Mei’s Australian city of choice. She managed to be accepted in a language course class with the Melbourne University.

Instead of renting a place to stay, her father had decided to buy her a property in Melbourne. When they hunted around, Elder brother Youzhen thought the independent block of 2 semi-detached terrace houses surrounded with spacious grounds was a good buy. It was in a good part of Melbourne, near to a beautiful park, not too quiet because there were a big supermarket and many interesting-looking and small restaurants near by but far enough from heavy traffic from the main roads.

An elderly Australian gentleman occupied the next house. He was a retired history professor who used to lecture at the Melbourne University. His children lived in the Gold Coast and had wanted him to move in with them. He had insisted in staying on in Melbourne, to be near to his friends. When they inspected the spacious grounds marking the boundary of this independent block of land, and looking over the dividing wall of the large back garden, Shan Mei could see masses of beautiful roses blooming from a long stretch of very well-maintained beds of roses on the other side. The scent from the roses was heady, sending her senses reeling.

On the side of the property they were interested in, there was already planted several matured fruit trees. The real estate agent pointed these out as peach, plum, fig and apple. In summer, she would be able to pick fruits from them. Shan Mei was excited. This was the kind of lifestyle she had only gleaned from magazines. She never once imagined she would live it one day! After further negotiation, the estate agent went away a happy man; another successful deal concluded!

After Shan Mei’s first 5 months with her language course, she was confident enough to go for another course; Business Administration. One day a friend and student from Year 2 of the course, Koo Soo-yin from Hong Kong, told her she was going to run a stall at the soon-to-be opened Collins Square Sunday Market selling Chinese table linen and bric-a-bracs and wanted to know whether Shan Mei was interested to run a stall too. They would be the first two to apply for stall spaces, because she had been given this information by her father’s Australian business associate. It was a good way to improve their language skills and make some pocket money at the same time. She readily agreed.

To Shan Mei, the money part was not important. Her brother, Youzhen, had deposited enough money in a Melbourne bank to give her a comfortable living for the next few years at least. He had also taught her how to manage her checking account. All other utility bills for the house would be paid through the bank’s Automatic paying system. The first time Shan Mei paid her first bill; deposit and advance rental for her stall, she was so proud of herself. After she attached her signature to the cheque, she made a full blown photocopy of it; this copy was framed and was still hanging on one wall of her study.

She kept very meticulous accounting books, one for her business and one for her personal expenditures. Since the first day she ran her stall at Collins Square Sunday Market, 16 months ago, she had learnt a lot from Koo Soo-yin; like how to run a smooth and economical household. Soo-yin liked to shop at South Melbourne Market. She taught her how to bargain and how to spot a bargain. After a few months of regular patronage at South Melbourne Market, the fruit and vegetable Sellers always kept good bargains for her, knowing what she liked buying.
==

The next morning while out in the back garden tending her vegetable plot, Shan Mei saw the nasty man drove his van into his backyard. He began unloading lots of timber and funny looking tree stumps from his van into his store that Shan Mei assumed he had converted into a workshop. Last night, when she returned home at 9 p.m. and was in the kitchen taking a late dinner, she heard some whirring sounds coming from within, over their common back yard wall.

“Hey, you live here now?” Shan Mei shot the question over the dividing wall as she was watering her vegetable plot and fruit trees in her sizeable back garden.

Xiang Zhe recognised the voice and looked up in disbelief. “Yeah, what about you?”

“This is my house. What happened to Uncle Professor?”

“You mean, Prof. Peter Sutherland? He flew out to the Gold Coast on Saturday. Oh yes, he left a package for you. You were away studying, coming home very late the whole of last week. He didn’t want to disturb you.”

Xiang Zhe ran into his house and came back with a package. Before he handed the package over, he read out the name on the package, ‘Miss Zhen Shan Mei’. He passed the package over. “By the way, I’m Yin Xiang Zhe. I hope you won’t ever complain I’ll be spilling my things over to your ‘territory’. There is more than enough space for me over here.”

Shan Mei turned off the water hose and left it on the ground, removed her working gloves, then wiped dry her hands with her apron. She thanked him as she took the package from him, and flipped the package over, wondering what was inside it. Uncle Professor’s address in Gold Coast was written out very neatly. She slowly made her back back to her yard, opened the package and found a stack of A4 sized hard board cards. They were all pencilled sketches of her, going about doing her chores. Her legs went soft, she sat down on the nearest chair, too surprised to say or do anything. She always thought he was a quiet man, keeping to himself, so unassuming. They had been neighbours for almost two years yet she wasn’t even aware he noticed what she did even though they only exchanged pleasantries sometimes. She was so overwhelmed by his gift, she wept into her arms folded on her knees.

“Whew” Xiang Zhe heaved as he unloaded the last tree stump. All this unloading was hot work. He looked over the wall to the other side asking, “Hey, do you still have some of that delicious ice lemon tea I saw you drinking on Sunday? All this hot work is burning me up.”

Without thinking, she told him “get it from the fridge.”

She had always kept the connecting gate between the two properties unlocked. Uncle Professor always helped her water the plants on the days when she was at the university all day.

She was still sniffling into her handkerchief. “What’s wrong?” Xiang Zhe asked as he saw the stack of sketches on her lap. He took them with him into her kitchen. After he poured himself some ice lemon tea from a water cooler in her fridge, he sat down at the kitchen table and looked through the stack of hard board. He thought, [The old man is good. He had caught her spirit very well and in minute detail, especially her smile – so unforgettable, lighting up her eyes and her face.]

As he passed by her on his way back to his side of the property, he stopped to give her a soft pat on her shoulders, “Hey, don’t cry. He would be back for a short visit in a couple of months’ time.” He consoled awkwardly.

Shan Mei immediately snapped out of her sudden sadness, looked up at him, her eyes suddenly bright with hope. “He is?” Xiang Zhe was caught unawares by that pair of big, eager, expressive eyes and that sweet smile, he couldn’t answer her immediately. No wonder those guys spent all Sunday afternoons walking around Collins Square hoping to catch just such a smile from her, maybe trying to make a date with her too. Those scoundrels! Suddenly he remembered he was staring; he shook himself alert.

“Erh, yes. He was going to attend some conference at Melbourne University. I invited him to stay here, and he happily agreed. He said something about checking up on your tomatoes.”

After a slight pause, and seeing no reaction from her, he asked, “you grow tomatoes out there?”, jerking his head towards the back garden.

Shan Mei wasn’t listening; her mind seemed to be deep in thought on something else, so she didn’t answer. Xiang Zhe felt slighted, and shrugged his shoulders as he continued to make his way through the gate back to his side of the property. He muttered to himself, “Just trying to be neighbourly, that was all. No need to go all haughty on me? Bah!”

A sudden gust of winter wind rushed past. He shivered and fitted back snugly onto his head the woolly beanie he had pulled off when he was all hot and sweaty. He huddled up and hurriedly ran back into his house, into his kitchen to fix himself a hot drink.

 

Chapter 2

 

As soon as her stall was opened for business, Shan Mei hadn’t stopped servicing one customer after another. Anzac Day was only 2 weeks away and she did have a whole load of patriotic-looking candles and other candles in shapes and colours of war memorabilia to sell. Very quickly her entire stock of theme candles sold out completely and by 3 p.m. her stomach was rumbling for food. People were browsing around other stalls at the other end of the Square, slowly working their way to her end of the Square which was near Collins Street. With the brief respite, Shan Mei thought she could grab a bite to eat.

Shan Mei took out her lunch box from one of her candle boxes. She had only eaten two sushi pieces, when 3 customers stopped by her stall. She put down her lunch box inside the cardboard box nearest her chair. As she served her customers, Xiang Zhe took a piece of the sushi from her lunch box. He had seen her eating her sushi and was waiting for her to offer him some. The sushi looked so delicious from where he was sitting, he couldn’t resist trying. He raised his brows in astonishment. It really tasted very good. To his horror, before he knew it, he had finished all the sushi. He became frantic. He didn’t dare to think of her reaction when she found her lunch box empty. He quickly and quietly put the lid back onto the lunch box and stashed the box carelessly into one of her carton boxes along the back wall.

Later, when Shan Mei remembered her lunch, she rummaged for her lunch box and found it inside one of her carton boxes along the wall. She didn’t remember putting it there. It was empty when she looked inside.

Without a second thought, she looked over to her neighbour manning the next stall and hissed at him, “You took them?” showing him the empty lunch box. Guilt was written all over his face, he didn’t dare deny a thing as he looked at her with his big, soulful eyes, full of remorse. Shan Mei became furious, as she grabbed her water cooler from under her table board. “I suppose you didn’t know where to find this?” stretching her arm out to him, the cooler in her hand. To her utter dismay, he took the cooler from her with a “Thank you” and proceeded to drink from it.

“This ice lemon tea is so refreshing! Any more?”, handing the bottle back to Shan Mei, looking expectantly at her. If they were not in a public place, Shan Mei would have surely thrown the water cooler at him.

Later on, Xiang Zhe went off to get a bottle of mineral water and a hot dog for her. Her eyes were dark with anger and her face devoid of expression. “Hey, where’s your usual smile for your customers? Here, take these,” pushing the bottle and hot dog into her hand. She ignored him.

“Don’t want, huh?” He looked at her blithely as he bit into the hot dog. Shan Mei was hopping mad; he didn’t even have the patience to coax her a bit more. Talking of sincerity!

“Ehmm.., this hot dog is not bad, but not as good as your sushi. I still prefer Korean cooking. You made pork stew yesterday, right? I could recognise the aroma of good pork stew anywhere.” And he looked at her with his attractive, crooked smile.

==

Very early this morning, Shan Mei was in her kitchen busy preparing sushi and special ice lemon tea. She was humming along merrily as she went about the task, thinking to herself, her neighbour wouldn’t be able to resist these. These looked at least 10 times more appealing than those he stole from her lunch box yesterday.

Taking a plate with sushi attractively displayed on it, and a bottle of ice lemon tea freshly prepared, she made her way next door through the rear garden gate. She walked into his back yard. Xiang Zhe was busy in his work shop. He waved to her; he had a gauze surgical-type of mask over the lower half of his face. Shan Mei walked up to him showing him the sushi and lemon tea. “Hello, neighbour. Made extra ones for you for your mid morning snack. I’ll leave them in the fridge. Enjoy!” Then she scurried back to her house, grabbed her satchel, scooted out of the house, locked up after her, hopped into her van and zoomed out of the driveway to class.

Xiang Zhe stretched himself up, a soft, appreciative smile on his face, as he watched Shan Mei scurrying out of his yard. Must be late for classes, he mused. “Ehmm… at least she’s beginning to act neighbourly. I’ll help her load her stuff onto her van this Sunday before she goes to the Market.” He began to work happily away knowing he was having her delicious sushi for lunch. He shook his head with pure delight, a half smile playing around his mouth, still relishing the taste of her sushi from yesterday. So, she was no longer mad with him for stealing her sushi?

It was almost noon, when he decided to stop work and take a short break. He removed his gauze face mask, his cotton working gloves, and washed his face and hands at the sink in the yard. He went to the fridge to get the plate of sushi and bottle of iced cold lemon tea.

He sat down at his kitchen table, and looked hungrily at the sushi. “Wow, Miss Zhen is very generous this morning, lots of salmon bits in the centre”, and happily popped the sushi into his mouth, slowly chewing to appreciate the taste.

Suddenly, he jumped up, “What the hell did she put in it?” He ran to the trash bin and spat into it the food in his mouth. He was on fire!!! Steam was blowing out of his mouth, tears rolling down his cheeks, gooey water running down his nose and smoke billowing out of his ears! He grabbed the plastic bottle and took large gulps of the iced cold tea. Too late! as his face contorted to look like a shriveled prune. He had gulped down too fast too much, the tea tasted like he was swallowing 12 whole sour lemons at one go. He flung the bottle away in disgust. He got water from his fridge to rinse out his mouth. “That imp! I should have realised all this was too good to be true, coming over this morning all neighbourly and sugary. Beware of Trojans who come bearing gifts; but she’s not a Trojan, she’s a Korean. How can she do something like this to a fellow Korean?” He cupped his head with his hands, and saline watery tears were still stinging his eyes.

He inspected closely the remaining sushi pieces and chuckled at what he found. “She’s a sly one.” She had very carefully hidden slices of the hottest of little peppers inside the centre, enticingly covered by salmon shreds. These little hot, hot peppers were not known as ‘fire-rockets’ for nothing, and carried a rating of 10 out of 10 for hotness. “Okay, I’ll make her eat her own dirt.” He put the remaining sushi pieces back into the fridge, and took a few eggs out to make scrambled eggs with some rashes of bacon for lunch.

It was nine when Shan Mei arrived home that night from classes. Monday night, she usually came home late, because she attended private cooking lessons with a Korean lady married to an Australian, John Miller, and they had lived in Melbourne for several years. Mrs. Miller taught her Korean as well as Western cooking.

She put her bags down on the floor as she rummaged through her shoulder bag for her house keys. She began to sniff around, smelt a whiff like cigarette smoke. Where did that come from? Then she saw HIM, sprawled casually on the rattan armchair in her porch, his long legs outstretched in the darkest corner. He had a baseball bat in one hand, tapping lightly onto his other palm.

“What are you doing here?” her brows wrinkled and her voice wobbled with caution and fear.

“Going to give you a ‘thank you’ thrashing for the delicious lunch set you sent over this morning. I enjoyed it so much I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to offer my thanks. Now, open up your door!”, he hissed dangerously at her.

Shan Mei put up a brave front, unlocked her door and walked in, followed by Xiang Zhe who helped her carry in the shopping bags she had left on the floor. “Shan Mei, keep your cool!” she kept reminding herself silently. She was not afraid; she could always summon help from the nearest police centre. There was a Police Reporting Centre near to where she lived. Otto, a Hungarian who had been helping Uncle Professor and her clean their clogged drains and mow their gardens, had given her their telephone number and she had keyed it into her hand phone and they could be connected instantly through direct dialing via No. 1 button.

Xiang Zhe dumped the shopping bags on the work counter, then put her plate of sushi on her kitchen table. In his threatening stance, he pointed his baseball bat at the sushi. Looking at Shan Mei, he ordered her to “Eat.” Shan Mei gave him a sweet smile as she sorted her shopping bags. She slowly pulled out a 1 kg box of Tiara premium ice cream and stored that in the freezer. Then she left under running water a punnet of fresh, juicy-looking strawberries she had earlier bought from Coles.

She took the plate of sushi from the table and began working on the sushi pieces. With chopsticks, she removed the salmon shreds, popped that into her mouth then carefully removed the pepper pieces. She took from the fridge a plate with more sushi pieces, also a plate of sliced salmon and avocado slices. In a glass bowl she had a mixture of salmon shreds marinated with wasabi and soy sauce. After she removed the cellophane wraps, she scooped this mixture into the centre space left empty by the discarded pepper pieces. On top of the sushi, she spread out salmon slices alternating with the thin avocado slices. Xiang Zhe was watching Shan Mei as she did all this. His mouth was watering. When Shan Mei took a bite of her sushi, her eyes rolled about and upwards with pleasure, and she let off a satisfying sigh. Xiang Zhe didn’t wait to be offered, but took the remaining portion from her fingers and put it into his mouth. Wow, so good!

He indicated to her he wanted more. He went to sit down at the kitchen table, waiting patiently for the sushi, his baseball bat forgotten.

When Shan Mei had taken about 6 sushi pieces, leaving the rest to Xiang Zhe, she went about preparing ice cream dessert. Tonight at class she was taught this, and her teacher had let her take the remaining chocolate sauce and fresh cream home. She started layering a bowl with vanilla ice cream, thin strawberry slices, thick cream, chocolate sauce, ending with cream and chocolate sauce, topped by one whole strawberry. She brought the two bowls to the table. She began on hers, taking thin wafers from a packet to dig into the cream and chocolate sauce.

When Xiang Zhe finished off the sushi, he started on the ice cream. He was beginning to wonder where she learnt to prepare food like that. Every thing simply melted in the mouth. When Shan Mei went off to boil some hot water for tea, he exchanged the bowls around; Shan Mei still had ¾ full, his was almost finished. When Shan Mei saw what he had done, she took the baseball bat and began tapping menacingly on her hand at him. Xiang Zhe looked roguish and gave her a sheepish grin, his eyes full of laughter and mischievous sparks!

==

To show he was sorry, the next Sunday, he helped her unload her wooden board, several boxes and carried them to her space at the market. When they were setting up their stalls, Shan Mei didn’t make a noise when she saw his cartons at the back area. This time, he had been more considerate. He put his heavy cartons on the ground, and then stacked Shan Mei’s boxes on top of his cartons.

Shan Mei had many customers at her stall. Seeing she was busy serving several customers at the same time, he pulled wrapping paper from under her wooden board and helped wrapped the candles before putting them into individual boxes, then into the carrying bags.

When there was a lull, he brought out some egg mayonnaise sandwiches and shared them with Shan Mei, telling her he made them himself. She was impressed. He passed her a bottle of water. “Sorry about the last time. I didn’t mean to finish off your sushi. They were so good, I finished them off without realising it.”

“It’s alright. I was in bad mood. I had several assignment papers to complete and was worried I wouldn’t be able to complete them by deadline.”

“What are you taking at Melbourne U.?”

“English Language and Business Admin.”

“No wonder you’re overworked.”

When they cleared up, Xiang Zhe also helped Shan Mei carry her stuff back to her van.
As they were about to drive off, he asked her “Are you going straight home?”

“Yes, I still have one paper to complete. Thank you and good night.”

“Hey, leave your things in your van. Tomorrow I’ll unload for you.”

Shan Mei gave him a small wave of her hand and a sweet smile before driving off.

==

One Tuesday morning, after Shan Mei finished cleaning around the house, she was too tired to cook, she decided to buy take-out from her usual Indian restaurant.

She was slowly enjoying her lunch and trying to concentrate on some Economics notes she was reading when she was disturbed by shouts from her neighbour.

Although she found him acting like a nagging toothache that wouldn’t go away, she realized his intentions weren’t actually bad. He was kind and he did try to help her around the place, like watering her plants when she was away early from the house. One time when it rained, and the automatic sprinklers came on at noon, he braved the heavy downpour to turn off the sprinkler valve. And when her winter squash vines became bogged down with over-ripe squashes, he plucked these off for himself, leaving the just-ripe ones on the table in her backyard for her. He did the same with the tomatoes as well.

“Hey, am I now living next door to an Indian family?” Xiang Zhe shouted over the back yard dividing wall. When he didn’t hear a response, he tried again. “Hello, anybody home? I can’t afford to taint my rare and expensive wood with strong spicy curry smell and Indian cooking oil? Where’s my Korean neighbour? Can you bring her back?”

When Shan Mei heard that yelling, she couldn’t stop herself smiling knowingly. “Wanting attention again, huh?” she smirked knowingly to herself. She threw over to his side, a packet of the untouched extra slices of nan bread, just to shut him up.

After a while, her hand phone began ringing. She answered. “It’s me. Where’s the curry sauce?”

“Out on the table in your front porch, so as not to smell up your kitchen!”

==

It was almost 8 p.m. one evening in late September and Xiang Zhe was relaxing in his den with a cigarette and a drink when he received a call from Professor Sutherland informing him that he would be arriving Melbourne the next day. Xiang Zhe immediately promised to meet him at the airport with Shan Mei.

He went out to his front porch to peep inside Shan Mei’s window. The house was all dark; so he assumed she wasn’t home yet. He decided to sit out and wait for her to return, feeling a little uncomfortable, because she seldom came home so late. The only day she came home late was Monday.

One cigarette after another was lit and dragged from his mouth. He was not actually smoking, just something to hold in his nervous hands. By 9.30, he had gone through almost a pack, when powerful headlights from an approaching car shone into Shan Mei’s garden. After a while, he heard a door slam shut and faintly made out Shan Mei’s voice thanking someone for the lift. She stood at her front gate as she watched the car drive away, then slowly turned and dragged her tired feet up her garden path.

“Hey, Miss Zhen, out on a romantic date tonight?” Xiang Zhe asked casually, trying hard to suppress his jealousy which had suddenly surfaced from out of nowhere and caught him by surprise. Jealously was a new emotion to Xiang Zhe. Never before had he experienced it. He was by now on her side of house.

Shan Mei almost broke into hysterical laughter. “Yes, if you consider ordering 4 young and strong men around Melbourne U’s parking lot, running around my van, tearing their hair out, trying to figure out a way to replace a flat tyre to my van without a spare tyre!” She plonked herself down on a rattan chair on her porch, her hands busy pushing her hair away from her face.

“You had a flat tyre? Why didn’t you call me? Do you know how worried I was when you weren’t home by 8?”

Shan Mei was surprised by his sudden outburst. He did sound genuinely worried and she wondered what brought on this unexpected show of concern. “Why would I want to bother you, when the boys from my class at college were only too eager to assist. Let them work; they are young and strong and needed the exercise badly after being cooped up all afternoon for a most boring 3-hour lecture.”

All at once, Xiang Zhe became quiet and withdrawn, his mind envisioning the sight of four young, handsome, laughing, deeply-tanned bare-chested hunks running around her van and her, showing off their firm and well-toned 6-pack abs and flexing their brawny, muscular biceps. Suddenly, he felt so old and ancient. He wasn’t that old, was he?, he consoled himself. He was only 7 years older than her.

“Where’s the van now? The one who sent you back tonight was one of the hunks who helped you?”

Shan Mei nodded her head. “It was too late to call a repair workshop. After they found no spare tyre in the storage compartment, then only did I remember I had left it with a garage for repair. I was so busy this week with end-of-term exams, I thought I would pick it up next week, and then, see what happened?”

She began kneading the back of her nape, when she suddenly turned to Xiang Zhe. “You wanted to see me about something?”

“Peter Sutherland called this evening, saying he’ll be arriving tomorrow morning. I’d promised to be at airport to pick him up. Will you want to go too?” He didn’t dare tell her that he had also promised Professor Sutherland that she would be there too. He was afraid if she found out he had so presumptuously made the decision for her, she would surely flare up and refuse to go.

“Of course! In this case, I’d better go take a shower and go straight to bed. I’m so tired.” She rose from the chair, slung her bag back on to her shoulders, and bade Xiang Zhe goodnight as she let herself into her house.

The next morning, Xiang Zhe was up bright and early. He bounced into Shan Mei’s kitchen just as she was carrying a cup of coffee to the kitchen table.

“Shan Mei, give me the name of the garage. I’ll arrange with them to do the needful. Leave everything to me while you go get ready to leave for the airport. You have 30 minutes max.”
==

Xiang Zhe cruised the van smoothly along the curb and turned off the engine. “There isn’t enough time to go round to the car park. His plane has already landed 10 minutes ago. Why don’t you wait in the van, while I go in and get Peter Sutherland?”

Shan Mei was reading a book on Management while waiting; she didn’t notice a traffic warden walking around her van. He tapped at the window to get Shan Mei’s attention.

“Oh dear” Shan Mei muttered when she lifted her head and saw the traffic officer. She wound down the window pane, and apologised for waiting along the curb side. She was waiting for a senior citizen. ( In Australia, they really respected their seniors. Courtesies in almost every area of the community were extended to them.)

“Well, Miss, how about driving around and coming back to wait again?” Xiang Zhe emerging through the sliding door just that minute saw what was happening. He didn’t like Shan Mei being harassed. He shouted to Shan Mei, “hey, Shan Mei, come and help with the luggage.” Shan Mei pointed out the senior citizen to the traffic warden who quickly went up to Xiang Zhe to get the suitcase off him, while he helped Peter Sutherland to the van. The officer looked at Shan Mei and Xiang Zhe, wondering what two Asian kids were doing with an Australian elderly gentleman. Peter Sutherland, upon reaching the van, thanked the warden very much for his kind help, and introduced himself as Professor Peter Sutherland of Melbourne University and these two young persons were his students. They had gone out of their way to come to the airport to collect him, not wanting him to take a taxi.

“Good for you kids,” the traffic warden said with a smile and waved them off, as Xiang Zhe drove the van away.

Shan Mei was laughing; Professor Sutherland was in stitches too. Looking pleased, he commented at least there were people around who still respected the elderly. That man was a good man; no fear, his children would be brought up the correct way. Then, he turned to give Shan Mei a good look. “And how are you, my little neighbour?”

Shan Mei gave him a shy smile and thanked him profusely for the pencilled sketches he did of her. The sketches had been framed and were now hanging on the wall of her study.

“And how are the plants coming along?”

“Why don’t you tell me when you check on them as soon as we are home.”

“And how has your new neighbour been treating you?”

“Very nicely, using bully tactics.”

Xiang Zhe immediately defended himself. “Only after someone began using guerilla tactics.”

The three of them laughed. Professor Sutherland was happy. He had worried maybe the two young ones might not get along, but it seemed that was not the case anymore as they bantered along playfully. He turned around from the front seat to smile at Shan Mei in the rear. “I’m sure Xiang Zhe has been most helpful. Yes, your new neighbour is a fine young man.”

That evening, Shan Mei prepared a sumptuous dinner, her salad mixture tossed with fresh vegetables from her garden.

Xiang Zhe brought over a white wine that complemented very well the cod fish Shan Mei had prepared. Because Shan Mei didn’t drink, after dinner the men sat outside in the back yard enjoying their glasses of wine, while Shan Mei cleared the table and washed up. She joined them later in the garden with her cup of tea.

“Little Shan Mei, it was a pity we didn’t get together enough when we had been neighbours for almost two years. You’re still selling at the Sunday Market?”

Shan Mei laughed at the question and gave the Professor a funny look. She told him Xiang Zhe was her neighbour at the Sunday Market too. He took over the next-door space from the previous owner, even before she was aware he had moved in next door.

“Sometimes, Fate has a strange and inexplicable way of dealing out her cards.” Professor Sutherland mused, nodding his head slowly as he looked up toward the clear sky. This wise old sage smiled wryly to himself. The kids might not be aware but he was! The atmosphere in the back yard was simmering with amber sparks between the two kids; through a fleeting glance, a soft, gentle smile, a casual comment or an accidental touch. It’s a story older than time itself. He had been there and seen it all. Very soon, there should be a full-blown eruption! He hoped he would still be around when that happened.

The following week Professor Sutherland was busy with his conference at Melbourne University. On the eve of his departure, Shan Mei and Xiang Zhe managed to have dinner with him. When Xiang Zhe sent Professor Sutherland to the airport the following evening, he told him to visit whenever he liked, and to treat his house as his own home.

On the drive back to town, Xiang Zhe turned to Shan Mei and asked,
“Do you mind if I drop in on one of my buyers to check out my stock and see how much she has managed to sell?”

“Whatever you say,” she said tiredly.

“I love obedient women, especially one who starts fires at the least provocation….”, he laughed softly as he turned his van into a lane on the right just off the main airport road. He directed a side glance her way to see whether she caught on to his ‘love’ hint. Her eyes were shut and she appeared to have dozed off.

“You’re so slow! Even a blind can see more than you,” he muttered. He released a heavy-sounded sigh of exasperated finality and turned his head away, as he drove into the car park of the Duty Free Shoppe warehouse. His heart softened at the sight of Shan Mei sleeping so soundly next to him. He didn’t have the heart to wake her, nor did he want to leave her alone in the van. Slowly, he re-started the engine, and drove out the same way they came in, and headed for home instead.

 

Chapter 3

 

After lunch, Shan Mei was in her kitchen finishing her cup of tea and going over her inventory list. She also had on the table 6 boxes of sandalwood-scented candles Soo-yin had delivered earlier this morning to her. These were from a supplier in China and she wanted Soo-yin to try them out to see whether any sales potential in Australia?

Shan Mei took one out a newly-arrived batch of candles that the Chinese exporter claimed had a mind-soothing special sandalwood scent, very suitable for those doing yoga lessons or therapeutic massages. These candles were different from most other sandalwood-scented products available on the market, in that her products were scented with genuine natural sandalwood oil, not laboratory-formulated synthetic essence.

She lit up four and placed them around her back yard while she rested on her small sun deck at one corner of the yard. She was just dozing off, when again a familiar voice boomed from across the dividing wall.

“Shan Mei, are you sure you’re not burning the house down with your candles? I can smell the smoke so strong over here. If there’s a fire over at your place, don’t forget my place will go with yours, seeing the amount of wood stock I have. You can sell candles, no one is asking you to use them.

Let me warn you. When I have a respiratory attack, it can be fatal. You bear the consequences.”

She ignored that ‘nagging toothache’, turned onto her side, and continued to enjoy the relaxing nap as she was soothingly lulled by the sandalwood scent coming from the candles…….

Two days later, Shan Mei hung over the wall a toy full face mask with nozzle and a fire extinguisher.
==

Xiang Zhe walked through the rear gate into Shan Mei’s back yard, one Tuesday afternoon, a notepad in hand, a pencil tucked behind his ear, a measuring tape hanging from his neck.

Shan Mei looked up from her books, now spread out on the kitchen table, to give him a questioning look.

“Hey, just come over to measure out the base of that fat candle someone was holding up at your stall on Sunday, asking about suitable bases for your candles. I can make a few for you with the sawn-off bits and pieces of wood I have no more use for. That will make the candles more attractive”

Shan Mei left him to search for the candles by himself. Mr. Nasty had become Mr. Nosy. He had been checking out her place and knew just about every storage place in her house. After measuring out the candle base, as he walked back into the kitchen, he asked “having pork stew tonight? Smells gooood.” He hung around, hoping she would invite him to stay.

“Sorry, there’s only enough for one person.”

“I was only going to volunteer to wash your stew pot for you.” Seeing no reply from Shan Mei, he walked back to his house through the connecting gate at the rear, silently miffed.

Xiang Zhe was sulking; that Shan Mei was so calculating, didn’t ask whether he wanted some pork stew before she cooked. Now that he knew she was having pork stew for dinner, he got no appetite for his own. He had thought he would indulge himself by grilling himself two thick slices of filet mignon, washed down with a glass of Platinum Shiraz from Barossa, one of the best Shiraz Reds available on the market.

Right now, he had lost his appetite. He proceeded to do some work with the base for her candles. As he was working at his lathe, he heard Shan Mei calling out to him. “Hey, the stew pot is ready for washing. While you’re at it, you can wash my little rice cooker as well. I’ve left the pots on the wall of the back garden. Thank you and good night.”

He went out to collect the pots. He and his big mouth! That little Miss was taking full advantage of his goodwill. When he looked into the rice cooker, he saw there was still half a pot of cooked rice. He was about to ask her whether she wanted to keep the rice, when he decided to check the stew pot too. There was also half a pot of pork stew. His face broke out into broad grins. “You imp! Teasing me again. I’ll get you one of these days.”

He quickly ran into his kitchen with the pots, threw the filet mignon back into the freezer. He placed a mat on the table, poured himself a glass of Platinum Shiraz. He was humming around the kitchen since he couldn’t decide how to enjoy the stew. Pour all the rice into the stew pot or scoop the stew out bit by bit. First, he got to determine how much rice was left in the rice cooker. He took a taste of the stew. It was seasoned just right, not salty at all. He threw all the rice into the stew pot and ate straight from the pot. He rolled his eyes upwards as he took his first spoonful of mixed rice. “This is heavenly.”

After he finished his first glass of wine, his mood became subdued. “Why cannot we share dinner together? Shan Mei is there in her kitchen eating alone, and I’m over here eating alone. And there is all this beautiful wine. I’ve got to make some kind of arrangement with her, telling her it’s not dating otherwise she’ll run a mile. Just sharing the same table.” He nodded his head slowly and smiled sneakily to himself.
==

Xiang Zhe was out front in his garden collecting afternoon mail from his letter box. It was that time of month that his subscribed magazine “Wood Dreaming” was out.

He heard some noise on Shan Mei’s rooftop. On closer scrutiny, he thought he saw a white man moving about on the roof. When he wanted to take a closer look, the man had disappeared from sight.

“Hey, you there! What are you doing, climbing on to Shan Mei’s roof?” Xiang Zhe shouted at the stranger whom he suspected was a thieving prowler.

He jumped over the low common wall along the front garden and started banging on Shan Mei’s front door. No answer.

He ran to the rear connecting gate, and through to Shan Mei’s back yard. Ladders, plungers, saws and a tool box were strewn around on the ground. Shan Mei was in the kitchen, making coffee and laying out cookies on a plate.

“Who is that guy?” he asked breathlessly as he leaned on his elbow at the work counter, pointing his finger upwards toward the ceiling.

“Oh, him? He’s Otto, helping me clear the gutter drains on the roof, always blocked up with dried leaves. He’s also going to saw some overgrown branches from my trees. They grow too near to the pylon cables. They can become quite dangerous during thunderstorms, you know? Do you want him to check out your place too?”

Xiang Zhe didn’t answer her. His eyes were on the plate of cookies and the mug of rich-aromatic, piping hot coffee. He raised questioning eyes toward Shan Mei, silently asking about the cookies and coffee.

Shan Mei smiled back at him sweetly. “These are for Otto.”

“You never offered me coffee and cookies, not even once.”

“I didn’t know you like coffee? You always raid my fridge for ice lemon tea, that’s why I leave at least one beaker full especially for you every day. I leave my kitchen door unlocked, in case you want it when I’m out and when you get hot and bothered with your woodwork. I’ll make you a cup of coffee if you’re serious?”

“I don’t want a cup. I want a mug like that,” pointing to the coffee mug on the work counter. Before he went off, he counted the number of cookies Shan Mei had laid out on the plate for Otto.

He went to sit at her kitchen table, waiting patiently for his coffee and cookies.

“How long is he going to stay?” jerking his head towards the roof.

“He still wants to saw the branches off from the tree in the front. Then he’s going to replace a rubber washer to the tap in the laundry room. While he’s at it, Otto said he will check on the other taps as well.”

“I can do that for you.”

“No thank you, you go concentrate on your woodwork. Otto is very reasonable. He charges me an hour’s wage for 2-3 hours work.”

“Of course he’s going to charge low. In fact he should be doing it for free. He gets to go into your bedroom, check here and check there. Next time, you get me over to keep you company while he’s around.”

“Yin Xiang Zhe, what are you trying to get at? He’s already helped me for more than a year, before you moved in next door. He’s very responsible and trustworthy. Now, please finish your coffee and go back home.”

“But, he ….”

“No ‘buts’ about it, just go….”

“Next time, don’t get him over. I can do all this for you. Shan Mei…”

He never got to finish what he was going to say as Shan Mei pushed him out, handing him the mug of coffee and plate of cookies.
==

Shan Mei was tidying up her desk after a lecture by Professor Gills, when BeBe and some of their friends walked up to her, and dragged her along to the college cafeteria for some ‘planning’, according to their secretive smiles.

“Soo-yin’s leaving next Wednesday. Any suggestions for farewell party?”

Shan Mei immediately thought of Pancake Parlour. She remembered the girls taking her there to help her celebrate her 23rd birthday, and this year in June, they had a roaring, rocking good time when Shan Mei hosted her 24th birthday party at the same venue, a very casual affair. She loved the place because it had an old jukebox that carried a wide selection of only Country music songs and tunes. Since her arrival in Melbourne, she had grown to appreciate Country music very much, the first tune she learnt to hum off perfectly was ‘I Walk The Line’. Yes, she’d kept to the Line, she wouldn’t do anything to step out of it. It had become sort of an anthem to her.

“Let’s meet for dinner after Sunday Market at Pancake Parlour. She’s never going to get similar-type pancakes, and such a vast selection, both sweet and savoury, in Hong Kong.”

So the girls decided that was that. Bebe, another of their mates from university, was going to take over Soo-yin’s stall at the Sunday Market. Soo-In had promised to send candles from China to Shan Mei, once she managed to find other reliable suppliers for her. The sandalwood-scented candles were selling very well. Shan Mei had placed three orders within a month. And she would also try to source the famous Chinese bamboo face sculptures for Shan Mei’s friend, Yin Xiang Zhe.

Soo-yin was curious and had boldly confronted Shan Mei one day. “What’s happening with this Mr. Yin Xiang Zhe?”

Shan Mei was surprised that Soo-yin should ask. Her tone had an intriguing ring to it, trying to read more into the friendship of Shan Mei and Xiang Zhe. Soo-yin had noticed at the Sunday Market, whenever Xiang Zhe stole glances at Shan Mei when he thought she wasn’t looking, his eyes, lingering on her, often became soft and indulgent. “You don’t know, do you?” Soo-yin asked, giving Shan Mei a mysterious smile.

“What about him?” Shan Mei answered back with a question, her brows crossed and confused at Soo-yin’s question. She didn’t continue further, but hooked an arm into Soo-yin’s elbow and invited her for a dim-sum lunch in Chinatown. After that, Soo-yin didn’t pry. She was aware she was more experienced than Shan Mei in the ways of men. And she was 100% sure that Yin Xiang Zhe was in love with Shan Mei, even though he had tried to keep his feelings well hidden. But he was fooling no one, least of all her; except that innocent Shan Mei!

So, after Sunday Market, the group met up and shot off to Pancake Parlour on Bourke Street. Once they were seated at the section paneled off for them, Soo-yin asked, “Okay, let’s have a wild night. Anyone for beer?” All hands shot up, except Shan Mei’s.

“Shan Mei, What about you?”

“You know I don’t drink. A lime juice would be fine. You girls go ahead and get yourselves drunk, and I’ll take care of you.”

By the time they wrapped up the party, it was almost midnight. Soo-yin, Bebe and a few others were quite drunk. Shan Mei drove them all to Soo-yin’s place. It was late, Soo-yin didn’t want any of them to leave, so they continued to talk and drink. After an hour, Shan Mei was already fast asleep on the sofa.

When she got home the next morning, she was surprised to find Xiang Zhe sleeping in his sleeping bag out in her front porch. When he heard her drive her van in, he freed himself from his bag and ran up to her, took her into his arms and held her tightly in a way that was almost desperate, almost as if he feared that she’d disappear, and sobbed wildly into her hair.

She disengaged his arms, held him a little away from her and looked at him. “Hey, what happened? Did you sleep out here all night? You know where I put the spare key. Why didn’t you let yourself in? Or, did you lock yourself out of your house? Come in, I’ll make you some hot coffee.”

“Shan Mei, Shan Mei, don’t you scare me like this ever again!” he wailed with relief as he followed her into her house.

Shan Mei threw down her pouch onto an armchair and took a clean towel from the linen cupboard and threw it at Xiang Zhe. “Go wash your face, you look terrible.”

“Of course, I look terrible. All the most horrible thoughts had been flashing through my mind when you didn’t return home last night. And, why did you switch your hand phone off?” And he stood where he was, glaring at her unflinchingly as if she had committed a most horrendous crime.

“Like?”

“You being raped by some drunkards, being robbed and bashed up, left for dead in some dark alley, or involved in a bad traffic accident and I was not there to protect you. Don’t forget you had a thick wad of cash in your waist pouch. Next time after Sunday Market, you better let me keep your cash for you.” His imagination had run wild with horrific images of her beautiful white skin marred with ugly bruises and deep cuts, her luscious lips split and bleeding. Ugh! Thank heavens; she was home safe and sound.

Shan Mei laughed lightly, then thanked Xiang Zhe for his concern.

“Soo-yin was so happy, the girls were so reluctant to leave, they got themselves drunk, I drove them home. At Soo-yin’s place, they decided to drink more. They were still sleeping when I left her place this morning. I know I don’t know how to protect myself. That’s why I try never to go to places I don’t know.”

Before she moved away, Xiang Zhe caught hold of her hand. “Shan Mei, promise me if you stay out late or overnight somewhere, please let me know. I couldn’t sleep all night and almost went crazy, waiting for you to come home.”

Shan Mei arched a brow at him, as she moved towards the fridge, when he brought out his hand phone and waved it slightly at her.

She made him a big, nutritious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages that he gobbled down with relish. After which she told him to go home to bed.

“No, I don’t want to go home to sleep. I want to sleep on your big couch in your living room.”

Shan Mei told him to get a blanket from the linen cupboard.

He was half lying on the couch, very happy, and began making suggestions to Shan Mei.

Shan Mei was at her desk in the living room, doing her accounts.

“Shan Mei, why don’t we use only one van for Sunday Market? There’s plenty of room in my big van, it can easily fit your stock in. This way, I can always keep an eye on you. If you want to go somewhere with your friends in the evenings after Sunday Market, I can always drive you there. There are too many bad elements around town.”

“We’ll see.”

“What’s there to see? It makes sense, we go to the same place at the same time, leave at the same time, why be wasteful? Taking separate vans and wasting petrol. Haven’t we been told by the government to save on energy?”

Shan Mei put her pen down and slammed her accounting book shut, then lifted up her face to give Xiang Zhe a bemused look.

“Hey, I want to ask you something. Don’t you ever go out with your friends? If we take one van and your friends want you to go out, you’ll have to send me home first or I’ll have to take a taxi, making the arrangement more inconvenient, right?”

“I don’t like to go out with my friends. All they talk about is girls, all they do is drink.”

“You’re pathetic. If you don’t go out, how are you ever going to meet a girl?”

“I’ve got a girl already.” He bit his lower lip guiltily, as if this little bit of information was a secret he was NOT supposed to divulge.

Shan Mei slowly raised her brows in astonishment. “You have? That’s a pleasant surprise for a change! What are you waiting for? Why don’t you marry her then she can take care of you, instead of you trying to skim food off me all the time.”

“She’s still young and studying at university. I’m waiting for her to graduate and enjoy a bit of the world before tying her down.”

“Wow! How very considerate? I didn’t expect that from you, Mr. Yin. Kudos to you! For that, you deserve a reward. After classes this afternoon, I’ll make you special roast beef. Now, be good and go to sleep.”

Xiang Zhe happily lay back down on the couch, Shan Mei pulled the blanket over him up to his neck, then she went upstairs to her bedroom for a shower and a quick rest before going off to her classes, thankful that Mrs. Miller had told her that evening she was going to teach her how to roast and baste a perfect beef shank.

Later that night, Shan Mei came home with a chunk of juicy roast beef and a large tub of delicious, creamy smooth potato salad. Mrs. Miller didn’t want to serve her roast beef with the standard baked potatoes. Instead, she whipped up some delicious potato salad using a special recipe given to her by a Japanese restaurateur.

Shan Mei packed a generous portion of beef together with dollops of the salad and walked over to next door.

Xiang Zhe saw her walking through and immediately stopped her. “Can I have dinner at your place?” pointing to the masses of empty boxes strewn all over his kitchen, and waving a pile of computer print-outs that was lying on the table.

“Hurry over while the roast is still warm,” Shan Mei enthused as she walked back through the gate.

Xiang Zhe managed to put away a filled plate, smiled happily and patted his stomach to show her how much he had enjoyed his dinner. “That was super delicious. Thank you.”

Shan Mei glanced over to him. “You looked tired.” When she gave him a coffee, she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s with those empty boxes lying all over the floor?”

“I had been busy packing. Tomorrow, I need to deliver an order to a gallery in Albury, a tourist town along the Victorian and New South Wales border. They’re expecting the arrival of the annual Christmas shopping crowd this weekend.”

When he finished his coffee, he suddenly asked, avoiding looking at Shan Mei directly. “Want to come along to help me check delivery against packing lists, if you have nothing better to do? You don’t have classes tomorrow, anyway.”

“Maybe,” came her non-committal reply.

He carried on as if she had agreed in principle. “If we leave early in the morning, we should be in Albury by noon. We’ll make it back in good time for dinner. I’ll take you to a little Italian restaurant along the way that serves really great, authentic Italian fare. You won’t be disappointed.” As an afterthought, he added, “Oh, remember to bring along a jacket. It can get quite chilly on the drive back.”

He didn’t suggest that they could spend the night in one of the chalets at Kosciusko National Park which was only an hour’s drive from Albury if she wanted to see a bit of the park’s alpine regions and part of the Snowy Mountain range and he would show her another side of Australian wildlife. They could go bushwalking and scavenge for driftwood somewhere around the area. He didn’t dare push his luck with too many suggestions. He would wait till tomorrow to gauge her mood.

Shan Mei followed him back to his house and see what he was packing.

Xiang Zhe explained a little of his work. “This season, I decided to use only very old native Red Cedar and Rosewood.” Picking up a set of napkin holders of unusual design, he pointed out to her the attractive grains and unusual colour of that particular log.

“These look so vastly different from the usual items you sell at Sunday Market.”

“Of course! I use Mallee, Eucalyptus and some common Gums for that range. The prices are also vastly different.”

Then, he showed her another piece, a one-off piece wood-turned and sculptured out of old rosewood in stark, clean lines, bust up, of an angel, to bring out the beautiful grains into more prominence. Shan Mei couldn’t help admiring the piece, and kept exclaiming, “Gosh, these look and feel so amazing,” as she handled one piece after another with reverence. She went back to the ‘angel’ piece, picked it up and admired it from various angles. Her finger tapping at her chin, brows somewhat pushed together in puzzlement, she thought aloud that the angel looked somehow familiar, impossible though it might sound.

Xiang Zhe took the ‘angel’ bust from her and tenderly fingered the angel’s face, returning to gaze at her thoughtfully. He laughed wickedly, laughing at some ill-witted joke that he must have conceived at her expense (Shan Mei thought), he then leaned his face into hers, peering straight into her eyes, ruffled her head of hair vigorously, and smiling innocently he stated, “Of course she looks familiar! She reminds you of you. Stupid!!” The smile on his face turned into a ridiculous grin.

He began polishing the piece with a soft cloth, after which he wrapped it with several layers of soft paper tissue and placed it gently, with careful fingers, back inside its original box, ready for delivery

 

 

Chapter 4

 

It was a hot day. Shan Mei had just walked into her house, to leave her pair of sneakers in the back yard for washing later. She looked up to the roof, when she heard a noise. She almost lost her breath with shock. That Xiang Zhe was crawling around up on her roof!

“Hey, what are you doing up there? Come back down here this very minute,” she shouted up to him, fear had crept into her voice.

“Ungrateful woman! I’m cleaning out the gutter drains for you. No need to get that Hungarian over. I don’t trust him.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t get Otto, but can you please get back down here right now?”

Shan Mei took a fresh damp towel and handed it to Xiang Zhe after he climbed down from the roof. He was perspiring profusely and his face all red with the heat.

“You!! If you fall down from the roof, what am I going to do?” giving him an exasperated look.

He had laughter in his eyes, when he noticed her face fraught with anxiety. “Simple. You take care of me for the rest of my life. Hey, not a bad idea. I think I’ll get back onto the roof.” He then made a pretext of climbing up the ladder again, when Shan Mei pulled him back into the kitchen.

Shan Mei made him an iced coffee while Xiang Zhe washed his face. He sat down at her kitchen table. One look of the table and he immediately questioned, “Where are my cookies?”

“I was going to ask whether you have had your lunch.”

“A bit, some peaches and figs from your trees” and looked at her unabashedly without a qualm of guilt.

“Are you hungry now?”

“Somewhat.”

“How about some cheese and ham toasties?”

“Can’t wait,” and to show he really meant it, he licked his tongue around his mouth, and rolled his eyeballs around his big eyes. Shan Mei shook her head at his antics.

He watched her back with a steady intensity as she went about preparing the toasties. He still couldn’t figure her out. She was very young, naturally beautiful not just in looks but in her heart too. She was not like the average young lady; she was not into shopping, fancy clothes and make-up. The only trend she followed was ‘comfy’. She kept her days busy with college, and work. She was neat and meticulous in everything she did. The average young person would have considered this as ‘toil’ while she seemed to be enjoying every minute of it. She looked upon him as a good neighbour and elder brother and shared her food willingly and generously. What was she doing in Australia? And living alone?

The thing he marveled most about her was, she was not afraid of him, she trusted him, even hiding her house key somewhere on his side of the front garden so he could enter her house in case he needed something. She never for once saw him as a man, or wasn’t she aware of the fact that a brotherly man could, in unguarded moments, behave like a beast?

Being around her, he always felt good and comfortable. He was surprised at himself. Throughout his 7 years in Australia, not counting the 4 he spent at university, he had never ever behaved with anyone the way he did with her since moving into the house next door. This was the first time ever he wanted some stability in his life. He wanted someone to share his life, his successes and his failures. And the person making him think this way was standing right before him, happily preparing cheese and ham toasties for him, blithely unaware of the major influence she was exerting on him.

Yes, he had fallen for her. Fallen hard! Every morning when he woke, he would listen out for her movements from his side of the house. He knew the time she went to the bathroom because she would turn the radio on. And when she was ready to go downstairs, she would turn the radio off. When he heard her washing machine tumbling around, he knew she had no morning classes. She would be out the back garden watering her vegetable plot. For the rest of the garden she had automatic sprinklers. Then she would start to make breakfast. Within 5 minutes he would hear the toast pop from her toaster. In 30 minutes she would walk through his back yard door with the fruits she had plucked from her trees. She would pluck the almost ripe ones off, before the birds had a chance to get to them. By then, he had washed and dressed properly, mucking around his kitchen, trying to act busy and looking nonchalant when she breezed through with her usual cheery ‘Good morning, neighbour’.

On any given day, if she didn’t appear at his back yard by the ‘scheduled’ time with the ‘expected offering’, he would mope around his house all day with a feeling of unease, anxious for her well being. Was she sick, she had to go see doctor? She was in trouble?
He would have no appetite for food, until he heard her moving around her house again.

Would she laugh at him in his face if he told her how he felt? Didn’t she tell him on the first day they met that she was immune to his charms?

Was his destiny tied to hers? When he came looking around Melbourne to buy a piece of property, the realtor took him to several areas he didn’t like for some reason or other. They were supposed to see another house two streets away. When they were driving around, he espied the FOR SALE sign on the high outside wall of his house, one of two adjoining houses. At once he liked the façade of the house. He came back later in the afternoon without the agent. At first, Professor Sutherland wasn’t sure this young man had the means to pay his asking price and to pay Cash as Xiang Zhe indicated he would since he wanted to move in as quickly as possible, until Xiang Zhe put him through to his banker who assured the professor of Xiang Zhe’s financial means. “Professor, you can rest your mind easy. Mr. Yin has been banking with us already several years. We are also handling his investment portfolio, the current value of which is more than enough to purchase several houses in some of Melbourne’s most exclusive suburbs.”

Professor Sutherland had put up the FOR SALE sign only that morning to see what kind of response he would get, and was surprised the house was sold so quickly, without giving the FOR SALE sign even a chance to get warm in the afternoon sun, before he had to take it down again. As promised, the very next morning, the transaction was concluded very easily; the banker being very familiar with Professor Sutherland and Yin Xiang Zhe, both were long standing, highly-valued clients of the bank. Two weeks later, Xiang Zhe moved into the house after shipping his things from Gold Coast to Melbourne. To him, the probability of living next door to another Korean in Melbourne was near impossible.
==

He was just finishing his toasties and was about to ask for another coffee when Shan Mei shyly said to him, “I’ve the rest of the afternoon free. Do you still want me to help you with your paperwork?”

He placed the tall empty glass back on the table, rested his elbows on the table top, hands clasped loosely at his mouth, his laughing eyes fixed on her face. “Are you serious about this? I thought you were trying to be polite after you voiced surprise of the masses of paper I had to prepare for that delivery to Albury, or you felt sorry for me after declining to visit Kosciusko National Park claiming that the tragic Thredbo avalanche a few years ago gave you the chills. But, if you help out, I want to pay you to make sure you come on a regular basis, like 6 to 8 hours a week or something.”

Shan Mei shook her head. There was a hint of guilt in her voice as she answered him. “Well….I actually have a selfish motive behind the offer.”

“And, how’s that?” he asked, his curiosity piqued, his eyes still fixed on her, as he popped the last bit of toasted sandwich into his mouth.

“The final year project would be to do a case study on an actual active business. I’d thought my candle business would make a good case study since I’ve had it for almost two years, know the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of the business and could summarise up the whole thesis in a short time. After you invited me to Albury and I’d a chance to talk with the owner of Silas Drummond Gallery, I was fascinated by the amount of work and networking involved in this business. It was not simply a matter of you playing in your workshop all day long with your mechanical toys.”

Xiang Zhe laughed softly, slightly amused. “Alright, what did Silas tell you?”

“According to him, even if the sculptor is top notch, but has no access to good lumber, his talent won’t mean anything to serious collectors. Even if he has access to very rare lumber but his talent is so-so, he can always trade in lumber or duplicate copies, but that’s as far as his future will go. If talent and lumber work well in tandem, he must have the support of a well-connected gallery owner who believes in and appreciates his talent for his ‘special’ pieces to reach the right kind of buyer. Mr. Drummond told me one time he managed to auction off a special piece from you for over $100,000 at a private bidding. Ever since that time, he has received several commissioned requests for your work from serious collectors of Australian heritage art. This will definitely make interesting reading and fall in perfectly with the guidelines given in my brief.”

“So, I’m to teach you a bit about the business? I may eventually have to end up helping you write your thesis?” His laughing eyes were still on her. “Okay, tell you what, little Miss. You can stick around but you’ve got to agree to some conditions.”

Shan Mei immediately raised her eyebrows at him. What kind of pay-back was that? She had volunteered to help, and he had now turned around to make some demands. Of all the cheek!

“As soon as your summer holidays begin and throughout, you’ve got to take care of my daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, Mondays through Fridays. Weekends, you’re exempt. You’re going to prepare the meals in my kitchen. I have a freezer full of food. The Perrone’s, the corner grocery, delivers every Monday afternoon whatever supplies I need. I don’t want you to spend even a cent of your own money on anything. There’s a cash box in my office with plenty of ready cash. Just take whatever you need to buy anything you think is required.” He stopped to allow the information to sink into her head. He could see from the expression on her face that she was busy working out something mentally in her mind.

“That’s all?” she asked guardedly.

“No, that’s not all!” he drawled out slowly, wondering whether he would dare insist on one more condition, the most important! Knowing her, he knew she was not going to bend so easily, and might decide to renege on her earlier offer of help.

“Oh, no!” Shan Mei thought. [This man really knows when to take advantage. Most probably, he’s going to ask for free laundry service too. Okay, at the end of all this, I’m going to make him write the whole essay.]

“Yes?” she smiled, but Xiang Zhe could see she had forced the smile through clenched teeth.

“Every Sunday, after Sunday Market, you’re to allow me to take you out to dinner. Since you won’t accept payment for services to be rendered, I’ll show my appreciation in other ways. You choose the restaurants. Over dinner, we can always discuss about your project and you can throw any questions at me. I’ll try to answer them as best as I can.” He wanted to add some more but that fiery flash in her eyes stopped him.

Shan Mei was about to tell him, one more condition from him and she would give him the boot! Instead, she sweetly answered, “All the conditions you have laid out seemed fine with me. I hope there’s no more?”

He took an infuriatingly long time to answer. “Yes, that’s about all.” He quickly took a handkerchief out of his front pocket, brought it up to his mouth, pretending to wipe at something. In actual fact, he was trying to hide a delighted grin, not believing his good luck!

“Oh, I forgot. One more thing!”

“Oh, I knew it!” Shan Mei fumed to herself silently. She said nothing, except gave him an open stare wondering what the sneak was going to come up with this time.

“You haven’t been inside my house, right?, except maybe in the kitchen. Why don’t you come over now and I’ll show you over the place? I’ll show you the inside my workshop, too. I’ve never let anyone into my workshop.” As he said this, he glanced over her caressingly as if she was someone special. Shan Mei became flustered and couldn’t think of anything to shoot back at him. She quietly followed him as he walked out through the back gate.
==

It was a chilly Saturday evening in December, most unusual for summer. The weather was usually warm around this time of year, but these past few weeks, some cold winds were blowing in from the Antarctic front. There were reports coming from Tasmania that there had even been sightings of snow on certain parts of the island, which was very rare. To heat things up, Shan Mei decided to make Kimchi Seafood bean curd soup. When Xiang Zhe found out what she was cooking, he invited himself over. Shan Mei made an additional dish of anchovy kimchi pancake, realizing soup wouldn’t be enough to keep this big man’s stomach satisfied for long.

While they were eating, Shan Mei paused to give Xiang Zhe an intriguing look. Very hesitantly, she asked, “You’re free on the last Wednesday of this month?”

Xiang Zhe looked up from his soup, his big eyes eager and smiling, “Why? You want to date me?”

Shan Mei didn’t answer him immediately; she had looked down and elsewhere, secretly hiding a smirk at his forthrightness.

“Hey, if you want to date me, we don’t have to wait till the end of the month. I’m free anytime, for you.” His eyes never leaving her face, he laughed deliciously at her. Her face became red.

“Who wants to date you? BeBe and her cousin are signing up for space at Flemington’s end-of-year Market Day Fair. It’s supposed to be huge. Maybe we could do Korean food. BeBe says the food stalls usually sell Hot dogs or burgers. Nothing interesting. If we go, her aunt will lend us her BBQ set. What do you think?”

“I still think it sounds like some kind of a date. If it’s a date, I’ll go.” His eyes were still on her.

“You! If I can manage by myself, I wouldn’t have bothered asking you. It’s a business proposition. We go half-half. How about that?”

“Didn’t I say you’re calculating? I’ll go, but I don’t want to take any of the profits.”

“Okay, in that case, forget I ever mentioned it.” She went to the kitchen sink, pulled on her rubber gloves and started scrubbing out the pots and pans.

Xiang Zhe finally finished the soup and the kimchi pancake. He brought his dirty bowl and plate to the sink, then asked, “Any complimentary coffee to round off the fantastic meal?”

He sat down back at the kitchen table and when his coffee arrived, he relaxed. “Okay, now tell me what you intend to sell at that stall. If it’s too much work, I won’t agree. I don’t want you to work so hard. If you’re short of money, I can always spare you some.”

Shan Mei laughed softly with a ‘thank you’ and looked at him in a funnily appreciative way.

“No, it’s not that. You don’t understand. I want to immerse myself totally in every aspect of the Australian way of life. I’m thinking only of BBQ beef and sushi. I’ll prepare the sushi in advance, and marinate the meat a day ahead. Very easy. You will grill the meat at the grounds.”

“So, now I’m going to be the cook?” He looked into her happy face and laughed deeply at her and at himself, his hand rubbing at his eyes and at the usual frowns now appearing at his forehead.

“Xiang Zhe, for me coming from where I came from, this Australian adventure has surpassed even my wildest dreams. And the friends I’ve made are simply unbelievable. If I can have my way, I don’t ever want to leave this country. I’ve grown here [she pointed to her brain] beyond recognition.” Xiang Zhe believed her as she was making such a statement. She was managing her time and her household very well. Just last week, when they had brilliant sunshine and she had finished the paperwork in his office, she took out her white paint and white washed their dividing wall, her side and his side, in their back garden very well, finishing the job in a relatively short time.

Yet, in many ways, she was still very naïve, making her more adorable than ever in his eyes. He never wanted her to ever change; he loved her goodness, her simplicity, her forthrightness, her kindness, her generosity and her sweetness; in fact, everything about her, including her quick temper.

Shan Mei stared at him, both hands cupping her chin as she propped her arms on the table. She smiled at him in a teasing manner. “I th.i.n.k.. you’ll make a very handsome cook”, then laughingly sauntered off to the kitchen counter to get him another cup of coffee.

Xiang Zhe was tickled. Shan Mei just told him he would make a handsome cook. He looked at her; she herself smiling so mischievously was looking irresistible too. He handsome, she irresistible; of course their food would sell like hot cakes.
==

At the Flemington’s Market Day Grounds.

Shan Mei was clearing away at their stall, when a girl approached Xiang Zhe asking whether there was any food left.

“Shan Mei, that girl over there wants to order the last set. We’ll have nothing left for our dinner and my mouth has been drooling since afternoon.”

“Let her have it. I’ve kept plenty at home for our dinner.” Xiang Zhe brightened up and began to pay great attention to cooking the last set.

BeBe and her cousin had gone off early. All their stock had sold well.

Xiang Zhe and Shan Mei’s food was very popular, even the last set of meat and sushi was sold. They made many friends at the market day. The owners of the other stalls told them of other interesting venues for market day.

Finally, in Shan Mei’s kitchen, he got to enjoy the BBQ he had been dishing out all afternoon to other people. Shan Mei also brought out fresh raw salmon accompanied by real Japanese wasabi and soy sauce and sliced Kobe beef that she cooked under the grill. Xiang Zhe brought over a bottle of Red from his small wine cellar.

“This calls for a celebration.” They already had a pretty rough idea how much they had made. Shan Mei prepared 500 portions, selling each portion for $5/-. Xiang Zhe was surprised they made $1,000 each, after deducting food costs, etc. for less than 5 hours work.

“Not bad” as he pursed his lips, impressed.
“Happy now with your food experience at Market Day?”

Shan Mei nodded her head.
“Did you manage to buy anything when you were browsing around the stalls?”

“I bought 2 bottles of red wine at very good prices. The man from Mt. Gambier told me to let the wine rest for another 6 months, it should be very smooth by then. How about going to the one at Camberwell in 2 weeks’ time? Bob Sewell told me the crowds would be just as large. Just be there early to set up our stall. The people come from the surrounding towns, and they are usually there by 11 a.m. ready to eat.”

Shan Mei didn’t say anything; simply smiled secretly to herself. He was getting addicted to this kind of healthy, natural fun. She was glad he had enjoyed himself too.

“Well, if you are interested, I’ll get Bob to sign us up.”

“I have to check my class diary, to see whether there will be summer lectures that week. Even though it’s summer break, this time I could make it for Flemington because we weren’t expecting any more visiting lecturers for December.”

By now, they had moved out to the back yard, to enjoy the cool evening breeze while he finished off his wine, and she her tea.

“Don’t worry about class assignments. I’ll help you with them. In case BeBe and her cousin want to come along, let me know by tomorrow. Don’t worry about the BBQ. I’ll scrub it down tomorrow morning, after you go off for that special class meeting. Remember to come home early. I’ll treat you to Barramundi cod steak, since you just put a thousand dollars into my pocket. Now, go off to bed. I’ll wash up.

I’ll take a smoke before I go and lock up for you. I’ve disciplined myself not to smoke in my place with all that wood around.”

“Hey, how selfish can you get, Yin Xiang Zhe? You don’t smoke over at your side because of your wood. You smoke here even though my house is loaded with candles. You’re too much.” She stormed off, not wanting to hear what excuse he was going to give this time. He and his excuses.

She stopped midway in her tracks. She was not going to let him have the last word. She threw a few more words at him. “If you don’t want a fire to start, you should give up smoking altogether!”

He watched her stomped off and studied her disappearing figure with a slow sweep of his big dark eyes. “Hmmm! She’s beginning to sound like a nagging wife. I like that.” He muttered with a hopeful grin, nodding his head and wondering whether she realised what she had just said. Did she want him to give up smoking because she cared, or was he reading too much into a casual remark?

BUT, if she was his wife, she wouldn’t have got away so easily with such a remark. He would chase after her; catch up with her and kiss her senseless until she took back every word about his giving up his cigarettes.

He ‘night-dreamed’ further, as he slowly put his wine glass down. In the first place, if she was his wife, they would not be wasting time hanging out in the back yard. They would be in their bed starting their own little ‘fire’ and he would be doing pleasurable things to her and…… HOLD IT!!!! His heart was pounding, his mouth was parched, his throat had gone dry and his palms were slick and wet with perspiration. He quickly applied emergency brake to his train of thoughts which was getting too erotic for his peace of mind. “Yin Xiang Zhe, p-p-l-e-e-a-z-e!!!! Take a firm grip of yourself. Put a lid on your emotions; you’re moving way too fast,” he reminded himself with vehemence.

“Moving too fast??” What a laugh! That was only in his mind. In reality, Xiang Zhe wasn’t even sure he was making any progress at all! He had never had to court a woman before, so he wasn’t really sure what had to be done, even though he had tried his best to show Shan Mei that he cared in numerous ways. But, how to court his way to her heart when the girl herself didn’t even realize she was being courted?

Suddenly, there was a comical twist of frustration on his face and he let off a hollow, disheartened laugh. He threw his cigarette stub into the wine glass, and watched the wine slowly fizzling out the cigarette light…… just the way his romantic hopes of ‘togetherness’ would soon be fizzled out if, in her naivete, she continued to look upon him as a good neighbour or elder brother!

 

 

Chapter 5

 

Summer was over, the holidays were over, and autumn was just creeping up on them.

This morning Shan Mei brought over for Xiang Zhe a bowl of figs. The tree still had some late summer figs for picking. She didn’t want to leave the ripe ones on the tree; she plucked them off and decided to give half to her neighbour knowing he sometimes only ate fruits for lunch when he was too lazy to cook, now that she was back at college and had no time to tend to his daily 3 meals. Also, there were no more cooking classes on Mondays because Mr. & Mrs. Miller had gone to live with their daughter in Sydney, to help mind their 2-month old grandson.

Xiang Zhe took the bowl from her and offered her a cup of freshly-brewed rose tea. Having been in her kitchen often enough, he had noticed Rose was her favourite tea drink.

Over tea, he casually asked whether she was free for a few days next week, knowing a mid-week break was just coming up for college students. She gave him a mischievous look, “Mr. Yin wants to date me?”

“Who wants to date you? I was looking for an efficient, hard working assistant to help me during my trip to Tasmania next week. I’m asking you because I don’t have to pay you wages. You’re not going to be calculating again, are you?”

“What are we going to do in Tasmania?”

“You mean what am I going to do? I’m going around Launceston and the parklands around Cradle Mountain to inspect some of the old Gum and Boab stumps available for sale. These may be some of the oldest trees in the world. The Boabs are also very rare around that part of the world. The natives want to sell off some of their hoard for cash. You will be responsible for note taking, photographing and cataloguing as well as preparing meals for the 3 days. How does that sound?”

“Doesn’t sound like a good deal to me!”, she replied coolly.

“Hey, you’re the first girl I’m letting go with me anywhere overnight. Do you know how many girls will die for just a chance to travel half a day in my company? You!!!,” he burst out, slightly exasperated.

“Well Mr. Yin, don’t think too highly of yourself. The only man who has been anywhere with me overnight is my elder brother. I too haven’t been anywhere overnight with any man, and if I make it be known at college I need an assistant for a couple days, many will want to come and be more than happy to wine and dine me. I’ll have to consider very carefully, going with a man the first time to some wild forest terrain. Sounds very dangerous to me; furthermore, I’ve to prepare the meals….. No thanks, I don’t think I want to keep those girls waiting to die for your company. They are more than welcomed to go with you.”

“Zhen Shan Mei, you’re a rotten egg. You asked me to cook at the Flemington Market Day, did I refuse?”

“Hey, that’s so unfair. For your efforts, I put a thousand dollars in your pocket!”

“You see, wasn’t I right? You’re so calculating!”

“It isn’t that. There are no hotels around the parklands. Where would we sleep?”

“We bring our sleeping bags with us. There are many shepherds’ huts around. If you don’t have a sleeping bag, I’ll buy you the best from Campers’ Mart. Come on….” His tone was coaxing.

“I have to cook under such primitive conditions. Thank you very much but I think I’ll pass.”

“Just teasing you. I’ll do the cooking and the washing, everything, okay now?”

“We’ll see”, and walked off, but not before Xiang Zhe saw an interested sparkle in her mischievous eyes. He smiled to himself, his mind finally at ease.

Actually, he didn’t want to leave her on her own. He wouldn’t have an easy mind if he went down to Tasmania and she was alone in Melbourne. Many of her male customers at the Sunday Market were getting quite bold, some even dropping hints that they were keen to steady date her. He had, through contacts, arranged to be in Tasmania next Wednesday to go look at some old wood. He had received commissions from some serious collectors who were willing to pay top dollars for something crafted out of Old Boab or other rare wood indigenous to Australia. He couldn’t delay the trip further.
==

At the hotel in Launceston, Xiang Zhe and Shan Mei met up with the Aboriginal agent who managed to arrange transport in an old van. They were taken to an aboriginal settlement where the families took them to a very large open abandoned clearing where they had kept their hoard. Besides Gums and Boabs, they had Red Ironbacks and some very, very old Red Cedar. Seeing the size of the Boabs, Ziang Zhe wondered how they managed to get these stumps over to Tasmania assuming the Boabs were logged in Western Australia. They all looked good, all with interesting, unusual shapes and colours. If he bought from this settlement, there would be no need to go to Cradle Mountain. He could spend the next 2 days touring the island with Shan Mei.

This morning when their plane touched down at Launceston, she was all excited; she was going to experience another Australian adventure and the first time she had left the Australian mainland to visit one of its islands, since her arrival in Melbourne 2-1/2 years ago.

Xiang Zhe always felt Shan Mei had the golden touch. He decided to take a risk. Telling her he needed 2 or 3 tree stumps of the oldest and rarest kinds, he asked her to make a selection.

“Xiang Zhe, how can I? I don’t even know what is what. Look at these giant monstrosities, each one measuring at least 6’ across, that one over there look as if it’s at least 9’ across. I can’t even tell the difference between firewood and this wood that you’re handling so carefully. I don’t want you to take such a risk with me. These things, being so old and so huge, must cost a fortune.”

“Don’t worry. Use your instincts. Forget the pressure. Just close your eyes, use your hands to feel, your mind to see and your heart to talk. Concentrate when you feel, and talk lovingly to the wood. It will tell you whether it’s ready. I’ve seen one native doing it at Ayers when I was there with my master several years ago. Go ahead. I know you can do it.” He nudged her forward.

Xiang Zhe sat back and watched. The natives, too. They believed all objects of nature would return to its rightful owner. They were silently helping Shan Mei, by mumbling their prayers in their hearts. They were thinking this Asian man was clever, bringing a goddess to talk to the wood. “Only the best would be allowed to follow a goddess!”

After Shan Mei spent 10 minutes feeling around the first stump, having made a complete circle around it, she shook her head indicating she didn’t feel anything. She looked skeptical. The Chief of the settlement stopped her and brought over a basin of pure spring water for her to wash her hands. After which she continued with the next stump. She repeated this ritual, until she felt around the 7th stump and became highly excited. She beckoned to Xiang Zhe, shouting out to him she had felt something in her heart. Xiang Zhe immediately stood up, laughing with awe and exuberance, hardly able to believe what was really happening. When he first inspected the stumps, he had decided to take this one, it being the only very old Red Cedar. The imp could really communicate with nature? She chose the one that he wanted, without understanding anything about wood. After more than three hours of exhaustive feeling around the remaining 13 stumps, Shan Mei also selected No. 13 and 18.

The Chief and the members of the settlement came crowding round Shan Mei, and they wanted her to touch them, like some kind of blessing. Their agent told Xiang Zhe, by choosing No. 13 and No. 18 stumps, Shan Mei must had felt some strong affinity with them. These were a pair, and were the oldest and rarest Red Ironback in their possession. Only someone very special, very pure of heart and mind could feel it. Xiang Zhe was then introduced to the family who owned the pair of Red Ironback stumps.

To others, they wouldn’t sell, but to Shan Mei, they would, knowing the stumps had found their rightful owner. A final sale price was reached. Xiang Zhe took many photos of the 3 stumps with his digital camera. The Chief gave him a bottle of special medicinal oil, asking him to use the oil for burnishing the wood. Those stumps would give off a special lustre. Then they taught Xiang Zhe how to differentiate the male stump from the female stump. Only the natives held this secret knowledge.

In the van back to Launceston, Xiang Zhe couldn’t take his eyes off Shan Mei, as he contemplated on the question she had asked when they left the settlement. He was happy, she was interested enough to ask. She sounded genuinely interested in his work.

“What are you going to make out of those?”, she had asked as she turned her head back towards the clearing.

“Oh, I don’t know yet. These things are sacred, almost 300 years old; the English only first arrived in Australia 200 years ago. If I’m very careful with planning, the 3 stumps could last me a few good years, if I don’t sell off part of the wood to other sculptors. I’ll most probably leave them out in the open where I can eye them off while ideas evolve. Most of the pieces I select have a dominant form or feeling that dictates the final product. I guess if I look and feel at these long enough, the ideas will come.” He didn’t tell her but he already saw two abstract human forms in relief, a male and a female, curving into each other as they caressed tenderly, in that 300-year old Red Ironback stump when she was feeling around it back there.

“I wanted to buy the Boab. Didn’t you feel anything when you were feeling around it?”

“Which one was the Boab?” asked Shan Mei, looking at Xiang Zhe blankly.

“The big, round trunk with a hollow in the centre. It’s very rare for a Boab to reach that size and with such a well defined hollow.”

“Oh, that! To be truthful, I did feel and hear something. It told me it felt very sad, some thing or someone had died inside of it a very long, long time ago.” She turned her eyes to gaze at Xiang Zhe. Her eyes reflected a transitional pain.

“Oh!” was all Xiang Zhe could utter as he looked oddly at Shan Mei in surprise. Many years ago, he had heard some strange stories about Boabs from the aborigines who used to bushwalk all the way to the east from Western Australian and the Northern Territories, but hearing this from Shan Mei ????

Since the first time he saw her tending her vegetable plot, he knew she was someone special. He just didn’t realise she was this special. He was suddenly so overcome with an inexplicable sense of gratitude, that he took her hands and kissed the palms one after another. He could see the exhaustion she was feeling, took her into his arms, rested her head against his shoulder, and soothed his hand from her forehead over her head of hair with gentle strokes. Shan Mei was tired and soon dozed off, her head all tight with her talking almost half a day to 20 tree stumps. She had decided she was not going to do any cooking for Xiang Zhe during this trip, even though the hotel suite Xiang Zhe had booked was fully outfitted with a kitchenette. He made her come all this way and talk to the trees, he’d better do some work himself too.

Back in town, after Xiang Zhe dropped by the bank to arrange payment for the wood to the agent, they called on a shipping agent to arrange for shipment of the wood to Melbourne. Later on, when Shan Mei was told they need not go to the backwoods, she was excited and wanted to go nosing around every corner of beautiful Launceston. Early the next day, after they checked out of their hotel, Xiang Zhe rented a self-drive and drove them around, following directions shown on a city map they were given at Avis.

First, they toured the city of Launceston. After a satisfying lunch, they headed for Cataract Gorge located right in the city. They took a walk across Alexandra Suspension Bridge which hung precariously across the gorge. If wind conditions were gusty, the bridge would sometimes sway about in mid section. Shan Mei was frightened and Xiang Zhe took the chance to hold on tight to her hand, when they stopped midway on the suspended bridge to admire the incredible natural scenery on the rocky face cliff!

Next stop of call was the tea tree forests. Xiang Zhe plucked a leaf off one tree and crushed it in his hands. It emitted an aromatic scent, not found in commercial tea tree oil products. He put his palm toward Shan Mei’s nose so she could take a sniff. One sniff and she declared she wanted a tea tree sapling from their nursery.

They then moved on to Longford, and Brickdon Heritage Farm, a pleasant 40-minute drive out of the city. Xiang Zhe decided they would spend the night in one of Brickdon’s historical cottages. The one they were allocated was an old English-Tudor style quaint little cottage with thatched roof and chimney where a fire was blazing in the hearth, giving them a warm welcome. Shan Mei was enthralled, especially with the sumptuous English tea they were soon served. Brickdon’s brochures gave a brief description of Brickdon’s history, and some of the photos showed stretches and stretches of Brickdon’s famous apple orchards and strawberry farms. Visitors were encouraged to get up close and personal with the farm animals, especially one of its special ones, the Jerusalem donkey.

Early the next morning, Shan Mei was up and raring to go. After she had washed and changed, she peeped into the next room to see whether Xiang Zhe was up yet. The sleepy head was still snugly covered up and sound asleep. The poor man must be so tired!, Shan Mei thought, with the almost non-stop activities of the last two days. She decided to go out to check out the garden. To her delight when she opened the front door, she saw that a basket of big rosy Tasmanian apples and the morning’s newspapers had been left on the doorstep. She ran through the cottage and shouted for Xiang Zhe to wake up.

Xiang Zhe stirred and rubbed his sleepy eyes. “Inconsiderate imp!” he grumbled half asleep to himself. He was having such a pleasant dream of Shan Mei and himself walking hand-in-hand through Cataract Gorge, the trail of the gorge never seemed to end. They simply walked on and on. He just came to the part where Shan Mei had turned to him and told him she wanted to live in this beautiful, fairy-like land with him and never wanted to ever leave, and she was beginning to tell him that she wanted…..when the piercing voice of THAT girl broke into his reverie.

“Yes?” he turned over and sleepily cocked a half-opened eye at her.

“Look what I found on our doorstep this morning?” she exclaimed excitedly, showing him the basket of apples and the morning newspapers. “Here, take this,” and she tossed him the newspapers. Then, she walked out of the room. She quickly back-tracked her way to the room and popped her head round the door as Xiang Zhe was heaving himself out of bed. “Oh, by the way, breakfast is already waiting in the dining rectory of the main building, not the place where we were served dinner last night.” She gave him a sweet smile then disappeared again.

After breakfast, they visited a Brickdon apple orchard and nursery and bought apple saplings that Shan Mei wanted for her garden. She also wanted a few jars of freshly-made strawberry jam from their traditional jam-making factory. Xiang Zhe was only too happy to indulge her every whim, agreeing her excitement was infectious.

Seeing Xiang Zhe was so accommodating, Shan Mei didn’t mind scouting around a near-by Gum forest, because he wanted to check up some of the old trees growing there. He remembered being told one time that there were almost 100 different species of Gum trees. After all, ‘trees’ was the main reason for this trip. When they became tired, they rested and took tea in a shepherd’s hut. Some campers had left tins of tea and a fire camp in the hut. Xiang Zhe started the fire and made tea with fresh, cooling water from a stream running close by, the natural setting so tranquil and idyllic.

After that, they followed map directions to City Park, to lunch on the famous Tasmanian seafood: the freshest salmon and the most succulent oysters. His eyes rested on her as he sipped coffee from his cup, watching her check out the dainty little porcelain teacup that came with her pot of tea.

After a while, his eyes took on a faraway look as his mind transported him back his dream of this morning. He wondered what she was going to tell him that she wanted! [She wanted me to kiss her?] or [Did she want to kiss me?]. [Why did this little imp have to come and interrupt my dream at the most crucial moment?].

He was still caught up in his dreamy reverie, when he thought he clearly heard her calling out to him, “Xiang Zhe, I want….I want….”
He shook himself awake, pulled himself together and with full attention, looked at her.
[Yes! This time he would get his answer].

Her elbows were resting on the table, her hands cupping her angelic-looking face, her mouth spotting a dazzling smile as she hesitantly repeated, “Xiang Zhe, I want..erh..I want..” He seemed so oddly distant. Xiang Zhe immediately leaned forward across the table and with a gentle softness, asked her, “Yes? What is it that you want?”

Shan Mei’s face at once brightened up. “I want to go shop for fresh seafood! I can’t leave this island without taking some of their incredible fresh seafood with us back to Melbourne!” She raised a questioning brow at him, her eyes with a ‘Can we?’ plea.

He almost had to smother hysterical laughter that was about to escape from his throat. He ran his fingers through his wind-blown hair casually, stopped to scratch absent-mindedly at a spot atop his head, chiding himself silently for his runaway thoughts. What had he expected from this innocent babe? A ‘come-and-get-me hither’ look? For a brief second, he wasn’t able to utter a single word, except nod his head at her, his accompanying smile both soft and indulgent.

He drove her to the historic Port Arthur site. It was very windy. As they strolled along the beach hand-in-hand, Xiang Zhe told Shan Mei about the tragic mass murder of 35 people that occurred in Port Arthur in 1996. The murderer simply went berserk without any provocation, and shot randomly at tourists enjoying afternoon tea at a teahouse. Shan Mei tossed one final look around the beach and up toward the faraway green hills, then said, “Let’s go. This place gives me the creeps.”

On the drive to the airport, they stopped by a fishing village where Shan Mei could buy fresh seafood to take back to Melbourne. Seeing how happy Shan Mei was, Xiang Zhe became blissful too, and wished they could enjoy such bliss together every day. During their time in Tasmania, they had not even once sparred with one another.

When they boarded the plane back to Melbourne, Xiang Zhe helped Shan Mei take care of her precious cargo which was iced Styrofoam boxes of fresh salmon, fresh oysters, fresh abalone, fresh lobsters and fresh scallops.

Early Saturday morning, Bebe dropped by Shan Mei’s place to pick up some of the seafood that Shan Mei had set aside for her and her aunt. She stayed the whole morning and filled Shan Mei in with the latest bit of juicy gossip regarding one of their friends studying in another university caught making out in the university’s library with a young security guard just posted to her university by the security company. The whole episode was caught on CCTV. “Oh, no, you don’t say!!! And I’ve been away only 3 days.” Shan Mei’s eyes flew wide open in astonishment, and she shrieked with disgust, asking who could be so malicious when she was told copies of the CCTV were already circulating around town! Bebe nodded her head, looking just as disgusted.

For the entire weekend, Shan Mei prepared the fresh seafood in different ways: rich, creamy seafood soup; creamy seafood pasta; steamed scallops and braised lobster Chinese style; abalone and oyster porridge Korean style with kimchi. Xiang Zhe never realized Shan Mei could dish up such an amazing array of dishes and he was doubly impressed.
==

Xiang Zhe looked at his watch. It was almost 4 p.m. He turned to Shan Mei, “Let’s pack up, then go. It doesn’t seem like any more people will be dropping by the place.” Shan Mei didn’t argue as she began packing up her candles. She did feel a little tired with all the cooking yesterday. They left Collins Square early because Xiang Zhe wanted to make time to tidy up space in his back garden to put the precious tree stumps expected to arrive the following week from Tasmania.

Later that evening, when Shan Mei served the remaining seafood, as he ate, Xiang Zhe tried to figure the best way to cut up the Red Ironback to avoid wastage, because he wanted to sculpt part of the piece in the design he had envisioned. His attention was drawn back to the table when Shan Mei served him a bowl of seaweed soup, overflowing with scallops.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Shan Mei might be kidding herself that she was enjoying dinner with her ‘elder brother’ but Xiang Zhe wasn’t. To him, they looked like a happily married couple, especially with the pair of them using his specially crafted chopsticks. He had given her a pair made out of very old Rosewood and he had lovingly carved her name on it. His was made out of the same block of wood, except longer in length and it had his name carved on it, too. He matched these with a pair of specially crafted chopstick holders.

Initially, he had thought he would feel okay, if she got herself a job after her graduation and see a bit of the outside world before tying her down. But, the very idea of letting her loose in the city’s business district had become too worrisome a headache for him, unless she was committed to him in some way. He had decided, while they were in Tasmania, that when Shan Mei finished her final year exams in October or November, he would propose. He would then take her back to Korea to meet his family, he to meet hers.

His mouth hid a secret smile as he bit his lower lip when his mind again plunged into a train of ‘unmentionable’ thoughts.
==

Yin Xiang Zhe was the younger son of Yin How Im, the chairman of Wen Rong Property Development Corporation in Seoul, Korea. His elder brother, Yin Xiang Jie, was the CEO of the company. Both brothers sat on the Wen Rong Board of Directors.

Xiang Jie was older than Xiang Zhe by 6 years and doted on his younger brother like crazy ever since he was a baby.

Since young, Xiang Zhe had been plagued with a rare respiratory ailment that even E.N.T specialists were unable to prescribe an absolute cure. The respiratory attacks only came on when Xiang Zhe was kept cooped in confined spaces with air conditioning on. In view of Seoul’s population and traffic density, it was impossible to live in the city without air-con during the hot dusty summer months, and heating against the winter cold. Because of that, Elder Brother suggested that Xiang Zhe furthered his studies in Australia, and not in England, which was the parents’ first choice because they wanted Xiang Zhe to follow in his older brother’s footsteps.

Australia was a country blessed abundantly with lush rolling pastures and green open spaces, tree-covered hills, white sandy beaches and beautiful weather all year round. The fresher, cleaner climate of Queensland would be good for him.

Apart from this ‘health’ problem, Xiang Zhe seemed to be endowed with all the best things in life; privileged background that could buy him the best of anything in the world within reason; gorgeous, striking good looks, with a tall and healthy physique and charisma oozing out of every pore. About two scores of high society’s ambitious mamas in Seoul with daughters around his age were anxious to nab him as a son-in-law, but Yin Senior had politely refused all such marriage proposals on behalf of his younger son.

At university, Xiang Zhe took English in conjunction with studies for B.A in Business Management. He stayed on a year after his B.A. for post-graduate course. After he graduated, he returned to Seoul to take up a management position with Wen Rong.

One day, his father came to him saying he had met a girl who would make the perfect wife for him and wanted to arrange an introduction. Xiang Zhe baulked at the very idea. He insisted he was way too young to get married.

“So is the girl. You’ll have to wait at least 7 years before she’s ready. Her father wants her to finish university before marriage. I suggest Engagement for now, so no one goes to that family proposing marriage. She’s very sweet and quiet and knows how to behave like a properly brought-up girl from a good family. When she reaches dating age, both of you can date to give you two plenty of time to get to know one another.”

“Oh, no, not one of those brainless, painted dolls who only know how to walk and shop when you hand them a couple of credit cards and wind up the keys on their backs!” Xiang Zhe moaned. He wasn’t sure what kind of a wife he would want; but a quiet mouse, dull as mud, without a mind of her own and a face full of war-paint scurrying around him in the house was definitely his type ……NOT..!!!!! Xiang Zhe ran back to Australia and had been living around various parts of the country ever since, following the weather; living in Victoria in the South during the Summer months, moving along the eastern coastline up to Cape York in the north during Winter time.

When he met up with Kim Zian Da last May, his college mate, in Queensland, Zian Da suggested he settle down in Melbourne. He had a good little business going down there and wanted to sell it off to a friend for a negligible fee. Zian Da knew Xiang Zhe was doing very well with his wood sculptures after having followed some renowned master sculptors serving apprenticeship for several years.

Xiang Zhe liked the idea very much. This business would give him the kind of freedom he craved, a legitimate excuse to remain in Australia if his father asked, and he could indulge in his hobby. He had been too restricted in Seoul.

Money was not a worry for him. He owned a block of apartments in Seoul, a graduation present from his parents, yielding high rental income. His elder brother handled this property for him. Xiang Jie had supported his decision to return to Australia. The Australian weather was definitely good for his younger brother, because he looked so healthy and happy when he returned to Seoul after his graduation. He agreed with Xiang Zhe that he was too young to be tied down by commitment of any sort.

So far, he had managed to support himself comfortably without touching any of the money that was remitted regularly from Seoul, except using a bit of it when he bought the Melbourne house. His one-of-a-kind creations crafted from rare and old wood were much sought after by serious collectors of Australian heritage items.
==

After a light dinner one cold dismal evening at the end of June, Xiang Zhe slumped down miserably on the sofa in his den, deep wearisome frowns on his forehead and around his mouth, as he slowly dragged a cigarette from his mouth. His hooded eyes showed that his troubled mind was far, far away. Not only because he felt thoroughly miserable, and as if he had destroyed something very precious to him, but he was also very confused about his family commitment.

Over the past few nights, Xiang Zhe had been on the phone with his mother who wanted him to return to Seoul.

He was reluctant to leave. He didn’t want to leave Shan Mei alone in Melbourne. Shan Mei was an innocent babe who only saw the good in others.

Xiang Zhe had warned her of a group of newly-arrived Englishmen, living in the near-by Regent Furnished Apartments, who had shown great interest in her for the past few weeks. They bought a lot of candles from her. The past two Sundays, whenever they came by, they had bought her hot drinks to ward off the wintry cold. She had kindly accepted, but didn’t drink. At the end of the day, she would throw the drinks out.

Last Sunday when one of the men came by her stall with a hot Milo, which Shan Mei accepted with grateful thanks and an angelic smile, Xiang Zhe began complaining again about her smiles. She shouldn’t be smiling that way to strangers. She then tried to impress upon him they were not ‘strangers’, they were her customers. He fumed some more on hearing this. She made it sound as if she was some kind of club hostess having to keep her ‘customers’ happy with her smiles and pandering. He began to drop hints that she should give up her stall. Shan Mei became upset with him; according to him the safest place for her would be her house, being harassed by only one neighbour, instead of by several customers.

“What can they do to me when they come by to browse around the market? I’m not going anywhere with them. I’m not the sort of person who will accept dates freely from just anybody? And I also don’t have time to fool around with anybody. I’m too busy.”

“That’s what I mean! Your time can be gainfully employed somewhere else. Look here,” he said and picked up a few candles and showed them to Shan Mei, “many of these candles sell for as low as a dollar. I don’t understand why you bother setting up a stall here. The net income you gain won’t be even enough to cover your basic living expenses, I bet. If you’re so hard-up for money, it’s much easier to set up a BBQ stall at the big Market Day Fairs where at least 3,000 people turn up each time. Besides, the work is much easier, and you make much more money. I can always help you if you decide to sell food like that time at Flemington.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he deeply regretted them. He never intended to sound so crass and he couldn’t understand his sudden incensement at seeing that Englishman hanging around Shan Mei like a day-old puppy. Jealousy could really make a man behave stupidly, beyond rational, he thought. He wanted to apologise to her but his mind, at that time, was beyond sane reasoning.

Shan Mei’s face went pale with embarrassment and humiliation, but she held her head high trying not to lose her composure. She shrugged her shoulders loosely at him, then quickly turned away and walked off before he could see how he had hurt her, or the tears that had refused to be held at bay anymore. Xiang Zhe wanted to run after her, but he had to stay where he was to mind the stalls.

She ignored him for the rest of the day, and later that night, refused to have dinner with him when he suggested going to Chinatown’s Shanghainese Restaurant for noodles and dumplings knowing how much she loved the food the first time she took him there. He rushed home, after a quick bite at Hungry Jacks, to find that Shan Mei had not returned home. He worried his mind to tatters wondering where she was and, more importantly, with whom? He paced the floor so hard he almost bore holes into the wooden flooring, smoking up a storm at the same time. It was almost 11 when he heard her van driving through her front gate. It was only then that he eased up on his cigarettes, but he still felt an intense pressure in his chest and a throbbing ache in his heart that wouldn’t go away. What if Shan Mei never spoke to him again? That night, for the first time since he turned 12 years old, he cried himself to sleep.

He remembered that day very well when he was just one week short of his 12th birthday. The family was at the airport to send his elder brother off for further studies in England. He wanted to follow Xiang Jie to England too. Eventually, in spite of all his promises, his elder brother flew off on a big aeroplane leaving him behind. He was inconsolable. He had felt so abandoned, same way he was feeling now when Shan Mei refused to have dinner with him. Not only that, but after she finished packing up her stall and boxes, that Englishman who had been lolling by all afternoon offered to help push her trolley to her van, and she accepted! “I bet she’s doing this to spite me?” he had concluded at that time, but now he wasn’t so sure. He had to admit that Englishman was not only good looking, young and cultured; he had heard from one of the other stall owners that he was a successful investment banker recently transferred from Rainberg & Schneider’s head office in London to head one of its investment arms in Melbourne.

Since returning home on Sunday after Sunday Market, Shan Mei hadn’t once spoken to him. As was her usual practice, even if she didn’t have to cook the conditional daily 3 meals for him, she would sometimes leave out a pot of his favourite food for him in the backyard. These 3 evenings she had done neither.

And tomorrow he would be flying back to Seoul. He didn’t want to leave without letting her know, but was afraid to get a backlash of her temper. Since he would only be gone 3 days, he hoped when he returned, her temper would have cooled down. He really didn’t want to go. He would miss her so terribly. The past few days had been pure agony for him, not getting to hear her cheery, chirpy voice, her light and breezy laughter, taste her delicious food, and see her dazzling smiles. Suddenly he hated himself. What made him say something so reckless or behave so insensitively???!!!!

That was so unlike him!

Chapter 6

 

The next morning, Xiang Zhe emerged from his house, and was locking up his door when he heard a key turn in its lock from the house next door. He stepped out from his front porch, a satchel loosely slung on its straps over his shoulder, when he saw Shan Mei stepping out from hers, similarly attired in jeans, a thick pullover and a heavy overcoat.

‘Bleak’ was the only word to describe Shan Mei’s mood this morning as she turned from her front door to face a rush of wintry gust that did nothing for her expressionless face. She turned to give Xiang Zhe a brief, frosty glance when she heard his greeting.

“Good morning. Going somewhere so early?” Xiang Zhe asked her, wondering where she was going and with whom? He wouldn’t be in town to keep an eye on her. He knew she was having two weeks’ winter break from classes. Shan Mei ignored him and walked briskly ahead through her front gate, then closed it securely with her remote control after she had stepped through.

They were both standing in front of their houses on their street waiting for the taxi they had phoned for. Xiang Zhe wondered why Shan Mei was not driving her van. Shan Mei, on the other hand, was wondering the same of Xiang Zhe. From the anxious looks on their faces, it seemed they were running late for some place. One taxi finally came along. It was Shan Mei’s taxi.

“There is a major traffic accident down town. Very few taxis will be coming this way. How about you two share a taxi? Miss, where are you going to?”

“To the airport.”

“Hey, I am going to the airport too.”

“Okay kids, I don’t have all day; get in.”

Xiang Zhe opened the door to let Shan Mei in, then he followed in after her. In the back seat, they took opposite ends of the seat, ignoring one another, looking out through the windows. “International or Domestic?”, the taxi driver asked when he was nearing the airport.

“International Departure, please” they both answered at the same time.

Inside the Departure hall they made their way to the same Korean Airlines counter. Since both had no luggage to check in, they were directed to the ‘Priority Check-in’ counter. Without a word Xiang Zhe turned to Shan Mei and put out his hand, silently demanding to have her passport and air ticket. She couldn’t make a scene here; this was friendly country where everything was taken with a very casual attitude. Shan Mei hesitated a bit before handing over her ‘important’ papers. Lord, if she had to sit next to him for the entire flight, she would have to endure his constant nagging, most probably complaining of the handsome flight attendant who would be eyeing her with ‘evil intentions’ all the way from Melbourne to Seoul. She noticed there weren’t many passengers checking in at the counters. She would most probably be able to find some empty seats on the plane to escape to.

After check-in, Xiang Zhe returned Shan Mei’s passport, air ticket and boarding pass to her. “Was that where you went 3 weeks ago? Out celebrating your birthday? It must have been a pretty good party, seeing you only came home almost at one. You didn’t see fit to invite me along?” When she didn’t give him an answer or her usual sweet smile but walked stiffly ahead towards the Departure Gate and Immigration, he decided to keep quiet. She was fuming silently. Mr. Nosy was at it again. He must have peeked inside her passport to check on her personal details.

After take off, Xiang Zhe began reading a magazine once he had settled himself down comfortably. Shan Mei went around looking for unoccupied 3- or 4-in-a-row empty seats.

After a satisfying lunch, Shan Mei settled down nicely and was about to sleep when Xiang Zhe found her. He sat down next to her.

“The lunch okay with you?” She smiled and thanked him, as if the lunch had been prepared and served by him.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were returning to Seoul?” He looked at her face for some clue when he put forward the question.

“Last minute decision. My mother insisted I return for at least a week’s visit, otherwise Pa wouldn’t allow me to stay in Melbourne any longer. What about you?”

“Almost the same reason. My mother was complaining I was not a filial son. She had not seen me for a long time. I only agreed to return if I could fly back to Melbourne day after tomorrow. So you’re going to remain a week in Seoul?” She didn’t want to carry the conversation any further, so she pretended not to have heard his question.

Xiang Zhe didn’t move from his seat now that the ice had been broken. Shan Mei looked unsettled. She couldn’t sleep, with him sitting right next to her! The seats they were occupying were way back at the end of the cabin, the nearest passenger was about 5 rows away ahead. Xiang Zhe thought this was private enough and wanted to offload to her some of the feelings in his heart. Even if she didn’t like to hear, she wouldn’t be able to run off, like how she normally behaved back in their Melbourne houses.

He kept biting at the finger he had hooked between his front teeth as he nervously wondered how he should start. He had so many things to say to her. She was not helping, with her stiff back, her silent non-communicative attitude. He bent slightly to steal a glance at her, trying to gauge her approachability. He shook his head in bemusement. The little Miss had gone to sleep. He beckoned to a stewardess, asking for two blankets. Very gently he pillowed her head against his shoulder within his warm embrace. He placed the blankets over them; after a while he too fell soundly asleep. A blissful smile was on his face, with Shan Mei in his arms. Since Sunday, it had been a harrowing time for him, privative of sleep and peace.
==

Seoul, at the Zhen’s residence.
Zhen Senior and his wife were sitting around their living room, trying to impress upon Shan Mei about the marriage contract that was arranged so many long years ago. Since she stepped into the house, her parents had been going over and over the same arrangement and were trying to coax their spoilt daughter in going for the all-important initial ‘introduction’ lunch.

“Pa, doesn’t my happiness mean anything to you? How can you marry your daughter off to some stranger, just because his father is the Chairman of this big property development company and you have been cooperating together on several projects for the past twelve years?” She had cuddled up to him on the sofa and was playing around his soft heart, her fingers running up and down and across his nape.

“Princess, he’s not ‘stranger’. The match was proposed 10 years ago. Seeing you were so young and not ready, we kept putting off the meeting. We can’t put it off anymore. The boy is now 32 years old and time to get married and start a family.”

“I’m not going!”

“You have met someone you like?”

“Yes, and I’m going to marry him and no one else. If you insist I go to this lunch, I will but I won’t talk to this boy. I’ll ignore him completely.” She sounded adamant.

“That’s good, Princess! Then, at least we can let them know you’re not interested, and we can back out graciously without embarrassing anyone. But after that, you promise to take me back to Melbourne with you and introduce this boy to me?”

Without committing to anything, Shan Mei gave her father a light kiss on his cheek, and pulled herself from the sofa, telling him it was time for her beauty sleep, a secretive smile playing around her lips.

Husband and wife exchanged meaningful looks. “Honey, in this case, it is better not to let the others know Shan Mei has been staying in Australia these past 3 years. You know how the older generation is, always assuming our youngsters living overseas are now too liberal in outlook, acting wild and uninhibited with no respect for traditional family values.”
==

Seoul, at the Yins’ Residence.
Yin Senior was quietly smoking his pipe in his favourite armchair in one corner of his private study, pretending to concentrate on the day’s newspapers.

At the other end of the room, seated on a leather chesterfield, his wife had been patiently trying for the past half hour to coax their younger son to go for tomorrow’s ‘arranged’ luncheon. Xiang Zhe’s face was unyielding and hard as he refused each time before his mother could even finish her sentence. Finally, he threw up his arms and forlornly reminded his mother, “Even the Crown Prince of Japan stood firm and accepted no others but his own choice as his bride. Who am I? I’m only a normal citizen from this humble household, who should be given more freedom in deciding his future and who has every right to follow his heart’s desire!”

“Son, please humour your mother. If we call off the meeting, your father will lose face. It was your father who proposed the match 10 years ago claiming the girl would make the perfect wife for you after meeting her the first time in her father’s office. During this period, he had refused to consider any of the marriage proposals that came in from other families wanting to contract marriage with you for their daughters.”

“How many times have I to tell you I’ve met my perfect match? Once she agrees to be my wife, I’ll bring her home to see you.”

“Son, you want your mother to kneel before you?”

“Mum, stop talking nonsense. Ok, I’ll go, but it won’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean I’m agreeing to anything, and I don’t want anyone to go with us. After the meeting you can tell Father I’m not interested,” then he stormed angrily out of the room, making sure his father heard the last part of the ‘mother-and-son’ conversation.

Husband and wife exchanged helpless looks. Husband cleared his throat and addressed his wife, “In this case, at tomorrow’s lunch, we won’t mention anything about our son living in Australia all this time. They will most certainly assume that he has become a womanizer, not reliable potential son-in-law material; or is an alcoholic or a druggie. In this permissive age living in the West, anything goes, right?”
==

Zhen family and Yin family arrived at the very exclusive Imperial Bee Won Restaurant. This place, occupying extensive grounds, was famous for its beautiful, traditionally landscaped Korean gardens complete with running streams and rockeries. Very old pine, cypress, maple, bamboo and paulownia trees in full bloom had been aesthetically planted all over the grounds to give maximum visual impact. The restaurant building was furnished throughout with Korean imperial theme from the last dynasty and was much favoured for marriage introduction meetings because many happily married couples had claimed it was an auspicious venue.

Xiang Zhe was shocked into muted stillness. The girl to be introduced to him was Shan Mei. At first he didn’t recognise her. All he ever saw her wear were T-shirts, jeans and sneakers. During winter she simply added a thickly padded parka. This morning she was dressed in a soft aqua blue chiffon frock with full skirt, something he recognised as Dior from the glossy magazine he flipped through on the plane. Her handbag and shoes were also from Dior. Her face had on a bare trace of make-up; her hair was slightly curled and left loose around her face, held back from her temples by two tortoise shell clips. It was obvious she had had her hair trimmed and styled only this morning, because the hair now fell only slightly below her shoulders. In Melbourne, her hair was way longer and she always bunched it into a pony tail then twisted up into a knot. Around her graceful neck she wore a simple strand of perfect seed pearls of outstanding lustre. She looked so sweetly and demurely beautiful.

As soon as Shan Mei’s eyes met Xiang Zhe’s, she got the shock of her life. She didn’t realize it was him at first; but she recognised his eyes and his smile. She had always been interested in his eyes, the expression in them. It was as if his eyes hid secrets that he told no one.

Back in Melbourne, he was always in his loose denim overalls, T-shirts and heavy-duty work boots; naturally she wouldn’t be able to recognise him in anything else. The only concession to his normal ‘uniform’ was having a long sleeve pullover on under his overalls during winter. During the winter nights after market day, he would have on an over-sized padded parka.

And when he was ‘working’, he always wore a thin gauze mask covering half his face. When he was working with his disc sander, he also had on a pair of industrial goggles. During such times, whenever they talked, he would unhook one loop from his ear, leaving the mask dangling from the other ear. She used to grin whenever they were talking and Xiang Zhe could never fathom the reason, always accusing her of getting up to no good, especially when she brought over some sushi rolls. He never realised she was addressing him as Dr. Yin silently in her mind, he reminding her so much of her dentist in ‘action’ with his drill. In instances like these, he would prod and poke carefully at the sushi to make sure there were no ‘undesirable elements’ in her food. If it was meat puff, he would ask her to first take a bite, after which he would take the remaining portion from her.

This morning, the man standing next to his parents, was the image of every woman’s secret dream. Tall, broad shouldered, and long legged, dressed in an expensive, perfectly tailored Armani charcoal grey pin-striped summer suit, matched with fine cotton white shirt and a grey silk tie dotted with red diamond-shaped specks, his hair all gelled and combed back; he was courteous, smiling, and polite, and he looked like something out of a smart men’s magazine. No doubt about it, he was one handsome devil! He could surely stop a heart or two. Nothing at all like the gentle, boyish giant she was so used to seeing and had grown to love, with his somewhat-longish hair falling loosely all over his head and forehead, a silly lop-sided grin on his face, forever holding a piece of wood in his hands.

Now that she had been given the chance to enjoy her freedom, she understood why he gave up his 3-pc suit and a 9 to 5 desk job, no matter how glamorous, for life out in the open greens and a carpenter’s overalls. She had seen him on several occasions, plucking figs or peaches from her trees, and lying down on a grassy patch munching on the fruits while flipping through the magazines which had arrived in his post, so content with life and his little world – his workshop.

Xiang Zhe bit hard on his lip, struggling desperately to hold down an irrepressible, excited grin as he followed up behind the Zhens and his parents, his hands in his trouser pockets, his eyes steadfastly on Shan Mei, as a receptionist led them to a private room in the dining hall.

The faint scent of rose swirled around her and the soft folds of her skirt swayed gently with the rhythm of her hips as she walked gracefully ahead. He was surprised she could still manage to walk in those dangerously-looking 3” heels, when she wore no other type of shoes except sneakers in Melbourne. He’d never seen this soft, womanly side of her before and the difference was very unsettling to his senses. “Grace and elegance” was all that his mind flashed as he quietly sized up her tall, elegant carriage. She had class and it stuck out all over her, from her shiny black hair, to her soft limpid eyes and creamy complexion.

Before they sat down around the table, formal introductions were made. They kept quiet and only acknowledged one another’s presence with polite nods. Xiang Zhe gave her a wicked smile and a wink when the seniors were busy looking at and discussing the menu. He wanted so badly to kick her in her leg under the table, but was afraid she would squeal out a protest. How to get her attention? After a while, he became frustrated so he gave up trying. The girl was sitting there being quiet and acting dumb. If she continued like this, with an expressionless face, her parents would assume she was not interested in him. He became anxious. His eyes were darting from side to side as he concentrated on a spot on the snowy table cloth, trying to think of some way to get her attention.

At the dining table, Xiang Zhe couldn’t help chuckling inside himself. Here was Shan Mei at the table, her father treating her like some delicate porcelain doll. He wouldn’t dream of having his princess pick food for herself. Even lifting up a pair of chopsticks to pick out the food was considered too strenuous a task for her. He did everything for her.

Xiang Zhe’s mind went to Shan Mei back in Melbourne. She hauled her trolley with her candle boxes around, loading them into her van, unloading them at the Sunday Market, carting her big rubbish bin out to the front of her house every Wednesday evening, then carting it back into her yard every Thursday morning. When he offered to help, she had stubbornly refused. Hosing down her van every Saturday evening, until he couldn’t stand to see her out on her driveway, her tee-shirt all wet with water with every chance of catching a cold, that he insisted on washing her van for her. She swept her garden of dried leaves every morning. She cleaned around her house all the time, keeping it spick and span. He was aware of her laundry routine: daily laundry of personal clothing, bed linen every 3 days, leaving Sunday free for her market day. Cooking, washing and studying.

During this past year, he couldn’t recall the number of times she had touched his heart when he saw her lifting the hem of her apron and dabbing the drops of perspiration from her brow when she worked at her vegetable plot! She was a soft and gentle bundle of a girl. She shouldn’t be working so hard. But he supposed it was the choice she’d made for herself. He never heard her complain about anything except his bad attitude.

Suddenly, the vision became too much for him to bear. Tears began to smart at the back of his eyes. His respect for her grew in immeasurable stature. The way she was living in Melbourne, no one could have guessed she came from moneyed background, and had never done a chore around her house in her life, not even something as simple as picking up her clothes after herself from the floor.

He cursed himself, for making her life such a trial at the outset of their friendship.
==

Xiang Zhe was leaning against the wall, his long, expensive-leather booted legs crossed at the ankles, one hand in his trouser pocket. His other hand was nervously holding a cigarette, glancing occasionally at the door to the Ladies Rest Room with impatient frowns on his forehead.

“What’s taking her so long?” he muttered under his smoky breath. He had followed her out when she excused herself from their table saying she had to visit the restroom.

The door opened, Shan Mei walked out. She didn’t notice Xiang Zhe leaning against the nearby wall.

As she made her way back to the dining room, someone called out to her

“Hey! Hey, hey, not so fast.” She turned around; Xiang Zhe was just crushing out his half finished cigarette into the floor-standing ashtray.

“Hey, little Miss, what game were you trying to play back there at the table?”

Shan Mei ignored him and turned away. She was about to make her way back to the dining room, when Xiang Zhe cursed slightly under his breath, then pulled her by her hand along the narrow hallway, out through a side door, to a quiet shady spot under a tree in the central courtyard.

Standing there, he stared fixedly at her for a few minutes, deep frowns appearing between his brows. He didn’t say anything, one hand in his trouser pocket, one hand now plucking at the bridge of his nose. He heaved a heavy sigh, as he turned his eyes to look down at the ground.

Finally, he raised his eyes to her face again, and took a tendril of her wind-blown hair and played with it in his fingers. After he let go of her hair, he ran a hand over the back of his neck and down along the line of his jaw, frowning as if having difficulty in putting some thoughts into words. He managed to find his voice at last, breaking the tense silence.

“Afraid of me, Shan Mei?”, he asked lazily.

“Of course not!” she replied, trying to sound convincing.

“I didn’t know what to think? You haven’t looked at me in the face, not even once since we sat down at the table. You were always so sassy, and never used to be afraid.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Xiang Zhe. I was never afraid of you then; why would I now be?” But her voice sounded shaky.

“Maybe because you’ve always considered me a sexless creature safely and conveniently swept under the general term ‘Neighbour’,” he said very softy. “But…., maybe….., now you’re afraid of yourself, having discovered I’m a man; a man ready for marriage. That’s something you seem to have overlooked for a long, long time. I’m a man; a man with all the usual needs of a m..a..n..” he added with quiet yet provocative challenge.

His heart was beating wildly, wondering how much she was taking in. He took out a cigarette, began to light it, changed his mind and put it away.

Shan Mei, standing there, looked big-eyed and dauntingly innocent, just as she did the first time he saw her when he set up his stall at Collins Square Sunday market. Only this time, she remained silent; not like the first time, face all red and eyes flashing sparks.

“You don’t want to marry me?” he asked softly, again looking into her eyes, his own dark eyes narrowing.

Shan Mei was flustered, standing so near to his overpowering presence; she remembered his overpowering manly scent after a day’s work at his lathe, his overpowering thirst when he slumped down at her kitchen table, guzzling down ice cold lemon tea from her fridge, and his overpowering appetite when he chomped down everything that she had ever cooked.

He was standing so close, one arm against the tree trunk, his eyes all dark and questioning. Shan Mei hung down her head, her eyes looking at her shoes. He put a finger under her chin, and slowly pushed her face up to look directly into his eyes.

“Well?”

“Erh…erh” was all she could manage and tried to look away. He wouldn’t let her. He caught her chin between his strong fingers and forced her to look directly at him. His features became softer, his eyes were still inscrutable.

“You have no feelings for me?”, his voice was again soft and dangerously persuasive.
“You don’t like me?” The possible truth in that simple question suddenly galled him.

“Erh…erh…I, .. I..”

“You what? You care for me? You don’t care for me?” He became impatient for answers. “I thought we’re getting along rather well down in Melbourne.”

Shan Mei pulled his fingers away.

“Erh, I… I… ”, her eyes big and …. unsure

“I knew it! You’ve given your heart to someone else. It’s that Adam fellow from that nursery, right?”

Shan Mei shook her head, biting at her lower lip.

“No? Why is he then bringing potted plants to your house every month? Changing the pots around without charging you a cent?”

“I took care of his dog when he and his wife went to England to visit his parents for six months.”

“What about that big Christmas tree he gave you last Christmas?”

“I always gift his wife cute candles, the kinds that she likes collecting.”

“How come you never ever gift me candles, not even once?” he spat out harshly.

“Yin Xiang Zhe, have you forgotten? You always complain the smoke from the candles makes you sick. I don’t want you to get sick. I hide my candles every time you come over to my place.” She tried to shrug off her edginess, wondering why he liked talking sometimes one way, but he actually meant something else.

He was losing his patience. This girl had answers for everything. Then his mind flew at once to Otto.

“Then it’s that handsome Hungarian fellow who comes by every other month to clean your drains, roof and garden, right? Going the extra mile every time, cutting the overgrown branches off your trees, doing the odd repair here and there, trying his damn best to make you happy, and you, serving him cookies and coffee. I told you, these guys all have ulterior motives, didn’t I?”

Shan Mei squared her shoulders, cleared her dry throat and looked him straight in his eyes, “You have a girlfriend already, right?”

“You??!!” Xiang Zhe wanted to kiss her hard to take that pout into his mouth. “You should have a pretty good idea who that girl is by now. Always acting so smart, now suddenly playing so dumb?” He shook his head, exasperated by her, and gave out a mirthless chuckle.

“Is she the calculating, petty-minded girl you have no liking for?”

“Yes. One and the same.”

“I don’t like sharing in this kind of situation.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head on that score. She herself has told me she’s immune to my charms the very first time we met.” And he laughed wickedly in a teasing way at her.

She pommelled her fists at his arms, chiding him for always talking in riddles. No one understood his real meaning. He washed his face with his big hand, looking at her in a frustrating way.

“What about you, always acting so slow? Everything has to written out in black and white before you get the meaning. Like, sitting inside there at the table expressionless, acting like you weren’t interested in me?”

“No, it’s not that. Last night I told my parents there’s someone already. How can I now tell them I agree to the engagement?”

“Last night you didn’t know it was me you were going to meet. This morning you knew yet you didn’t see fit to change your tactical play? You simply sat there, looking dumb, and keeping quiet, with no interest at all in me. Your parents caught onto your message loud and clear that you didn’t fancy me even one tiny bit. Your mother was sitting there so embarrassed, not knowing how to back out. Now you go back in there, and make sure she gets your message that you are interested, VERY interested. If no date is set for our engagement, no one gets to leave that table!”


After he blasted out his little speech, his face softened. This time there was tenderness; there was love.

“Shan Mei, don’t you know I have very strong feelings for you? Can’t you feel we belong together? I too have told my mother that I have found someone in Australia, and I was simply humouring her by coming to the introduction meeting this morning.”

“If you have feelings for me, why are you always trying to steal my space at the Sunday market?”

“Steal your space?!!!” His big eyes looked incredulous. “I was trying to show those guys we’re together so they keep away. If only you notice the hungry way they were always gawking at you!”

“What about stealing my lunch and my drink most of the time, letting me go hungry most afternoons, knowing I won’t have time to go buy snacks and drinks?”

Xiang Zhe covered his mouth with his fingers as he gave her a sheepish grin. “Who ask you to make such delicious sushi and cooling ice lemon tea? I was hoping you’d offer to make extra portions for me, but you never caught on, or you were trying to play stupid. I was also hoping you’d ask me to help mind your stall while you went for snacks. It would seem like we were partners.”

“What about blocking my van every market day, so I can’t leave before you?”

“I wanted to help you load your cartons. After that, maybe we could go for dinner together. I wanted us to go to the market in one van. Who knows you got such a fiery temper, no sense of humour at all?”

“And always shouting across the backyard wall that the smoke from my candles was making you sick. Was I sure nothing had caught fire?”

“I was worried the smoke from your candles will affect your lungs. And I was worried about candles in your house all lit up. What if you sleep so soundly, what if something caught fire while you were asleep, how am I going to break in to your house to rescue you, you know? I couldn’t sleep most nights worrying about you.”

“And always complaining about the curry smell coming from my house, calling me Indian?”

“Hey, don’t take everything so literally. I thought you had forgotten I live next door. Just trying to remind you I’m still alive, waiting for you to share your meal. Prof. Peter told me when I was there to look over his place about the charming girl living next door, so kind and generous sharing her dinners with him, knowing he never went out for meals. I was waiting for you to share.”

He pulled her gently into his arms, burying his face into her hair, inhaling her fragrance, his lips trailing soft feathery kisses along one side of her face until they reach her eyes.

“You silly little girl! How are you going to be the mother of my children, if you don’t even know how to handle me? I’m just like that naughty boy continuously causing mischief. Why? Because I wanted attention! Boy, was I craving for attention from you? But, you chose to ignore me.”

He lifted her chin again. This time, his eyes shone with love and tenderness. He dipped his head, and placed his mouth over her luscious lips. Very gently, he caressed her lips, and tasted her sweetness. “Shan Mei, please don’t reject me. Have you forgotten how I made those beautiful wooden trays for you to hold your candles? How I helped you with your vegetable plot? Have you forgotten how I risk my life to clean your blocked roof gutters for you so there was no need to get that Hungarian guy? Have you forgotten how I wash your van every Saturday evening before you drive off to the Sunday Market? Have you forgotten how I almost went crazy when you didn’t return home one night after Sunday Market? Have you forgotten how much we enjoyed ourselves in Tasmania?” He leaned his forehead against hers with a weary sigh. He almost sobbed into her ear, “I tried so hard to make you care.”

“I know, and you succeeded with flying colours!”

He at once put her away from his embrace and looked at her with doubting eyes. He couldn’t decide where he wanted her and drew her back into his arms. “Shan Mei, look at me. Is it true? Are you telling me you care too? If this is so, I want to wring your neck for throwing me into this turmoil, all this time.” At last, when she did look at him, he was grinning with an expression of delight on his face such as she’d never seen before. She smiled too and dropped her head, trying to hide her blushing face.

His twinkling eyes promised her retribution later. “Now, go tell your parents I’m the one you want.”

As he lifted her head again, he laid a finger on her bottom lip, softly massaging its fullness between his thumb and finger. Her eyes were dazed and unbelieving, all of a sudden shy at his earlier verbal reminder that he was a man.

Xiang Zhe, feeling her hesitation, quickly added another assurance.

“Shan Mei, I’m crazy for you. You’re the sexiest, most adorable, intelligent, infuriating and exasperating creature I know. I’ve never ever felt like this for a woman. Sometimes you make me so furious I could strangle you, but at other times, I’ve wanted to hold you as I’m doing now and feel your soft body curving into mine.”

He couldn’t bear to let go of her but they had been away from the table long enough. Very reluctantly he released her and gently pushed her back into the restaurant building through the side door. He called after her, “And make sure you pull your chair closer to mine. I can’t bear to see you sitting so far away, with your cold and stony stare.” He indicated with his head, for her to return to the table first, he would make his way back after her.

He needed a cigarette to calm his nerves. He needed to relieve the tension that had his stomach churning in tight knots, from the time he found Shan Mei ignoring him at the dining table, without even giving away the slightest hint of recognition.

For a moment in there, he thought he was losing her.

 

 

Chapter 7 (Final)

 

All the main courses of the meal had been served. The two families were taking dessert and coffee. Zhen Senior cleared his throat. He looked at his wife for some telling sign, but his wife was looking just as blank as he was. What was the matter with their daughter this afternoon after lunch? Last night she was adamant she wasn’t agreeable to the arranged engagement; she was going to ignore the boy completely and not even bother to make polite conversation, if they insisted she kept the luncheon appointment. After a few minutes away from the table, she came back a different person, suddenly with a change of her mind. She was exchanging smiles and some light conversation with the boy. The boy was happily adding rejoinders and more of his own.

 

“Brother Yin, the two kids seem to accept one another. Maybe we suggest they date a while, and see how things go. If all goes well, then we choose a date for the official engagement.”

 

Xiang Zhe looked up from the sweet bean soup he was pretending to be taking. He glanced over at Shan Mei, then looked at his father, when he said, “Don’t need time for dating.”

 

His mother looked at him, then at Shan Mei sitting demurely across the table, then back to her son. “You mean you agree to have engagement?” she asked tepidly, thinking she might have heard wrong. Xiang Zhe nodded his head and gave Shan Mei a tender smile.

 

Yin Senior looked at Zhen Senior dubiously. When not even a tiny sound of protest came from Miss Zhen, the seniors continued talking, trying to agree on an auspicious date for the engagement. Two months away? Three months away? Xiang Zhe again voiced his preference. “In a week.”

 

His mother looked at him in stunned silence. Just last night, he had kicked up such a big fuss, not wanting to attend today’s meeting. He had already found his perfect match in Australia, even bringing the Crown Prince of Japan into the conversation for no apparent reason except to prove a point. He had argued very convincingly that his elder brother had two sons, so there was no pressure for him to marry in a hurry to carry on the family line. And here he was sitting at the table, and couldn’t wait to get engaged!!!???

 

Mr. Yin immediately agreed with his son. “There’s really no need to drag the matter any longer. The engagement would be held within a week,” he announced with finality.

 

“What about the wedding, Brother Zhen?” Mr. Yin then looked toward Mr. and Mrs. Zhen for their opinion.

 

Xiang Zhe again made the decision, “A month after the engagement.” His father looked closely at him, suspecting something was very, very amiss. Last night he heard his argument with his mother.

 

“Are you sure, son? You understand, we have to choose an auspicious date and this may take longer than a month.”

 

“I’ve waited long enough. I see no point in waiting any longer. Choose any auspicious date within the month. Shan Mei and I don’t want any fanfare. Something very simple for family members only. I couldn’t be bothered to entertain friends.”

 

All four seniors looked at him, completely knocked off. All of this morning at the table, he had kept quiet although he did look at the girl a few times. At times, he appeared agitated and impatient, as if he couldn’t wait for the luncheon to end so he could leave. Now suddenly, the name Shan Mei flowed so smoothly and naturally out of his mouth, as if he had been calling it out over a long time. When the introductions were made, his mother noticed he didn’t pay much attention, how come he was now so comfortable with the name ‘Shan Mei’?

 

Mr. Zhen Gui Cheng was about to say something, when Yin Senior put his foot down. “No, this cannot be done. Shan Mei is the only daughter of Brother Zhen and the apple of his eye. We simply can’t rush this. We have to plan this properly. We have to throw a big banquet.”

 

Yin Senior was right. Shan Mei was the apple of her parents’ eyes. BUT, they wouldn’t want to do anything against her wishes. After all, the wedding was her affair, not theirs. They only wanted her happiness. Zhen Senior looked for guidance from his daughter. “Precious, what do you think?” His daughter gave him a shy look and was about to give him an answer when Xiang Zhe startled Shan Mei by giving the ring finger of her hand under the table a ‘be-careful-with-your-answer’ pinch. She glanced briefly at Xiang Zhe, and she told her father, “Whatever Xiang Zhe decides will be fine with me.” He released an inaudible sigh of relief. After that, he began to massage the finger he had just pinched with soft, gentle strokes.

 

‘Xiang Zhe?’ Her mother knew something must have happened. Last night ‘he’ was ‘some stranger’. She was going to get to the root of this matter as soon as they reached home. When the party was ready to leave, Zhen Senior confirmed they would consult for the most auspicious dates for the engagement and then the wedding, both sets of parents very happy with the joyful outcome of this first ‘introduction’ meeting, the result of which was so unexpected.

 

As a matter of fact, the one person most ecstatic and surprised at the outcome of the meeting was Xiang Zhe; so ecstatically joyful he felt as if wings had sprouted on his back and on his feet, as he floated weightlessly among the clouds on 7th Heaven! Yesterday, Shan Mei was still ignoring him; on the plane he wanted to let her know how he felt but never got around to it. He thought he would catch up with her in the Arrival Hall, but as soon as they emerged from Customs, he saw Shan Mei flying into the arms of a young, handsome man, round about his own age, who appeared to have waited impatiently for her. They were laughing and hugging and he was kissing her almost non-stop on the tip of her nose, her cheeks, her forehead, her hair as they moved along. Xiang Zhe was gripped with instant jealousy, and had promised he would give the man a taste of his fist if he kissed Shan Mei on her lips.

 

Today, the Gods showered their great benevolence upon him and opened the gates to heaven, waving him a welcome mat “Welcome to the Land of Marriage Bliss.” In a week, they would be engaged. A month after that they would be married. The fact that all this was so speedily agreed upon was still too fantastic and unbelievable for him to digest properly, and he couldn’t stop torrents of excitement gushing throughout his entire body.

 

Xiang Zhe pushed his chair back and started to rise from the table. When he noticed Shan Mei was about to rise too, he pulled out her chair and held it for her. She was quiet and calm, not saying anything but a ‘thank you’ and smiled demurely at him. He didn’t care who saw them as he took her hand tightly into his and led her happily out to the car park to his family’s BMW sedan. The seniors following behind were so flabbergasted that they just stood at the front of the restaurant, opening and closing their mouths like fishes out of water. Xiang Zhe turned to Zhen Senior, smiling somewhat apologetically, “Uncle Zhen, can I trouble you to drop my parents home? Thank you.”

 

Mrs. Yin was about to ask her son where they were off to when her husband forestalled her. “Dad, we’re going on a date.” To Shan Mei, he simply whispered softly into her ear, “Finally, a real date!”, and they laughed softly together as Xiang Zhe whispered some private joke into her ear. He turned to his mother, informing her he wouldn’t be home for dinner that evening.

 

Zhen Senior hurried down the front steps of the restaurant toward Xiang Zhe’s car. He eyed his daughter anxiously, wondering what had happened to the boy his daughter had left in Australia. “Princess, are you going to be alright?” Shan Mei smiled and looked up toward Xiang Zhe, who quickly assured Zhen Senior Shan Mei couldn’t be safer with him. After he eased himself into the driver’s seat, he gave Shan Mei a lingering kiss on her lips and told her they would first drop by Seoul’s most exclusive jeweler to shop for rings.

 

The seniors watching from the front steps saw the kiss; each couple turned to stare at their spouse, their mouths gaped wide open. Mrs. Zhen and Mrs. Yin were ready to faint. Zhen Senior looked confused and worried, while Yin Senior chuckled softly, his eyes following the BMW as it purred out of the car park. He shook his head slightly as he good-naturedly chided at the audacity of his younger son, “You rascal! I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist her once you met her! Have met your perfect match! Bah, you humbug. I knew last night you were spinning your mother another story so as not to attend the luncheon meeting.” He looked at his wife from under his lashes, well satisfied with himself for his good work.

 

Now, his next important task was to prepare a worthy wedding present for the young couple, the present he had planned for 6 years: a luxurious 10-storied block of apartments, 2 apartments on each floor with a penthouse occupying the entire 10th floor, built on its own independent plot of beautifully landscaped grounds with its own clubhouse and swimming pool and gym in the newer, exclusive Gangnum area. These apartments would bring in high rental income for the kids. Already Wen Rong had received many enquiries asking when the apartments would be ready for leasing when the project was completed a year ago. Yin Senior wanted the couple to keep the penthouse for themselves. He would get his ID people to furnish up the penthouse immediately, ready for them to move in, in a month’s time.

 

A week after the introduction lunch, was engagement lunch. Twenty eight days later would be the wedding ceremony.

 

Immediate family members and their very dear friends met up for lunch, at the same restaurant, where Xiang Zhe and Shan Mei formally exchanged engagement rings. Immediately after the ring-exchanging ceremony, he grabbed her and kissed her hard. It was a long, passionate kiss. How he had longed to do this ever since the morning she came home after Soo-yin’s farewell party, and he had been, at home, distraught with worry all night. Then, everything went from being quiet and intense to really boisterous with excitement. Shan Mei was shy but smiling. Xiang Zhe was ecstatic and couldn’t be happier. Everybody broke into party mood. His little nephews ran crowding around him and wouldn’t let him off. The seniors, on seeing this, broke out into broad grins. “This is indeed a good sign. Shan Mei and Xiang Zhe’s union will surely be blessed with many children.” Xiang Zhe looked on with indulgence and tenderness at his bride-to-be, while Shan Mei’s face had gone crimson. “Two enough for us,” pronounced the happy groom-to-be.

 

During the engagement lunch, Xiang Zhe was very solicitous toward Shan Mei, holding her chair for her every time she had to go somewhere, picking food and serving her. When Shan Mei was back in her seat, his arm would rest on the back rest of her chair. When she sometimes leaned a little bit toward him, he would automatically wrap an arm around her shoulder to keep her close as if it was the most natural gesture in the world.

 

Her parents were surprised, seeing how close they had become in such a relatively short time, and noticing how he only picked out Shan Mei’s favourite food. And every time Shan Mei bit into some food and confirmed it was good, he wanted the remaining portion from her, and she smiled softly at him whenever he whispered things into her ear. Since that time of the ‘fire-rocket’ sushi incident, Xiang Zhe always liked sharing Shan Mei’s ‘left over’ food. It would always be ‘safe’.

 

His elder brother was not that stupid, understanding his younger brother’s character very well. He had never showed any special attention to any of his female friends, not wanting them to misunderstand his intention. There had never been one he particularly fancied. But, with this Zhen Shan Mei, Xiang Zhe was acting so out of character, a man who appeared not only very much in love but blissfully content with his lot.

 

He had caught hold of Shan Mei’s hand tightly within his own, as soon as he saw her when she arrived at the Engagement venue. Elder brother could see Xiang Zhe was still holding on to Shan Mei’s hand under the dining table whenever her hand was free. Xiang Zhe’s eyes never left Shan Mei’s face, and followed her around wherever she went in the room, love and pride overflowing from his face.

 

Elder Brother would bet his last Korean Won they were not strangers to one another. But where and how did they meet? Had they met and fallen in love while they were in Australia or somewhere else if his younger brother had traveled outside of Australia? If this was the case, then this union was really fated, from the first time their father set eyes on Shan Mei 10 years ago. He had to admit his new sister-in-law was charming and gorgeous. He decided to have a little ‘brother-to-brother’ talk with Zhen Youzhen to get some information. “I’m sure he knows his baby sister just as well as I know my baby brother.” That was how the Yin and Zhen elder brothers ended up sitting quietly in one corner of the function room enjoying a most enlightening talk, smiling, laughing interjected with head nods at appropriate intervals, ending finally with slaps on each other’s backs as their eyes wandered fondly over to the happily-affianced couple.

 

Elder brother suggested the newly engaged couple pose for photographs. The nephews wanted to pose with Uncle and the new Auntie. They jumped onto the adults’ laps. Xiang Zhe’s arm went around Shan Mei’s shoulders. As the shutter was about to click, Xiang Zhe tilted Shan Mei’s head to lean against his. Both of them broke into wide, blissful smiles. The nephews, sitting so snugly on Uncle and Auntie’s laps were smiling just as blissfully, making a perfect ‘happy family’ photo.

 

The seniors looked on, tears coming to their eyes, Mrs. Yin quietly praising her husband. “Honey, you’re so right. Our new daughter is sweet and beautiful and so perfect for our son.” Yin Senior looked at his wife, “Of course. Father always knows best!”

 

Later in the afternoon, Xiang Zhe took Shan Mei to his bankers, to arrange for her signature to be added to all his banking accounts. He asked the banking assistant to make them a full blown photostat copy of the instructions. On leaving, he whispered softly into her ears, “you can frame this and hang it up with your other photostat cheque.”

==

 

That night, at the airport departure lounge, waiting to board a KE flight for Melbourne, Xiang Zhe thought he saw someone looking very much like Shan Mei walked by. He waited and sure enough she walked through to the Boarding Lounge after handing in her boarding pass.

 

Xiang Zhe walked behind her and spoke softly into the hollow behind her ear, “Need any help with your bag?” Shan Mei jumped aside at the shock.

 

He looked intently at her, and teased, “Trying to run back to Melbourne, so you can pack up and move somewhere else without me knowing?”

 

She looked up into Xiang Zhe’s teasing face. “What are you doing here?” she gasped.

 

“Protecting what I’ve come to think of as mine,” he said, smilingly. He continued sweetly, “I’m going back to fix up the house, ready to bring home my enchanting bride.”

 

==

 

They were not even airborne half an hour when Xiang Zhe took out from his satchel copies of email he had printed out before boarding the flight for perusal. After going through them, he handed them over to Shan Mei, all of them asking about the work they had commissioned Xiang Zhe to sculpt with the wood he had secured from Tasmania. The collectors were all very knowledgeable about this medium and sounded highly excited when one rambled on about the scarcity of the wood, not to mention the one Xiang Zhe had in his possession was certified by the Curator of Australian Museum of Heritage Artifacts as being at least 300 years old.

 

Shan Mei handed the papers back to Xiang Zhe who immediately stashed them back into his satchel.

 

“I’ve been to your website but it still didn’t tell what started your passion for this ‘wood’ thing. Now that I know your family is in property development and not in furniture, I simply don’t see the connection. Your bio never mentioned anything about your privileged background in Seoul. Only that you studied Business Management with Queensland University for 4 years and graduated with a MBA. During your second year at university, you enrolled for a woodturning and sculpturing extra-curricular course with famous sculptor David Birkin who had a studio in Brisbane. After your studies, you decided to embark full-time into sculpturing and carving and spent a few years following some great masters trekking all over the country studying native trees and collecting wood. You ran a very lucrative business from your website, selling scavenged and treated driftwood to landscaping, florist shops and on-site floral exhibitions all over the country.”

 

Xiang Zhe shook his head with slow deliberation, a finger playing at his mouth; his eyes held a reminiscent gleam and he laughed softly. He turned to give her a tender and indulgent smile. He pulled the earphone plug from its socket console, shoved it down into the seat pocket in front of him and pushed down the armrest in between their seats, drew in a deep breath, and pulled her closer to him.

 

Playing with the engagement ring on Shan Mei’s ring finger, he gave her an interesting look and smilingly said, “Well, there’s a story, but you’ve got to promise you won’t hold it against me at some later date.”

 

Shan Mei didn’t say anything but smiled sweetly and softly back at him.

 

“During our second year at uni, Zian Da and I spent practically every free minute on the beach. One day I noticed some very interesting-looking driftwood which might have drifted up the coast during a recent cyclone. I stared at the driftwood fascinated, trying to figure out a recognizable shape for one of them; you know like what we do for clouds, when I was interrupted by a beach girl who came and stood in front of me blocking my view. She suddenly whipped off her bikini top and brazenly asked me, ‘Hi Gorgeous, you were staring at these…?’ pushing her front forward almost right into my face. I was lost for words. I shook my head and gave her a shy smile. After that, she wouldn’t leave my side even though I managed to convince her, my attention was solely on that piece of driftwood, and not on her ample assets! She still insisted on helping me get the driftwood back to my unit.”

 

“I’m sure besides her, the other beach girls WOULD be only too willing to help,” Shan Mei commented with a smirk.

 

He grinned at her. “I didn’t have much trouble with them, if that’s what you mean. They were only too eager to help. The only problem was trying to get them to leave and out of my unit after entertaining them a bit. This other girl couldn’t get enough of me and came back the next afternoon, the next and the next for more fun. Boy! I must have been some kind of a stud in those days.” He smiled gloatingly at Shan Mei, his eyes on her were bold with a wicked flicker and held a wealth of meaning which she was not ready to unravel.

 

“More like some kind of a pervert, I’d say!” she shot back at him with a teasing smirk.

 

“I beg your pardon? They were the ones ‘perverting’ after me!” He sounded scandalized as he puffed up both his cheeks (like a goldfish) at her and then s-s-l-o-w-l-y released a jagged flow of warm breath into her right ear. That was ticklish and Shan Mei tried to beat him off. He then caught a strand of her long hair and tugged playfully at it. She squealed “let go”, forgetting they were on a plane. Xiang Zhe put a finger to her mouth to hush her up. She fell back against his chest, into his open arms and they giggled conspiratorially.

 

Just then, a stewardess was leaning over them with a tray of drinks. Shan Mei took two glasses of orange juice. One, she handed to Xiang Zhe and she looked away quietly as she asked, “Are you going to brag some more or are you going to keep to the main story?”

 

After a few sips of his juice, Xiang Zhe sucked in another deep breath.

 

“She didn’t understand I didn’t want to be involved. I didn’t want a girlfriend. I told her I wanted to concentrate on my driftwood and would have no time for girls, even though at that time I didn’t know what I was going to do with that piece sitting in my living room except use it as a convenient hanger for my satchel and overcoat. That night as I kept staring at that driftwood piece, an awesome idea suddenly struck me. I could take up wood carving as a hobby. Go looking for driftwood and making it into some useful household item and try to see how much I could get for my efforts.

 

The next day I terminated my lease on the unit and moved to a secret address, so those girls couldn’t find me. I wanted to pursue driftwood, but no more on the beach. During weekends, I took off to the back woods around near-by Lamington Park at the base of some mountain range and scavenged for driftwood in total peace, most times camping out with like-minded aficionados. I also met many Aborigines who taught me a lot and up to today, we still maintain close contact. Each piece of wood posed a challenge. My new friends and I used to discuss ways of bringing out the best in a scavenged piece.

 

After uni, I returned to Seoul. A year later I came back to Queensland and decided to pursue my hobby seriously. I followed some great Masters for a few years. Those were very difficult years, indeed. Did my education help? I would like to think so; it helped me make the right decisions, managed everything in a more systematic way, and the business more realistically and had intros to some great contacts.”

 

Shan Mei blinked back some tears and her sharp jolt of emotion. She reached for his hand, seeking connection. He gave her a loving, lingering look, caught her hand and pressed the palm hotly to his mouth, his eyes closing as he kissed the soft flesh hungrily. He then kept her hand tucked safely within his big, gentle hands. There was no need for words as a sweet feeling of love and tenderness enveloped them. Let their hearts do the talking!

==

 

In Melbourne, when they arrived home from the airport, Shan Mei was surprised to find Adam working on landscaping in the front garden; the low common wall that used to separate the two properties was gone, new garden slates paved. Adam told her he’d been contracted to take care of the gardening. When he finished with the front, he would start on the back. The common wall in the back yard had also been razed down. “The yard is now so huge. Mr. Yin left the design to me; only instruction was he wanted the place to be usable as well as safe for babies. I see; you’ll be starting a family soon?” Adam asked Shan Mei with a teasing gleam in his eyes. Her face turned crimson with embarrassment.

 

Kim Zian Da, in a pair of working denim overalls, was consulting a blueprint with someone who seemed to the site foreman. As soon as he saw Xiang Zhe walking in, he ran up to him and told him the new extension to house the new workshop and self-contained rest area was ready to be installed the next day on the rear garden grounds.

 

“Hello Shan Mei, long time no see. Sorry to monopolise your man so soon but when he called me from Seoul, he wanted so many things done but only gave us a tight 20-day work schedule to turn two houses into one.” Shan Mei smiled sweetly at him, left Xiang Zhe in the front talking with Zian Da and Adam, and went into her house to prepare pitchers of drinks for the work gang.

==

 

Two mornings later, Xiang Zhe took Shan Mei to the back garden to inspect the new extension that was erected, housing a storage area, the main workshop, and a rest area.

 

“Now, I’ll have a bigger area to work in. In this store room, I’ll leave the bits and pieces of wood left over, and use them for making salad bowls, knife holders, cheese boards, napkin holders, spoon holders, special hair combs, coasters, key holders, gift items, etc. These sell very well as they make very interesting conversation pieces across the dining tables.”

 

He led Shan Mei through a door next to his workshop. “Here, Shan Mei, this is my rest area. The workers will move my bed over later this morning when they come in. See, the fridge, cooking range, microwave oven, sink and washing machine from my kitchen were moved over yesterday. The small round table and 2 chairs will be put outside on the porch where I’ll sit and take my meals and enjoy looking at my wood stumps in the garden. ”

 

“You’re going to live here?” Shan Mei asked Xiang Zhe skeptically, scanning over the room with minimalist furnishing and fixtures, and basic shower and toilet facilities.

 

His body shook with laughter. “Now, why would I when we’re going to have a beautiful master bedroom a few times larger than this in the main house? I’m only going to use this place as a resting base when I’ve to work all sorts of crazy hours, finishing up a commissioned piece. When I begin working, I’ve got to keep working at the piece as long as I’m inspired. In my previous place up at the Gold Coast, I simply bunked down on a cot next to my work room whenever I was tired, and lived on canned food for 2-3 weeks at a time, sometimes longer, especially during the final finishing stages. Sometimes, I hardly get to step into my own bedroom for 2-3 months.” He shook his head wondering how he ever got through those times when he concentrated singularly on his craft and nothing else.

 

Now, he had Shan Mei, who would soon become a major part of his life. He wanted to give her the space to grow and find herself, not to stifle her. He had let her down in a way he hadn’t understood before, at the Sunday Market but he now realized how vital her fledgling independence was to her. He would never repeat the same mistake again. He needed to set his priorities right to get his life into some kind of balance between family and work, but when inspiration beckoned, it would be so easy to forget promises and priorities!

 

“Darling, I’m showing and explaining all this to you because I want you to understand a bit more of my work and how I work. I don’t want you to ever think I’m neglecting you. This time I’m so lucky to have you and all this luxury. You’ll prepare my food and leave it out here. When I’m ready to eat, I’ll warm the food up. Of course, you can come and visit anytime. Just don’t expect me to drop everything whenever you appear, okay?

 

When we return to Melbourne after our wedding in Seoul, I have a few commissions I must complete. After next year, I’m going to accept only one commission a year. I want to spend the rest of the time enjoying you, enjoying our babies, and churning out the usual gift items for Silas. This kind of work will be less energy-consuming. Can you bear with me for the next 12 months? ”

 

Shan Mei nodded her head in understanding and gave Xiang Zhe a reassuring smile.

==

 

Later in the afternoon, when Xiang Zhe was finishing off his lunch, he looked up from his coffee and decided to test some untried terrain.

 

“Hey, tonight I have to share your room since the ID people are knocking down mine.”

 

“You can always take the spare bedroom.”

 

“And sleep with your books? No way! Oh, come on, be more generous. I promise I’ll behave until our wedding night.” Cheekily he looked at her. He loved to tease her just to see her blush.

 

She ignored him and went into the laundry room. Soon she emerged, her hands holding on to some of the clothes he had left in the laundry basket for washing, to confront him.

 

“Hey, what do you do all day? Just one person and so much clothes for washing.”

 

“For your information, I bathe and change 3 times a day. All that hot work, sweaty and dusty. Are you complaining now that you know you’re already the future Mrs. Yin Xiang Zhe? I never heard you complain before?”

 

“Before, I didn’t have to do your laundry.”

 

“What’s for dinner tonight?” asked Xiang Zhe innocently, trying to change the subject.

 

“We’ll continue as before. You eat what I feel like cooking. Any complaints, you cook your own meals.”

 

“Aiya, don’t know who is not respecting who? I’m supposed to be the man of the house.”

 

“Not yet! Before the wedding, I still have a choice.”

 

“Your choice is very simple; to cook only for me, to wash only my clothes, to listen only to me, to make only me happy, to…”

 

When he looked over to her, she had her hands on her hips, getting flushed in the face, her eyes flaring and spitting sparks, her lips compressed into a thin line. Oh dear, he could read the signs so well. He better move away from her line of fire. He sidled up to her side and with a remorseful look, “and to do whatever you like, except please don’t get angry with me.”

 

When he managed to wheedle a smile from her, he began his teasing again.

 

“Hey, I thought your Pa told my dad you were very quiet, sweet and docile?” and he laughed. “Bet he was clueless about your quick temper!”

 

“Now you know, you’ve been duped!” and she walked away with a smug grin.

 

Sometime during the night, someone tiptoed quietly from the spare bedroom and stole into Shan Mei’s room, then slipped quietly under her quilt. She stirred and half-sat up when she saw Xiang Zhe in bed next to her. Her mouth had puckered up and was going to voice some kind of protest.

 

“Shan Mei, have a heart. How can you expect me to sleep on that cold, lonely bed right in the middle of winter? It’s too cold in there with all those books staring at me. Share your quilt and keep me warm.”

 

“What happened to your own quilt?”

 

“It’s no good without you under it.”

 

When Shan Mei didn’t say anything further, or kick up a fuss, he drew her into his arms. After a while, he whispered softly into her ears, “Shan Mei, I love you, I love you so much. Why were you so miffed with me this afternoon when you were checking out your candle stock? You must let me know if I ever hurt you unknowingly in any way.”

 

“You ridiculed me about my candle stall,” she whispered, the pain of that moment mirrored in her eyes. “Do you know how much that hurt? The first time I had the freedom to ever do something for myself, and you ask me to stop running my stall at Sunday Market? In your eyes, my few dollar candles may not be as important as your few hundred dollar creations but they make me feel I have made something out of my life by my own efforts.” Her eyes misted. So sad!

 

His features twisted with anguish. “After this time in Seoul, I understand everything. I understand why you framed that cheque on the wall, I understand why you framed that $10 bill on your desk, I understand why the $1 you get for a small candle makes you so happy. I’ve been hurting too ever since that Sunday afternoon. Darling, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Oh, Shan Mei, I didn’t mean to belittle you,” he said with a groan, then eased far enough to reach her face. He rained little kisses over her forehead, cheeks, nose and finally her lips.

 

“I was jealous. Plain old-fashion crazy with jealousy of all those guys coming around trying to chat with you, or hanging around Collins Square ogling at you. I didn’t want to share you with anybody. I wanted to keep you at home. I was too terrified of losing you to ever let you show your face at the Sunday Market again.”

 

“What about you? The girls coming to your stall and hanging around you, chatting you up and drooling over you. Some were even brazen enough to offer themselves to you. So you should consider closing your stall?”

 

“That’s different. I’m not interested in any one of them. I only have eyes for you and you’re the only one I want. No one else will do for me.”

 

“Then, what makes you think I’m interested in any one of those guys? I also happen to have only one man in my heart.”

 

“Shan Mei, is this true? I’m that man? Why didn’t you let me know? We could have married last year, and this year we would be expecting our first baby. Darling, promise me there will never be another man. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, to love you, cherish you and protect you forever. I don’t want to ever live without you; and you’d better believe it.” One powerful arm encircled her waist and, drawing her against his body, he covered her lips with an achingly tender kiss that spoke potently of his protective love. “I will take care of you forever, my darling.” he murmured huskily.

 

“Zian Da is tired of a beachcomber’s life. He’s moving back to Melbourne. He’s bought a small farm at Narree Downs, about an hour’s drive south of Melbourne. I’m going to let him have his stall back. We’ve agreed that his girlfriend, coming down from Gold Coast next week, will take over your candle stall and your entire candle stock.”

 

When he saw Shan Mei getting ready to sit up and flare at him, he began to reason with her. “Now, darling, just before you start thinking I’m trying to run your life, just simmer down. Since I’m now aware of your need for independence, I’ve made a conscious effort to cease all my playful bullying games. We’ll be married soon, we need to readjust our lifestyle a bit, don’t you agree? I think we should keep our weekends free for ourselves.”

 

She studied his eyes seriously. Could she trust him with her life? With her entire future? Was it too late to make U-turn and run? With wide, honest eyes and in a candid voice, she told him, “Last week in Seoul, I was terrified I wouldn’t have the strength to walk away from you if you couldn’t see clear to letting me be me.”

 

He lifted her finger tips to his lips. “If you weren’t you, I wouldn’t have fallen so helplessly in love with you,” he answered immediately, his voice vibrant with emotion. And he saw something wonderful light up in her eyes.

 

“But, I can’t stay at home and do nothing, except cook and clean the house? I don’t want to be some cosseted society wife!”

 

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head on that front. There’s plenty for you to do, like running my business, our home, and taking care of me. I’ve read the thesis you wrote on my business and it was really very well researched and written. You’ll get an A for it, no doubt. Next year, the Ministry of Culture will be sponsoring an exhibition in December for Australian Heritage Arts and Crafts and I am one of the sculptors invited to participate in one category. There will be approximately 20 other categories, and about 200 talents invited to exhibit their works. We have one year to prepare for the exhibition. You’ll have to contact those clients who had bought my special sculptures, convincing them to lend the works out for display. You’ve a degree in Mass Communication, isn’t that right? This will help, because you’re not only going to be my Business Manager, you’re also going to be my new Event Manager. You’ll need to do research on the wood I’ve used and prepare video clips and footages on the pieces I intend to exhibit. Then, there’s going to be a lot of liaison with the ministerial people in Sydney. It’ll get pretty hectic at times and logistics, if not handled properly, will be a nightmare.

 

As a sideline, you can continue to import your sandalwood-scented candles from China. And whenever we have the time, we can always spend a fun day cooking at some Market Day Fair. How do you feel about that?” It was a phrase he was learning to use more often in their conversations. When Shan Mei remained quiet, Xiang Zhe prompted, “Sounds reasonable? Acceptable?”

 

“Sounds reasonable and acceptable,” she finally relented in agreement, her face had softened and she brought up a hand to caress his cheek lovingly.

 

As he looked at her, he seemed to sigh with relief. “You’re not angry anymore?”

 

“No, I don’t think I am.”

 

His hands were soothing her, calming her. She felt a sudden surge of confidence mingled with profound love. Yes, together they could build a happy and successful future, together they could do anything!

 

“Xiang Zhe?”

 

“Ehmm?”

 

“I don’t want to think of a baby until I finish my final year exam in October. Do you understand what I mean?” She looked worried because she thought she sounded so selfish, thinking only of herself, as she snuggled up against him.

 

“I understand, don’t worry, darling. I love you, I can wait. I’ve lived the past 8 years without a woman in my bed. I can survive a few more months.” Those were very brave words, indeed. In truth, he was already silently appealing to that Someone Higher Up There for help. “Dear Lord, you’ve got to help me through these few months. I’m a decent man. But I’m also a man deeply in love with my woman. I’m in desperate need of help in maintaining a tight self-control of steel on myself to ensure I keep her innocence in tact until the last of her final year exams in October. Nothing must distract her from her concentration. So, help me, God. Thank you.” Xiang Zhe prayed fervently.

 

Drawing her closer into his arms, inhaling a deep breath, brushing her hair away from her face, he felt contentment and at peace with the world. Very gently, his lips touched hers. He didn’t press her or touch her in any other way. They would have a life time ahead of them to love one another.

 

He heard soft sobs coming from Shan Mei. He lifted up her face to look into her eyes. “What’s the matter, baby?”

 

“I feel so bad, as if I’m cheating you out of a real wedding night on our wedding day. Xiang Zhe, you’re too good to me.”

 

“Only now you know? You want to make me happy?” His eyes were alive, sparkling!”

 

Shan Mei nodded her head, as she wiped her tears away. He helped dab away the tears from her cheeks too. Then he drew her into his arms again, holding her close, rocking her like a little child.

 

“Then no more crying,” he beseeched softly, his heart almost breaking. “Now, don’t cry. Don’t. Please don’t.” His hands soothed her cheek, her hair. His lips touched her forehead, the corner of her tear-stained mouth. “Darling, please don’t cry anymore ever. I can’t stand it.” Slowly, he placed his mouth full on her lips. “Darling…darling.., just remember that I love you… l.o.v.e .. y.o.u very much,” he murmured as he caressed her lips, deepening his kiss as he felt her relaxed and her lips quivering… He was so tender. Tender in a way he had never been before, and which she never knew he would be capable of.

 

“Tomorrow morning, you pack some of your stuff you’d need for your classes; we’re going to move into the new extension in the back garden, while the boys get on with their work here. In the afternoon, we’ll go to Falconer’s and try out a jewelry set for you.”

 

“Don’t be silly. Didn’t you buy me enough jewelry pieces when we were in Seoul? I don’t need any more jewels,” Shan Mei remonstrated gently. “Pa is going to give me a few sets for the wedding. What am I going to do with all the jewelry, anyway?” she wondered aloud.

 

“Don’t need more jewels?” Xiang Zhe repeated with amiable teasing. “Of course you need jewels. Every woman needs jewels; my mother will gladly vouch to that” he said flatly. “Pearls to enhance that irresistible innocence of yours, and you’ll look exquisite with emeralds against your smooth, creamy complexion. Your Pa wants to give you some jewelry, that’s fine. You can wear his set for the wedding. For the banquet, you wear what I give you, understand, Mrs. Yin?”

 

“Pa wants me to buy you a wedding present. Elder Brother suggested a matching set of diamond cufflinks and ascot tie stud. I really don’t know what to buy. Will you help me choose?”

 

“I’ll help you to do anything,” he said, with a look that made her feel very warm.

“What about your wedding gown? Are they taking care of that in Seoul?”

 

“I just want something simple yet elegant. I once saw a wedding gown that I really loved at this bridal salon on Toorak Road. We can go and have a look tomorrow after Falconer’s. But I definitely won’t agree to wear the silly traditional wedding hanbok at the evening banquet, and be painted up like a clown!”

 

“No one, and I mean no one ever, is going to tell my wife what she can or cannot wear, understand? And, for our wedding, you can wear whatever you like, as long as you promise me you won’t wear anything except my ring to bed on our wedding night.”

 

“Wedding night? But you just said you’ll wait…..”

 

“I know what I just said. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be sleeping separately dressed up in sacks? When we sleep in our marriage bed, I don’t want anything to come between us, not an angry thought or word ever and especially not something as insignificant as a piece of fabric.”

 

“But…., you ……”

 

“I don’t want to hear another word. Not another word except that you love me.”

 

“I love you, Xiang Zhe. I really do love you,” Shan Mei whispered shyly but sincerely into his ear.

 

Xiang Zhe couldn’t believe his ears and wasted no time in drawing her back into his arms. Shan Mei loved him! Yes! She truly loved him. She just told him so……. But WAIT!!!! Not so happy yet. “This innocent has finally grown up to be a woman, a woman truly in love? Does she know what love is? Will she understand the love between a man and a woman?” He became cautious.

 

“Love? You understand what love is?”

 

She smiled and nodded her head. “Love is caring, wanting the person you care about near you always. Love is enjoying an intimacy that isn’t fleeting, but deep and enduring. Loving someone means completely trusting that beloved someone. Love means giving, lots of giving. Xiang Zhe, I want you to be with you always, I want to share a deep and enduring passion with you, and I’ll never withhold anything from you, no matter what.” When she finished, she touched his beloved face with a wondering hand.

 

Her profundity sent a sudden surge of heat through Xiang Zhe. His hand tightened on the back of her head and he began kissing her to silence, the tip of his tongue slipping between her teeth and delving deeper into the warmth of her mouth, his other hand caressing her hungrily. “Yes, baby, you stay home and keep loving me…if I ever need you, I want to know where you are – always; every minute of every day….” He continued kissing her passionately, not only her mouth but the hollow at the base of her throat where her pulse throbbed just above the round neckline of her nightdress. His hands ran through her hair wildly and roamed over her body feverishly and she shivered and clung dizzily to his strong body as the hot taste and touch of him filled her senses.

 

From romantic movies, she knew that couples in love kissed a lot, but nothing prepared her for this earth-shattering volcanic emotional rush that tore through her entire body when the man she truly loved began kissing her,….and, in husky whispers, declared his undying love…. and…and...and… soon. ….. she was drowning in all that intoxicating sweetness!

 

“I think,” Xiang Zhe said barely audibly, hoarsely, later – quite sometime later, lifting his head and drawing in a long, jagged breath, “that we’d better stop here and go to sleep while I still have my senses with me, otherwise I’m going to lose my head soon and you’ll lose something more precious than your sleep.” Her whole mind had gone completely woozy. She was too shaken to know what Xiang Zhe was doing or saying.

 

Xiang Zhe chuckled softly when he saw her dazed look. “I see, the earth moved for you too, eh?” He kissed Shan Mei very tenderly on her cheek. Finally and very reluctantly, he released her and he pulled the thick quilt over their bodies up to their necks. His strong arms again reached for her and locked themselves around her lovingly against his warm chest, like they would never, never let her go. Not even in eternity. And the two of them settled down to sleep, ensconced totally in their love.

 

Outside, the air was cold and crisp; the moon was just passing behind some clouds. The sky was dark and starless. The dark, cold silence was broken now and again by howling winter winds and, from somewhere, the haunting hoot of a lonely owl calling out for a mate.

 

 

***And They Lived Happily Ever After***