House of Aunts

Chapter 1

2011 BCE

"What do you think? Pink or purple?" Aunty Seven asked, her beautiful face smiling at me.

I shrugged.

"Oh my gorgeous dumpling, you look good in anything!" she squealed. Her sisters tittered, agreeing that I looked cute.

"Well, the pink robes bring out the colour in your cheeks, but I know you like the lotus embroidery in the purple one. Hmmmm..." she paused to think, as though this were a difficult decision for her.

"I like both, Aunty," I said, and her six other sisters giggled again. We were getting ready for Chinese New Year, and that year, one of my aunts, Aunty Seven brought me to visit her six other sisters, who lived up in the clouds. At least, it seemed that way to me, because I remember climbing up steps that were covered in them, and walking past pillars that had phoenixes encircling it. The room that I was in now had many cupboards and mirrors, with a screen of cranes that concealed me when I changed.

"Oh, she's just like you!" one sister in green chimed, her voice tinkling like the stars.

"Be careful. You and her are going to have wardrobes that are bursting!" another one in blue added.

"Oooh, I can't decide. Why not get both?" Aunty Seven said.

"Yes! The sisters chorused.

"You can never have too many clothes," another one in yellow declared, as though it was a famous saying.

"You are going to visit so many houses this year, and you do want to look your best. Not that you don't already look good, my dear Ruyi--you always do," she said, pulling a stray hair out of my face.

I beamed. The other sisters rushed forward and did my hair, showing me which styles went with the pink and purple robes we were buying. I thought I was the happiest girl in the world. They cooed at me, feeding me cake and rose tea, while asking me about school and my life back on Earth. I told them about the bullies, and my best friend, Rui Shan, whom I treated like a sister, because I had none. Finally, after changing out of them and taking out the pins from my hair, it was time to leave. The one in red packed up my robes. Then, she turned to me and kissed me on the cheek.

"I now know why my sister left us. Stay safe, little Ruyi." She patted me on the head. I blushed and giggled, thinking that the afternoon was so wonderful, and that I didn't want to leave. But we had to go.

"It's almost bedtime there, on Earth. And you don't want to miss shopping with Aunty Blossom, right?"

"Yep!" I nodded. I waved goodbye to Aunty Seven's sisters, not knowing that I would see them for the last time.