My Lethe

Fine, I'll buy the club!

Zhang Wei woke up several times throughout the night. Perhaps it was because he just didn't feel comfortable quite yet, or maybe it was because he missed his family. But whatever it was, it kept him awake.
Sometimes, he would drift away into soft sleep that he often woke out of. Every time he would fall asleep he thought of his old bedroom and the thin quilt that was his bed. Now he was sleeping on a real mattress, with real pillows, in a real bedroom.
Eventually, Zhang Wei gave up on his attempt to sleep. The digital clock on the night stand beside his bed blinked 5:45 in a neon green. He knew that any attempt at sleep at that point was useless when he had to wake up in an hour.

Zhang Wei got out of his bed slowly, deciding that he would get a glass of water. His throat felt parched.

He quietly walked into the kitchen and took out a glass of water from a cabinet. It took him three tries to find the right cabinet. There were dozens of cups, plates and bowls in the cabinet. They all shined. He really felt that he was in a place very different from where he came from.

He pushed the kitchen sink handle up quietly, not wanting to wake anyone, and put the glass under the faucet. He didn't hear that his new mother, Liling, had came down the steps and sat down at the table behind him.

"Are you feeling alright, Wei?"

Zhang Wei jumped when he heard her voice. It gave him such a shock, he almost dropped his glass. He didn't expect anyone to be awake and with him at that moment.

He shrugged his shoulders and sat beside her hesitantly. Even though he was living in their home and was now their son, he didn't feel comfortable. They were still strangers to each other. He didn't know what kind of person she or her husband may be and he was nervous to find out.

"Im feeling alright," He took a sip of his drink. He ran his fingers along the rim of the glass. It was damp and made his fingers wet.

"It's strange, right? Being in a place where you're not familiar of anything. Everything seems so.. Foreign." Liling smiled. Zhang Wei wondered how she could possibly know how he felt.

"When I was around your age, my parents sent me to study abroad in America. I felt so lonely in such a huge place! I walked the streets without knowing anyone or anything, and I felt completely lonely and lost. I lived this way until I learned that in life you need to adapt, okay? Everything your given in life you should adapt to anyway you can. It'll take some time, but make friends.. Go out and have fun. Spend time with Yong and I... You'll feel more comfortable if you do." She tapped Zhang Wei on his shoulders and went back upstairs to her own bedroom.

Zhang Wei wondered if he could ever adapt. He looked down at the glass of water and put it into the sink. He wondered if his heart could learn to adapt to his new life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Qiang reached over the table and pressed the cigarette into the ashtray. The VIP lounge smelled of smoke and fried foods.

"Hey Qiang, you sure you want to keep drinking? Your father might actually send you abroad this time! " Chao tried taking the bottle of alcohol from Qiang's hands, but Qiang was so drunk, he smacked his friend's hand away.

"What do you mean? I'm not even drunk! How many drinks have I had, Jie, 1? I'm just going on my second!" Qiang said.

Qiang sure did drink a lot.

"He's going to get sent to America if he continues drinking like this," Chao whispered to Jie. Jie looked at Chao and shrugged his shoulders. Truthfully, there was no stopping Qiang. Lately he was on a quest, and Qiang was stubborn. He wasn't going to stop until he felt satisfied. All Jie could think to do was watch after Qiang and make sure he didn't hurt himself or anyone else.