Remember More

Chapter 32

REMEMBER MORE

CHAPTER 32

John tried holding Zhang's stare for a minute but a minute was about all he could handle. Something in the old man's eyes, now twinkling, now stern, seemed to be burning and burrowing into his skull like it wanted to go through and come out the back of it. John coughed into his hand again and dipped his head.

He leaned back. Laying himself on the ground, on his back, he tucked his hands behind his head and stared upward at the night sky and focused on nothing in particular. In not answering the question right away, he was hoping maybe they could both pretend that it was never asked of him in the first place.

Zhang smiled and shook his head. Turning his face into the distance, to the forest, far away, he nodded as if he was sure of the answer already. "You've lost something. Haven't you?" He placed one end of his stick into his mouth and began to chew on it. "And now you've come to find it."

John's eyes flicked wide for a second. He sneaked a peek at his host, who was still gazing out into the rain. "You know? I could ask you the same thing…" He sat up. "…like, what are you doing here? Clearly, you're not a student. You’re nothing like one. Are you a teacher here? At the school?"

Zhang scoffed. He looked down. Back to the ants.

He sighed. "Perhaps I've lost something too." He reached up and wiped something from his face. "I'm here, because…because I'm waiting. I'm waiting for someone."

"Who?"

"My son."

"Your son?"

Zhang nodded. He began playing and poking at the ants with his stick again. "I had a son. Once." One of the ants had climbed onto his stick. It was crawling upward and Zhang was twirling it this way and that but the ant always managed to crawl back to the top so it was right side up. "He left me. And has forgotten me completely."

John nodded. "You mean he never comes to visit."

"No, he comes. But he doesn't remember me."

John frowned. "I don't understand…"

Zhang touched the stick to the ground. The ant made its way off again. "I watched him. I watched him grow. From a young man to what he is now. He has taken his place in the world and yet he has not become a man. There is so much he still needs to learn and there is so much that I must yet to teach him. But alas, I am old. I don't know how much longer I can wait. I long so much for going home, finally."

"I thought you lived here."

Zhang didn't respond. He heard what John said but didn't reply. The old man began giggling to himself.

John smiled and shook his head. "You are a funny little man…"

Zhang flicked his head up. "You keep saying that…"

John cleared his throat. "Look, Zhang. You are a wonderful person…even though you can be kind of weird sometimes…but you're…you're all right and I'm sure you have a fine son." John reached out and placed his hand on Zhang's shoulder. "He will come home, some day. I know it. He will come to see you again."

Zhang smiled and that smile was at once warm, soothing, full of hope. He sat up. Turning, he adjusted his position so he was looking at John and face to face. "Indeed you will. For here you are…" He tilted his head. "…but will you know enough to open the door?"

"Huh?"

~~~

Zhang bent his head and rubbed his chin.