Bed Partners

Send Off

(DAYU)

I decided to leave two weeks after that breakfast conversation about me leaving for Europe to heal.

Doing what Papa suggested, I spent my day with my laptop researching about Europe. Armsterdam hold my interest. Lisbon too. And Barcelona. Athens is a place I want to visit too. So I decided to start in Armsterdam and go around Europe.

My job is to gather key informations about a certain place or country. Being a coordinator means I also have to meet other researchers and get their datas, compile them and send them to the headquarters in China.

Papa went home that night with a gift box in his hand. It's a camera.

"Gather memories, in your head and using this." Papa said as he and Mama handed the camera to me.

"Thank you," I present to him my decisions about leaving after two weeks and starting my journey in Netherlands and going around the continent of Europe.

"Good," Papa approved of my plans. He gave me the go signal to buy tickets and start packing my things.

"Let's shop for new clothes for you," Mama said. "Ma, there's no need." I protested.

"There's all the need. When's the last time you shop for new clothes. One year ago? Dayu ah...let's buy you new clothes. We will not buy a whole store. Just necessary items. Okay?" Mama gave me a pleading look.

I sighed. Papa smiled at me, "Just say yes to your mother. She wants to baby you until you leave..."

Mama scoffed, "Your Papa promised we can visit you anytime we want but that is impossible. It will be a nightmare to take the twins in flights. Not when they are still in their delicate stage. So visiting you will not happen as often as I want. But I will call you every night, Beijing time, so you better have your phone ready to receive my calls. At any time." Mama is setting the rules now.

I nodded.

That next day, I booked my tickets to Amsterdam and played with the twins in the morning. In the afternoon, I categorized my stuffs. See what I can take with me and I can leave. I am thinking of not taking that much clothes. I will just spent a month in every country I will go to. I don't know, I might see clothes there that I will like and I might buy. What is the point of taking many clothes if I can shop in the cities I will visit.

So I think, two luggages will do it. I did my research and I can rent rooms or cheap flats in the cities I will visit. Accomodations will be easy. I have money. If you have money, where you can sleep is easy.

By the end of the week, Mama and I shopped. We call Kim to join us who is now walking more steadily without her crutches to help her. Kim already did a pictorial for a skin product and her billboards will soon hit Beijing. Even her daughter's commercial is now airing on the TV. Kim and Ai Yi are out to conquer the showbiz world.

She came with us. She was suprised to learn that I am leaving but she promised not to say anything to Qing who up until now had no idea that I will leave. Or to Ato and Pete.

The only other person I told that I am leaving is Dra.Yen, who also promised not to say anything to Qing.

I visited my psychologist, we never mentioned Qing's name even once. She asked me if I will continue to keep the tapes. I said I will leave it to her. I cannot take them while I am traveling around Europe. And they are too precious to be left without someone caring for them. So I will leave them to her.