Wei
She cried softly in my arms. She was scared and hopeless. "What are we going to do?" She hiccups. "My father is going to kill me, what are we going to do?"
I stroke her long, soft hair, "shh, it's okay. I'll protect you."
Tonight Jing will have to go home to her abusive, drunkard of a father. She will be hit and bruised and tortured for simply being alive. She will apologise to her him for being late home again then she will come back to me in the morning, sobbing like always.
But tonight will be the last night that will ever happen to her. I'm going to change everything for us. It will just be me, and her, and our unborn child.
-
"We've had enough of you kid! If any of us see you here again we'll call the cops!" The man pushed me out of the store and slammed the door behind him.
I ran away as fast as I could. I didn't even try to avoid the people walking my way. I collided into every person I encountered but still, I couldn't stop. I had to get to Jing before anything bad happened to her. I had been gone for too long already. I clutched the stolen medicine close to my chest, scared it would slip out of my sweaty hands. As I neared the small apartment building, I notice a black tinted car parked right across from it. My gut told me someone dangerous is here.
You could never find cars like that just causally roaming around this area. This side of town is pretty much built on poverty.
I slowed down as I neared the car. Do I avoid it? Do I pretend like I don't live here? Should I keep walking and wait whoever is in there out? My indecisive thoughts get the best of me but it was not like I had a choice. When I got close enough three men get out of the car.
Two in black. The other in white.
The man in white had a cigar in his mouth. He smiles as he makes eye contact with me. "You're quiet a thief aren't you?"
I hide the medicine behind me.
"Don't worry, I won't tell." He gets closer and closer until he was at a comfortable conversation distance. The street light showed his rough and wrinkled face. He didn't look scary at all. He was kind of, gentle looking. Like a grandpa if you will, except he looked a bit young to be one. "What's your name, son?" He blows out smoke out of his nose.
For some reason I wanted to trust him. I thought to give him a fake name but I couldn't bring myself to do it. "Wen Wei," I said shakily.
"And your girlfriend?" He points to the house.
Oh no. He knows about her. "Li Jing."
He nods his head slowly, "we've been watching you for a while now, Wen Wei. You're a professional thief. You steal anything and everything you can."
I took a step back. He was right. But it was all for survival. It was all for Jing. It was all for my child. "I c-can explain."
The man stays put and in a calm voice he says, "don't be scared son. I want to help you."
I was dumbfounded. "Help me? How?"
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen." Why was I telling a strange man anything he asked me?
"And your girlfriend?"
"Sixteen."
"Where are you from? You both look foreign."
"China," I was getting less hesitant with each question.
"And what are two, young Chinese teenagers living in South Korea for? Did you run away?"
I nod.
"Why?" His voice had not changed from the beginning.
"Because I want to protect the person I love. It was dangerous for her back at home." If I could even call it a home now.
"You have good values kid." He had now finished the last of his cigar. "I tell you what. I give you and your girlfriend a nice home to live in. I'll give you both money to live comfortably and live a life you can't give her on your own. In exchange for your commitment."
"Commitment to what?" I felt a mixture of excitement and doubt at his offer. It sounded like a dream almost.
"The Golden Dragon Mafias."
Mafias?! This man is a mafia?!
"With a bit of training I think we can shape you up. Your sneaky tactics will come in handy too." He holds his hand out. "What do you say my boy?"
-
"Master Park! Master Park!" I run out of the elevator, across the training rooms, through the double doors and into Master Park's unguarded office.
He almost drops his cigar when he sees me barging in. "What is it boy?!"
"It's Jing! She's in labor!" My emotions were mixed between, excitement, happiness and terror.
"Then what are you still doing here?!" He stands up abruptly.
"Can you maybe... can you come? You've always been there for us and well, I want you to be one of the people that gets to see him first." I was on the verge of tears.
Master Park smiles. "Then let's go son."
-
He's beautiful. A work of art. I couldn't help but cry as I held his tiny body in my arms.
"I can't tell which one of you he takes after," Master Park chuckles beside me. "May I?" He holds out his arms.
I nod once and pass him my child.
"Aigooo he's so cute," this is the gentlest I had seen master be. "To be honest he looks like a potato." He says looking down at him. "What's your name little one hmm? Is it potato? You look like one. Yes you do."
"Stop teasing my baby," Jing says from her bed.
"Sorry, sorry," master hands him back to Jing. "So what is his name?"
Jing and I look at each other.
"Junhui, master." Jing smiles at our precious son. "Wen Junhui."
