The red pearl & lost memories

Introduction

His eyes gleamed with happiness.

Mine were empty and without emotions.

She smiled.

My lips were constantly sealed like glue. Without ever showing a real smile.

She was unaware in the arms of China.

It was something I couldn't remember. In all that silence, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the waves crashing into the rocks and the child's laughter. Something kept telling me that somehow it was me. His long charcoal-colored hair flew wild in the wind, his almost golden skin gleamed under the reflections of the reddish lights that gave the sunset, and finally, his ruby-red eyes looked innocently at the smiling face of China.

Something was whispering his name in my ear.

Ma-I.

My eyes widened slightly as I saw the child who had suddenly turned to me. It looked like me, but I couldn't tell if it was me. I don't even remember my childhood, I don't remember China, I don't remember Japan or even Brunei. My sweet ex husband. I don't remember how I fell in love with him and I don't remember how and when I divorced him.

The girl looked at me with curious eyes, but at the same time seemed to know me. I couldn't hear his voice, but I could tell from the movement of his mouth that he was telling me something. " Ma-I...remember." They were the only words i could hear, before his figure dissolved into darkness. Remember. It is wonderful to remember if you have no idea what is happening. The darkness lasted only for a short while before I found myself in a beautiful garden covered with peonies.

Peonies. China.

A light breeze gently caressed some of my hair, taking with it several flower petals. I had never been home to China, or maybe yes. China picked up a pair outside which he took with him on his ship. Will the flowers not die? And then I looked at them carefully...and they weren't just flowers, but flowers made of fabric. Why bring fake flowers with you ??? Something in him confused me...

"Don't ask yourself these questions Ma-I."

I almost winced when he spoke. They called me again, Ma-I. He turned to me, and in a fraction of a second the flowers disappeared from his hands. I looked at him dazed, while the latter smiled at me. "You wouldn't ask yourself these questions if you remembered, Ma-I." Am I Ma-I? And if it's me, what does it mean ??? And who is Ma-I?. I looked at him confusedly, trying to formulate even a small sentence, but nothing came out.

As before, the landscape, things and he were disappearing in the dark. I remained silent and still, and waited for something to happen but my dream suddenly broke. It is morning and the alarm has sounded. I sat at the edge of the bed, trying to understand the meaning of my dream, and understand if this Ma-I existed or was just a figment of my imagination.
I had to ask China. The only person who would understand the meaning of that name was him. And maybe he knew something....

*************

I could smell the shit that smoked even from a distance. You keep on taking drugs even when you know it hurts you, idiot. I knocked on an old rusty door, which was in a dirty and smelly dark corner. I just hope the interior is better. " Password." A voice answered almost immediately, not before a pair of eyes gave me a dirty look. Rude. "Wang Zao. Where is he?" I went straight to the point. The man behind the door scrutinized me one last time, before saying something in Chinese.

A couple of minutes later, the door opened and the man I suppose stood behind the door let me in. Immediately everyone's attention fell on me. Smell of shit, shitty place, shitty people. I could not resist the urge to cover my nose. Zao approached me slowly, with a bottle of liquor in one hand and white powder in the other. Stop taking drugs...idiot. For a moment, I took pity on him. "I have to talk to you." I said without complications and he looked at me for a moment before nodding his head.

"And what?" He asked, before swallowing another sip of his liquor. I could have sworn I made a grimace of disgust. "Who is Ma-I?" And after that question total silence fell....