BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - ADVENTURE

WHITESILENCE

A River of Violence - Chapter Four
Tuesday, December 4, 2007

When one hears the line "Two men walked into a bar..." it's usually the beginning of a bad joke but for Jayne, it's the sound of his past about to catch up with him. After years on the run, it's finally time for him to settle old scores and confront old enemies. But the only way for him to get out of this alive is to turn to the one person he can count on. A multi-chaptered fic set after Serenity, inspired by the graphic novel and movie, A History of Violence. Rayne. Rated R WARNING: Violence, lots of violence.


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2062    RATING: 9    SERIES: FIREFLY


WARNING:This may get confusing as Jayne is referred to by another name. Just remember that Jayne is the main character and his name still starts with a “J” and you should be fine. :D

CHAPTER FOUR: A Face With the Name

“How abouts you start with what your name really is?”

“John Thomas Lang! You get your skinny little pi gu back in here this instant!” Maria Lang was a tall, elegantly framed woman who was used to getting her way when she demanded it. And right now, she wanted her second oldest son’s help with the grilling.

Deng yi xia, Ma!”

John clumped onto the porch a minute later carrying a stack of ammo boxes, rifle slung across his back. Setting the gun and boxes down, he wiped his feet on the mat and stuck his head into the kitchen.

“Whaddaya need Ma?”

“Speak properly boy,” Maria scolded “I’m not raising any heathens in this house. What were you doing out back?”

He shuffled his feet. “Just some target practice.”

“Target practice?” She glared up at her son who was only now overtaking her in height. “You know how I feel about you spending so much time with those guns. No good will ever come of it, Johnny. You mark my words.”

“Aw ma, don’t start. It’s just for fun and all. Got to keep my eye sharp for huntin’- I mean hunting season.” he corrected himself. Maria frowned but instead of arguing, she thrust a large covered bowl into his hands. “Well, I’ll tell you what you can start. You start that spiedie chicken and make sure you don’t overcook it. Your sisters don’t like it when it’s all hard.”

“Don’t worry Mrs. Lang. I won’t let Johnny burn anything.”

Maria looked around John as he shifted to the side and saw a slender Chinese girl with wide brown eyes hidden behind thick glasses carefully balancing an armload of punctured tin cans. “Well hello there Feng. I couldn’t see you, John’s getting so big. He’s going to eat us right out of house and home if he keeps growing the way he is. Go ahead and leave those cans out on the porch. How’s your family?”

Feng set the cans down and pushed her slipping glasses back up her nose before answering. “Ting hao de, Mrs. Lang. Ba’s feelin’ better. That tonic ya sent ‘im seems ta be workin’.”

“That’s good to hear.” Maria smiled. “Now go on and make sure that spiedie’s done right.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

~*~

The next afternoon John and his older brother Paul walked into the Gunpowder Rose Saloon. The proprietress, their Aunt Zeta, waved at them happily even though they’d just come off a ten hour shift in the sweltering sun at the outdoor metal works where they welded and fabricated parts for the brewery owned by their grandfather and the local plantations. He’d started working there with his Ba and Paul during the summers when he was fourteen and what began as a way to earn a little pocket money had turned into a full time job after finishing high school. Spotting three of their many cousins in the back corner, the Lang brothers pulled up chairs and joined them. As they sat down, their cousins cleared the tabletop of a myriad of objects amid their greetings. Papers, pencils, half smoked cigarettes, an abacus, self-inking calligraphy brushes, three sets of Russian nesting dolls, small bags of suspicious white powder, a rubber chicken and a handgun all disappeared into various briefcases and satchels.

“Four fifteen, right on the nose.” Their cheerful old Aunt remarked as she placed glasses of ice water in front of the newcomers. “I could set a watch by you boys.”

“Yup, that’s us, Aunt Zeta.,” said Paul, with a cheeky grin.

“They’re a pair a’ goody two shoes, like to be punctual.” teased one of the other boys.

“So, anything else for the two of you or ya just gonna wait for yer girls?” asked Zeta.

“She’s not my girl.” grumbled John, speaking more out of habit than any real indignation.

“Sure Johnny.” Everyone rolled their eyes. “Whatever ya say.”

“Anyway,” John said irritably. “We’re just waiting today, Zeta a yi. Ma would have our hides if we spoil our dinners.”

“Ya sure? We just got a fresh shipment of peanuts in today.”

Both boys refused again and after some more good-natured ribbing, Zeta moved off to see to her other customers. When she was gone, Paul turned to John.

“You should just ask her, Johnny. You know she’d say yes.”

The other boys made noises of agreement and encouragement. John glared them into silence.

“It ain’t that.” He fiddled with his napkin. “It’s just… her Ba wants an in with Ma’s folks. Feng xian sheng just has the wrong idea about us.”

Paul was about to respond when a beautiful red haired waitress came up to their table. All of the boys promptly forgot how to speak.

“Hey there, sweetie.” the redhead greeted Paul. “How was your shift?”

“Kat!” Even after two years, Paul still seemed slightly shocked that such a fine looking girl would choose him. Katarina had set her heart on Paul the first time she saw him walk into the Saloon. But convincing him to ask her out took her nearly three months longer than she’d hoped.

John turned away from the table as Paul kissed his fiancé. From where he was sitting, he could see Feng in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher. She looked up at him, lips curling when he made gagging faces at his older brother. Unlike Kat, Feng was a bit of an ugly duckling. Her slim, boyish body was of average height. Her eyes were large and intelligent but her gaze was a little too sharp, too direct for many to feel comfortable making eye contact. The only thing that occasionally caught a boy’s attention was her long black hair. John could remember quite vividly the moment he realized he cared more for Feng than just as a friend.

It was last summer. Zeta had let her off work early so she had gone down to the metal shop to meet him after his shift. It had been a hard day, rebuilding a large section of the copper body of one of the stills. By the time he was done, most of the other workers had already left, taking one last drink from the bucket and leaving just a thin layer of water at the bottom. So not only was he going to have to leave tired and dirty but also thirsty. She’d been waiting for him at the gate, a smile on her face and a shining metal thermos in her hand. Her hair had been unbound from its usual tightly coiled braid and was blowing free in the hot summer wind. John felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of water over his head. He knew then that everything he was looking for in all the other girls, he would find in Feng, the thermos full of ice water she handed him was just icing on the cake.

Loading the last of the dishes quickly, Feng started the washer before collecting her book bag and walking out to the main room to join them.

“Why are you still carrying that?” John asked suspiciously, pointing at the bag bulging with books and papers. “Graduation was weeks ago.”

Feng rolled her eyes. “Just ‘cause ya burned all yer books doesn’t mean I’m gonna, Johnny.”

John reached over and swiped the official looking envelope that had caught his eye. “Hey, what’s this?”

“Give that back!” Feng grabbed for the envelope but John was able to use his longer arms to keep it out of her grasp. He opened the envelope and unfolded the heavy parchment paper. Feng crossed her arms and looked down, defeated, while he read the letter.

“This is from the Qingdao Medical Academy.” He said, seriously. “Why didn’t you tell me you got in?”

John had expected her to be more excited about getting into college and getting away from home. Jump around or squeal or some other girly thing but she seemed sad more than anything else.

“Where am I gonna find the money? My family’s barely gettin’ by as it is. They gave me a scholarship but it ain’t nearly enough even if I work. Mei guan xi, I can’t go.”

John frowned. “But you’ve always wanted to go to Medicad. Qindao’s the best in the system.”

Feng shook her head. “Look, let’s jus’ forget about it. Ya ready to go?”

John reluctantly let the matter drop and cast an annoyed glance over at his brother who was still caught up in his girlfriend. “Yeah, Paul can get his mushy pi gu home on his own.”

As they walked down the dusty street, Feng chattered about the book she was reading. John nodded at the right places, not really listening. He had skimmed the book but he hadn’t been caught up in it the way Feng had. Somehow, being trapped on a space ship with a crazy super computer named Hal was not his idea of a fun read. Occasionally they would pass a group of other teens they had gone to school with. Their former classmates would wave or call out greetings to John who was barely paying attention to what Feng was saying, never mind the pretty girls trying to catch his eye, which Feng should’ve noticed as unusual given John’s reputation as a ladies man. Instead, John was trying to gather his courage to ask her an important question.

“Have ya heard a word I’ve said?” Feng’s question cut through his thoughts. He grinned sheepishly at her. She sighed. “I didn’t think so. What’s on yer mind then? Other than college.”

“You know my Uncle Joseph’s girl, Ping, is getting’ married next week?”

“Yer mother might’ve mentioned it last night. Is yer family goin’?”

“Yeah.”

Feng waited for him to continue but when he simply stood there staring at her, she made a circular motion with her hand. Get on with it.

“Anyway, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go with me.” John tugged on his reddening ear. Feng stared up at him, blinking owlishly behind her thick glasses. “I mean, it’s going to be family there mostly. You’ve met Ping, she thinks you’re nice.”

“Are you… asking me as a date?” she asked, brows knit in confusion.

“Er, yeah.” John said lamely. “I mean, we don’t have to if ya don’t want to…”

She grinned up at him. “I’d love to!”

John returned her grin and stopped in his tracks to hug her, nearly tripping an elderly couple walking behind them.

~*~

The wedding was to take place in the early evening, with a reception following. John and Paul had been able to wrangle half shifts but the day still seemed to drag. When one o’clock finally rolled around, they hurried home to get cleaned up. Johnny wasn’t sure why he felt nervous. He’d gone out with a lot of girls during high school. Maybe it was because it was Feng. After showering and putting on his best dress shirt, he went out to help Paul hitch up the wagon only to find Kat and the rest of his family waiting for him.

“Did you remember to shave?” his mother asked him as he swung up into the front seat next to Paul.

“Yes, Ma. I even used some of Pa’s deodorant-y stuff too, like you told me to.” he groused, rubbing his clean-shaven face. “Don’t know what the big fuss is about. It’s not like she’s never been around when I’m all smelly.”

“You barbarian!” His father said as he covered his face and Maria swatted him with her folding fan, saying, “That’s beside the point, boy.”

John looked over at Paul for support but he was banging his forehead against his palm. “I always wondered why none of those girls who went moon brained for you in school would stick around. Now I know.”

“A girl likes it when you make an effort.” said Kat, amid a chorus of giggles from his three sisters in the back.

“I didn’t ask the peanut gallery for an opinion!” snapped John.

“Right then,” said Paul before an argument could begin, “Let’s go pick up your lady love, shall we?”

Much to John’s irritation, the four girls made swooning sounds as they drove off.

After the ceremony, everyone went to the reception held in Uncle Joseph’s barn. Paul and Kat made a beeline for the buffet tables while the triplets disappeared like a bunch of ghosts. If they got themselves into trouble, the whole party would know about it so no one worried too much. That left John and Feng standing awkwardly in the open doorway of the barn.

“We gotta go say hello to Uncle Joe and Gong gong but the line’s pretty long right now. You wanna get something to eat?” asked John.

Feng looked longingly at the couples swirling around like bits of blown wrapping paper at the back of the space. “Ya know how to dance, don’t you Johnny?”

John blinked “’Course I can. Ma made sure we all knew. Ya wanna?”

Feng smiled shyly. “I’m not very good.”

“That’s alright. We all gotta start somewhere.” John took her hand and led her through the tables set out for eating and into the sea of dancers.

It turned out that Feng was a better than she thought and they ended up dancing until the band took its break an hour later. They made their way to the table Paul and Kat had saved and collapsed into the chairs. John stole Paul’s cup of punch and drained it while Paul smiled indulgently.

“Did you have fun, Feng?” Paul asked. “Looks like you just about danced Johnny to death.”

Feng nodded, smiling wider than any of them had ever seen her smile. Seeing her so happy made John forget why he hadn’t asked her out before. “My feet hurt.”

“Ya hungry? I’m gonna get some food.” John asked as he stood. “I’m starvin’.”

Feng nodded. Kat looked beseechingly up at Paul.

“Sweetie, could you get me some more of those ribs?” she asked him. He looked at her and then at the pile of clean rib bones in front of her. He sighed and stood as well.

John and Paul made their way over to the line for the food tables. The line moved quickly and they could almost see the stacks of paper plates when they each felt a heavy hand land on their shoulder.

“Paul! John! Good to see you boys could make it!”

Nin hao, Uncle Joe.”

“We were going to go over and pay our respects but the ladies were famished.”

Joseph Andolini was an imposing man. At six feet and three inches tall, he was the biggest man either of the Lang brothers had ever seen. When they were small, they had been intimidated by his size until he swung them up in his large arms and laughed his booming laugh. “Mei guan xi. I can hardly be insulted when you boys are acting like gentlemen. My mei mei certainly raised you right.”

Xie xie, uncle.” Paul said politely as he picked up a paper plate. John picked up two, shoving plastic forks and napkins in his pockets. “And congratulations on such a good match for Ping. She looks very happy.”

“Well Ping always did have good taste. She did right by her family. I am very proud.” Joseph reached over and spooned a healthy portion of some sort of salad onto one of John’s plates. “Make sure you try some of that ambrosia salad. Your Auntie Xue spent all afternoon on that. It’d break her heart if no one tried it.”

“Of course we will.” John added a heaping spoonful of the goopy salad to his plate.

“So where is my mei mei? She came by to give Ping her red envelope but I haven’t seen her since.”

“Last we saw, Ma was swinging it with Pa over by the bandstand.” replied John.

Joseph scanned the dance floor for his sister, chuckling when he spotted her. “That’s Marie alright. Always did like cuttin’ a rug.”

The sound of feminine giggling wafted over from the dining tables, catching John’s ear. He glanced over to see Feng and Kat laughing about something. He grinned at the sight of the two of them. When Joseph saw what had caught his nephew’s attention, he smiled widely like a shark.

“So Little Johnny, have you asked Feng to be your niü peng you yet?”

John smiled sheepishly as he returned his attention to putting food on the plates he was carrying. “Yeah, finally went ahead and asked her. Figured her Ba would find out how things really are quick enough.”

Joseph patted him on the back, a move that would’ve sent a lesser man sprawling but John barely rocked on his feet. “Damn straight. If her Ba gives either of you trouble, you send him to any of your uncles. We’ll set him right in a jiffy. Feng’s been like family since the two of you were barely outta nappies but her Ba, we don’t want any part of, not even the more numerous members.”

Xie xie, Uncle Joe. Means a lot to know the family approves.”

“Say, you are going to make it official, aren’t you?” Joseph asked with a sly look in his eye. He was clearly fishing for gossip.

“Hope so.” John blushed while Paul smirked having gone through the same thing when he’d started dating Kat. “Think I should let her get through college first though. Did I tell you she got into the Medicad?”

“Did she?” Joseph perked up upon hearing the news. “Well good for her. When does she start?”

“Dunno. She’s going on about not having the money when I told her I’d help her out.”

“Well you keep working on it. She’ll come around.” Joseph then turned his attention to Paul. “And how about you, boy? How’s Kat? You two set a date yet?”

Paul nodded happily. “Yup, next month, the fifteenth.”

“Not a lot of time there.”

“Well, we’re just really eager to get settled and Ma’s all excited too.”

“Course she is. You’re her baby boy. Just remember that.” He patted them both on the back once more before glancing over at a shadowed table in the far corner of the barn. “Now, you boys behave yourselves. I need to remind my brothers, no business allowed at family functions. And remember to give your respects to your grandfather.”

When the boys made it back to their table, the girls were giggling madly as Feng handed a tube of something back to Kat.

“What’s so funny?” asked Paul as he set another plate of ribs in front of his fiancé.

“Oh, nuthin’.” She replied as she tore into the meat. “Just plottin’.”

“Plotting to take over the ‘verse?” asked John, juggling two plates piled high and two cups. Feng turned and took the plates, allowing him to set down the cups. “Should we be worried?”

Feng and Kat were saved from answering by the Lang brothers’ three sisters running up to them, all talking over each other excitedly. At twelve years old and nearly identical in appearance, they were quite the handful. Annie Mei was the oldest by five minutes and the ringleader. If the three of them got into trouble, she was usually the one who had come up with the terrible idea. Their mother refused to tell Annie Ju and Annie Lan which was older, citing exhaustion and blurry vision. It was probably just as well, all three girls seemed to share a brain but it was the two younger ones who seemed to be the most in tune with each other.

“Whoa, slow down there Annie. What’s all the fuss about?” asked Paul. More excited babble spewed forth. “Mei, why don’t you go first?”

“Uncle Reeb’s starting up a shooting contest out back.” She stated as though issuing a challenge by proxy.

“We told Uncle Anton and Uncle Joseph that our ge ge would win.” said Ju.

“Cousin Richie doesn’t believe that Johnny can shoot better than he can.” added Lan before passing the story back to Mei.

“So he said he’d bet his LeMat if either of you entered.”

John scoffed. “He’s all talk and no walk. Competin’ against him would be like beatin’ a rug. Now Feng here, she can shoot straighter than any of us any day.”

“Oh, is that so?” The group turned to see a wiry young man around Paul’s age slide up to their table. He had his hair slicked back and his shirt was unbuttoned enough that his sparse chest hair was visible. In an effort to appear older, he was attempting to grow a mustache but it only made him look sleazier. “I’d like to see that.”

“Richie, Annie says you’re gonna bet your LeMat if one of us enters.” said Paul.

“Damn straight.” Richie pulled a revolver out of the holster on his hip and set it on the table with a loud thunk. It lay on the worn wood, shining dully in the warm lamp light of the barn. “This here’s an antique. Man I bought her from says she’s from a war back on Earth-that-was. Didn’t fire then but I had some work done, takes a standard .38 round now and the second barrel there? Well, that’ll give ya a bit of an advantage in a tussle. She’s a real sweet piece.” He looked at Feng, sizing her up. “Ya know what? I’ve changed my mind. I’ll put my gun up if it’s your girl that’s shootin’.”

John and Feng shared a devious look that Richie missed. “Alright.” she said, standing.

Richie smirked. “Y’all sure ‘bout this? What are you gonna bet?”

“Next week’s paycheck.” said John, confidently. It wasn’t nearly as much as the LeMat was worth but it was an acceptable bet.

“You’re on.”

The group all moved out to the side of the barn to where the older men were gathered, setting up targets and drawing lines in the dirt.

“Hey Uncle Reeb!” shouted Richie “Johnny’s girl thinks she can shoot better than any of us.”

“Does she now?” A short, balding man with a thick handlebar mustache turned to greet his approaching nephews and nieces with a smile. He looked Feng up and down. “You sure about that, honey? You look like a stiff wind would blow you over, never mind the rifle we’re using tonight.”

She nodded, pushing her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. “I’m sure.”

“Well alrighty then.” Reeb gestured for her to join the other six competitors and proceeded to explain the rules. Each person would use the same rifle and ammunition. They were to take turns standing at the line marked out in the dirt and aim at a target someone had set up a hundred yards away. After each turn, the targets would be retrieved and the points totaled. The person with the highest score would win while any ties would be decided by an additional round. Since Feng was the only girl competing, the men all magnanimously allowed her to shoot first. As she took the rifle and fired a few test shots, John leaned back against the barn next to Kat and Paul. Their sisters had disappeared once again.

“Think ya shoulda told Richie how Feng feeds her family in the winter?” whispered Kat.

John shook his head, grinning madly. “Why ruin her fun? ‘Sides, the little ferret deserves to be knocked down a few. Might do him some good.”

By this time, the wedding party as well as most of the guests had gathered to watch the match. Out of the corner of his eye, Paul saw his sisters taking bets over who would win. He shook his head with amusement and turned back to where Feng was stepping up to the line. She entered her stance with a natural ease, bringing the rifle smoothly up against her shoulder. She inhaled and sighted carefully down the barrel, exhaling as she pulled the trigger. The center of her target exploded. Then it was Richie’s turn. In comparison, Richie’s movements seemed stilted and jerky as his shots hit rings further from the center than he expected.

One by one, the other men took their turns but it was plain that none of them had done as well as Feng. When the targets were retrieved and the points totaled, Richie could hardly believe his ears when Reeb announced that he had come in second to Feng.

“You mark my words, girl, I’ll be getting that back.” He growled as he drew the LeMat and thrust it butt first towards the younger girl’s face. She took the gun, weighing it in her hand. She flipped the half loaded cylinder open and wrinkled her nose at the powder residue. She wiped it off as best she could with a fold of her skirt before flicking the cylinder closed and taking aim at a cup someone had left on a fence post twenty feet away. Her finger caressed the trigger and the cup went flying. She said nothing as Richie stomped off through the crowd.

The rest of the competitors came by to shake hands and offer congratulations. Feng smiled and ducked her head, unused to being the center of attention. When John placed a reassuring arm around her shoulders, she leaned into his side gratefully.

Just then the crowd parted respectfully to allow a silver haired man walk up to John. He had once been as tall as Joseph but age had bowed his shoulders and back. Once imposing, time and illness had stripped his frame of its strength but his only concession to weakness was an elegant silver topped cane. This was John’s grandfather, the head of his family.

“Is this the girl who has stolen our Johnny’s heart?” he asked, looking Feng over appraisingly. Though his body had aged, his gaze and manner were as strong and intimidating as ever. She felt like a bug under a microscope. “Hai zi, are you not going to introduce your niü peng you?”

Gong gong.” John could feel himself blushing. “This is Vera Feng.”

“That was some mighty fine shooting there, Feng xiao jie. Best I’ve seen in many years.” He extended his hand. “I am Wu Andolini, at your service.”

“I’m honored.” she replied, taking his hand.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, xiao jie.” He kissed the back of her hand in the manner of a chivalrous knight from Earth-that-was. “Johnny here, talks about you all the time, all good things of course but it is lovely to finally be able to put a face with the name. And what a lovely face it is.”

Feng blushed, pushing her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

“And so respectful too, I’m sure your parents are very proud.” Grandfather Andolini tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her back towards the entrance of the barn. “Now tell me, Feng, who taught you how to shoot?”

~*~

When they pulled up in front of Feng’s house to drop her off, John got out with her to walk her to the door, telling his parents he’d get home on his own. He waited until the wagon rounded the bend before speaking.

“So, how’s it feel? Best marksman on the planet!”

“Feels good.” Feng smiled, fingering the grip of the large pistol she had won. “Think yer cousin’s gonna stay mad?”

“For a little while maybe. But he should get over it.” John’s face turned serious. “Listen Feng, I need to talk to ya.”

“Is this about school again? ‘Cause I already told ya-“

“Just listen.” he interrupted. “I know you don’t want me to help you out but you gotta go. You’re smarter than anybody on this rock and meant for better. Your chance is right in front of you. My own grandfather even said he’d pay your tuition. Why can’t you just take it?”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Aw, bu yong ku, ya got nothin’ to cry about.” He reached out and pulled her against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. He was struck by how well she fit against him.

“I want to Johnny. I want to so bad but I’m scared.”

“What are you scared for? Your dad givin’ you trouble?”

She nodded reluctantly. “He said he’d disown me if I left. That don’t really matter to me but who’s gonna take care a’ the kids if I’m not there?” She swiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “And ain’t no one gonna want me if I don’t got a dowry. Not that I got much a one anyway.”

John gripped her shoulders and stooped down to look her in the eye. “You listen to me, Feng. You’ve been loyal enough for two sons, taking care of your family the way you have. Goin’ to school and working and lookin’ after five kids ain’t something everybody woulda done. Hell, I probably would’ve cut and run a long time ago. You’re the best girl I know and if your Ba isn’t gonna take care of you, I sure as hell will. So you go in there and tell your dad you’re going to college whether he likes it or not. It’s ‘bout time for your brothers to step up anyhow.”

Feng stared up at him with wide eyes, surprised by his vehemence. She’d known John since primary school and while he’d defended her from bullies when he could, he’d never talked to her like this, like he really saw her as a person and not just a walking brain. Well maybe that was being a little unfair. She’d had a crush on her handsome best friend for the longest time but instead of saying anything, she’d kept her mouth shut, not wanting to get in his way. She hadn’t felt that she could compete with all the pretty, popular girls that had caught his eye. After tonight, well, she felt like she would float away into the Black if he let go of her.

“Al-alright.” She said, pushing her glasses back up her nose. “If you really mean it, I’ll go.”

“You’ll take my grandfather’s offer?”

“Yes.”

He felt like his face was going to split in two from grinning when he heard her agree. Letting out a whoop, he picked her up and spun her around. Feng laughed joyously, reveling in the weightless feeling. When John stopped spinning, he found that her face was just inches from his. Seizing the moment, he leaned down and captured her lips. It was the best kiss he’d ever had for all it was the most chaste. No twining of tongues or mingling of tastes, just her softness against his. Her delicate scent, clean linen and lemon soap, tickled his nose where it was pressed against the lenses of her glasses. She blinked in surprise, letting out a small squeak before pulling back. He set her back on her feet.

“Did I go too fast?” John asked, licking his lips nervously. The taste of her lingered, a natural sweetness mixed with something fruity.

Feng shook her head and looked up at him through her long eyelashes. She had never kissed a boy before, not having had the time or the looks to catch their attention for more than homework help.

“Would you kiss me again?” she asked shyly. He grinned and leaned in but glared at her when she pulled her head away. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she took her glasses off and tucked them in the pocket of her skirt.

The kiss was deeper this time, full of relief and youthful longing. The feel of his lips sliding across hers was like nothing she’d ever felt before. This is what silk must feel like, she thought to herself. She made a funny noise in the back of her throat, unsure what to do next. Unlike his friend, John had plenty of experience and he coaxed her into nervously kissing him back. But for all its awkwardness, Feng thought it was perfect because it was Johnny she was locking lips with.

When they parted, John opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything, he was cut off by Feng’s father loudly spewing obscenities at them from the porch. John frowned at the bathrobe-clad man leaning heavily on the front door frame.

“You gonna tell him?”

She nodded and pulled reluctantly out of his arms. “Yeah, tonight even.”

“Like a band-aid, huh?” He rubbed her shoulders soothingly. “You want me to go with ya?”

“No, I think this is somethin’ I should do on my own.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

John let her go reluctantly, watching her run into the house. Her father glared at him before slamming the door shut between them. John stood at the end of the walk, staring up at the run down little house, listening to the muffled shouting that filtered out of the open windows.

Translations: Lang – wolf Feng – phoenix Zeta – the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet Pi gu - ass Deng yi xia - wait a minute Ting hao de – pretty good Ba – ba ba – father a yi – aunt Xian sheng – Mr. (Titles are placed after the name, ex. Smith xian sheng) Mei guan xi – (that) doesn’t matter Gong gong –grandfather Nin hao – Hello (Note that nin is the formal version of ‘you’, similar to the formal second person form ‘usted’ found in Spanish. It is used when addressing someone much older than the speaker or a person to whom the speaker wants to show their respect.) Mei mei – little sister Xie xie – thank you Niü peng you - girlfriend Gou shi – (dog) shit Ge ge – older brother Hai zi - child Xiao jie – Miss (Titles are placed after the name, ex. Smith xiao jie) Bu yong ku – (you) don’t need to cry

Fun Facts: Spiedie AKA Speedy Spiedie is a type of sandwich, though it also refers to a type of meat marinade. Usually attributed to Augustine Iacovelli of Abruzzi, Italy, spiedie was introduced to the United States in the early twentieth century by Italian immigrants. The sauce originally consisted of wine vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic and mint. The meat was cooked on wooden skewers over an open flame or barbequed on a grill. Originally, lamb was the only meat used though chicken is now quite popular. After the meat is cooked, it can be eaten alone or used in a sandwich. Spiedie quickly gained almost cult-like popularity in the tri-cities and rural areas of New York at the time of its introduction. Surprisingly, it has not experienced a similar spread to the rest of the US. The most common way people come into contact with spiedie chicken is either through tourism or by word of mouth, usually from an IBM employee or other transplant from the tri-cities area. My family’s marinade recipe History of Spiedie Order spiedie sauce over the internet - Dunno how good it is though.

…a space ship with a crazy super computer named Hal - Feng is of course, reading "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke.

Andolini – The Godfather, Vito Corleone, changed his last name from Andolini to that of his birthplace in Italy upon his immigration to America.

“She came by to give Ping her red envelope but I haven’t seen her since.” – You may be familiar with the tradition of giving red envelopes of money to single people during the New Year Festival, this is somewhat similar. In lieu of a gift, Chinese and many other Asian cultures present newlyweds with money tucked in red envelopes, red being the lucky color. More on red envelopes

Filial Piety "You’ve been loyal enough for two sons, taking care of your family the way you have." On very general terms, filial piety is respect for one’s parents and elders. However, the traditional definition also includes care for parents in life and after their deaths through ritual sacrifice, the assurance of male heirs and loyalty to the family. Depending on the school of thought, family loyalty may involve pointing out or correcting mistakes made by the parents but it can also mean keeping one’s mouth shut. Many of those duties traditionally fell to the oldest son. Filial piety was formally defined by Confucianism in the fourth and fifth centuries BCE and was taught through the use of a large number of parables. One of the most well known in Western countries today is the story of Hua Mulan, having been popularized by the Disney movie. Confucianism was used to form the basis for the Chinese government during the establishment of the Han dynasty in the third century BCE. The system remained in place with little modification until the Qing dynasty was overthrown in the twentieth century CE. As a result, filial piety was firmly entrenched in Chinese culture and continues to exert influence today despite the absence of imperial rule. In this chapter, Feng is having difficulty reconciling her desire to go to college and her duty as the oldest child to care for her family. More on Filial Piety More on Hua Mulan

Previous: Chapter Three | Next: Chapter Five: Tickets For the Eight O'clock Train Part I

COMMENTS

Sunday, February 22, 2009 6:12 PM

GORRAMITGIRL


I really like this so far. The pieces seem to be falling into place very nicely.


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