Mei-Mei sat on her window sill looking out at the bamboo
forest on the hills near her house. Something felt different about it today.
She thought she saw smoke coming from the top of the hills, but she was certain
it was her imagination.
“What should we do today, Fen?” the young girl asked her even
younger brother. He scratched his head.
“Let’s go see Bao the panda bear!” he said excitedly. “We
can go on an adventure in the forest!” Mei-Mei glanced out the window again; it
was a beautiful day outside, perfect
weather for an excellent adventure with her two favorite partners.
“Okay, let’s go!” she exclaimed grabbing her shoes. The two
siblings ran out the door and towards the forest. Deep in the forest, they
found their friend’s bamboo hut.
“Bao!” Mei-Mei called knocking on the door. Fen stood on his
toes to peep through the window.
“Bao?” he said as he tapped on the window.
“Fen!” Mei-Mei snapped “Get down! It’s rude to look in
people’s windows!”
“It’s quite alright!” a familiar voice said as the door to
the hut opened. Mei-Mei beamed, looking up at her old friend.
“Good morning, Bao!” she said as she hugged his big round
belly. His soft fur was warm against her face.
“Hi, Bao!” Fen said as he too gave Bao a hug, only coming up
to his leg.
“Good morning, children!” Bao chuckled. “Come in, come in!
You’re just in time for some jasmine tea.”
The three friends sat around a small table, the sweet smell
of jasmine hung in the air.
“Bao,” Mei-Mei said as she sipped her tea. “Did you see any
smoke coming from the hills earlier this morning?” Bao scratched at the fur on
his belly while munching on a bamboo stick.
“Why, yes. I believe I did. Strange isn’t it?” Bao said looking
out the window.
“I thought no one lived in the hills anymore?” Fen inquired.
“Have you two ever heard the story of the old woman who
lives down the forest’s haunted path?” Bao asked. Mei-Mei and Fen both shook
their heads, so Bao continued.
“It is said that there’s a lonely old woman living at the
top of the hill. She longs for visitors so every once in a while; she’ll bake
some special desserts in hopes that someone will brave the paths and visit her.”
“Why doesn’t she just come down to the village?” Mei-Mei
asked.
“She’s too old to make the journey anymore,” Bao explained. “She
can’t defend herself on the haunted paths.”
“How sad,” Mei-Mei said. “That poor woman, up there all
alone.” She got up and looked out to the hills where she had seen the smoke.
“Well it’s only a legend.” Bao said as he slurped down the
rest of his tea. “Now what is it we’re doing today?” he asked.
“We want to go on an adventure in the forest!” Fen told him.
Bao and Fen continued to chat excitedly about today’s adventure as Mei-Mei
gazed out the window.
“Come on, Mei-Mei!” Fen called after a while. “It’s time to
go!” Mei-Mei tore herself away from the window and followed her companions
outside. The trio hiked deep into the forest, telling jokes and fighting off
imaginary dragons. Fen had found a fallen branch and used it as a sword.
“Take that! And that! And that!” he shouted, stabbing the
air. Bao picked up a bamboo rod and challenged Fen to a duel. The clanging of
the wooden rods echoed through the forest as they battled. Suddenly, they came
across an old pathway. It didn’t look like anyone had been down it in years.
“W-We should head back.” Fen said nervously. “I don’t like
the way that path looks.”
“Yeah,” Bao nodded. “Plus, it’s getting close to lunchtime!”
his large stomach growled in agreement. The two turned around and started to
head back, but Mei-Mei hesitated.
“Isn’t this the path up to the top of the hill?” she asked.
“Yes,” Bao said. “Which means it’s haunted. Which means it’s
all the more reason to turn around.”
“What about the old woman at the top of the hill?” Mei-Mei
asked.
“It’s only a legend!” Bao protested.
“But what if it’s not?” Mei-Mei challenged.
“Come on, Mei-Mei. We’re hungry!” Fen whined.
“It’ll take longer to go all the way back than to go just a
little further up to the top of the hill. Don’t you want to see if the legend
is true?” Mei-Mei said. “And if it is true, there will be special desserts
waiting for us, remember?” Bao and Fen looked at each other.
“But….it’s haunted…” Fen said quietly.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to go on an adventure today?”
Mei-Mei asked. “This is a real adventure! You’re not scared, are you?”
“I’m not scared of anything!” Fen protested.
“Me either!” said Bao.
“Then let’s go!” Mei-Mei exclaimed, already headed down the
path. Bao and Fen followed close behind her, their “swords” at the ready. As
the trio went down the path, it got darker and darker. There was a rustling in
the distance that caused Fen to jump and grab onto Mei-Mei’s hand.
“It’s alright, Fen.” Mei-Mei said soothingly as she offered
her hand to Bao. “It’ll be less scary if we all hold hands.” Bao took her hand in his great big paw and
they continued down the path. The rustlings continued, but Mei-Mei was sure it
was just the breeze coming through the forest and ruffling the fallen leaves.
They had almost made it to the top, and Mei-Mei could see the end of the trail
up ahead when the rustling sound was right behind them. The three turned around
and were met by two crystal blue eyes. A white cat was perched on a branch at
eye level; it sprung from the branch and rubbed against Mei-Mei’s legs.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “What a lovely creature! Has it been
you following us the whole time?” She bent down to pet the cat’s small head,
but it ran off again before she could touch it. Fen, Bao, and Mei-Mei watched
as the little white animal bounded down to the end of the path and followed it.
When they came to the end of the path, they found themselves on a farm with a
small cottage just on the other side of it. Sure enough, there was smoke rising
from the cottage’s chimney.
“We made it!” Mei-Mei giggled. “Come on. Let’s go knock on
the door!”
“Mei-Mei, wait! What if she’s a demon?” Fen warned.
“Or a monster!” Bao added. Mei-Mei was already out of
earshot and nearly on the front steps of the cottage. Fen and Bao hurried to
catch up to her.
“Mei-Mei!” Fen called. “Wait! It could be dangerous!”
“Don’t be silly.” Mei-Mei said as she knocked on the cottage
door. The door opened and a frail old woman stood in the door frame. When she
saw Mei-Mei her eyes lit up and brimmed with tears.
“Oh, I’ve waited years for this day to come!” she said as
she beamed at Mei-Mei. “Come in, dear! Come in! I’ve just taken a fresh batch
of sweets out of the oven!” Mei-Mei followed the woman inside, quickly followed
by Fen and Bao. The cottage smelled of vanilla and cherry blossoms. There were
pictures all-around of distant lands and smiling people. The old woman had
shelves filled with books and other knick-knacks. Her kitchen was warm and
inviting and the table was set for four. In the table’s center there was a
basket full of tables. The old woman pulled another tray of cookies from the
oven and noticed Fen and Bao.
“Oh, there are two of you!” she said delighted. “And a
panda!”
“This is my younger brother, Fen and our friend Bao,”
Mei-Mei said. “My name is Mei-Mei.” The old woman smiled.
“My name is Jia-Li,” she said. “I’m so happy you’ve come to
see me. I can’t remember the last time I had visitors. Please, make yourselves
at home!” Fen, Bao, and Mei-Mei sat down at the table as Jia-Li carefully
placed the fresh cookies in the already overflowing basket of sweets.
“I’ll be right back with some tea!” Jia-Li said clapping her
hands. I’ve got some fresh herbs in my garden I can use.” After she was gone, Mei-Mei turned to her
friends and smiled.
“See? I told you there was nothing to worry about!” she told
them. “And look how happy we’ve made her.”
“I don’t know,” Bao said. “Something doesn’t seem right.”
“You’re just being paranoid.” Mei-Mei said, shaking her head
at him. Jia-Li returned with a beautiful tea set.
“Here you are, dears,” she practically sung as she poured
the tea. “Help yourselves to whatever you’d like! You must be famished from the
journey up here.”
“You have a lovely cottage,” Mei-Mei said as she took two
cookies from the basket. “Have you been to all of the places in your pictures?”
Jia-Li’s eyes lit up even more.
“Yes, I have!” she said. “I used to be quite the adventurer
when I was younger. I’d go all over the world trading precious objects.” Jia-Li
went on to tell them about her travels and all the wonderful things she saw.
She told them about the ruins in Belize, the pyramids in Egypt, and the hot
springs in Iceland. Mei-Mei asked lots of questions that Jia-Li was only too
happy to answer.
“Who are all these people in your pictures?” Fen asked as he
looked around the room.
“Friends, family, visitors. People used to come by here all
the time!” Jia-Li said. There was a bit of sadness in her eyes as she said it.
“Why’d they stop?” Bao asked.
“There was a landslide where the main path up to my farm
was. The only other way is through the bamboo forest, but no one wants to come
through that way, and I’ve grown too weak to make the trip down to the village.”
Jia-Li said sadly.
“Because it’s haunted?” suggested Fen. Jia-Li threw her head
back and laughed.
“Yes! But those are only myths,” she said. “The scariest
thing about that path is my cat, Mi. However, she makes such a ruckus in the
leaves that it scares people off.”
“It didn’t scare us!” Mei-Mei said proudly.
“Well…it scared me a little.” Fen admitted.
“And me!” Bao chimed in.
“But now that we know the path isn’t haunted, we can come
visit you all the time!” Mei-Mei added. Jia-Lin’s smile widened.
“Oh, I would love that.” She said. “It’s been so lonely up
here. I have the animals to keep me company, but it’s not the same.” Mei-Mei
took the old woman’s hand.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “You don’t have to be alone
anymore.”
“Oh, I know I don’t.” Jia-Li said with a large grin on her
face. “Thank goodness for your bravery or I might have had to have tea alone
again. But look at the time! It’ll be getting dark soon! You three should be
headed home before it gets too dark. Let me make you a basket to bring home.”
Jia-Li stood up, packing up the leftover sweets into the basket on the table.
She walked them out to the edge of the farm where the long path back home
began. Before they left, Mei-Mei gave her new friend a big hug.
“Jia-Li,” she said “Would it be alright if I came back for
tea tomorrow? I’d love to hear more about your adventures.”
“Of course, dear!” Jia-Li said. “I’ll even show you how to
ride a horse on one of my mares.” Mei-Mei beamed.
“I can’t wait!” she said. On the way back to the village
Mei-Mei looked at Bao and smiled.
“What?” he asked.
“See? Nothing to worry about.” She told him.
“I suppose. She seemed sweet enough. Something just felt
strange, though, as if there was something she was leaving out of her stories.”
Bao said. They were coming to the end of the not-so-haunted trail when a
strange mist came out of nowhere. A figure began to form in front of them. The
three stood frozen in their tracks as a man materialized. Mei-Mei immediately
recognized him from one of Jia-Li’s pictures.
“W-Who are you?” she asked trying to hide the fear in her
voice.
“I am Baojia.” He answered.
“Do you know Jia-Li?” Baojia nodded.
“She was my beloved wife. We had many adventures together
until I grew sick and could no longer travel. She took care of me until my
passing many years ago.” He said.
“So you’re a spirit?” Fen asked. Baojia nodded again.
“What can we do for you, sir?” asked Bao.
“Take care of my wife,” he said. “She is growing older and
has had no one to keep her company for a long time. I fear she may have no one
to take care of her when she can no longer care for herself.”
“I promise we will,” Mei-Mei said. “Until the day she
passes.” Baojia smiled.
“Thank you.” He said. As soon as he said it, the mist lifted
and he was gone.
“I knew it was haunted.” Fen mumbled. Mei-Mei and Bao
laughed as they continued walking the rest of the way home. Bao, Fen, and
Mei-Mei kept their promise to Baojia. Every day they visited Jia-Li for tea and
to help her with chores around the farm. Mei-Mei learned how to ride a horse,
milk a goat, and make cheese and butter. Fen learned how to properly harvest
fruits and vegetables, chop wood, and give the animals a bath without getting
kicked. Jia-Li taught Bao how to make all of the delicious sweets and even her
secret family recipes. Five years had gone by when Fen, Mei-Mei, and Bao had
learned to properly run the farm. It was a winter evening, and the four friends
were sitting around Jia-Li’s fireplace telling stories when Jia-Li asked, “Would
you dears stay the night with me tonight? There’s been a howling in the wind
recently and I always wake up so frightened. I’d feel much better if I knew you
were all here with me.”
“Of course, Jia-Li!” Mei-Mei said.
“I’ll be there with a cup of tea if you wake up.” Bao said
with a smile on his face. Fen took the old woman’s hand and squeezed it.
“We’ll be here.” He said.
“Thank you, dears. I’ll make us a lovely breakfast in the
morning.” Jia-Li said with a smile on her face. That night, the sweet old woman
slept soundly with her three friends at her bedside. Each of them took turns
sitting up next to her, holding her hand throughout the night. Mei-Mei had
dozed off for a bit on her turn before she was awoken by an icy chill. She
blinked as the rising sun shone through the curtains and looked down at her
elderly companion. The frail old woman was smiling in her sleep. Mei-Mei beamed
at her with admiration and placed a kiss on her cheek, then froze. Jia-Li’s
skin was cold as ice. Mei-Mei looked a little harder in the dim light and
noticed the old woman wasn’t breathing either. When she realized there was no
pulse in Jia-Li’s wrist, tears stung Mei-Mei’s eyes.
“Fen. Bao. Wake up.” She said. The boy and the panda only
had to take one look at Mei-Mei to know what had happened and tears began to
flood their faces.
“Come on,” Bao choked through tears as he lifted the tiny
woman’s body from the bed.
“We need to give her a proper burial.” Fen fashioned a
beautiful coffin out of the bamboo from the forest. Bao dug Jia-Li’s grave next
to her husband’s under the single cherry tree behind the cottage. Mei-Mei
adorned her friend’s body with wild flowers tough enough to beat the cold. They
each took turns sharing their favorite memories with Jia-Li and telling their
favorite things about her.
“The way her smile warmed you up better than hot tea.” Fen
said.
“Her laugh was like the sweetest music.” Bao choked behind
his paws. He was trying to make the tears stop, but it was no use.
“The sparkle in her eyes the first time she saw me,” Mei-Mei
whispered. “It was like she already loved me.”
The three friends gave their final goodbyes and turned to go
in the cottage, but the sight before them kept them frozen where they stood.
There, in front of them, was Jia-Li and Baojia. They were holding hands and
beaming at the trio.
“Dears,” Jia-Li said smiling her warm smile. “Do not weep
for me. I have had a good life and the three of you have given me a precious
end to it. My will is in my pillowcase. I’ve left everything to you, my dears.
I know you will take good care of this place.” She placed a kiss on each of
their heads.
“We will, Jia-Li.” Fen said.
“We promise.” Bao added. Mei-Mei couldn’t speak; she only
nodded as tears rolled down her face. Baojia simply smiled at them, and nodded.
He took Jia-Li’s hand and the two spirits walked into the forest, down the path
that first brought Fen, Bao, and Mei-Mei to Jia-Li those five years ago.
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| This was today's photo inspiration! :] |
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