Chapter 3

Hui Ka Bo ~~~~~ Julian Cheung Chi Lam
Aliss Yip Tsui Yee ~~~~~ Nnadia Chan Chung Ling
Tsang Wing Hong ~~~~~ Alec Su Yau Peng
Alex Chan Chi Heen ~~~~~ Louis Koo Tin Lok
Clea Yip Pui Yee ~~~~~ Vicki Zhao Wei
Shirley Yip Wun Yee ~~~~~ Jessica Hester Hsuan
Tsang Pik Wah ~~~~~ Lee Si Kei
Yip Tung ~~~~~ Lau Dan
Rachel Yip Jung Yin ~~~~~ Kristy Yang Kung Yu

Death.

The dictionary definition is �end of life.�

God, what an unfeeling statement! Clea snapped the dictionary shut. Then again, death is rather unfeeling. It attacks its unsuspecting victims at any given time and zaps the life out of them, leaving an empty shell. Memories, relationships, smiles � gone in an instant.

�Death. The finale of life,� Clea whispered to herself and shivered at the frightening sensations those words provoked from her. Death had always scared her. Being nothing, feeling nothing; she could not begin to imagine what that would be like.

A russell jack terrier trotted up to Clea, and sensing his owner�s anxiety, hopped onto her laps and nuzzled against her stomach.

�Oh, Jacky! You really do know how to make me feel better,� she cooed as she rubbed his stomach.

The dog whimpered.

�You wanna know why I�m suddenly so morbid?� Clea asked Jacky, as well as herself.

�Well to make a long story short, Mun Fai Gor was shot last night,� she paused to scratch Jacky�s ears before continuing, �If he dies, it�s the end of the world for Dai Ka Jei.�

Clea heaved a long heavy sigh again. When she had heard that from Daddy, she had gone straight to the dictionary to look up �death.� Her heart ached for her oldest sister, and she had wanted to know the exact meaning of such an uninvited phenomenon.

Jacky looked at Clea with a pair of sad gleaming eyes, as if he understood all that she said and felt.

Sprawling herself over the living room sofa, Clea spooned out the pudding part of her egg custards (don tot) and dumped it into a bowl. She placed the crusts on a plate and then placed the bowl of egg custard pudding onto the floor. Snapping her fingers fingers, she said, �Here you go, Jacky!�

As soon as his eyes hit the bowl of food, Jacky pounced on it and lapped up the contents.

�Hungry, aren�t you?� Clea asked, massaging the dog�s neck. �Me, too.� She stuffed an egg custard crust into her mouth.

�Hey Clea,� Shirley greeted as she entered the front door.

�Yi Ka Jei.�

Shirley plopped down on the sofa and flexed her neck. �Still eating only the crusts, huh?�

�Been doing that my whole life.�

�Don�t you find it dry?�

�Just like life.�

Grinning to herself, Shirley said, �Ah, my sister, the eternal pessimist. Get a grip and enjoy life for a change. Life is short, you know.�

�Life is short,� Clea sighed, picking at the last crust remaining on the plate.

Raising an eyebrow, Shirley studied her sister and for the first time since arriving home, Shirley noticed the somber look on her face. �Why the long face?�

�Mun Fai Gor�s in the hospital,� Clea answered. Such a simple statement, but what a huge impact it had.

A look of pure shock washed over Shirley�s face. �Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?�

�Last night, Mun Fai Gor went out on a job for Daddy. The police showed up and arrested everyone and shot Mun Fai Gor.�

�Will he be all right?�

�Daddy said he�s dying.�

Shirley sank down on the sofa, her mind racked with a million thoughts and questions. �Wasn�t Mun Fai and Dai Ka Jei having a Valentine�s date? Why the hell was he out on a job? Where�s Dai Ka Jie? Is she OK?�

�You know, Daddy trusts Mun Fai Gor the most. He interrupted their dinner and sent Mun Fai Gor on some job,� Clea sighed, �Dai Ka Jie�s still at the hospital.�

This is history revisited, Shirley thought to herself.

God damn this triad! God damn Tin Lung! Such were the thoughts of Tung Yeh. He had struggled so hard to make it to the most powerful position in Tin Lung, but now he was starting to regret the path he had chosen for himself. This life of his was affecting far too many people that were precious to him.

Tsui Yee (Aliss), Wun Yee (Shirley), Pui Yee (Clea) � his three daughters. He owed each of them so much that he knew there was no way he would ever be able to make it up.

Four years ago, Tung Yeh had ruined what was supposed to be the happiest day of Shirley�s life. Her wedding day. Why the hell had he sent Jason on a job the night before the wedding? What he wouldn�t give to return to that night so he could stop himself from making such a foolish decision. And now, four years later, he again ruined Aliss�s happiness.

And the fact that both of them never once blamed him just intensified Tung Yeh�s guilt.

But his debt to Clea was the biggest regret of Tung Yeh�s life. That debt began even before she was born. Twenty-three years ago, his determination to succeed had ruined the life of an unborn baby. Tung Yeh still remembered that night Clea was born. October 18, 1978. Just two hours after giving birth, Clea�s mother had committed suicide.

Clea didn�t blame Tung Yeh, either. But how could she? She knew nothing about the turmoil that surrounded her birth. Tung Yeh had been too afraid to tell her.

�I can�t face Tsui Yee. Please take care of her for me,� Tung Yeh said grimly.

It was because of those words that Ka Bo was now on his way to the hospital, where Aliss had stayed the whole day.

The world was at a standstill for Aliss. She was at a fork in the road, and whatever happened the next few days would determine the rest of her life. Mun Fai would either be alive � maybe in jail, but nonetheless, alive � or he would be dead.

Dead. That word rang in Aliss�s ears, making her eyes burn with tears. Shouldn�t death come after old age, when you�ve lived an eighty something odd years? Isn�t it supposed to tear you away when you�ve become a grandparent or maybe even a great-grandparent? If that much was true, then why was Mun Fai dying now, when he had just turned 32? He wasn�t even a father, much less a great-grandfather.

�You�ve been sitting here for the whole day,� Ka Bo said, pulling Aliss away from her own thoughts. �Why don�t you go home and rest?� He sat down on the bench next to her.

She shook her head. �No. I�m not going anywhere,� she said through her tears. She glanced at the door that led to the ICU unit where Mun Fai was. �I have to be here. If he lives�if he dies�I need to be near him.�

�Mun Fai�s going to make it through this,� Ka Bo said, though he had high doubts.

Aliss looked up at him, her tears glistening. That had been her biggest hope, but as the seconds of the clock ticked on, that hope had diminished. �What if�what if he doesn�t?�

�Don�t lose hope,� Ka Bo annunciated each word with such force, as if that would somehow make Aliss�s tears go away. �Don�t lose your dream.�

�My dream?� Aliss said underneath her breath. Her dream, like every other girl, was to walk down the aisle with the man she loved more than life itself. She had found that man, and the dream was getting closer and closer to reality. So close she could hear the wedding bells and feel the lacey fabric against her skin. But now, that dream seemed to be drifting farther and farther away from her grasp.

�If you lose that dream, you�ll have nothing to hold onto.�

She shook her head. �I don�t need that dream. Even if I lose it, I have Mun Fai. But if I lose Mun Fai, then I�ll have nothing. Nothing�� Her voice trailed off and she lost control. Burying her head in her laps, Aliss sobbed hysterically.

Ka Bo�s heart was racked with pain seeing Aliss like this. He wanted to offer her a shoulder to cry on, but what was the use? That wasn�t what she needed. What she needed was Mun Fai. That stupid asshole, Ka Bo thought, his nostrils flaring in anger. Why couldn�t that damn Lam Sir let Aliss see Mun Fai? What could she, a fragile woman, do? She certainly wasn�t going to bust Mun Fai out of the hospital.

His fists pounded on the bench and he stood up abruptly. He would make sure Aliss would get to see Mun Fai.

�Home so early, Hong Hong?�

Hong stepped into the tiny apartment he shared with his mother. �Momma, what are you doing?�

�Ai, nothing,� Tsang Pik Wah exclaimed. But even as she said this, her hands were busy hiding something underneath newspapers.

�Momma,� he said in a warning tone. He firmly eased her hands away from the newspapers.

She retreated into the kitchen before he could give her another one of his lectures. Hong was trailing right behind her, his hands carrying what the newspapers had covered.

�Why are you mending these clothes?� he asked as if he was scolding a little child and not talking to his mother.

She opened the refrigerator door and closed it. �Because they have holes.�

�But these clothes aren�t ours.�

�Yes, they are.�

Hong held up a bikini. �This is ours?� he asked in a condescending tone. �You don�t wear bikinis, Momma, and I sure as hell don�t.�

She opened the refrigerator door again and her petite body disappeared into it, shying away from her son.

�Momma, are you mending other people�s clothes for money again?�

Pik Wah closed the door to the refrigerator and grabbed the clothes and her sewing kit from her son�s hands. �I don�t know what you�re talking about, Hong Hong,� she said as she walked into the living room.

Hong was right behind her. �I�m not stupid. You�re mending other people�s clothes for some extra cash.�

�Hong Hong,� she sighed as she took a seat on the sofa, �This family consists of the two of us. I want to help because it�s not fair that you�re the only one who�s supporting it.�

Lump forming in his throat, Hong felt his heart swell up with love for his mother. �And was it fair when you raised me all by yourself? Momma, ever since I was born, you�ve been struggling to make ends meet. Now I won�t have you struggling in your old age.�

�I know you�re how sune (respects and loves parents), but I also know how hard it is right now for you to find a job.�

Hong shook his head. �My job is to earn money and take care of you. Your job is to stay home and enjoy your golden years.�

�But I ��

�No buts,� he said, placing his finger on her lips to shush her. �You know what the eye doctor said. No more sewing or else you�re going to go blind looking at those darn needles.�

�But Hong Hong ��

�No buts,� he said again, this time more forcefully. �I have everything under control. I�m going to find a job soon. I can feel it in my bones. And meanwhile, I found someone to buy my car. There�s no need for you to sacrifice your health to earn some extra cash.�

Pik Wah sighed. �All right, but can I at least finish mending the clothes I already brought home?�

�You are not doing anymore mending,� Hong said. He took the sewing kit from his mother. �I�ll mend the clothes.�

�Are you sure you can do it?�

Hong circled his arm around her shoulders. �Hey I learned from the master, didn�t I?�

�That is true,� Pik Wah said, nodding proudly. �The clothes are for Mr. Lee upstairs and he�s expecting them tomorrow.�

�Mr. Lee? The old man that lives alone upstairs?� Hong asked, his eyes wide. �Why in the world does he have a bikini?�

�You�ve hardly eaten anything for nearly two whole days,� Ka Bo said, sitting down next to Aliss. He handed her a sandwich from the hospital cafeteria. �It�s not a healthy thing.�

�I don�t have an appetite.�

�Well what if I said you can see Mun Fai?�

Aliss�s head instantly turned towards him. �What do you mean?�

�If you eat the sandwich, you can see Mun Fai.�

Disbelief in her eyes, she asked, �How?�

�Just eat the sandwich.�

Obediently, Aliss unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. She opened her mouth to say it was dry, but a bottle of water appeared in front of her. She accepted it from Ka Bo and gave a tiny grin.

Sandwich and water gone, she wrung her fingers anxiously. �So I can see Mun Fai now?�

�You�ve been a good girl.� Ka Bo gestured to the door. �Just go on in. The nurse is expecting you.�

Aliss rushed to the door, but turned around and thanked Ka Bo with a shy smile before disappearing.

Ka Bo banged his head against the wall and shut his eyes. Those tears that fell from her eyes caused had Ka Bo�s heart to wrench with pain. Aliss was a fragile woman, he knew, and if Mun Fai died, her world would come crashing down on her.

Guilt settled itself into Ka Bo and began gnawing him away. Stop blaming yourself. But even as he thought this, his mind burned with racing thoughts. He was the one who caused Mun Fai�s near fatal injury, and consequently, the one who caused Aliss�s grief.

Ka Bo gave himself a mental shake. What the hell are you doing, Hui Ka Bo? Stop acting like a hormonal teenager. You cannot fall in love with Aliss Yip. You have to remember who she is. You have to remember who you are.

You have a job to do.

Chi Heen always arrived an hour early because it gave him the chance to survey the area before carrying out his job.

That night was no exception. Dressed head to toe in black, Chi Heen nestled himself into the corner of the nightclub that offered him an entire view of the room. Bottle of cold beer in hand, he scanned the room. It was crowded. That was a good thing, Chi Heen knew, for he could easily disappear into the sea of people.

He checked the message on his pager: Midnight at Moonbeam Nightclub.

He looked at his watch. 11:15.

Forty-five minutes to go. Chi Heen let his mind wander.

A small smile formed on his lips as an image of the woman he had a one-night stand with a few days ago floated into his mind. God, she was beautiful! Her lopsided smile alone was enough to trigger dizzying sensations from Chi Heen.

But there was more to her than beauty. An aura of mystery surrounded her, making her even more exquisite. The more evasive she was, the more she intrigued him.

The way she nonchalantly handled his handgun and threw her head back in laughter saying, �Believe me, I�ve seen much worse than a handgun,� � that had utterly surprised him! �I have a concealed identity.� Those had been her words and they told Chi Heen this woman wasn�t any saint. Somehow or another, she was connected to the so-called �underworld.� That fact would�ve scared off any other man, but Chi Heen wasn�t one to judge. He, himself, wasn�t any saint. He himself was connected to the so-called �underworld.�

And then there were those sad tears. This woman had a painful past and just like him, she was running away from it, plastering on a smile for the world to see and pretending all was going well. The way she covered it up with a lie � he could see through it because he had done the same thing so many times. He saw himself in this woman. Strange thing to say, he knew for he had only seen her once, but that was what he felt.

Now if only he knew her name. If only he had asked for her number for he had a sneaking feeling she wasn�t going to call him.

A woman sashayed herself over to Chi Heen and interrupted his thoughts. �Mind if I sit?�

He shrugged.

She plopped down on the chair and crossed her legs, the high slit of her dress cutting up her thigh. She leaned towards Chi Heen and as she did, the neckline of her dress plunged dangerously low.

�Care to buy me a drink?� she whispered and bit her lips seductively.

�Not really.� He shifted his eyes awkwardly away from her.

�Why not?�

Silence.

�I�m Rachel. You?�

Chi Heen looked at her for a short moment and looked away again.

The woman laughed. �You don�t speak much, do you?�

He made no attempt to answer, only quietly stood up and walked away.

This woman � Randi or Rachel or whatever the hell her name was again � was throwing herself all over him and he didn�t like it. Last time, that woman threw herself over you and you didn�t seem to mind, he chided himself. She was different. She was mischievous and lively about it, like we were two teenagers experimenting with our first kisses. This Rachel woman was pushy and � well put simply, she was slutty.

And besides, he was out on a job. It would be too risky if anyone remembered him.

Chi Heen glanced down at his watch. It was 11:55. Five minutes later, he saw the man waltz into the nightclub.

Chi Heen reached into the inner pocket of his leather jacket and took out his handgun. He aimed straight at the man and pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit its target right on the mark.

Although the triad is a huge basis of this story, I won't be concentrating too much on the triad itself. This is, after all, mostly a love story. Now what do you think? Getting better? Worse? Boring? Stay tuned for more and do drop me a note in the guestbook. Comments help the story grow. Ciao! >;p

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