#1. saturdays.

I finally got my first draft out. One of thirteen short stories I intend to write.

Here's one I wrote, inspired by someone's childhood. This one's dedicated to MK, Da and the good lawyer.

***

Saturdays.


“Mother knows best! Stop being such a silly girl!"

She stared defiantly at her mother, who returned her gaze with equal measure of anger. You don’t always know everything, were the thoughts that came to her mind, but she knew better than to stoke her mother’s temper, so she bit her lip instead.

“Aye, Ah Mei! He’s not going to come today, just like all the other times. Just go and eat your lunch okay? The food’s getting colder by the minute...” her mother nagged as she trailed off back into the kitchen.

Mei Lan’s stomach grumbled in agreement. But she refused to be swayed by her mother’s piercing words. He would turn up today. He promised, she thought fiercely to herself, although the voice was more hesitant this time. No one could be so cruel.

She glanced over to the hall, where her sister Xiu Lan had already taken off the pretty blue ribbon from her wavy hair and started halfway into Pocahontas. She got mildly irritated. What if he arrived now, and then she would have to do up her sister’s hair again, which would take away more precious time spent together with their father.

“Xiu Lan! Why did you take your ribbon off! Daddy could be here any minute now!” she reprimanded.

Her sister turned her head. It was the same sceptical look her mother wore, with a tinge of childish boredom. Without replying, she turned back to her cartoon.

She supposed she couldn’t blame her sister for feeling the way she did. After all, she was probably too young to understand. Her father was a busy man, and maybe there was an important meeting he had to attend, or perhaps he was delayed by something that cropped up at work.

It’s Saturday, the condescending voice in her head chimed.

“Well, sometimes Daddy works on weekends...” she muttered to herself stubbornly.



Today, Mei Lan had woken up at 8am, because she thought her father might arrive earlier today to make up for missing last week. She took out her favourite yellow dress that her father bought for her birthday. It had neat little flowers adorning the seams of the sides, and a pleated skirt with frills at the end. Her mother told her she was overdressing for nothing, but Mei Lan had a mind of her own.

She woke up her grumpy sister later, and had to do her hair up amidst her constant grumbling. They were all ready by 9am. Her mother had prepared the usual chicken porridge for breakfast. She had declined because she didn’t want to spoil her appetite in case her father had plans for that too, and got peeved when her sister abandoned her rebellion and tucked heartily away into the meal.



It was 12.30pm now.

She sat alone by the door, the sunlight bathing her in its inviting warmth. Her face was pressed against the cool metal grille of the gate. She looked out into the field across the street. She could see children playing at the playground, energetically bounding across the monkey bars and whizzing down slides. They were accompanied by their parents. She checked the long stretch of the road to look for a white sedan turning into their street. No one did.

She was hungry, but above all, she was really disappointed. And she knew she wasn’t the only one. Despite her nonchalant demeanour, Xiu Lan had turned her head to the door every time she heard a car pulling in to a house. Mei Lan started picking at the frills of her skirt. She didn’t understand. Didn’t her father want to see them? Didn’t he miss them?

It certainly wasn’t the first time he didn’t turn up for an appointment, so it wasn’t all that surprising. But it had already been more than a month since he last came. There was last week, which he didn’t call. And the fortnight he said he was away on a business trip. Each time the rejection came through the bitter words of her mother, never on the phone to her directly. Each time she had to put on a brave face, and pretended like she wasn’t hurt.

Last week when he didn’t show up, she overheard her mother crying and shouting into the phone. Don’t you care about your daughters at all, you wretch?! Do you have any idea how many Saturdays they have waited by the door for you? Is that wench of yours that important?, her mother had screamed. Mei Lan had to run into Xiu Lan’s room because she didn’t want to hear anymore. She sobbed into Xiu Lan’s pillows for awhile, but pretended it was because Mother had scolded her. It was her own painful secret to bear.



Her thoughts were interrupted by her sister tugging at her sleeve. She turned her head.
“Mei, Mother wants you to eat your porridge...she said Daddy’s not going to come already...” Xiu Lan pleaded gently.

She looked out into the far end once more. A man peddling a bicycle was delivering the plastic packets of milk to the houses. He was riding in the middle of the street.

“It’s okay, Xiu. I’m not hungry. You can have mine and tell Mother I finished it.”

Her sister obeyed quietly and went into the kitchen. She noticed she had already changed out of her dress.

Mei Lan continued looking out into the street. A single tear welled up, and streamed down her right cheek and fell into the same spot of the metal grille. It would rust one day.


. arigato .