Chapter 3
Edward Quan ·
08
In the middle of the night, a terrible scream came from my brother’s room.
Mum ran to his door barefoot and hammered on it.
“Darling! What’s happened? Open the door!”
Another scream answered her, worse than the first.
She panicked and began kicking the door.
It suddenly flew open from inside. Unable to stop herself, she fell to the floor.
Wang rushed out, pale and hastily straightening his clothes.
“It’s nothing to do with me! He wanted—he wanted this!”
Mum scrambled up and looked toward the bed.
She froze.
My brother was badly injured. The tampered item had become stuck, and attempts to remove it had made things worse.
There was blood on the sheets.
The industrial adhesive Mum had bought to repair a pipe had worked all too well.
She screamed.
“What… what happened? How did this happen?”
My brother was almost exhausted with pain.
“It burns…”
The chilies had worsened the injury.
Mum reached for him, trying to help, and he cried out again.
“Don’t touch me! It hurts!”
Only then did I run over.
A closer look made even me flinch.
Mum spotted me and found somewhere to direct her fury.
“Are you dead? What are you standing there for? Call an ambulance! Now!”
I wandered into the living room.
But I was so frightened that I couldn’t get a sentence out without sobbing.
“H-help… my brother… there’s so much blood… I’m scared…”
The dispatcher kept calm and asked for our address and the nature of the emergency.
“The address… it’s… Garden Road… or is it Park Street? Mum! What street do we live on?
“I can’t… I can’t explain…”
It took half an hour for the person on the other end to piece together our address.
09
During that half hour, Mum kept trying to save my brother.
Her attempts with scalding water and medicated oil only made his injuries worse.
“Mum! It’s too hot!”
His cries grew weaker. Eventually, he lost consciousness.
At last, an ambulance arrived, its siren shattering the night.
Neighbors poured out into the corridors and gathered at our door.
My brother was lifted onto a stretcher.
Mum tried to cover him with a sheet, but she couldn’t conceal everything. The neighbors began whispering.
“What’s that?”
“I can smell glue. Did someone catch a husband cheating?”
Mrs Luu, who had never got along with Mum, spotted me following the stretcher.
She sidled over, unable to hide her excitement.
“Phan Nhi, who are they carrying out? What on earth happened?”
I wiped my tears.
“It’s… my brother. Uncle Wang… he…”
I stopped at just the right moment and covered my mouth.
She could fill in the rest herself.
Her eyes lit up. She gripped my arm as if to say she understood.
Mum looked back and saw her.
“You girl! Stop dawdling and get in!”
Mrs Luu immediately put on a sympathetic expression. She made sure everyone around us could hear.
“Don’t take it out on your daughter! Your boy’s the one who’s got himself into this mess.”
She glanced at the stretcher.
“Look at him. Can they even get that thing off? You really ought to keep a closer eye on your son.”
Understanding spread through the crowd, along with a fresh wave of interest.
Mum shook with rage.
“Luu Phung Kieu! I’ll smash your mouth in!”
She lunged at her.
In the confusion, someone stepped on the trailing corner of the sheet.
It slipped off.
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
Then phones came out all around us. The neighbors hurried to film.
Mum screamed.
Forgetting Mrs Luu, she threw herself over my brother and frantically pulled the sheet back into place.
Then she grabbed my arm and dragged me into the ambulance.
She had always cared so much about appearances.
This time, the whole neighborhood had seen.
10
Outside the emergency room, the doctor emerged looking grave.
“The patient has severe burns and tears, with extensive tissue damage made worse by attempts to remove the object and by irritating substances. How did this happen?”
Mum avoided his eyes.
“He was careless… he… fell…”
The doctor continued carefully.
“He may need a temporary stoma.”
She clutched his white coat.
“No! My son’s so young! He still has to get married and have children. Who would marry him like that? Please, Doctor, there must be another way. We’ll pay anything!”
He frowned.
“Please try to stay calm. If we can’t remove the dead tissue and control the infection, his life may be in danger.”
“No… no, my boy will be all right…”
Pale and flustered, she fumbled for her phone.
“Wait! Let me call my husband. He knows people. He’ll think of something!”
She called once. Twice. Three times.
No answer.
“We need a decision quickly. His condition is critical.”
The doctor held out the consent form.
At last, she signed.
The operating light came on.
I stood in the dim corridor and looked up at it.
By the time it went out, my brother’s body would be changed forever.
Mum slumped onto a chair, then caught sight of my calm face.
Her anger found its familiar target.
“You useless jinx! Not a word out of you the whole way here. What good are you? Why are you still standing there? Go home and get your brother some clothes!”
I nodded obediently.
“Yes, Mum. Right away.”
I turned.
My steps felt light.
So did my heart.
11
I had just stepped out of the lift when I saw a familiar figure outside Wang’s apartment.
Dad.
He had a suitcase with him. Clearly, he had just returned from a business trip.
My heart gave an odd lurch.
An absurd suspicion crept over me.
I slipped into a dark corner of the corridor and held my breath.
Dad entered the door code with practiced ease.
The door opened.
Wang went pale at the sight of him.
“Ming… listen, I didn’t mean to! Gia Hao—”
“Whatever it is, it can wait!”
Dad cut him off and pulled him close.
“A whole month away on business. I’ve missed you like hell!”
Wang tried to push him away.
“Not now, Ming! Something’s happened! Gia Hao—”
“I don’t care if the sky’s falling. I’ve waited long enough!”
Dad wouldn’t listen. He dragged Wang into the apartment.
“What are you hesitating for? It’s hardly our first time!”
After a brief struggle, Wang stopped resisting. The door closed.
I clamped a hand over my mouth.
My heart was hammering.
Dad and Wang.
So that was what their friendship meant.
Then where did my brother fit into all this?
I didn’t dare follow the thought.
But why should I be the only one to learn such extraordinary news?
I called Mum at once.
The moment she answered, I spoke in a frightened rush.
“Mum! Uncle Wang’s packing. I think he’s going to run!”
“What? He thinks he can run after what he’s done to my son? Li Phan Nhi, listen to me! Watch his door. Don’t let him get away! I’m coming back with people!”
I made my voice small and shaky.
“He’s so big, Mum. I don’t think we can stop him…”
She shouted louder.
“Useless girl! I’ll call your uncles and aunts. Let’s see him get past all of us!”
“Yes, Mum. I’ll watch…”
I stammered my agreement and hung up.
The sounds from inside told me they were still occupied.