The Phone Call

The restaurant owner, who was a blond woman in her fifties, was just closing up when Sun Mei got there. She was surprised to see a 20-year-old girl roaming the streets alone this late.

"Is there anything wrong, honey?" she asked her sympathetically.

"Yes," Sun Mei said sadly. "I got locked out of my house. May I please make a phone call?"

Although she felt bad about the lie, she was afraid that if she admitted to getting kicked out by her boss, the restaurant owner might think that she had been caught stealing or something equally bad.

"Of course you may," the woman answered immediately. "The phone is over there." She pointed behind the counter.

"Thank you." Sun Mei walked to the counter as the restaurant owner went back to tidying up the chairs and tables for the night.

She typed the number quickly and waited nervously for Mr. Wu to pick up. It was entirely possible that he would already be asleep.

The phone rang three times, four times, five times…

Sun Mei was about to give up and hang up, when someone suddenly picked up.

"Hello?" she heard a man ask in a hoarse, sleepy voice.

"Mr. Wu, is that you?" Sun Mei asked nervously.

"Yes. Who is this?"

Sun Mei swallowed slowly. She imagined the man sitting up in bed next to his worried wife, who probably thought that somebody had died. "It's Sun Mei. We met at the dinner party yesterday. I spilled tuna salad on you. I'm so sorry to bother you this late. I am really ashamed, but… but… Mrs. Lin kicked me out of the house. I have nowhere else to go."

"Where are you?" asked Mr. Wu worriedly. He already sounded completely awake.

"I'm calling from a restaurant. I don't have a phone or any clothes or money."

"Give me the address."

Sun Mei politely asked the owner for the restaurant's address and repeated it so that Mr. Wu could write it down.

"Stay right there," Mr. Wu told her. "I'll be right over!"

"Thank you, Mr. Wu!" Sun Mei hang up the phone, feeling completely relieved.

The restaurant owner waited with her until Mr. Wu got there ten minutes later. He pulled over in a shiny black car that looked more expensive than Sun Mei's entire house back home. When he rolled down the window, he motioned for Sun Mei and the restaurant owner to be as quiet as possible.

"I have a ticking bomb in the back," he whispered before he pointed at the backseat.

Sun Mei saw a small girl sleeping in a car seat with her thumb in her mouth. She seemed to be about three or four years old. Her hair was as dark and unruly as her father's, and her cheeks were bright red.

"This is Lily," Mr. Wu said with an affectionate smile. "You'll meet her properly in the morning. Shall we get going?"

Sun Mei thanked the restaurant owner for the help and bid her farewell before she got in the car beside Mr. Wu.

"Seatbelt," Mr. Wu instructed her immediately.

Sun Mei blushed as she fastened her seatbelt. She suddenly felt embarrassed that she had woken this man up and made him drag his sleeping daughter across the city to fetch her at midnight.

"Mr. Wu, I'm so sorry I made you come all the way here. I didn't realize that your wife wasn't home to watch your daughter. Oh my god, what must she think of me!"

Mr. Wu unexpectedly laughed. "I think she does not have any right to judge you."

Sun Mei frowned in confusion. This was not what she had expected to hear. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand."

Mr. Wu gave her a forced smile. "My wife and I split up two years ago."