CHAPTER 4 : A CUTE LITTLE CHILD

FLASHBACK

Marco was living in the villages with his parents since he was born, when he was thirteen years old his father died because of heart attack, his father had a weak heart since he was born. Marco lived with his mom only after that, her mom owned a little restaurant at the village. When he was fourteen years old, he met a little girl while he was fishing on the lake. The little girl was chasing a butterfly

Marco :"Watch out little girl !" Plong..... the girl fell down into the lake. Marco hurriedly save her and brought her to his home and gave her something to eat.

Marco :"Are you alright ?"

The little girl :"I'm fine, thank you gege for saving me"

Marco :"What's your name ?"

The little girl :"I'm Xiu Xin."

Marco :"I'm Hao Ming, can you walk !"

Xiu Xin :"Yes, but I'm a bit weak."

Marco :"OK I'll help you walk to my house is near here."

Marco told his mom about what happened, his mom knew her mom and called her to take her back. While waiting for her picked up Lily gave her something to eat.

Lily :"Just eat something here Xin Xin."

Xiu Xin :"Thank you aunt Lu. Thank you brother Hao Ming."

Marco :"It's OK, next time you have to be careful with your walk."

Xiu Xin :"Yes I will, brother Hao Ming take this butterfly bracelet as my gratitude."

Marco :"No, you don't have to, it's your priceless thing, just keep it."

Xiu Xin :"No, I want you to have it, my father gave it to me on my birthday, but I want you to have it from now on."

Marco :"OK I'll keep it as a remembrance of you. Thank you !"

***

Marco was packing up his stuff, he would move to his new house he just bought. He found the butterfly bracelet on his drawer, he remembered the little girl he had saved some years ago when he saw it. He kept the bracelet again on his boxes, it had special place in his mind, he didn't want to lost it. Marco had been living in that house since he was fifteen, his grandfather took him from his mother with forced.

His grandfather Wang Jing Wen is a successful businessman, he had media company and some shopping malls. He wanted to inherited his businesses to his sons, but his eldest son Billy Wang (Marco's father) had died and not interested on his business, instead of married the maid's daughter and lived in the villages. While the second son Edward Wang was very ambitious to take over his business, but he's a reckless man and his wife a lot more ambitious and sneaky. The grandfather decided to pass down his business to his grandsons. So he made Marco and his cousin Enrico got compete to each other since they were young. Enrico had been trained so hard by his ambitious mom, he had too be number one student all the time in school. It made him suffer since he was a child, but Enrico always tried to endure it. While Marco just tried his best by his own effort without being pressured by anyone, he's a smart student. Marco lost his mom six years ago because of big flood on the village.

Though Marco is a smart student but he hid it so her aunt won't hate him, since he lived together with all of them in the same house. Actually Enrico is one year younger than him, but Marco delayed his school for a year before he went to high school, so they were on the same grade now. When they graduated from high school, they decided to continue studying at the USA so Enrico's mom would be harder to watch them from far. Enrico took Broadcasting major, while Marco took International business major, Marco deliberately took different major since he wanted to avoid his aunt competition. Marco took different university also and he finished his study earlier than Enrico, then he continued took the master degree of management. Unknown to his grandfather he also learnt about culinary, he actually wanted to be a chef, it reminded him about his mom big effort working on their restaurant. Marco took master degree cause he wanted to accompany Enrico until he finished his study, so they could come back together and Enrico wouldn't got scolded by his mom.

Enrico on the other side, he wanted to be an artist, unknown to his mom he took art major on the second year, that's why he couldn't finished his study on time.

They might look competing to each other in grandfather's eyes, but they cover up each other and getting closer to each other since they got study in the USA.

They had back to B city for a year and they had been working in his grandfather's office. Enrico was working on the media company, he started from the manager level. While Marco had been working on the shopping mall office, he started from the bottom level also as a marketing, three months later he got promoted as marketing manager because of his achievements.

Now, he could buy his own house on the suburb, he couldn't stand living together with his aunt Janice Wu, she always tried to compare him and Enrico. It made him uncomfortable, his decision to moved out had been followed by Enrico, he had bought an apartment in the down town also, but he would move there two weeks later. Enrico didn't want to argue with his mom a lot, so he would move slowly without her noticed.

One night Enrico meet up with Marco at the Bar

Enrico :"I envy you brother ! You can live freely on your own, while I'm being watch all the time !"

Marco :"I envy you too brother, you still have mom and dad who always love and care about you all the time, while I don't have one !"

Enrico :"Hahaha... we have our own burden. But I want to have freedom like you, I'm no longer a child right ? You know my mom treated me ?"

Marco :"Yeah I know, that's why I decided to move out. Let's forget about your mom for now, just enjoy the moment. One day I want to have a Bar like this to relax after working all day. I don't want to live under pressure all my life. I want to pursue my own dream. Do you have your own dream Rico ?"

Enrico :"I want to be a sculptor and have my own gallery. I have a workshop on the village, I'll show you there someday, don't tell my mom about it."

Marco :"Don't worry I won't, it's late now, let's go home. We can see each other again some other time."

Enrico :"OK, nice talking to you Mark, see you again soon."

Marco was walking to his car, he heard some noise on the back of the Bar, he was curious to see what happened, he went closer to peek.

Franky had a habit giving leftover food to the cats at the back of the Bar, that night she caught a little boy had snatched away the food from the cat, the cats got mad and they all making sound noisily miaw...miaw...

Franky :"Hey kid, don't take that food, it's for the cats !"

Little boy :"But I'm very hungry, my sister also."

Franky :"What's your name ?"

Little boy :"I'm Randy"

Franky :"OK Randy bring your sister here now."

Randy :"But my sister is very weak now, she can't walk."

Franky :"OK take me to your sister now."

Marco was listening to their conversation, he got pitied on that boy and he decided to follow them, he wanted to help them if something urgent.

Franky and the little boy got into an alley there they found a weak little girl almost unconscious covered up by a used cardboard.

Randy :"Rita....Rita... wake up !"But the little girl couldn't open her eyes, she just mumbled.

Marco saw it, he grabbed the little girl and carried her to his car.

Marco :"Let's take her to the hospital now !"

Franky got surprised by his appearance but she just followed him and agreed with him.

Franky :"Yes we must take her to the hospital. Randy where is your parents ?"

Randy cried :"I don't have them, our mom just died a month ago because she was weak and got cold."

Franky :"OK .. OK.. let's go to the hospital first."

Franky called Henry and told him about what happen and she had to leave the bar right away now.

When they got into the emergency the little girl got treated right away, the nurse asked who was responsible for the little girl, Franky and Marco said together "I am" then they looked each other. The nurse got confused and asked their identity, Franky knew she just eighteen years old, so she allowed Marco to show his identity "Sir, can you give them your identity, I didn't bring my wallet, I left it in the Bar." Marco "Sure no problem, the most important is to save the little girl first."

The three of them were waiting for the doctor's examine all night long, Marco bought Randy something to eat while they were waiting.

Marco :"It's very late, you may go home first, let me wait for her here."

Franky :"No, I want to wait here either. Why don't you go home, this girl has nothing to do with you, thank you for helping us here."

Marco :"It reminds me about my childhood, I was once saved a little girl's life too, she fell into the lake and almost got drowned."

Franky suddenly remembered her childhood, she was got drowned also and saved by a teen boy, but unknown to her it was Marco who saved her.

Franky :"Oh I see, by the way, I think you look familiar. Have we ever met before ?"

Marco turned to look at her face :"Yeah, I think I saw you before."

Franky :"Ah... I remember, you spilled your coffee to my arm before !"

Marco :"Oh so you're the ... how is your arm now ? Is it leave a scar ?"

Franky :"No, it's fine now, no scar either."

Marco :"Hi, I'm Marco Wang, what's your name ?"

Franky :"I'm Franky Lin."

They asked about what had happened to Randy while they were waiting for his sister to wake up. They all got slept in the hospital for few hours till the morning comes.