Block catching, B**ch!

6 September 1994

[Yongqi's POV]

For the past 4 days, I watched and observed the world that surrounded Elizabeth. Fast moving carriages that are no longer powered by horses, moving pictures in a box, people speaking to each other over long distances by using grey coloured devices. I marveled at how in this strange world, humans are able to function without Kings and Queens to guide them and that women follow very little societal rules and are able to work in a job.

I watched with disgust as those arrogant pricks moved into Elizabeth's apartment behaving as though her parents owed them a living. I had accidentally bumped into a clandestine meeting behind hushed doors the night before.

The old lady was discussing with Ric and Lily about the bankruptcy and the creditors that they are hiding from. Apparently, Ric and Lily had borrowed money from a local mafia gang.

The people living with Elizabeth had been leeching off her dad's paycheck and her mom's savings without contributing a single cent. Moreover, Elizabeth and her mom are the ones who did all the scrubbing and cleaning of the house.

It did not feel right that Elizabeth, her brother and her mom had to eat the leftovers of Llyod and Virginia. Sometimes, that pair of siblings left fragmented pieces of fish and vegetables with gravy for the trio to eat. Sometimes, it was only just the gravy with rice.

Internally, I struggled. I did not want to spoil Elizabeth's birthday today, yet, I felt compelled to tell her the truth about the creditors that would be knocking on their doors soon.

"These people are a ticking time bomb, biting the hand that feeds them." I thought to myself, feeling the fury building up inside me watching Llyod lying on the couch lazily, chatting on the phone.

"Llyod, may I have the phone now? I need to make a call urgently." Elizabeth's mom asked with a polite tone. Lloyd turned with his back facing her, ignoring her.

"Llyod, it's already been 3 hours since you are on that call." Elizabeth's mom tried again with no response from Llyod.

I heaved a sigh watching the rude spoiled brat. In the Qing dynasty, this would have warranted a punishment from the family elders. Such a behaviour would not be tolerated.

Given the unpredictability of my time here in this strange place, I might not be around to look out for Elizabeth. Yet, how can a child like her protect the family from the infamous creditors?

"Elizabeth, we are going to the playground today. Our neighbours have prepared some food to share with everyone. Since it is your birthday, you will get an extra 1 hour of playtime" her mom said with a slight smile, giving up on Llyod.

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. She looked in my direction and gave me a playful wink.

The playground felt like a children's playdate party. The mothers would lay out a mat to display all the food for everyone to help themselves with. The dads would be absent from the scene. There were 4 other children and a pair of identical twins.

"Let's play block catching." T.J, the elder twin said.

"Elizabeth, since it is your birthday, you get to pick the block." J.J, the younger twin added.

The rules of the game were simple. An apartment block would be chosen by common agreement. All children would run and hide along the stairs and common corridors of the chosen apartment block. A catcher is chosen by scissors, paper, stone. Running and hiding outside the boundaries of the chosen apartment block would be considered cheating and an automatic loser of the game and thus, the next catcher of the game.

"On the count of 10." T.J, the chosen catcher said. As he counted up to 10, all the children ran at top speed into their hiding spot.

"Impressive! She is really fast." I huffed as I followed closely behind Elizabeth. With each breathless puff of air, I knew deep inside me that I had survived the horse accident. It won't be long till I wake up and return to where I came from.

"Oh my God, Yongqi!" Elizabeth burst out after ensuring that no one else had followed her. "The horse accident!"

"Hush...hush...I am very much alive." I said in a calm voice. "Let me show you." I spread my arms wide out and twirled in a circle.

"But...but...aren't you a ghost? It means that you have….have…. died. What I saw, must be your death scene, isn't it?" she hyperventilated.

"When you come to me in my land, aren't you a ghost too? Does it mean that you have died too?" I replied. She shook her head.

"Have you ever heard of a famous quote by Zhuangzi?"

"Who's that?" she asked.

"A famous philosopher." I replied.

Recalling my lessons with the Imperial Professor Eertai, I cleared my throat.

"Once upon a time, I, Zhuang Zhou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes of a butterfly." I recited as she looked at me intently.

"I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Zhou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again." I continued.

"Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man."

"Hmm….and I do not know if I was dreaming of you or you dreaming of me" she said in serious deep thoughts.

"Do you think Zhuangzi experienced what we are now experiencing?" she added.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Let's cherish our time together while it lasts. Our meetings have been unpredictable and random".

"Yes, indeed." she replied.

"Elizabeth! It's time to eat the food!" a voice called out.

"Pause game?" she shouted while running up a couple of floors. As soon as she shouted, there were other loud voices of kids shouting "Pause game!". She relaxed into a slow stroll.

"I am sorry that I had to ignore you in front of others" she turned to me apologetically.

"Stick around?"

"Yeah." I smiled.

[Elizabeth's POV]

I really love the way Yongqi recited Zhuangzi's quote. No birthday can be more satisfying than having found a real friendship. Ghost or not, it no longer mattered to me.

Lunch was a scrumptious spread of curry chicken, plain old arrabiata spaghetti and grape jam sandwiches. It is definitely a rare treat for the poor kids of the neighborhood. With beaming faces, the children gobbled down the food while the mothers gossiped.

"Yeah, and my husband is unkind to me. I have been paying and supporting everything in this house with my savings. Not a single cent, I'd say, was given to me." my mom ranted about her unfair treatment at home to the ladies.

I pretended not to hear her rants and helped my brother, Damien, with his grape jam sandwich.

"And now those people that moved in, if you didn't know, you would think that we are freeloading off the old woman instead!" she added, hoping to gather more looks of sympathy. "If you don't believe me, ask Elizabeth!"

My ears pricked up at the last sentence.

"Elizabeth, come over here!" mom commanded. "Tell those aunties if what I said was the truth".

It made me sick to the stomach that I had to agree with whatever mom said to others, be it true or lies. The end game is always to cement mom's position as a victim in any situation. It is as if the whole world would do her wrong while she could do no wrong to the world.

I took a deep breath. "Oh God help me" I rolled my eyes internally, cringing at what I was about to say.

At that moment, grandmother appeared from behind. She was walking towards us as the playground sits on the only pathway to get to the apartment block that we live in. She carried with her 2 groceries bags that I knew too well that it was meant for Ric and Lily's family. I could almost imagine Lloyd and Virginia dangling those food items in front of Damien and I, making us chase after them like a donkey and a carrot stick.

With a smile plastered on, mom said sweetly. "Look! It's your grandmother, Elizabeth. Greet grandmother."

"Good day, grandmother!" I called out politely.

"Crazy bitch!" grandmother gave a poker face and continued walking towards the apartment block.

At that moment, I went wide eyed in shock. That felt like a slap in the face.

With a twitch in her face, mom turned me around and leaned over. "Your grandmother has called you a crazy bitch" she reiterated.

"Beeeech! Beeeech!" Damien giggled loudly.

Double and triple slap in the face.

The ladies turned away awkwardly and began calling for the end of the party.

Yup. A very "happy" birthday to Elizabeth- if you catch the sarcasm.