Bitter Winds (11 page)

B
enfu rapped on the large plastic shield that separated them from the man behind the wheel. Most times when he got into a taxi, the drivers were maniacs on the road. It was just his luck that today of all days, he’d get the one driver in the city who wanted to cruise along and actually follow the speed limit.

“Kuai yi dian!”

The shaggy-haired driver nodded and pressed his foot to the gas. Benfu tried to slow down his breathing. He could feel a coughing fit wanting to come on, tickling its way up his throat. Usually the only time he remembered he had tuberculosis was when he was upset and his body decided to revolt. He was glad he’d finally been educated on the disease, so he didn’t have the stress any longer of thinking he was still contagious.

“Now, Ivy, tell me exactly what happened. What were you doing at the festival?” He put his arm around her and squeezed. He’d never seen her so upset in all their years together, but then he’d never seen her separated from her sister, either.

“We—were”—she struggled to speak through the sobs—“going to walk around. But Lily wanted to give—a—a concert.”

“A concert? If she was just playing music, why did they take her?”

“Because she had the case open for people to drop money in! I guess they thought she was begging.”

She started a batch of fresh tears and Benfu shook his head. He knew of many beggars who’d been pushed around by the local
chengguan
. Even another musician only months ago was hassled, and in the middle of the ruckus the police had manhandled him so much, they broke his nose! Benfu prayed that Lily was unhurt. He could only imagine how frightened she was. But what he didn’t understand was why she was playing for money at the park. They didn’t need the money that badly—these days most of their needs were met.

“Ivy, do you girls need money for something I’m not aware of? Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

Ivy sniffled and shook her head.

“No. Lily said she just wanted to know if she was really good at the violin or not. She thinks everyone at home and in the neighborhood just tells her she is because they have to. She said with strangers, if she wasn’t good, they’d let her know it.”

Benfu gave a long, low sigh. His girls were always searching for confirmation that they were loved, or pretty,
or just simply good enough
.

“I tried to tell her, Ye Ye! But she’s gotten so stubborn lately!”

He squeezed her shoulders again. “It’s not your fault, Ivy. It was expected that your sister would start wanting more independence one day. Because of her blindness, she’s been sheltered her entire life. Now she’s rebelling against that. I’ve seen signs of it at home, too.”

Ivy shook her head frantically. “But it
is
my fault! I walked away and left her there alone. I was angry at her, Ye Ye! I know she told me to go, but I shouldn’t have listened—then they wouldn’t have taken her!”

Benfu squeezed her close. “It is not your fault, Ivy. But listen, what about Sky? Tell me again, what was he doing?”

“I don’t know. They said he was a Falun Gong follower. If it wasn’t for him, they would’ve let Lily go with the other beggars.”

Benfu was puzzled. He thought he knew Sky well enough, but if what the police had told Ivy was true, he obviously didn’t know enough about him. But even if he was a part of the Falun Gong crowd, Benfu didn’t think he should be arrested for it. From what he knew of it, Falun Gong was just a new approach to life using Qigong along with morals and philosophies of peace. The people weren’t committing crimes. Benfu felt the persecution for their beliefs was just another way for the government to exercise its control over the people.

The driver took a sharp right and came to a quick stop signaling they’d arrived.

“We’re here. Don’t worry, we’ll fix this. Let’s see what we can do about getting her home.” He slipped a few bills through the crack of the partition to the driver and then scooted out of the car. Ivy followed.

Benfu looked at the front of the hospital and took a deep breath. Somewhere in there they had his daughter. He hoped they were ready for a battle, because he was going to give them one. He straightened his shoulders and led the way up the steps.

Benfu brought the cup of tepid tea to his lips. It was just one more in over a dozen he’d drunk since they’d arrived. They’d asked for Lily and had waited, pacing back and forth, for more than two hours in the lobby waiting area until the nurse had escorted them to a room on the third floor. There they waited another hour and instead of Lily being brought to them, an official had swaggered his way through the door and beckoned for them to sit.

The official, Delun, his badge read, stroked the long hair sprouting from the mole on his chin. He pushed at the documents in front of him until they were within Benfu’s reach. “Because she’s young and was probably led astray by the older fellow, I’ll cut you a deal. If you agree to sign her into the psychiatric ward for three weeks and also sign this agreement, we’ll handle this as an internal case among citizens and that will be the extent of her punishment. When it’s time to discharge her, you pay a small fine, then she goes. Otherwise we’ll make it an official case and we’ll sentence her to a few months in the reeducation center.”

“I’ve heard about those. Your so-called reeducation centers are nothing short of prisons. Have you lost your mind? My daughter is sixteen and has done nothing wrong. She’s going home with me
tonight
. I’m not signing your agreement.” Benfu pushed his chair back and stood up. He would not let them do to Lily what they’d done to him so long ago!

Ivy immediately jumped to her feet, too.

The official glared at them from across the table. “Your
daughter
was with a known Falun Gong practitioner—one who has been arrested before for spewing nonsense about their so-called philosophy. She was even seen holding one of their handouts. Just having possession of such literature is grounds for arrest. We must teach our younger generation the rules of society, and loyalty to country.”

Benfu leaned on the table with both hands, bringing his face nearer to the official.

“My daughter is completely blind. Why would she be holding a piece of paper that she can’t even read?”

Delun tilted his head and smiled. “To give out to other citizens at the festival, of course.” He stood and spread his arms wide. “Let me make something clear, Lao Zheng. Falun Gong preaches idealism, religion, and superstition. It disturbs social stability and the people.”

Benfu shook his head. “I don’t care about what Falun Gong is or isn’t. But I can promise you this—my daughter is
not
a part of that practice! That’s what I’m trying to tell you!”

“Let me finish.” Delun held his hand up. “Falun Gong has brainwashed followers and caused years of death and destruction. The so-called practice threatens our society, and any threat to the people is a threat to the Communist Party and our government. We take these cases very seriously and will make an example of anyone caught with the despicable propaganda.”

Benfu felt the blood rise to his head. From what he knew of Falun Gong, the man was completely wrong. Basically, he felt the government had turned against the practice only because it was afraid so many had formed groups to be a part of it. But he didn’t care either way. He just wanted Lily back. But in all his years, nothing had changed—the police and government would still twist any and all facts to suit their agenda. He wasn’t about to sign a piece of paper acknowledging that Lily was something she wasn’t. The label would stay on her record for her entire life and who knew what they’d do with it? They couldn’t be trusted.

He was getting nowhere with this man and the tension was making it worse. He needed to calm down and try another tactic. He took a deep breath and tried to still the pounding of his heart.

“Can I see my daughter?” He spoke calmly, camouflaging the churning inside his chest.

“No, it’s late and the staff is busy.”

“Please,” Ivy pleaded. “
Please
let us see her!”

Benfu held his hand up for her to be quiet. Officials like this one didn’t have pity or compassion. They responded only to one thing. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He laid four one-hundred reminbi bills on the table. It was the money he’d set aside to pay their monthly electricity bill, but he’d have to figure that out later.

“Now, can we see her?” he asked.

Delun looked at the bills and then reached out and slid them off the table. He quickly stuffed them in his pocket, then gave them a disturbing grin.

“Ten minutes.”

After a silent ride up to the sixth floor in the slow, creaking elevator, Benfu followed Delun down the hall, with Ivy steadfast behind them. It was now nearing eight o’clock and it looked like the entire floor had gone to sleep. A bedraggled orderly pushing a food cart and a few empty stretchers lined the walls, but there were no patients to be seen. Benfu had always wondered what the psych ward was like inside, but he sure hadn’t wanted to find out this way.

“So, twins, eh?” The official turned his head and looked at Ivy, then at Benfu. “You must have very potent qi, to have twins in your family.”

Benfu ignored his comment and Delun chuckled. They passed a nurses’ station, and a young woman wearing a crisp white uniform and cap looked up. Benfu noticed her name tag:
Nurse Guo.

“Can I help you?”

Delun leaned over the counter. “What room is the blind girl in? The one they just brought in this afternoon?”