Bitter Winds (20 page)

“So now what?” she asked Mo, ignoring the sudden wailing from a woman who sat squatting in the corner, reading over a tattered letter in her hands. Ivy could only imagine what brought on such anguish—a breakup maybe, or words from her son, or maybe even her parent had died while she was committed. Ivy didn’t want to think about it or even look at the woman again. It was too heart-wrenching.

Mo laughed at her.

“What?” Ivy asked.

“Your face. You look terrified. We’ve got a few minutes before lights-out. And you said this is your first time in a mental ward. So let me give you some tips that’ll make it easier for you. Stuff I wish someone had told me on my first few nights.”

Ivy nodded. Mo sure had pepped up and no longer carried the somber expression she’d started with. Now she acted almost as if they were at a sleepover and Ivy were her best friend.
Weird
.

“First, stay close to me. Especially since you’re blind you won’t be able to tell when someone is totally going off their rocker. One minute your new friend might be playing cards with you and smiling, the next she’ll start talking in a low voice as she uses the sharp edge of a card to slit her wrists. Don’t panic, just get the attendant. And for sure don’t ever try to talk sense into someone who’s gotten ahold of a sharp or blunt object, even if you think you know them.”

Through her sunglasses Ivy studied the serious expression on Mo’s face. She wondered if that went for Mo, too—would the girl turn on her and suddenly become a raving lunatic? She shook her head and Mo’s face went in and out of focus. Everything was starting to feel surreal.

“You get all sorts in here. Some will be screaming at imaginary friends and others will curl up in a corner with a blanket and suck their thumbs.”

Mo held up her hand and pushed down one finger, then held up another.

“Now, second, don’t show fear or the crazies will be on you like flies on shit. Most of the really violent patients are on another floor, but we get one or two in here and you never know when they’ll explode. Just carry an air of confidence and they’ll leave you alone.” She paused. “For the most part.”

“For the most part?” Ivy said.

“Yeah, and really, you’re more likely to be harmed by the staff than the other patients. And that leads me to the next rule. Avoid getting restrained. They’ll hurt you and hurt you bad. Just do what they say, take the meds they give, and never make eye contact with them. They want us to know they have all the power and they’re always ready to make an example of anyone who challenges that.”

Ivy really didn’t want to take the medication. What if it made her crazy? She thought of Lily and how glad she was her plan had worked and her sister had gotten out. There was no way Lily would’ve been able to survive what Mo was describing.

Mo lowered her voice. “The fight equals flight rule. If you’re only here a few days, you might not even see one, but if a fight breaks out, just get out of the way. Even an eighty-pound granny hiked up on meds here can cause some serious damage, and it’s not your job to restrain her or protect anyone but yourself.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Ivy muttered, struggling to keep her eyes from fluttering closed. “I don’t care if they all beat the crap out of one another here, it means nothing to me.”

Mo laughed. “Oh yeah—you reminded me, if you get to go outside tomorrow with some of us, do not and I repeat—do not try to pet the geese.”

“Geese?”

“
Dui le
. Unless you get chosen for laundry or food duty, it’s your only chance to leave this room. We have a small courtyard with a pond and it never fails, the newbies always think the geese are
so pretty
.” Her voice went high and squeaky, then back to low again. “They go up to them and those geese have special powers that allow them to know when someone is mental. I’ll just tell you this—they’ll beat the hell out of you. If we go out tomorrow, even if everything in you is drawn to those geese, don’t listen because they’ll give you a flogging you’ll never forget.”

Ivy felt her head fall to the bed and wondered if she was dreaming. Something about geese and flogging, or maybe it was laundry, but she thought she heard someone say she could leave tomorrow.

Mo’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Wait, Ivy. Before you go to sleep, I have to tell you about one orderly to look out for. He’s more dangerous than all the rest.”

Ivy was so tired. More tired than she’d ever been. And now Mo’s voice was too far in the background to make out her words. But she’d said something about tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
She’d get to go home tomorrow. Home. She smiled, then gave up and let herself drift into a deep sleep.

L
i Jin and Sami climbed out of the taxi and stood before the tall building. The sign over the door advertised it as a karaoke bar, but they’d found out from Sky’s grandfather the top floor was the so-called reeducation center where Sky was being held. That was all the help he’d been, though. If it wasn’t for her Baba’s friend, Lao Gong, calling in some favors, they wouldn’t be getting to see Sky at all.

“This is it.” Li Jin situated the bags to one hand and opened the door, holding it wide for Sami to enter.

“Let me do the talking,” Sami said, taking the lead and strutting as if she were much taller than her petite five feet.

Gladly,
thought Li Jin. Since Baba was back at the hospital to see if he could visit Ivy, Sami had been nominated to accompany her. Li Jin hated dealing with officials. Ever since her many years in and out of the institution, she got very nervous around anyone connected to the government. When she was growing up, she’d seen directors and vice directors smile and play nice in front of visitors, then turn nasty and vile the minute they were behind closed doors. Some memories would never fade. And in her experiences, power was usually connected to something ugly. But Sami—she acted as if she were ten feet tall. She was impressive; Li Jin had to give her that. Nothing scared her.

They passed quickly through the lobby, ignoring the plush couches and blinking lights, a few Japanese businessmen laughing it up with some girls, and went straight to the elevator. They’d been told to go to the seventh floor, where the Jianghan Brainwashing Center was located. When the doors closed, they didn’t speak. They’d already discussed taking extra precautions in case they were watched or recorded.

Li Jin set the bags at her feet. She hoped she’d be able to leave the items with Sky to bring him just a tiny bit of comfort. His mother, Ling, had sent him slippers and a warm jogging suit, saying the last time Sky had been through this, he’d just about frozen to death. She’d thanked Li Jin repeatedly for going to visit her son, stopping to cry every few minutes when they’d dropped by on the way to pick up his things.

Li Jin had also brought fruit and bottled water, and some instant-noodle bowls. Sami even had a good suggestion and Li Jin had packed a few books, something for Sky to do during his long hours being detained. She hoped he could have them.

The bell rang for the seventh floor and Li Jin took a deep breath. It was silly, but she was nervous—especially standing beside Sami, who always looked perfect. Li Jin self-consciously reached up and pulled her hair over the side of her face, trying to cover her scar.

“Let’s go,” Sami said, reaching down and grabbing one of the bags.

Li Jin grabbed the other two and followed Sami out of the elevator. They were in a long hall of shiny ceramic tiles, but the first thing she noticed was each door was made of steel. She guessed no one would be escaping from these rooms.

They went to the one marked with an A-1 and rang the buzzer. They could see the camera directly over the door, pointed at them.

A sliding slot opened and Li Jin could see the eye and part of a cheek from what appeared to be a pimply-faced young man.

“Ni yao shenme?”
he said, asking what they wanted.

Sami held up the piece of paper from her pocket, and the young man paused, checking to see if it was properly stamped for approvals, then slid the slot closed. They heard a series of deadbolts click and the door opened.

“Step inside.” He moved and allowed them through.

Li Jin looked around. It was a big room with a long black counter running the length of it. Behind the counter were a few scarred metal desks, an out-of-date television with an antenna, and a refrigerator. A rusty old fan oscillated on top of the fridge, emitting a low buzz in the otherwise quiet room. A few girls sat at the computers, typing rapidly and lost in concentration. At the end of the room was a door with a window that showed a hallway on the other side. Long iron bars ran the length of the wooden panels, reinforcing the door. So that was where the prisoners were kept, she thought.

“Has your pass been officially approved?” The young guard took the paper and laid it on the counter, examining it.

“Yes, chopped by His Highness himself,” Sami said, her voice sarcastic but as confident as Li Jin had ever heard it.

His Highness
must have been some other official in the Wuxi government, Li Jin thought. And obviously someone with some influence, because the young guard quickly stood at attention when he saw the characters representing the man’s name.

“I’ll show you to the visitor’s room. You’ll be searched there.” He turned and led them to the barred door. Sami followed closely and Li Jin stayed behind her. She felt a bit light-headed but knew it was just nervousness.

He led them to a room and opened the door. They walked through and he shut it behind them, leaving them alone.

“Searched?” Sami said. “I hope he does the searching.”

Li Jin rolled her eyes. “I don’t. Lao Gong said they’d search us but they probably have women to do that.” She set the bags on the table and began pacing. The air was getting thinner, harder to breathe. She forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths.

“Settle down, Li Jin. It’s fine.” Sami crossed the room and placed her hand on Li Jin’s back to stop her from pacing.

Li Jin didn’t care what others thought about the girl. She knew in her heart Sami was like a wounded animal. She just needed kindness and understanding until she could trust people again. Look at how good she was to her; did crazy people do that?

“Thanks, Sami. I’m sorry I’m being such a baby. This place reminds me of the orphanage administration area. Nothing good ever went on when we were called to that building.”

The door opened and a guard came in. At first Li Jin thought it was a man by the haircut and swagger, but then she realized it was just a tough-looking woman. The guard walked brusquely to the table and began pawing through the bags. She took the books and put them to the side, then the bowls of noodles.

“Will we be able to leave those with my brother?” Sami asked. Their cover story sounded far-fetched to Li Jin but Gong had insisted they’d only get in if they were family.

The guard shook her head without looking up. “No uncensored books. No outside packaged food. He can eat fruit while he is visiting with you but cannot take it back inside.”

Sami looked at Li Jin and raised her eyebrows. Li Jin wasn’t arguing—the woman was built like a man, with a disposition and mustache to match.

She finished rummaging in the bags and turned to them. “Who’s first?”

It was obvious when she pulled a pair of plastic gloves from her pocket what she wanted.

“Here?” Li Jin asked, looking around the large room.

Sami pointed at another door on the other side of the room. “What about in there? Is that a bathroom?”

The guard shook her head. “That’s where they’ll bring the prisoner in from. Either undress or leave. I don’t have time to fool with your modesty.”

Li Jin felt a moment of panic and she looked to Sami. They held eyes and Sami slipped her feet out of her shoes. “I’ll go first. It’s nothing, Li. Pretend she’s a doctor.”

The woman snorted. Sami quickly stripped down to her underwear and bra and stood brazenly in front of her, looking unashamed of her curvy body half covered with the elaborate tattoo.

The guard shook her head in disgust, then told Sami to turn around. Sami did and the guard put her finger inside the waistband of Sami’s underwear and peeked inside. She took the pencil from behind her ear and stuck it down Sami’s backside crack, making her jump.

“
Aiya,
won’t you buy me a drink first?” Sami said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Li Jin almost smiled, but then remembered she was next. The she-man yelled over her shoulder, “You. Undress. Hurry.”

Li Jin began to undress as the woman reached into Sami’s bra to check underneath her breasts.

“Clear. You can get dressed.” She turned to Li Jin and sneered. She pointed the pencil at her. “Now your turn, Scar Face.”

The guard was finally satisfied all their cracks and crevices were clear of propaganda, drugs, weapons, and whatever else they suspected, and Li Jin and Sami were left alone. Now dressed, they sat at the table and waited for Sky to be brought in.

“That was awkward,” Sami said, looking up at the camera. “I wonder if we’ll be paid for that?”

Li Jin appreciated her attempt to lighten the heavy mood. She’d also wondered who had watched them undress and assumed somewhere in the building Sami had caused quite a stir with her body. “To say the least. I think I may have pencil lead in my nether regions now.”

Sami pushed at the pile of clothing and fruit. “At least he’ll have something familiar to wear. And some fruit.”

Li Jin tapped her fingernails on the table and looked at the clock over the door. The guard had left them at least a half hour ago. What was taking so long? She looked at Sami again. At least she wasn’t spouting anything mean about Sky. Since the whole situation had happened, Sami had been unusually nice about Sky. Maybe there was still a chance of getting them interested in each other after all.

“I hope Auntie Rae can handle Lan and Coral together,” Li Jin said, thinking about the way Lan had cried out when they left. For the last few days she’d been coughing and Li Jin was starting to think they needed to take her to the doctor.

“She’ll be fine,” Sami said, rolling her eyes.

Li Jin sighed. She’d have to take Lan herself the next time Sami was taking one of her marathon naps. It’d be easier that way anyway, without Sami there to dismiss everything Li Jin would try to tell the doctor.

Finally the door opened and the young male guard who had let them in appeared, holding the arm of his prisoner.

For a split second, Li Jin thought they’d brought out the wrong man. She’d never seen Sky without his colorful and eccentric clothing, and in the gray pajama-like pants and shirt he looked like an old man. Then he lifted his head and his eyes met hers. It was Sky, but it was a much different Sky than she’d last seen. He looked exhausted and was missing the spark she remembered. She felt her stomach drop and found herself unable to form words.

Thankfully Sami never had that problem.

“Sky, you’re looking ravishing,” she said as the guard brought Sky to the table and pulled out a chair, then shoved him into it.

“Half an hour and then visiting time is over. You’ll be watched.” The guard tilted his head to the camera mounted on the wall and then left the room.