Last Kiss in Tiananmen Square (9 page)

“This is nice to see you.” Baiyun jumped, and the bicycle swung away from her and almost fell but was rescued by Dagong’s quick move.

Seeing Dagong made Baiyun felt much better. The horror she experienced at home had long gone.

“I’d like to show you the campus,” said Baiyun.

“I would like to take you for dinner,” said Dagong with a big smile.

“Let’s go. Do you want me to take you on my bicycle again? This time you can sit on the front handle bar and lean against my chest. I could hold you with one arm and hold on to the bicycle with the other,” said Dagong.

“So people would think we are…a pair of sweethearts? No, I don’t think so,” said Baiyun shyly with her eyes looking down and her cheeks red. But she soon recovered. She raised her head and said, “It is impossible to ride on campus now, especially near the Triangle. Have you been to the Triangle?”

“Not yet.”

“Let’s go then. Students always give speech there.” Baiyun felt uplifted.

They both parked their bicycles and locked them to the rack. They walked toward the Triangle.

By 5:00pm, the sun had gradually disappeared behind the trees and buildings. The air turned a little cooler. But the amount of activities on campus had not decreased at all. It would go on until midnight. Nothing normal was happening on campus anymore.

As they approached the Triangle, they could hear someone speaking.

“Our country has many problems that need reform. We have to start the change. Let’s begin by overthrowing the official student association and establishing one that really represents us.” Baiyun couldn’t recognize the person but she was eager to find out.

“Anyone who has the courage to get up, give his name, his major and what class he is in, is automatically a member of the Beida Solidarity Student Federation.” A different speaker announced toward the crowd. Several students started fighting his way toward the center of the crowd. They pushed and pulled with full strength. People’s cursing and yelling followed them. One of them jumped to the center.

“My name is Li Ming and people call me Big Li. I am a junior in the Chemistry Department. I support the movement wholeheartedly,” he said proudly. People cheered for him.

“I can’t believe this nerd has stood out,” said Baiyun to Dagong.

“All kinds of people show up unexpectedly, even the dead man like me could come back to life,” said Dagong.

Baiyun stared at him and then punched him lightly on the belly, “you are funny.”

“I’m not entirely joking. I will tell you later. Let’s see what they have to say.”

“Comrade, it is so nice to have you.” A medium sized young man came over and shook hands with Big Li.

Longfe stood up and started speaking. Baiyun whispered into Dagong’s ears that Longfe was Yumei’s boyfriend.

“Beida is a school with an honorable tradition, a tradition of leading true democratic movements. But recently Beida has fallen behind other universities. Hu Yaobang’s death gives us the perfect moment. We should seize this opportunity to reenact our tradition of democracy and science, but we must proceed with reason and planning.” Then many more students came out and gave short speeches.

Yumei walked out. After giving Longfe a hug, she started speaking. Her face was radiant. “Like most of people, I was drawn into the movement by emotion and excitement. I thought it was fun. Now I realized how important it could be. Our Beida is always ahead like during the famous May 4
^th
student movement seventy years ago. Our burden is heavy. Other schools are looking up to us. It is our responsibility to lead our country,” she paused and threw her fist into the air. “Like many other movements, victory will not come easily. It may cost blood and even lives. But I am ready. I am ready to sacrifice my youth and my body to this honorable cause.” The crowd applauded for her when she moved to the side.

“Wow, she is ready to sacrifice her beautiful body,” said Baiyun to Dagong. Dagong rolled his eyes and nodded. Then he started moving forward.

“Where are you going?” Baiyun whispered. Dagong put his fingers across his lips to indicate that she should be silent.

Dagong stepped on a wooden stool, speaking.

“Unlike you, I’m a technician from Beijing Automobile Parts Factory.” The crowd cheered. “Unlike you, I have suffered a lot during the Cultural Revolution. Unlike you, I was not allowed to go to college due to my family background. Now I’m proud to be part of this movement. You will need our help to move tanks.” He raised his big fist.

With her mouth half open, Baiyun stared at Dagong. She couldn’t believe her eyes how this soft spoken man could be such a confident speaker. She jumped up and down cheering for him. Among this excited crowd of students, she found friends, solidarity, and home. At this moment, her mother’s warning, her eagerness to go abroad and leaving home had all disappeared. She felt that she was so proud to be here, to be part of this exciting movement.

Longfe stood on a wooden stool and continued, “In the last few years, the corrupted officials robbed our people and created disturbance in our society. Isn’t it the time to change our country and its leadership?”

“Yes!” The crowded shouted.

“Do you think the officials who benefit from the corruption, and all others who take the advantage of lawlessness, will be qualified to lead us to a better society?”

“No.”

“So we as students have the responsibilities. Hu Yaobang is dead, and we have begun a student movement. Are we trying to create turmoil and chaos in society, as the government always accuses us of doing?”

“No.”

“But whenever we march, we stop the buses and disturb the pedestrians on the streets. Should we change the way we protest?” asked Longfe.

“We should.”

A new world appeared in front of Baiyun. She didn’t know what it was yet. But it was becoming clearer and clearer.

“Should we go and have some dinner?” Dagong awakened Baiyun from her ruminating.

“Sure. Let’s go to the #2 cafeteria.” Baiyun led the way.

As they were walking toward the cafeteria among many students on bicycles and foot, they ran into some of Baiyun’s friends. She briefly introduced Dagong and said he was a friend she met in the last march. Her friends smiled and didn’t ask any questions as though rumors had already flown around.

In the cafeteria, Baiyun bought a stirred-fried bok choy with Tofu while Dagong purchased an egg dish, two boiled eggs in soy sauce. They found a table and sat on benches across from each other. The cafeteria was noisy with many people coming in and going. Some students rushed in with a bundle of big-letter posters under their arms. Some Beijing citizens walked in to enjoy a slice of college life. It was like a county fair without animals.

“I thought you went to college. Did you say that you had a degree in physics when you took Yumei and I home from Tiananmen Square?” asked Baiyun.

“Yes. But that was 1975, which was in the middle of the Cultural Revolution. So it is not a real college education. You know that. We went to college to reeducate professors, not to gain knowledge, which is why I’m still a technician.” Dagong talked while chewing because he couldn’t wait to answer Baiyun.

“So you had a chance to go to a real college but got turned down due to your family background?”

“Yes. In 1965, I was 18 years old and a straight A student. Every college in the country had rejected my application including Beijing University.” Dagong’s voice was getting hoarse. Baiyun could feel his sorrow even though it had happened many years ago.

“What is your bad family background?” Baiyun became very curious now.

“My father was a dead capitalist businessman and my mother died right after I was born. I was raised by my aunt who passed away twenty two years ago right after the Cultural Revolution just started and after I was sent to Inner Mongolia for reeducation.”

She realized that Dagong was as old as Meiling’s former boyfriend Uncle Weiming with whom she was deeply in love all throughout her childhood. And then he disappeared forever which left a void in her heart ever since.

Baiyun stared at Dagong with her eyes moist. She was out of words.

“What’s the matter? Too sad?”

“No. I have suffered, too as a result of the Cultural Revolution. My father died in the labor camp during the Cultural Revolution and my mother had many boyfriends living with us. My classmates used to treat me badly because my father was a professor and my mother had a taste for younger men.” Baiyun couldn’t believe she had lied about her father being dead. But who would believe her if she told the truth to anyone, especially Dagong, a fresh new friend. If she did, he would think she was crazy to put up with that family. He would never talk to her anymore. So a lie was essential now and he would not find out as long as she didn’t invite him to her apartment. If the situation lent itself, she would deal with it then.

“What? Younger men? Wow. It must be very hard to live with them.”

“Not really. Sometimes it was fun. They liked to have parties except when one of them fell in love with me.”

“Really? Did your mother break up with him? Why didn’t you elope with him? It sounds like something I would read in a fiction.” Dagong stared at Baiyun in utter astonishment.

“Of course, not. I never did tell him I loved him, too. Besides, he could be thrown in jail for courting a minor and he had enough troubles himself already.”

“What trouble?”

“His father was a dead businessman.”

“Just like me. I know what is like being a dead businessman’s son, which means you can’t have the life you want to live and the girl you want to love.”

“Exactly. So mother broke up with him and kicked him out of my apartment. Then I never get to see him again.” Tears slowly rolled down on Baiyun’s oval face. She was surprised she could shed a few tears while telling Dagong this ancient story. She wiped it off with her shirtsleeves and forced a smile at Dagong.

“Let’s take a walk in campus, which might cheer you up. I hear music. It must be a concert.” Dagong stood up and tried to pull Baiyun up.

“Sure. Let’s go.” Baiyun wiped her face quickly and followed Dagong.

People rushed by them as they were walking toward where the music was. Some even carried their own wooden chairs or stools.

“A concert by Cui Jian!” People yelled while running. “It is in front of the Library.”

“Cui Jian? Who is he?” Dagong sounded really interested in.

“He is a famous rock & roll singer. He comes here on campus every week. At least, he is very famous here,” said Baiyun proudly.

“If he is famous here, he would be famous all over China soon.”

“As usual, Beida is the center of the rebellion.”

“Or the center of the renovation.”

“It is the same thing however you put it,” said Baiyun. She felt so much happier now. A good piece of music could either make people cry or cheer them up. “If you keep coming here, who know what would become of you.”

“You are right,” said Dagong looking into the crowd. “Let’s hurry so we can get good seats?” He grabbed Baiyun’s hand and started galloping.

As they approached the library where the concert was, it was harder to walk. They could see people standing and waving their arms.

“I guess standing seats only,” said Dagong.

“We would be lucky if we can see anything at all. But you can since you are tall.” Baiyun was a little disappointed.

“Finally being tall is useful. Not just a Big Dumb Guy. I can carry you on my shoulder if you want.”

“No. I would tip and fall into the sea of people since I’m so clumsy,” said Baiyun even though she wondered what would be like if Dagong carried her on his shoulders. “Can you see anything?” Baiyun asked.

“Yes. He is blinded-folded with a piece of red cloth.”

“I hear people humming, ‘A Piece of Red Cloth’. It must be the song,” said Baiyun.

“The lights are blinding so that’s why he is blind-fold. I worry about him. I hope he wouldn’t fall off the stage.” Dagong narrated. “He is playing a trumpet now. He is like Mozart and can play an instrument blind-folded. He has dancers on stage dressed in tiger skin suits and doing tiger walk.”

“I’m envious you can see everything and I can’t.” No matter how hard Baiyun tried to tiptoe, she still couldn’t see much. All she could see was tips of people’s arms stretching to the sky and the hair on their wobbling heads.

“Can you carry me?” Dagong didn’t answer. He was too engrossed in the concert. “Can you carry me?” Baiyun poked Dagong on the ribs.

“Oh. Sure.” He squatted down and let Baiyun climb to his shoulders. With some effort, he stood up. Baiyun screamed. Her body wobbled and she discovered that she was afraid of height. She held Dagong’s neck tightly in order not to fall into the sea of people and what was going on stage had transfixed her.

The red cloth on Cui Jian’s face was gone. Wearing a white baseball hat, a plaid shirt and a pair of kakis, he looked dreamy on stage among the artificial clouds and the tiger skinned dancers. At the end of the song, Baiyun shouted “Bravo” along with many others around her. She stared into the distance and could almost see her voice traveling over many black-haired heads bouncing back and forth. People around her looked at her in admiration. She had never felt so tall and so confidant. The shyness had totally disappeared as though an alien had inhibited her and taken control of her brain. With the help of the surrounding people, she came down at the end of the concert.