“Hei Wa! Hei Wa!” After walking and shouting for about ten minutes, my throat began to dry, but I still haven’t seen Hei Wa’s soul.”
Did his soul scatter? that thought came to my mind and I looked at the red lantern in my hand.
At the entrance of the tomb mountain the red lantern’s flame is very weak, but now it is getting brighter, even if the night wind keeps blowing, it was only slightly swaying.
“Hei Wa! Hei Wa! It’s me, Xiao Xi! I’ll help you to get back home, so come out now.” When I look at the light of the candle, my heart felt relieved a little.
Grandma said the more the light becomes bright, the more Hei Wa’s soul is getting closer to me.
And now that it became like this, I think Hei Wa’s soul is around this area. So, I shouted more loudly.
In this dark tomb mountain, only my shouts constantly echoed.
“Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi.”
I still shout even if my throat’s felt dry and I look dumb. And finally, Hei Wa’s voice came from the woods and his voice sounds the same in my dream so I panic.
“Hei Wa, is it you?” When I shout loudly my fear lessens a little.
“Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi.” Hei Wa cried, his voice sounds close to me, so I quickly run toward it. And finally, in the tall grass, I saw Hei Wa’s half exposed head.
Although he has dark eyes now I can still recognize that it was really him. I rush towards him because I want to hug him, but my hands pass through his body.
I suddenly remembered that right now he is only a soul.
“Don’t be scared, I’ll take you home.” I looked at Hei Wa and said some comforting words.
I know Hei Wa is still scared because his transparent body is still shaking. Hei Wa slowly stood up, I want to help him but I can’t pull his hand. Then, I constantly tell him to follow close behind me.
Along the way, Hei Wa keeps repeating my name. I put the red lantern near him because I’m afraid that he wouldn’t keep up with me. But honestly, what I fear most is the sudden appearance of the serpent spirit. I don’t know how will I bring Hei Wa back home if that happen.
But fortunately, our way down was surprisingly got smooth. There’s no ghost or evil spirit who pops out suddenly. I saw grandmother was still standing near the entrance. She looks back behind me and felt relieved when she saw Hei Wa.
Grandma still lets me carry the red lantern along the way, while she was walking with Hei Wa and keeps repeating Hei Wa’s horoscope. This will prevent Hei Wa’s soul to get possess. After that, grandma sent me back home.
She said she doesn’t want me to watch the ritual and she is more reluctant for me to stay in Hei Wa’s room. I plead repeatedly but it’s still useless, so I can only go back inside the house.
At home, it was already three o’clock in the morning when grandmother came back, she looks exhausted, so I ran and hold her arms. Grandma collapse and almost fell down. I tried hard to help her lie on the floor and began to call grandpa.
Grandfather curse came out from the room when he saw grandmother he only said that she deserved it.
Grandpa has always been against for grandma to deal with spirits or ghost because he’s afraid for us to get in a big trouble.
“Yesterday, I met Secretary Ji Kang and he said not to make any more superstition activity in the village. After all, you’ve been doing these already in the past few years but you didn’t earn anything, instead, you cause me a bunch of trouble.” Grandpa continues cursing and didn’t help grandmother. So, I tried helping grandmother to get back in her room.
Grandpa, who really don’t plan to help grandma immediately walked in front of the room and stopped me.
“Grandpa, what are you doing ah?” I was already having trouble to keep my body steady, so when I saw grandfather blocked the door I got even more anxious.
“Don’t bring her in my room. It’s frustrating to see her like this, bring her to the backyard room.” Grandpa frown, he pushed grandmother in the direction of the backyard.
“Grandpa, please let grandma stay inside the house.” The room in the backyard is not cleaned, there is dust everywhere and also the door and windows are broken.
Grandpa is determined, he said that if I wanted her to stay inside the house then I should bring grandma in my room. He also told me not to let grandma get close to him because he gets more frustrated.
He kept saying that he is frustrated to see her right now. In fact, he refers to grandmother’s constant coughing. I know this because I also felt guilty for grandma. Naturally, I don’t want to listen to grandfather anymore, he simply doesn’t care and just return to his room to sleep.
“Grandma, let’s go to my room.” I reached out my hands to help grandmother, but grandmother waved her hand. She said that she will stay in the backyard room and just give her a glass of water. After that, she drank the water and fell asleep.
I keep looking at grandmother and listen to her heavy breathing. I know that grandma was really tired these days.
Grandma slept for three days, but she still wakes up from time to time to see me. In these past few days, her whole body was sweating and coughs even more than before. The village doctor has seen her and only said that she has a cold.
Grandmother occasionally wakes up and force me to go to school. I was very worried because I know grandfather will not take care of her so I really want to stay, but she keeps insisting and said that Hei Wa’s mother will come and take care of her. And so I went to school.
*
Hei Wa has been going in school. His cheeks look rosy now, unlike before when he was lying in his bed, he looks like a dead person.
But, I notice that he keeps his head down during the class. He seems scared, so I tried asking him a few times in a low voice. He tried opening his mouth, but when he look at Teacher Chen he became silent again.
“Hei Wa! Hei Wa!” After walking and shouting for about ten minutes, my throat began to dry, but I still haven’t seen Hei Wa’s soul.”
Did his soul scatter? that thought came to my mind and I looked at the red lantern in my hand.
At the entrance of the tomb mountain the red lantern’s flame is very weak, but now it is getting brighter, even if the night wind keeps blowing, it was only slightly swaying.
“Hei Wa! Hei Wa! It’s me, Xiao Xi! I’ll help you to get back home, so come out now.” When I look at the light of the candle, my heart felt relieved a little.
Grandma said the more the light becomes bright, the more Hei Wa’s soul is getting closer to me.
And now that it became like this, I think Hei Wa’s soul is around this area. So, I shouted more loudly.
In this dark tomb mountain, only my shouts constantly echoed.
“Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi.”
I still shout even if my throat’s felt dry and I look dumb. And finally, Hei Wa’s voice came from the woods and his voice sounds the same in my dream so I panic.
“Hei Wa, is it you?” When I shout loudly my fear lessens a little.
“Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi.” Hei Wa cried, his voice sounds close to me, so I quickly run toward it. And finally, in the tall grass, I saw Hei Wa’s half exposed head.
Although he has dark eyes now I can still recognize that it was really him. I rush towards him because I want to hug him, but my hands pass through his body.
I suddenly remembered that right now he is only a soul.
“Don’t be scared, I’ll take you home.” I looked at Hei Wa and said some comforting words.
I know Hei Wa is still scared because his transparent body is still shaking. Hei Wa slowly stood up, I want to help him but I can’t pull his hand. Then, I constantly tell him to follow close behind me.
Along the way, Hei Wa keeps repeating my name. I put the red lantern near him because I’m afraid that he wouldn’t keep up with me. But honestly, what I fear most is the sudden appearance of the serpent spirit. I don’t know how will I bring Hei Wa back home if that happen.
But fortunately, our way down was surprisingly got smooth. There’s no ghost or evil spirit who pops out suddenly. I saw grandmother was still standing near the entrance. She looks back behind me and felt relieved when she saw Hei Wa.
Grandma still lets me carry the red lantern along the way, while she was walking with Hei Wa and keeps repeating Hei Wa’s horoscope. This will prevent Hei Wa’s soul to get possess. After that, grandma sent me back home.
She said she doesn’t want me to watch the ritual and she is more reluctant for me to stay in Hei Wa’s room. I plead repeatedly but it’s still useless, so I can only go back inside the house.
At home, it was already three o’clock in the morning when grandmother came back, she looks exhausted, so I ran and hold her arms. Grandma collapse and almost fell down. I tried hard to help her lie on the floor and began to call grandpa.
Grandfather curse came out from the room when he saw grandmother he only said that she deserved it.
Grandpa has always been against for grandma to deal with spirits or ghost because he’s afraid for us to get in a big trouble.
“Yesterday, I met Secretary Ji Kang and he said not to make any more superstition activity in the village. After all, you’ve been doing these already in the past few years but you didn’t earn anything, instead, you cause me a bunch of trouble.” Grandpa continues cursing and didn’t help grandmother. So, I tried helping grandmother to get back in her room.
Grandpa, who really don’t plan to help grandma immediately walked in front of the room and stopped me.
“Grandpa, what are you doing ah?” I was already having trouble to keep my body steady, so when I saw grandfather blocked the door I got even more anxious.
“Don’t bring her in my room. It’s frustrating to see her like this, bring her to the backyard room.” Grandpa frown, he pushed grandmother in the direction of the backyard.
“Grandpa, please let grandma stay inside the house.” The room in the backyard is not cleaned, there is dust everywhere and also the door and windows are broken.
Grandpa is determined, he said that if I wanted her to stay inside the house then I should bring grandma in my room. He also told me not to let grandma get close to him because he gets more frustrated.
He kept saying that he is frustrated to see her right now. In fact, he refers to grandmother’s constant coughing. I know this because I also felt guilty for grandma. Naturally, I don’t want to listen to grandfather anymore, he simply doesn’t care and just return to his room to sleep.
“Grandma, let’s go to my room.” I reached out my hands to help grandmother, but grandmother waved her hand. She said that she will stay in the backyard room and just give her a glass of water. After that, she drank the water and fell asleep.
I keep looking at grandmother and listen to her heavy breathing. I know that grandma was really tired these days.
Grandma slept for three days, but she still wakes up from time to time to see me. In these past few days, her whole body was sweating and coughs even more than before. The village doctor has seen her and only said that she has a cold.
Grandmother occasionally wakes up and force me to go to school. I was very worried because I know grandfather will not take care of her so I really want to stay, but she keeps insisting and said that Hei Wa’s mother will come and take care of her. And so I went to school.
*
Hei Wa has been going in school. His cheeks look rosy now, unlike before when he was lying in his bed, he looks like a dead person.
But, I notice that he keeps his head down during the class. He seems scared, so I tried asking him a few times in a low voice. He tried opening his mouth, but when he look at Teacher Chen he became silent again.
