Bride of the Moso Prince Read online

  “Ok, Sis. I got it. He is a successful man. But I’m not doubting his intelligence. We were both born in China, but we grew up in different countries and we have different cultural values. Come on, you know what I mean, you’re an anthropologist.”

  “I know what you mean. You think you and he are different. But let me assure you, you’ll find similarities much more than differences. That's not just between you and him, but between people everywhere on earth. Universality, that's the big truth about human nature.”

  Sharon couldn't help but laughed, “You and your 'human nature' again. What are you trying to do? Are you determined to make the match for your sister, uh?”

  “Why not? You’re an adult and you’re on a vacation. What’s wrong with indulging yourself in a little romance?”

  The word romance struck Sharon. “I can’t. There are consequences,” she said.

  Charlene was going to argue but Sharon prevented her.

  “I haven’t seen you for almost a year, and we’re spending our precious time talking about a man I don’t care for,” Sharon changed the subject, “Tell me about yourself, how is your research going? Have you gained a better understanding on the emotions of the Moso?”

  Charlene smiled. “It’s going well. I’ve been interviewing people every day and I’ve earned their trust pretty well. Their answers are no longer yes or no. They really describe their feelings to me. Indeed, the emotions of the Moso are not different from emotions of people elsewhere, but their unique marriage custom and their strong Buddhist beliefs make the impassive. That's why they're such peaceful and friendly people. They don't even have the word 'jealous' in their language. Isn't it amazing?”

  Charlene talked endlessly about her scholarly discoveries in the past few months, and Sharon tried hard to suppress her urge to a yawn. She was so tired and sleepy but felt reluctant to leave Charlene. She probably drifted off at some point, and had no idea how long Charlene had talked. But suddenly she realized that Charlene had stopped and she was aware of the sound of the night: there were insects chirping on the shore. It was then Sharon heard a symphony of moaning from the farther part of the lake.

  “What’s making that noise?” Sharon asked curiously.

  “Mating calls of bullfrogs.” Charlene laughed. “Here are the lyrics: 'Hey babe! My voice is the loudest and my genes are the best! Mate with me! Our babies will be the healthiest!' The sound is a major tourist attraction. Often tourists record it.”

  "So cute!" Sharon laughed. Impressed by the thunderous moaning from such tiny creatures, she sat listened attentively for awhile. Then she yawned. “I think it’s time for bed, Charlene. Let me walk you to your room.”

  Sharon insisted on helping Charlene with the exercise the town doctor had prescribed. The exercise looked simple: it involved sitting on the edge of the bed and lying down on each side of the upper body alternatively. But to Charlene it wasn't, since problem was in her left ear, she felt dizzy each time when she lay down on her left side, and had to close her eyes tightly for awhile to cope with the feeling of imbalance.

  Sharon saw the frowning on her sister's face and felt the pain. But she didn't want to start an argument again, so she kept her worries to herself.

  When Sharon finally sank into the luxurious queen size bed, she sighed with content. It had been the longest day of her life, and the most adventurous. The fact that Charlene didn’t look as bad as she had imagined soothed her quite a bit. And the fact that Charlene had agreed to go back with her in case she didn’t get better also comforted her. The worries that had weighed on her for the past forty hours had drifted away little by little and she felt relaxed. It would be a nice little vacation by the lake. And maybe a little… she couldn’t stop her thoughts from going astray. Nobul had not returned yet. He might be in bed with Namu. The possibility that Namu was enjoying that glowing body was unbearable.

  Nobul returned to Shangari-la soon after all the lights were out. He left the gate open for his brother who would return soon, and leaned on the pillar next to an azalea bush. After lighting a cigarette, he glanced up at the room where their new guest was occupying.

  His heart pulsated as he again thought of the intriguing creature that he had met a few hours ago. Reserved yet daring. Fragile but proud. Her arrival had brought him excitement. She wasn’t one of those pleasure-seeking tourists that he had played with. She had come for her dear sister and didn’t have any interest in the place or in him. Yet she had trembled in his arms…the remembering of the feel of her body stirred him again. He longed to rip off her coat of snow and kindle the fire inside her. Why did he only long for the impossible? He might have had less worries over the years if he hadn’t given up his secure mountain life to pursue his dream of becoming a world famous architect. Why wouldn’t he settle for something readily available? Namu had nearly lost her subtlety when she told her that Binma would be sleeping with his grandmother for the night. But he couldn’t get up the stairs to her room. He had been curious about her body as a boy, and he had been jealous when she had taken other men for her lovers over the years. She could be a perfect lover for him. They were both the heirs of the chief, their union would produce fine children-- that was what his mother and her mother had suggested. That was probably her thoughts as well. But he couldn’t stand it. The children would belong to her. All he could do was to go check on them for an hour or two after dinner, before their bedtime. And if he broke up with their mother, he wouldn’t even be granted the visits. He might insist on taking his share of responsibility, but he had no rights to them. His presence wouldn’t matter to them. His role was dispensable. As they grew up, their impression of him would fade away in their minds. In short, he would be no more than a sperm donor, just like his own father was, just like every Moso man… Except his own grandfather, the chief, who had broken the rule and taken in a Han woman for a wife. He himself didn’t plan to break the rule, but he didn’t plan to stick with it either.

  For a while he thought he would settle with having occasional affairs with tourist women, whose purpose of having sex with him wasn’t procreation, but solely recreation. But he had never been content with that kind of relationship. Although those women would come see him a few times a year, he himself had never gone to look for them. He longed for a relationship in a more intimate level, a relationship that was neither purely sexual, nor purely reproductive. He wanted a loving relationship free of condoms.

  Chapter 4

  The next day Sharon didn’t wake until noon. When she opened her eyes she saw sunshine filtered through the carved window frames and cast on the wall facing her, in intriguing patterns of squares and dots. She knew that it would be a gorgeous day.

  She put on her robe and went out to the balcony. The lake was a vast blueness glittering with golden specks.

  Quickly washed and dressed, she went to Charlene’s door. It was open. Charlene was sitting on her desk typing notes onto her computer. “Good morning Sharon, did you sleep well?”

  “Never so well for years. Not a stir. How about yourself, better?”

  “Much better. If I get up really slowly I don’t even feel the dizziness.”

  “Great. Should I help you with the exercise?”

  “Um, no. I did one earlier.”

  “It won’t hurt to do it again.”

  Obediently Charlene sat down on her bed and with Sharon’s help she started the exercise.

  “Have you had breakfast?” Sharon asked her sister.

  “No, I ate so much at dinner last night that I thought I should skip breakfast. I’ve gained weight since I came, Sharon. My jeans don’t fit anymore.”

  “How could you have gained weight here, on such a healthy diet?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know. I guess it’s because I’ve been so relaxed working on my own schedule. It feels almost like a long vacation. Besides, the cookies and chocolates you’ve been sending me!” Charlene smiled contently.

  “Well, I was worrying that you would starve!�
�� Sharon laughed. “While you were having such a good time.”

  Noticing a smudge in the corner of Charlene’s eye, Sharon asked, “You haven’t washed, have you?”

  “Not yet. I was going to do it after I finished the input...” Charlene was going to get up but Sharon stopped her.

  “Wait here!” She ran into the bathroom, soaked Charlene’s towel in hot water, wrung it and brought it to Charlene.

  “Thanks, Sharon, you’re the best sister on earth.” Charlene mumbled as Sharon covered her face with a damp towel. Sharon laughed. It felt like they were back in time. When they were little, their parents spent all day working, and Charlene was pretty much Sharon’s sole responsibility. In the evenings Sharon would take care of their dinner and shower long before their parents came back home.

  Charlene’s cheeks flushed after the rubbing of the towel. Sharon couldn’t help pinching her cheeks.

  “You haven’t changed. Still my little sister.”

  “Ouch,” Charlene complained, “You haven’t either. Still playing mom.”

  The mention of mom brought a brief silence between them.

  “Have you seen dad lately?” Charlene broke the silence.

  “No. The last time when I saw him was Christmas. But I call him once a week. We talk for no more than five minutes though. We don’t have much to say to each other.”

  “Well, I imagine all his thoughts are on the twins now.” Charlene sounded resentful. She hadn’t seen her father for a long time, and had never met his new family.

  “The twins are very cute. You should see them when you go back home.” Sharon said, still trying to fix the relationship between her sister and her father.

  Charlene changed the subject. “Do you think dad loved mom?”

  Sharon’s shook her head. “I don’t know. He must have.”

  Charlene responded with indignation: “You think so? Well, frankly, I don’t think he’s capable of loving anyone. He only loves property and money.”

  Sharon tried to soothe her sister’s anger, “I think he loves us too. Otherwise he wouldn’t have given us that San Marino house.”

  “He feels guilty about mom. That’s all. Poor mom, she sacrificed her youth and her dreams. And she had lived in that million dollar house for less than a year.”

  The sisters couldn’t forgive her father for the way he treated their mother. He had never beaten her but he overworked her as if she were his slave. First it was the fast food restaurant that required the two of them to work twelve-hour days. Then when the business got better and could afford to hire employees, he purchased his first apartment complex. She not only had to help him with carpet-cleaning and painting, but also plumbing jobs. Sharon didn’t remember her mother resting at home. Even when she was pregnant with Charlene she worked in the restaurant and as soon as she got out from the hospital she carried the baby with her to work. Her stomach cancer must have started back then…

  Sharon sighed and fought back the tears that threatened to rush out. Charlene held her hand silently, understanding how her sister was feeling.

  At first Sharon had cried and asked her mother to take her back to China. She had missed the days when her father was alone in the U.S. while Sharon and her mother were in China. She was much happier then. Her mother, an elementary school teacher, would read her stories at nights and take her to the parks on weekends… Little did she know that the good days were gone forever when she boarded that plane at age eight. Even her little friends had envied her for the chance to go to America, a beautiful country in Chinese. Sharon had anticipated modern high-risers and fancy toy-stores that she had seen in movies, but upon arrival she was disappointed. Chinatown was not that different from the country towns in Sichuan, except that there were many cars and not enough trees. There weren’t any gold-haired, blue-eyed Americans that she had imagined, but people who looked rather like the various ethnic groups she had seen everyday in China. Their apartment, the elementary school, and their restaurant were all within five blocks of distance, therefore her life was limited to those five blocks. For the first year, she would go to their restaurant to have dinner after school, and stay home alone until bedtime, when her parents came home. Thank goodness it didn’t last long, soon she had a little baby for company. Charlene was noisy and troublesome for sure, but she brought Sharon immense joy. Sharon remembered reading to Charlene before bedtime and answering her silly baby questions.

  The remembrance of Charlene as a baby brightened her mood. Sharon pinched her sister on her nose and stood up.

  “Ouch!” Charlene cried and tried to retaliate by pulling Sharon’s ear. Sharon dodged and pretty soon they were playing fight and giggling…

  While still laughing they heard Sadama calling from the courtyard. “Summer! Snow!”

  “Yes?” they answered simultaneously.

  “Lunch is ready!”

  “Thanks! We’ll be there!” Charlene shouted and jumped off the bed.

  Sharon stood up and smoothed her hair.

  “Summer Snow! Did mom have that in her mind when she named us?” Charlene mumbled.

  “I don’t think so,” Sharon said, “She’d never called us that way. Besides my real Chinese name was Fangfang, like the Panda’s.”

  A man was helping Sadama to set the table when Sharon and Charlene got into the dining room.

  “Hey, Urcher, when did you come back?” Charlene shouted happily.

  “After midnight. The road was damaged by the rain quite badly.”

  Urcher walked over to them. With a warm, but boyish

  smile he extended his hand, “Hi, I’m Urcher, welcome to Lugu Lake.”

  “And I’m Snow, Summer’s sister.” Sharon shook hands with him. Urcher was a good looking young man in his late twenties. He was shorter than his brother and much slenderer.

  Sadama brought four bowls of noodles in clear broth lightly sprinkled with chives and chili peppers, and sumptuously topped with bacon and cabbage leaves. Sharon realized she was hungry at the sight of it.

  “Where is Nobul?” Charlene asked after she swallowed her first mouthful.

  “No, he rose at dawn and left for Empress Island.” Said Urcher.

  “Already?” Charlene said, looking disappointed. “I thought he would take my sister for a tour on the lake.”

  “I could do that.” Urcher looked at Charlene and then at Sharon, “after I gather hay.”

  Sharon said, “Oh, don’t worry about it. I don’t need a tour.”

  “You are not interested in it?” Sadama looked surprised. “Everyone who comes here wants a boat-ride. The lake is beautiful to look at.”

  Sharon realized that it would be impolite to refuse. “Oh, I am interested in it. It’s just that, I don’t think I’m up to doing it today. I’m tired of transportation. I don’t need any more rides, not today.”

  “Oh,” Sadama laughed, “no hurry then. But what are you going to do for the rest of the day? There isn’t much entertainment here.”

  “Well, I’m happy just to enjoy the scenery in my room. Besides, I actually have work to do.”

  “Work to do?” Charlene looked puzzled.

  “Yes. I have a project due in two weeks.”

  “You’re kidding me!” Charlene cried, “You’re on a vacation, more or less.”

  “No, Sis, I’m not.”

  “You could be. I mean, you’re not the only person that’s capable of doing it, I’m sure. Let your assistants do it.”

  “I know. But I started it, and I need to finish it.”

  “No you don’t, Sharon. It won’t be the end of the world if you don’t finish that project.”

  “I can’t be that irresponsible.” Sharon argued.

  “There you go again!” Charlene rolled her eyes. “You’re hooked by responsibility.”

  Sharon was going to argue as she realized that Sadama and Urcher were smiling at them.

  She spoke to them instead, “You see, this is how we are, always arguing. I know why I missed her s
o much. The house was too quiet without her.”

  They laughed.

  After lunch Sharon took a short walk along the lake with Charlene to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The sky was blue and the clusters of clouds above were silvery white. A few boats were crossing the lake, taking algae to feed the live stocks. Soon they reached a bay with mountains forming a natural barrier on three sides. The opposite shore was kilometers away. Pine trees grew densely on the mountains.

  “This is called the ‘bathing bay’ by the villagers since it’s secluded and ideal for bathing. But the tourists call ‘lovers bay’ since it’s ideal for kissing and all that.” Charlene informed her sister, “Almost every scenery spot was named with ‘lovers’: Lovers’ bridge, Lovers’ rock, Lovers’…”

  “Sounds like it indeed is a romantic kingdom.”

  They sat down on a rock half immersed in water. Sharon reached out to feel the clear water. It was soft and warm. How nice it would be to take a dip in such beautiful water! She loved swimming and had been a champion on her high school swimming team. But she hadn’t thought of swimming when she was packing in a hurry.

  “Wish I had brought my swimsuit,” she said.

  “Swimsuit?” Charlene paused for a moment and said, “I have it.”

  “You do?” Sharon was surprised since her sister had hated it when she dragged her down to the YMCA pool in Monterey Park.

  “You sent it to me along with some summer dresses.”

  Sharon remembered. It was about this time last year when Charlene had just arrived Lugu Lake. She had described to her how nice the water was. “If you ever come here, Sharon, you must bring your swimsuit with you. You’d love to swim in that water!”

  Thus Sharon sent her sister a swimsuit, telling her that she should swim in it for her.