There be Dragons

Sally May was lonely again. She banged her foot against the kickboard of the kitchen breakfast bar. Her mother looked over at her and sighed. “Sally May” she said “try to make an effort for your father’s sake”. She then turned back to the open cupboard in front of her. The Company flats came full stocked with groceries to help the occupants in their first few days but goodness only knew what was in the myriad of brightly labelled cans and packets she thought. Sally May didn’t care. She jabbed at her Ipad to bring it back to life, flicking through to her photos of the previous eighteen months back in New Zealand. Why must her parents always drag her away just when things were getting good, she said to herself. Eleven years old and already she had lived in three other countries, four in total if you counted New Zealand. Her father, John Anderson was a senior partner in a large manufacturing company and as such, moved his family to each new emerging market. This way he was on hand to see the process through until local agents could handle it. He preferred this method rather than having to travel back and forth, missing out on family life.

“Come on, set the table at least” Her mother chose not to see the tear forming at the corner of Sally May’s eye, not to see it growing into a silent stream of moisture dropping off her chin and disappearing into a tangle of Valencia orange curls. Sally May dragged her arm across her face and held her hand out for the cutlery. Her mother passed it over with a small smile and turned back to the cupboard for the plates. She knew it was hard for her daughter, moving from place to place as dictated by her husband’s career but that’s the way it was. It was hard for her also at times.

“ I ‘ll you what Pumpkin, when we’ll go out tomorrow , we’ll see if we can find a café for morning tea before we visit your new school”.

“It will be all noodles and rice Mum!” Sally May was not to be swayed. School! That was another problem. The thing was, every time they moved, Sally May felt she was at the back of the class again, forever starting over and this time everyone would be in middle school by the time she got back to New Zealand. It would be like she was a new girl in her own town.

Mrs Anderson looked at the garish yellow coloured loaf wrapped in cellophane on the counter, was this supposed to be bread or a cake she wondered. Oh well, things will look brighter in the morning then smiled to herself, any more colourful and they would be turning up their toes from massive doses of food colouration poisoning!

“Put your things away, Dad will be home soon”

Sally May closed the cover on her Ipad, and slid it into her backpack as she jumped off the stool and retreated to her bedroom. She could still hear her mother opening and closing cupboards from her bedroom as she fell across the bed and thought about home. In the last period of time spent at home in New Zealand she had made a real friend, someone in whom she could confide her secrets and know they would be held for her to take back now and again, to be added to, updated and put back in for safe keeping. Andrea was just the right girl for this, and her parents had regular jobs. Her Dad was the manager at the local building supply centre and her Mum worked part time at the Mall hairdressers. Mrs Johnson finished work just at the right time each day to come home to make the Butter pikelets that Sally May loved so much when she visited after school. She thought about how on their last Saturday together, they had planned the whole day together. Andrea’s mum took them to the mall where she did her shift in the morning and then they spent time wandering around the shops alone while Mrs Johnson dealt with her clients in the Salon. Lunch was a special treat in the food court. They had chosen whatever they wanted . After lunch they had gone ice skating at the Paradise Skating Arena. They had been there before when a classmate had had her birthday party earlier in the year so they had all their moves worked out. Sally May had skated right in front of JJ, the class hunk.

There was a noise in the entrance way as Mr Anderson put his key in the door, “Girls, I ‘m home” he called out. Whatever, though Sally May, no way this is home! She pulled the duvet up over her head as if that might perhaps change things. They had not brought any furnishings from home so even the duvet felt wrong. It was silky smooth with violet flashes as the folds bunched over her head. The whole room felt wrong, The sun didn't highlight the large sunflowers she had on her curtains at home, here they were just vanilla synthetic blinds, the same throughout the entire flat. Sally May raised her head enough to poke her fingers through the slats. The view before her did not improve her mood. A large grey expanse of tower blocks stared back at her, mirroring her grey mood. She couldn’t understand why the food here seemed to be every hue of the rainbow but so far the environment was a exercise in monotone grey. Her father popped his head around the corner, “All right my girl?" He asked. “Your mother has dinner on the table".

Sally May swung her legs off the bed and followed her father through to the dinette.

She did love her father though, he was as tall as the door frame but turn him sideways and he almost disappeared. He wore horn rimmed glasses and expensive business suits of which the jackets always seem to hang from his angular shoulders. He didn’t spend much time at home but always had a smile for his little ‘gingernut’ as he affectionately called her when he walked in the door. She quite understood that in his business he had to move where ever he was sent and while she was proud of him she didn’t have to like it. Mr Anderson manoeuvred his long legs under the table “I 'm sorry I had to leave you two alone on the first day."

"Not to worry" said Mrs Anderson as she spooned out the canned casserole, " We've made plans for tomorrow, haven't we Sally May"

A grump was all the reply she received. Mrs Anderson raised her eyebrows across the table at her husband however he already had the English language newspaper covering his face.

 “Your dinner is front of you John' said Mrs Anderson. One discontented child was bad enough; she didn't need an invisible husband as well.

The next morning, the intercom beeped at seven am sharp and Mr Anderson’s driver announced he was waiting downstairs." Shall I send him back for you love?" Mr Anderson asked.

“No need,' replied Mrs Anderson, “I think a walk will do us good, we can check out the neighbourhood." The door was already closing on the heel of her reply. An hour later the door beeped again, this time it was the cleaning service, a young girl stood at the door, dressed in a pale pink smock and holding a bucket filled with cleaning materials. Mrs Anderson let her in and showed her where the kitchen was. The girls smiled tentatively and nodded as Mrs Anderson left the room.

 “Aren't you going to tell her what to do “said Sally May as she came out of the small bathroom.

“I don't think she speaks english” her mother said “and besides. I ‘m sure she knows what to do 'Shake a leg, let’s see what's out there in our new neighbourhood".

Minutes later Sally May and her mother opened the exterior door of the Tower block and turned left. Sally May was blown away by the sheer mass of people on the street. This was rush hour like he she had never seen it before. Several times as they passed a hairdresser or an office entrance, they noticed the staff were outside doing the graceful slow actions of Tai chi to start the day off. People walked in all directions, any way they wanted, some carrying large bundles of what looked like rags, some pushing carts and some in high powered office clothing. Smells were drifting up from the vents in the pavement, smells Sally May could not identify and was not quite sure she wanted to. They both felt the humidly of the day creeping up on them, quite a different heat from home where it was hot when the Sun shone. Here the sky was as grey as an old woollen blanket, in fact Sally May felt like she was wrapped in one. A few streets further down, the area became even more crowded but now he people were in ordered groups, following along behind smartly dressed guides who were holding flags or umbrellas above their heads.

 “Oh look Sally May, we’re at the Forbidden City. I heard there was a Starbucks in there"

“Long gone I am glad to say" a voice reached them through the cacophony of the tourist throng. They turned around to see an old man standing there. He was wearing a charcoal grey suit which only seemed to emphasise his diminutive stature. His minimalist eyebrows seemed in conflict with the long trailing white facial hair floating downwards from his chin. Sally May stared at him.

“I know a much better place for you to go' he said' ' you must visit one of our famous tea shops, let me show you the way.

"Well, I am sure it’s very kind of you but I think we had better stay here" said Mrs Anderson. The old man seemed okay but you never knew and she had heard stories about scams starting like this. An apparently friendly gesture to gain the confidence but once you followed the person, you were led down a narrow alley and you were relieved of your belongs.

  "Oh, how rude of me" the man said, 'Let me introduce myself ,I am Professor Sun Peng of the Beijing university and there is a very popular teashop right around the corner, plenty of European visitors go there and if they have any problems then the local Police station is two doors down”. He eyes twinkled and Mrs Anderson flushed with embarrassment. They strolled around the corner together and sure enough there it was as he had said.

The glass fronted doors were closed so Professor Sun Peng opened them then stepped back to let the Andersons in first.. The refrigerated air hit Sally May and her mother likes a welcome polar blast. The Professor escorted them to a small table by the window and as they sat down, a young girl who looked scarcely older than Sally May brought a tray over to the table. On this was a selection of teapots and three cups and saucers. The young girls started to pour but the professor waved her away with a comment in the local dialect that neither of the Anderson’s could understand.

“Are you here on Holiday?” asked their new friend.

Mrs Anderson explained how they came to be in China with her husband’s job and that they were exploring the area.

"Ah" he said," You must see the dragons then". Sally May looked sceptical.

“China's first emperor was said to have been born with a dragon's tail. Legend has it that he used a dragon throne, travelled in a dragon boat and slept in a dragon bed. The Forbidden City Palace where he lived has over one thousand Dragon symbols scattered throughout the grounds and on the buildings.

“Well I never expected that” said Mrs Anderson. She put down her teacup, “What do you think about that Sally May?”

“ I guess it’s kinda cool” she said, She paused to think.” Will all the kids at school know about the dragons?”

“Most Chinese consider themselves descendants of the dragon” replied the Professor. He unfolded his legs and leaned over the table, making the delicate porcelain shake.

” How old are you Sally May?”he asked, looking closely at her face.

“Twelve in May “ she said. Sun Peng slapped his thigh,” Well I’ll be” he said,” in the Chinese horoscope every Twelve years it is the turn  of the Dragon so not only is that this year but you were also born in a year of a Dragon. This makes you a very special young lady.” Mrs Anderson smiled, Sally May seemed quite captivated by the professor now and Mrs Anderson felt sure that her daughter’s shoulders were just a little straighter in the wrought iron chair. They spent the next  hour enjoyably  chatting and learning more about their home for the next twelve month. When at last they finished tastings all the various teas , they walked back out to the street.

“Enjoy your time in our country” said the Professor and with a wave of his hand he strode off, the tails of his jacket flapping in time with his stride.

It was time for the School visit, so Mrs Anderson looked around for a Taxi. Within a few minutes, one of the red officially licensed cars came along the road and slowed to a stop in front of them. Mrs Anderson stepped of the curb and leant towards the open window. In her outstretched hand was the School’s name card. The driver glanced at it and nodded.

“Quick, in you get” said Mrs Anderson.

“What about the Dragons?” said Sally May.

“We’ll come back this way after our appointment, ok sweetheart?” replied her mother.

Several hours later Mr Anderson heard the door click in the entrance and looked up. He had made an effort to come home early to spend time with Sally May. He was concerned that she was not adapting so well to the move this time. She had not exhibited such resistance previously. Maybe it was time to leave her in one place, Boarding school? He mused to himself. He had thought he was doing the right thing keeping the family together but now was wondering at what cost. He would talk it over with Mrs Anderson he decided.

Sally May rushed inside “Dad” she cried, “There be Dragons!”

Mr Anderson smiled, maybe it would be alright after all.