26.8.08

Chapter 14

I picked up the tea cup with my perfect manicured fingers as I looked around the living room. After staying three days in the hospital, I came back two days ago. During my stay in the hospital, only Ryan accompanied me.

“Miss Wang had a head injury due to the impact of being hit on the head” the doctor said.

“How long will her memory be lost?” Ryan asked.

“It would take six months for her full recovery but you can try to stimulate her memory by showing her photos and things that she had before. By the way, does her family member know about this?”

“I will inform them. Thank you doctor”

The doctor left the room and I grabbed Ryan’s arm.

“I have amnesia?” I looked up at him.

“It will be ok honey, I will help you through this ok” he held my hand.

That happened two hours after the accident. So I had no company except for Ryan the whole time I’m in the hospital. When I asked for my family, Ryan said they are all in China. When I asked for my friends, Ryan told me they were on a business trip. I put down the tea cup carefully and continued reading my book. That’s when my phone rang. Obviously it was Ryan.

“Hey babe, wanna go for lunch later?”

“I guess” I wished I could be more excited but really, I’m still adjusting to life after memory loss, AML as I call it.

As I put down my new blue handphone, I ran my fingers through my dark red hair. Ryan told me my phone was lost during the accident so he bought me a new one. Yesterday I had my hair dyed red because Ryan indicated that it had been my wish all along so this is a good chance to dye it as a start of a new beginning.

I didn’t know I live with Ryan before this but it does feel like home. My clothes are here, I’m pretty sure it’s my clothes, it’s my size and there are photographs of us everywhere. Although Ryan had insisted that we always share a bed before this, I still find it awfully weird to be in the same bed with him thus the two separate rooms.

I never thought I am that girl who shared a bed with a man just like that but then again, probably this showed how much I loved Ryan. I’m still trying to get the feeling back, bit by bit. I seemed to be the live in girlfriend while he goes out to work. What did I do when I’m home alone?

Well, I’m super bored today and I’m going out. I grabbed my purse and walked out to my car. I drove to the town centre and pulled up at a mall. Maybe I could buy a new set of golf clubs for Ryan. Or I could buy myself a diary. I thought I’m one of those girls who kept a diary but Ryan said no. A search around the house and he is right. It seems like there’s nothing sentimental in my room. Ryan said I liked to live in the future and I got rid of everything else in the past. So, I’m that kind of girl.

Hmm, what’s with the huge commotion in the middle of the mall? I quicken my pace and saw a huge movie poster. Curse of the golden flower, I read silently. Looks like something from the olden days based on the clothes. Look at how many female fans are screaming, gathering around an empty stage. I walked in the closest male clothes store and spent a good half an hour picking a nice shirt for Ryan. When I walked out, I saw the stage and three dominant figures up there. I gasped. Chow Yun Fat, Gong Li and Jay Chou??

I stood somewhere near there and poked my head around to get a glimpse of what is happening. Before I knew it, the screams around me got louder as Jay Chou turned his head to our direction and the girls went crazy. He smiled and waved around a little before he spotted me, at least I think it’s me. He called a stage crew and whispered something and before I knew it, I was instructed to follow that crew member backstage.

“Mr Chou would like to see you” he said and pulled me a chair as I sat backstage, listening to the girls out there screaming their head off.

Mr Chou? Jay Chou? Why would a mega superstar want to see me? Did I offend him in any way? I sat there backstage and fumbled nervously as thoughts of what did I do wrong to offend such a megastar like Jay Chou.

The curtain opened as the three actors walked in and I felt like my breath taken away. I watched as Jay Chou shook hands with the other two and once again, I felt myself blushing as I realized I was currently in the dream position of any Jay fan. They would kill me if they see me here.

“Lisa, where have you been?” he sighed.

I looked up and saw Jay Chou. He knows my name! Wait, what does he mean?

“Excuse me?” I asked, looking up to him.

“Don’t fool around. What did you do to your hair?” he asked.

“It’s always been a dream of mine” I smiled, twirling my hair a little for effect.

“Where have you been? Your friends are looking for you”

“But my friends are on a business trip” I frowned.

“That’s weird. I thought I saw Cindy yesterday” he mumbled under his breath.

Who’s Cindy? Before I could ask, Jay Chou shot me another question.

“Where have you been?”

Why is this superstar talking to me like he knows me? Jay Chou is weird.

“I been living with my boyfriend”

He looked slightly confused “ Oh, I thought you and Tom had something on”

Tom? Ryan never mentioned any Tom. Did Jay Chou mistake me for another person? But he called me Lisa. Is he someone from my past? What are the odds that Jay Chou knows me personally? Yeah right Lisa. Who else do you know? George Clooney?

“So are you gonna tell me who is your boyfriend?”

He certainly talked to me like I’m his best friend or something.

“Ryan”

Then he looked slightly confused.

“Oh, I thought you and Ryan broke up”

“No, we are still together” I said slowly, sort of unsure what he wants to hear.

What is going on? Is he really my friend? Okay people; bring out the candid camera out now. I had been fooled. Game over. Suddenly I felt dizzy but nevertheless I stood up.

“ I gotta go”

“Lisa, wait. What about my mother? Shouldn’t you call her? “

I let out a laugh. What a joker Jay is.

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone? We almost wanted to go to the cops”

“You have my number?” this is a whole new level of weirdness.

“Yes, unless you change yours “ he frowned.

I nodded. “ My phone went missing” and I took out my phone from my purse.

“You should have at least told us” he surprised me when he pulled my phone from my hand and inserted his number in.

I didn’t know what to say. Am I supposed to tell him I have memory loss? I don’t think Jay is my friend but he certainly knows me.

“I gotta go. Bye “

I left and never looked back.

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It was windy and I clutched my coat tighter around my body. My hands are warm tucked beneath Ryan’s arm. We were heading to lunch together and Ryan had mentioned it was just walking distance.

“Ryan, were we always together?”

Ryan gave a soft chuckle “ What do you mean by that?”

“Did we ever break up and then get back together?”

That was what had been bugging me the whole time

“No, never. We are so in love and we have never been apart. Why ?”

“Cause someone told me we broke up before”

He turned to me with a serious face.

“Who told you that?”

“Jay Chou”

Ryan burst out laughing for the next few minutes. He laughed in such a way, I felt offended.

“Oh honey, looks like someone had taken their dream a little too far”

“But I did talk to him” I insisted.

“Honey, I think you are bored out of your mind. Come on, there’s a billion fans out there and he talked to you? I think you imagined it all during your nap yesterday”

“But he mentioned about someone named Tom”

I swore Ryan’s face turned white and his laughter died down.

“Honey, you’re mistaken for someone else. End of discussion”

I wanted to protest but before I could, a small brown dog ran up to us and started jumping on it’s hind legs excitedly with it’s tongue hanging out. To me. At Ryan, it growled and barked. Then it sat down in front of me with it’s tail wagging.

“That dog is so adorable!” I bent down to touch it’s collar.

“Honey, I think it’s dirty” he pulled my other hand.

“No, it’s adorable” I touched the round pendant on it’s collar.

There was a big S in front and an address at the back.

“Ryan, this dog look lost …” I scratched it’s head gently.

“No, look it’s fat and well fed “ he pointed at it.

The dog stood up on all fours and barked sharply at Ryan.

“It doesn’t like it when you call it fat” I teased.

“Stupid dog” Ryan picked up a piece of stone and threw it on the dog.

“Ryan!” I stood up, stunned by the cruelty he has done to the poor animal.

The dog turned away, whimpering small cries of pain.

“Snooky!” a voice called out from the corner.

Ryan grabbed my hand and tugged me along.

“Run. The dog owner is coming”

Snooky? Where have I heard that before?

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I’m upset that Ryan was cruel to the dog and I’m also feeling the loneliness of being left behind when he goes to work. Upset and lonely. Not a good combination. When are my friends coming back? I should call my parents in China. I picked up the phone and realized I don’t have their phone number. Ryan should have my parents number right? I went into his room and looked through his drawers. I know I’m suppose to respect his privacy and not do this but he looked through each of my stuff when I came back from the hospital so I guess it’s only fair right?

I found a contact book in one of the drawers and browse through. Damn it! What are my parents name? After 5 minutes, I gave up and slipped the book back right to where I found it. That’s when I heard a faint thud at the back of the drawer. Something is blocking the book from being pushed in to the back. I reached in and pulled out a small box. I removed the box and opened it. A hand phone. Hmm.. it looks pretty.

I turned it on. There was 150 missed calls and 40 new messages. I looked at the missed call names.

“Cindy, Gail, Auntie Ye, Jay, Ge and darling?” I frowned.

Jay ? If this is Ryan’s phone, then maybe he knows Jay Chou too. I gasped. Realization hit me slower than I thought but this is my original phone! My phone which Ryan said was lost during the accident. Why does he have it if I lost it?

Who’s darling? I confidently pressed call and I felt pretty sure to hear Ryan’s voice. Within two rings, someone picked up.

“Ting Ting, where are you ? Where have you been?” he sounded like he lost his child or something.

And it’s not Ryan.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Don’t fool around. Do you know how worried we are? You disappeared after the loreal shoot”

Loreal shoot? What ?

“Are you my friend?” I asked carefully.

“I’m your boyfriend, Tom”

My hand shook. Ryan said I didn’t know any Tom but Jay Chou did mentioned a Tom.

“But Ryan is my boyfriend” I blurted out.

I turned off the phone before I could hear what he has to say. Who is Tom? What does he look like? Ryan said I didn’t know any Tom. My boyfriend won’t lie to me right? Besides I have prove through the photos of me and Ryan that we are a couple but who is Tom?

I slipped the phone in my pocket, cleared up the mess and left Ryan’s room. I needed aspirin.

***********************************************************************************

I didn’t know who to expect. I just dialled the number and arranged to meet him here. I didn’t know how he looked like. Tall? Short? Old? I clutched the envelope closer to me. Maybe he can help me regain my memory. If he says who he is. I’m really confused right now.

I walked across the park and guessed which one is him. I didn’t have to, he came right to me and hugged me. Part of me felt relief and warm that I have someone else in my life besides Ryan but another part of me seems to think who is this guy? Where is the familiarity with him?

When he let me go, I could see love in his eyes. I could see my eyes in his eyes.

“Oh gosh, I miss you so much. Where have you been? Do you know we are all worried?”

“I been living with my boyfriend” I said quietly.

“What? “ his voice rose and he frowned.

Why do people frowned when they found out I’m living with my boyfriend?

I quietly handed the envelope to him and watched as he took out the sheet of paper. I didn’t know if this is the right person to show this paper to but I have to trust myself that he is someone from my past and I need to connect with someone from my past .. badly.

I watched as his eyes bulged out and his expression changed from confusion to sadness as he read through the paper. It was my report from the hospital.

“Memory loss?” he said it slowly as if he was digesting the fact himself.

I spilled the beans and told him everything, from the moment I woke up in the hospital up to the discovery of my phone. When I was done, he looked at me like I was from another planet or I had an extra nose on my forehead.

“Lis, do you know who am I ? Do you know why you called me? “ he asked carefully.

“I saw your number on my phone and I think I know who you are”

“Do you remember my name?”

“No” I shook my head honestly.

He smiled and pulled out his wallet, then he pulled out a card and handed it to me. It was his identity card and as I held the card in my trembling hand because a memory strike at the back of my mind. A blur one but nonetheless, at least something. I saw this man, sitting beside me carrying me on his back as we ran in the park. There was something so sweet and innocent about the memory. I ran my finger over his name like I was touching gold or something precious.

“Dylan Wang Zhi Yuan” I read silently with a smile.