Fanfic bit - "Lessons"
Throwing up a bit of fic with little venus. If people like it I think i will continue it.
"la la la la la la" the lilting, happy voice of a little girl lit on China's ears, bringing a smile to her face. 'A little girl? I wonder how she got in here?'
"Mei Pi Chi!" came a reprimanding voice "Come in here right now! You know you are not to go outside!"
"Awww, but master Chung I, this is the inner garden! Who will see me?"
"We must be exceedingly careful, my little energy child. No one knows where lurking eyes may be watching from."
China grinned to herself. "These lurking eyes are over in the flower bed, though I can't say they work very well, in fact, they don't work at all."
"China!" Chung I said in a surprised tone "What are you doing out here?"
"This is my garden too, Chung I." China said, smiling kindly "Surely you did not forget so easily."
"Oh no, never China." Chung I said quickly "You have been gone a long time. Where have you been?"
China heard the little girl's feet patter away. She hated to lose an opportunity to find out about the child, but she adored talking about her travels. And Chung I was such a great listener.
"Well, I went back to London, stayed there for quite a long time. I visited Australia for a while too, then I..."
Chung I listened attentively to the blind woman, watching his adoptive daughter quickly skip her way back inside. He sighed. 'Crisis Averted...'
***
China knelt in her flower garden, weeding. Her old and experienced hands deciphering between the weeds and the plants.
Soon China's ultra sensitive hearing heard someone in the garden. She continued with her weeding, making no signs that she heard anything as she discerned who it was 'Someone small... light on their feet... hmmmm' A muffled giggle gave it away. 'It's that little girl of Chung I's again!' China realized.
China slowly rocked up off her knees, her arthritic hands massaging her back as she stood up. She knew the child was watching her. The little girl had been watching her for several days. This was the first time the child had dared to venture into the garden when China had been working in it. So far, though, China had not dared to speak to the girl, lest she frighten her and she flit away like a little bird.
She turned her head towards where the little girl was standing. "Why hello there, dear."
Mei Pei Chi gasped, she had thought her presence had gone undetected. Was it possible the old blind woman had known she was there all along? If so, she was going to be in big trouble with Chung I.
Unsure what to do, Mei Pei Chi stayed stark still, locked in position, hardly daring to breathe. She wasn't sure what to make of this stranger. Chung I had said China was harmless, and it seemed to be true from what Mei Pei Chi observed. But even at this early age, the unusual youngster had experienced enough evil to never fully trust a human outside her adoptive father, Chung I.
"My name is China. Tell me, child, what is yours?"
Mei Pei Chi seriously considered if she should answer. She knew Chung I had told her not to talk to anyone, but she so desperately wanted a friend. Surely, it was fine to talk to China. After all, Chung I himself had admitted that she was harmless.
"Mei Pei Chi." the girl finally said quietly, as if admitting a terrible secret.
'Beautiful Turtle of Energy? China thought to herself 'Who in their right mind calls their kid a turtle?... Yeesh, Asian people and their names.'
China quickly shifted her attention to the little one. "Well, Mei Pei Chi, I need some help in my garden. My old hands aren't as swift as they used to be. Would you like to help me?"
A smile came to Mei Pei Chi's face and she nodded her head, forgetting for a moment that China was blind. When The old woman failed to respond, Mei Pei Chi realized her error. "Yes, I would love to help you China-san."
"Good, then come over here, child." China told her, and Mei Pei Chi obeyed a bit nervously, being careful not to get to close.
Soon though, all hesitation was lost as The little girl became absorbed in the stories that China told her as they worked in the garden.
It seemed all too soon that China felt the change in the weather, warning her of the impending night. "Well, my little Mei Pei Chi, I do believe those peas will feel much less choked now that we've gotten the weeds out of there. You are such a good helper. If you come out tomorrow I'll have something for you because you are such a hard little worker." China said, "What do you say? Will you come?"
Mei Pei Chi paused. She wanted to come back, but she didn't want to get in trouble with Chung I. "I'll- I'll see if I can."
"Ok, my dear. You have a good night."
Mei Pei Chi smiled and ran off back to her house to await Chung I's return. China sighed and wiped her hands on her pants. She knew what was bothering the child, and she intended to do something about it. She thought about how to approach the subject as she went back into the house.
"la la la la la la" the lilting, happy voice of a little girl lit on China's ears, bringing a smile to her face. 'A little girl? I wonder how she got in here?'
"Mei Pi Chi!" came a reprimanding voice "Come in here right now! You know you are not to go outside!"
"Awww, but master Chung I, this is the inner garden! Who will see me?"
"We must be exceedingly careful, my little energy child. No one knows where lurking eyes may be watching from."
China grinned to herself. "These lurking eyes are over in the flower bed, though I can't say they work very well, in fact, they don't work at all."
"China!" Chung I said in a surprised tone "What are you doing out here?"
"This is my garden too, Chung I." China said, smiling kindly "Surely you did not forget so easily."
"Oh no, never China." Chung I said quickly "You have been gone a long time. Where have you been?"
China heard the little girl's feet patter away. She hated to lose an opportunity to find out about the child, but she adored talking about her travels. And Chung I was such a great listener.
"Well, I went back to London, stayed there for quite a long time. I visited Australia for a while too, then I..."
Chung I listened attentively to the blind woman, watching his adoptive daughter quickly skip her way back inside. He sighed. 'Crisis Averted...'
***
China knelt in her flower garden, weeding. Her old and experienced hands deciphering between the weeds and the plants.
Soon China's ultra sensitive hearing heard someone in the garden. She continued with her weeding, making no signs that she heard anything as she discerned who it was 'Someone small... light on their feet... hmmmm' A muffled giggle gave it away. 'It's that little girl of Chung I's again!' China realized.
China slowly rocked up off her knees, her arthritic hands massaging her back as she stood up. She knew the child was watching her. The little girl had been watching her for several days. This was the first time the child had dared to venture into the garden when China had been working in it. So far, though, China had not dared to speak to the girl, lest she frighten her and she flit away like a little bird.
She turned her head towards where the little girl was standing. "Why hello there, dear."
Mei Pei Chi gasped, she had thought her presence had gone undetected. Was it possible the old blind woman had known she was there all along? If so, she was going to be in big trouble with Chung I.
Unsure what to do, Mei Pei Chi stayed stark still, locked in position, hardly daring to breathe. She wasn't sure what to make of this stranger. Chung I had said China was harmless, and it seemed to be true from what Mei Pei Chi observed. But even at this early age, the unusual youngster had experienced enough evil to never fully trust a human outside her adoptive father, Chung I.
"My name is China. Tell me, child, what is yours?"
Mei Pei Chi seriously considered if she should answer. She knew Chung I had told her not to talk to anyone, but she so desperately wanted a friend. Surely, it was fine to talk to China. After all, Chung I himself had admitted that she was harmless.
"Mei Pei Chi." the girl finally said quietly, as if admitting a terrible secret.
'Beautiful Turtle of Energy? China thought to herself 'Who in their right mind calls their kid a turtle?... Yeesh, Asian people and their names.'
China quickly shifted her attention to the little one. "Well, Mei Pei Chi, I need some help in my garden. My old hands aren't as swift as they used to be. Would you like to help me?"
A smile came to Mei Pei Chi's face and she nodded her head, forgetting for a moment that China was blind. When The old woman failed to respond, Mei Pei Chi realized her error. "Yes, I would love to help you China-san."
"Good, then come over here, child." China told her, and Mei Pei Chi obeyed a bit nervously, being careful not to get to close.
Soon though, all hesitation was lost as The little girl became absorbed in the stories that China told her as they worked in the garden.
It seemed all too soon that China felt the change in the weather, warning her of the impending night. "Well, my little Mei Pei Chi, I do believe those peas will feel much less choked now that we've gotten the weeds out of there. You are such a good helper. If you come out tomorrow I'll have something for you because you are such a hard little worker." China said, "What do you say? Will you come?"
Mei Pei Chi paused. She wanted to come back, but she didn't want to get in trouble with Chung I. "I'll- I'll see if I can."
"Ok, my dear. You have a good night."
Mei Pei Chi smiled and ran off back to her house to await Chung I's return. China sighed and wiped her hands on her pants. She knew what was bothering the child, and she intended to do something about it. She thought about how to approach the subject as she went back into the house.