somewhere on my way, Anna N. Schnieden [best summer reads TXT] 📗

her grandma always gave her some money…we were good.

 

Not so much in the letters, I told her what I was doing and what I was seeing every day walking to the market. She told me about a new cartoon that was on at 7:00 to 8:00 pm and the old nuns’ Chinese movies with stupid ghost shit between 8:00 and 9:00 pm, TV’s time! Moonlight was a lunatic scarer…like ghost problems; I blamed the bloody Chinese ghosts that the nuns liked to watch. I was thinking about Father Su who was not just the headmaster of the school, but he was also a Sunday school teacher. I remembered he said psychics, witches, and ghosts were forbidden for the Catholic members…never mind Father Su then?

 

Actually, I did mind, it was not because of the foolish Catholic out-law and I did not believe everything I had been taught, but the Chinese’s shit ghosts disturbed Moonlight’s lunatic! We were not supposed to talk about it, believe in it and we were not supposed to communicate with it, and if we talked to the ghosts, we would have opened a window for…. hell…hmmm…When I saw the nuns with the Chinese’s ghost…and for the sake of my moony, I had to ask the nuns,

 

 

 

“Sisters, don’t you think it’s against the god’s law? Father…” Me, before I was going to finish, one of the nuns said,

 

“Oh dear, it’s just entertainment.” The nuns.

 

 

“The entertainment was in the category of communication, wasn’t it?” Me.

 

 

The same nun said Shhhhh…a few minutes later, they were screaming, spontaneously I looked at Moonlight,

 

“Oh, come on! You too?? What a hopeless!! Sisters? Can you all go to hell without us with you? And you, Moony, this is…psychiatric!” Me.

 

“I’m fucking afraid of ghosts, any ghosts!!” Moonlight.

 

 

“Oh…Ok, I guess, you’re a sociopath scarer!!!” Me.

 

 

That what I was minding about, the nuns did not only break the law…of the god and scared Moonlight, but they also shared their sins with us! It was good to share the ability of super sound, but they should have shared something cheerful…Nuns! So, when I was pulled out from the school, all I could think of was “The lunatic scarer is probably scared to death!”

 

I did not understand at the time why most girls in my class were scared of bugs, snakes, worms, and birds. And some were even scared of butterflies…seriously, I thought it was silly except the snakes well…they bite; I was not scared of all those things or blood or dead bodies, the only thing I was scared of…I was not going to make it through my childhood.

 

The last two weeks before the next semester, my lucky number 10 was run off. It was supposed to expire next year before my 11 birthdays, according to a nun who told me about

 

 

 

the super…lucky 10! While I was washing everyone’s clothes, thinking of how good it was that I managed to keep my legs and arms safe, but…there she was, the angel of death!

 

“Stop doing that, and come inside now!” The mother.

 

 

I walked in! Oh my, everyone was there, and I could almost smell… death!

 

 

“Where is the money?” The mother.

 

 

“What money!” Me.

 

 

“The money you took.” The mother.

 

 

“I did not.” Me.

 

 

“Don’t fucking lie to me! You’re an only kid here. Who else would do this?” The mother.

 

 

“I Did Not!” Me.

 

 

Before I could think of my next defense policy, she grabbed one of my arms strenuously; I was spinning to the floor.

 

“Grandmother’s money is missing. You tell me or I will beat you.” The mother.

 

 

Contemporaneously, I could feel her hand, drowning in my back…solid, firm whatever, I thought the word “will” meant later, but there was no later. I heard the grandmother say, “Harder” and the next thing I knew…there were hands, sticks, broomstick, the rest of…I did not know what it was. Every time I opened my eyes, the objects were different colours, and so was my body! When it was over, I was…. temporarily a snake! As soon as I could walk, the mother shipped me back to the school; my body was colourful, fresh and shiny as a daisy.

 

 

 

 

 

When I walked into my dormitory, the 75-year-old nun, the housekeeper, and Moonlight were watching TV. But, the cause of my…surfacing turned everyone’s eyes from one of the Chinese uncomprehensive movies…To Me! (I personally did not like the shit movies, parents, lovers, or children were killing each other, or dramatically fighting! They also could fly, fast and strong without being a vampire, based on a fact of physic and anatomy research. They thought they could even run on water!!) As soon as my body appeared inside the room, it seemed like no one cared about running on the water anymore!

 

“Oh my, did you fall down…(looking)…the stairways, perhaps?” The 75-year-old nun.

 

 

Instantaneously, inside my little head was illuminated, I thought it was a good idea; I was worried when I had to show…me to the class! And what I was going to tell them; my mother beat me is not a fairy tale for children? Hell No! For whatever reasons at the time, I did not understand and all I knew was “Shut your mouth, don’t tell everyone that is not your friend.” So, the falling down the stairway idea was quite realistic!!

 

“Yes, Ma’am. It’s a long stairway!” Me.

 

 

“Looks like you’ve been beaten.” The housekeeper.

 

 

“Oh no, it was definitely a stairway!” Me.

 

 

“Come on, let’s go up and put your stuff away.” Moonlight.

 

 

We left the room, Moonlight stopped and looked at me again, we did not say much because she knew we were swimming in the same bowl and there was no need for the stairway story. We did not talk…for a few days; only I told her that I did not want to tell anyone. I was worried about the outcome of the truth, and being a lonely unhappy child was not a good outcome either.

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as the school opened, my stairway story became…most famous?... although, I did not think I fooled my teachers, but I was glad that I was smart. The adults did not say anything or do anything…I was so relieved. I did not want to be sent away or worse! Thai’s government did not like…kids much!...never mind the stairway.

 

Two months later, my scars outside were healed and inside was…covered, I was sitting under a tree, talking with Moonlight, enjoying a peaceful moment and…chocolate- chip cookie. We heard the school’s speakers yelling my name, “Arya, Aye, come to the principal’s office immediately.” I was dead for a second after my name was out of the speakers, and I turned…agitation. Moonlight looked at me.

 

“What?” Me

 

 

“What the bloody hell do they want?” Moonlight.

 

 

“We’ll know in a few minutes!” Me.

 

 

“We?” Moonlight.

 

 

“Ahuh!” Me.

 

 

She did not say anymore, so we started walking. As soon as my eyes could see the school…I saw my youngest aunty sitting in front of the school principal’s office! OH! I was curious why she was in my school, but before I reached there, she came out from the building, walking toward me.

 

“Hey, there you are! I see all scars are gone now. Grandma wants me to give you this.” The youngest aunt.

 

 

 

She was holding a 500-baht bill, I looked at it for a moment; it was a lot of money at the time and absolutely for a child of age 10.

 

“Why?” Me.

 

 

“Well, your grandma found the lost money, so she wants to give you some.” The youngest aunt.

 

I looked at it again, I did not understand why the grandmother wanted to give me 500-baht bill, I did not want it, and I simply wanted her to go away.

 

“I don’t want it! Can you tell your mother, if she wants to be nice, do not use me again! And that’d be genteel. My class is about to start. Could you excuse me, Ma’am? Goodbye.” Me.

 

I did not wait for her to say anything, I grabbed Moonlight’s arm and we ran.

 

 

The following year, just before Chinese New Year, the second semester was not yet done and I was not done with my class that day, but again, the school’s speakers yelled at me, this time, it was my maker! She wanted to take me home that weekend for Chinese New Year’s celebrations. I did not want to go with her and I did not want to leave Moonlight alone with the Chinese ghosts, but there was no option. The next day at the mother’s, every one of her family members was there; I was helping the mother since 5:00 am, making roast duck and some vegetables for lunch.

 

According to tales and a particularly long one, the beginning of the Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian. Nian would eat…hmmm townies, especially little humans. One year, all the villagers decided to go hide from the beast. An old man appeared before the townies went into hiding and said that he is going to stay the night, and decided to get revenge on the Nian. All the townies thought he was insane. The old man put red papers up and set off firecrackers. The day after, the townies came back to

 

 

 

their town to see that nothing was destroyed. They assumed that the old man was a…Big G, who came to save them. The townies then understood the Nian was afraid of the colour red and loud noises.

 

When the New Year was about to come, the townies would wear red clothes, hang red lanterns, and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nian became Hongjun Laozu's mount. The date of the Chinese New Year is always different; it depends on the moon, beginning at the new moon that falls between 21 January and 20 February in the Gregorian calendar (the calendar of the Catholic religion, the Chinese version) and is preside over by an animal of the zodiac, each one represents an element and fortune.

 

After the story and lunch, the adults gave the brother and me some small red envelopes, each one had its own name. The red colour of the envelope symbolizes good luck…ohh (tell me about it)…and is a symbol to ward off evil spirits. The money contained in the envelope usually ends with an even digit, in accordance with Chinese beliefs; odd- numbered money gifts are traditionally associated with funerals. The exception was the number 9, as the pronunciation of nine is homophonous with the word “long” and is the largest digit. Still, in some regions of China and, in its diaspora community, odd numbers are favoured for weddings because they are difficult to divide. There is also a widespread tradition that money should not be given in fours, or the number 4 should not appear in the amount, such as in 40, 400, and 444, as the pronunciation of the word “four” is homophonous with the word “death.”

 

After everyone was gone, I handed all the red envelopes to the mother, worrying about the number of the amount, thinking of the high possibility that my envelopes might have contained the number 4, as they failed to kill me last time, so they turned to…the death for help?? Like…“Please help me!...Kill the bitch!” The maker stared at me quite long…eventually, she said,

 

 

 

“Why don’t you open it? There’s some money inside. Don’t you know?” The mother.

 

 

“Yes, I do know. Many kids at school were talking about it.” Me.

 

 

“Why don’t you keep it? Grandma gave you a lot of money. You can buy your own snack.” The mother.

 

“I don’t want hers or their money. You keep it or return it. I want them to leave me alone. That’s all I want!” Me.

 

Next thing I knew, I was shipped back to school that very afternoon, oh, after cleaning all the pots, pans, and dishes! I told Moonlight about the money,

 

“You’re an idiot! You should have kept it!” Moonlight.

 

 

“I just want them to leave me…alone!” Me.

 

 

“They won’t! Every time