I'm in a hotel lobby waiting for an elevator. When one finally comes, a bunch of people crowd on with me. I'm trying to get to the 13th floor but this elevator doesn't go there so I press 12. A hotel staffer asks me to press a special button on a special control panel (the elevator is so crowded he can't reach it). I hit the button and the elevator zooms up, bypassing all the floors. Everyone is upset & I try to reset it. I get off on the first floor it stops on and find another elevator. This one also doesn't go to my floor so I press 12 again. Then I realize I was supposed to meet with my roommate/friend in the dining hall. I press 9 just as the elevator gets to that floor.
I'm now in a factory and I walk into a large, dimly lit cafeteria. It's filled with Chinese workers eating noodles. A giant screen on the wall flickers on and everyone rises to pay attention. I spot my grandfather at our long table sneaking a few more bites of noodles. I laugh & quietly points him out to Susannah. As the propaganda films plays on the screen, Susannah & Ileda scoot down the table toward him. He says something to Leda & Susannah but doesn't seem to recognize them. An announcement is made and the workers file out.
I want to ask around about my grandfather but I realize I don't know his name (only my other grandfather's name comes to mind). I call my mom on my cell and ask her his name. I also tell her that he's working in a factory (I thought he'd retired). She tells me it's Ha Sha Lin (which sounds wrong to me). I head out of the cafeteria into the main area (which is a huge department store). I wander around until I spot a couple of (American) employees. I ask them for Ha Sha Lin and they go to the back to find him (saying something about him being a fashion designer or style person). He comes out, very pleasantly surprised to see me. He's very affectionate and outgoing, which surprises me.
Susannah & Ileda joing us and I reintroduce everyone. He goes to Susannah and squeezes her cheek, giving her a kiss. I see Sofia being held by a black nurse and Susannah says something about "of all the kids, she's the one to have gotten bitten." I look at her face & see several welts & strange-looking bites. She looks very despondent & sad. I go to hodl her and the nurse says she needs to be checked in. I cradle her in my arms (which confirms she's sick to me since she never likes to be held that way) and follow the nurse. Now I'm sitting in an airport cart following the nurse and Sofia in another cart. Sofia's lying limp on the cart, her legs dangling over the side. Susannah doesn't seem worried but I start breaking down and crying when I hear the nurses mention preparing a crash cart. I cry into Susannah's lap, praying that my baby doesn't leave me.
I'm now in a factory and I walk into a large, dimly lit cafeteria. It's filled with Chinese workers eating noodles. A giant screen on the wall flickers on and everyone rises to pay attention. I spot my grandfather at our long table sneaking a few more bites of noodles. I laugh & quietly points him out to Susannah. As the propaganda films plays on the screen, Susannah & Ileda scoot down the table toward him. He says something to Leda & Susannah but doesn't seem to recognize them. An announcement is made and the workers file out.
I want to ask around about my grandfather but I realize I don't know his name (only my other grandfather's name comes to mind). I call my mom on my cell and ask her his name. I also tell her that he's working in a factory (I thought he'd retired). She tells me it's Ha Sha Lin (which sounds wrong to me). I head out of the cafeteria into the main area (which is a huge department store). I wander around until I spot a couple of (American) employees. I ask them for Ha Sha Lin and they go to the back to find him (saying something about him being a fashion designer or style person). He comes out, very pleasantly surprised to see me. He's very affectionate and outgoing, which surprises me.
Susannah & Ileda joing us and I reintroduce everyone. He goes to Susannah and squeezes her cheek, giving her a kiss. I see Sofia being held by a black nurse and Susannah says something about "of all the kids, she's the one to have gotten bitten." I look at her face & see several welts & strange-looking bites. She looks very despondent & sad. I go to hodl her and the nurse says she needs to be checked in. I cradle her in my arms (which confirms she's sick to me since she never likes to be held that way) and follow the nurse. Now I'm sitting in an airport cart following the nurse and Sofia in another cart. Sofia's lying limp on the cart, her legs dangling over the side. Susannah doesn't seem worried but I start breaking down and crying when I hear the nurses mention preparing a crash cart. I cry into Susannah's lap, praying that my baby doesn't leave me.
posted by Dan at 9:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home