PROLOGUE
i
Nursing Home
CHAPTER 1
i
Disputed Territory
i
Cah Bel
i
Salmonil Camp
i
Cah Bel
INTERLUDE 1
i
Nursing Home
|
|
Mr. Hoo Nun's room
Mr.
Hoo Nun studied the nurse’s expression as he finished his narration.
She stood alone with him in the room.
It was well past her shift end and the other nurse had long since
left. Mr. Hoo Nun said the
last few words of the story slowly, waiting, watching, “The ruins,
like a silent witness to all that had transpired, fell asleep once
more.” Then he saw it:
the glint in her eye and the slight tug of a smile on the corners of her
mouth. “Since you seem so patient to listen to an old man’s
babbling, I’ll let you in on a secret.”
He nodded towards seven spiral notebooks at his bedside.
"There’s more, if you want to read them. I have very good penmanship.
It should be easy to read.”
“Sure.
I’d love to.” She picked up two notebooks and added with a curt nod,
“Thank you.” She
flipped through the first notebook and slipped them under arm with
another book she grabbed from her cart, her anthropology book.
She had finished her nursing degree but wanted to take some fun
|
|
courses.
She and her husband had signed up for a dig
in the summer and she wanted to be ready for it.
Stories of origins fascinated her.
“Oh no,” she said looking at her watch.
“I didn’t realize how late it was.
My husband will be wondering where I am. Thanks again for the stories, the first one was ...
interesting.” She smiled
and headed for the door. “By the way,” he added, making her
pause and turn, “I didn’t catch your name.”
She
lifted up her nametag. “Yoder,
Carol Yoder.”
“Thank
you, Mrs. Yoder.”
“You’re
welcome, good night.” She
turned and walked to the door.
“I
might need some help with grammar,” he added leaning forward. “English is not my first language.”
She
stopped in the doorway turning her head halfway back.
“No? What is,
Chinese?”
“No,”
he chuckled.
She
turned and walked out the door.
He
leaned back and smiled to himself. “Salmi
is.”
*
*
*
*
Next
page |