43 Thank You (1/2)

”Hey, Michael, I'm ready to go.” Wang Yang took a pair of sneakers out of the shoe cabinet and put them on as he spoke. Bending down to tie the shoelaces, he looked back at Michael Pitt, who was standing not far away from him. He said with a smile, ”Have some instant noodles. Haha!”

Leaning against the wall, Michael Pitt took a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket with a smile. He was going to light one cigarette.

”Watch out. Don't catch my apartment on fire.” Wang Yang warned him. He took two steps ahead after tying the shoelaces. He opened the door and was leaving. At this moment, his cellphone rang. He took it out and looked at the screen. The cheerful look faded from his face slowly. He answered it. ”Hi, Rachel.” There, Michael Pitt, with a cigarette between his lips and holding the lighter close to it, paused. He looked at Wang Yang.

”Oh, hey, Yang. What are you up to tonight?” Rachel's gentle voice came through the phone.

Wang Yang could totally imagine her smiling face from that voice. Her question made him feel awkward. Scratching his head, he said, ”I'm going to Jessica's home for dinner.”

No response came. Then, he heard Rachel say, ”Okay.” She went on calmly, ”So I'm not keeping you on the phone.”

Knowing she would hang up, Wang Yang called her involuntarily, ”Rachel!”

Rachel answered quietly, ”Yes?”

Wang Yang said, after a moment of silence, ”Rachel, I want to say thank you to you.”

Rachel said, ”All right.” Then, she added, ”Yang, that is also what I want to say to you. Thank you.”

Wang Yang put the cellphone back into his pocket silently after hanging up. Michael Pitt pressed the lighter and lit the cigarette. Looking at Wang Yang, he said, ”Yang, I want to say thank you to you, too.”

”Stop it.” Shaking his head, Wang Yang smiled. He said, ”I'm leaving,” and then walked out of the door.

Some festival parade was taking place on the afternoon street. People in Indian costumes were doing all kinds of performances. Many tourists were standing by the street, watching. Everyone was smiling. The merry festival atmosphere was everywhere.

Wang Yang did not head for Jessica's home until he had watched the performance for a long time on the street. Since many road sections had been closed, along with the traffic jam, he did not drive his own car. He chose to take the metro and walk. Wang Yang arrived at the neighborhood Jessica was living in, passed by that small fountain, and then went on walking for some time. Gazing at the beautiful, two-story house in front of him, he took his phone out to call Jessica. He told her with a smile, ”I am here.”

He put the phone back and then walked onto the lawn in front of Jessica's house. A white Labrador retriever ran toward him. It was Danny. He had not seen Wang Yang for a long time. At the moment, smelling his familiar smell, Danny was so excited that he intended to jump on Wang Yang. Wang Yang screamed. Grasping Danny's paws, he said with a smile, ”Hey, Danny. How have you been?”

Standing on his rear legs, Danny stuck his tongue out, panting. He was making an effort to get rid of the control of Wang Yang's hands so that he could jump onto them.

”Danny, stop it!” Jessica shouted at him, walking out of the house. She was wearing some very colorful clothes, with a cloth tied around her wrist. Her brown hair was down, and she was wearing a headband with some colorful feathers on it. She looked just like an Indian—a very pretty one. She walked over. Patting Danny on his head, she said with a smile, ”Danny, go there. Give Yang a break.”

”Hi!” Wang Yang greeted her. He let go of Danny. Then, he said, ”It's okay, Jessica. You know I love dogs.” Danny, free again, jumped up right away around Wang Yang. He crouched down to pet Danny's neck. Smiling, he said, ”Hey, buddy, you are so passionate… oh!” He suddenly had a hot, damp feeling on his cheek. It was Danny. He had just licked Wang Yang with his tongue. Gnashing his teeth, he said with a smile, ”You ambushed me. I'm going to kick your a*s!” Then, he rubbed Danny's head hard, as if the Labrador retriever was a Chow-Chow.

Watching him and Danny having so much fun together, Jessica smiled. She felt sweet. She bent down with hands on her knees. Tilting forward, she said, ”Yang, you should attack his ears. Blow some air into them. That's his weakness!”

”Copy that, madam!” Smiling, Wang Yang opened his mouth like a roaring lion. He blew some air into Danny's ear. Danny was instantly shocked. He pointed his ears up. Then, he jumped on Wang Yang even more madly. Wang Yang lost his balance and fell down on the lawn.

Next to them, Jessica was laughing and giggling happily. She shouted, ”Watch out. He is going to lick your face again! Oh, watch for the left side!”

After playing with Danny for a while, Wang Yang followed Jessica into the house. Joshua went out and had not come back yet, so there was only Mark Alba in the living room. Jessica smiled at Wang Yang. ”Yang, make yourself at home. I'm preparing dinner.” She looked at Mark Alba and smiled. ”Dad, help me host Yang, please.” Then, she walked out of the living room toward the kitchen, which was at the back of the house.

Looking at Mark Alba, in a white shirt, Wang Yang said with a smile, ”Hey, Mark.”

Mark Alba's masculine face looked emotionless. He sized up Wang Yang seriously as if this was their first meeting. He put out a hand for Wang Yang, and Wang Yang took it. Mark Alba pulled his hand with effort and patted him on the shoulder with his other hand. He said in a neither warm nor cold tone, ”Young man, welcome to my home…”

”Mark, thanks…” Wang Yang smiled. His shoulder ached a little from Mark's pat. He could not help but murmur to himself that Mark was a really strong man.

The two sat down on the sofa after greeting. Mark Alba was sitting very straight and always kept a poker face. If it were one year or half a year ago, Wang Yang might have been feeling awkward, but after going through so much and dealing with so many middle-aged men in the past year, he had grown accustomed to it and was even good at hanging with men of this age. Besides, it was much worse in the meeting room. At least it was cozy here.

Wang Yang looked at Mark since the latter was very silent. He took the initiative to speak. ”Mark, I think I owe you a thank you. Mr. Hebel Carl is a really good lawyer. He has helped me a lot with legal affairs.” It was Jessica who had introduced Hebel Carl to him. He supposed Jessica must have gotten the information from Mark.

”No problem. It's nothing.” Mark Alba finally spoke. He suddenly asked, ”Yang, the shooting of your High School Musical movie will start very soon, won't it?”

Wang Yang said, ”Yes.” He went on, ”Everything is ready. We will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, to shoot High School Musical after Thanksgiving.”

”Utah.” Mark Alba repeated. An unexpected smile showed up on his face. He said, ”That's a good place. Wendover Air Force Base was located there. The pilots there were all elites.” Looking at Wang Yang, he said, ”You know what? They once trained some excellent B-29 bomber pilots there. Paul Tibbets was one of them. It was he who dropped the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. The atomic bomb totally ruined the city.”

Wang Yang nodded silently. He said, ”Yeah, I know. His bomber was called Enola Gay, and the atomic bomb was called Little Boy. They ended the war.”

Mark Alba seemed to be piqued with interest. He said, ”Everyone knows about the bombing of Hiroshima and Little Boy, but few people know the bomber that dropped the atomic bomb was Enola Gay.”

”I might have a good memory.” Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders. Then, he added seriously, ”I don't like wars, but I would like to understand them better, especially the Second World War. It was the world war closest to us. I want to figure out why those wars happened, as well as how they ended, and what they brought us. We need to know this so that those died in wars could rest in peace.”

Mark Alba nodded his agreement. Smiling, he said, ”You've made a good point.”

”Hi, Dad, Yang.” Jessica popped her head into the living room from the corridor. Seeing the two getting along well, she felt happy and relieved. With a sweet smile, she said, ”I'm just checking in, in case you need anything. You keep doing what you are doing…” Then, she walked back into the kitchen, humming some tune.