9 GOING BACK TO CHINA PART 9 (1/2)
Two days had passed and Xue Lin still hadn't eaten anything. At night when everyone was asleep, she tried to open the door but the door was locked. They would call her three times throughout the day to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner and unlock her door. But she had no interest in seeing their faces let alone eat with them. She had only drank two bottles of water.
'I can't take this anymore.' Xue Lin thought. She was at her limit. Her stomach was crying non-stop and she was losing her strength.
It was already midnight. Xue Lin walked over to the balcony and her eyes traveled around carefully. When she peered down, she saw window shades. In between the window shades and her balcony, there was a pipe.
Xue Lin smirked. 'It will be easier than I thought.' She stayed up all night and endured her stomach's crying and pleading.
The next morning, she changed her clothes, covered her bruises with a concealer, and went to the balcony. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her from the neighborhood. When she concluded that no one was around, she took off and used the pipe to climb down. If she would ever slip, she could use the window shade to balance herself. It was a good thing that she brought her sneakers with her from Italy. It helped her out this time.
Her palms had gotten scratched but she didn't flinch. She endured the pain by gritting her teeth and continuing downwards. After reaching the ground, she didn't bother to look around and slipped out of the area.
It was seven in the morning. Many people were out for a morning walk. There were some old men with their dogs. Middle-aged women were watering their garden. Three high school girls were in uniform talking to themselves. They were talking about something excitedly and were giggling softly. One high school boy was riding on a bicycle. The sky was clear and white clouds floated. Birds were chirping as they welcomed a new day.
If it was another time, Xue Lin would have enjoyed the serenity of her old neighborhood. But she had to look for the closest restaurant or convenience store.
Growl!
Her stomach cried out again.
A middle-aged man was reading the newspaper whilst sitting on the bench. He looked up from his paper to search for the source of the sound. Seeing her rubbing her stomach, he gave her a friendly smile. ”Young lady, good morning. Have you not eaten yet? Would you like a warm breakfast? Kids your age should eat properly to be strong!”