Chapter 1

‘Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.’

-          Mother Teresa

Aaron

         

‘Good evening ladies and gentlemen welcome aboard the water jet to Macau, please note that…’

          

A female voice whizzes past my ear as I take out the stashed newspaper in my bag to read. ‘Property prices remain high, citizens longing for a flat in hot water’ the title reads

          

‘God, how can we be able to purchase flats in this situation.’ I murmur

          

‘You should see the price of flats in Macau’ A female voice next to me says.

          

‘Well yeah, the prices are even higher in Macau’ I turn towards her. Her skin is tanned, her long hair jet black. Her lips are curled up, giving a sly smile, almost mocking. ‘Luckily they have good social welfare.’

          

‘Well they aren’t of much help. I mean how can five thousand suffice? Us local residents barely scrape by with our low income.’ She shoots back, giving a stern look. A moment later she smiles again, ‘Anyway I don’t think I get your name.’

          

‘Aaron, you?’

          

‘Linda’ she replies, stretching out her hand. I clasp my hand on hers and shake it.

          

‘Hard life living in the Pearl River Delta huh.’ She says.

          

‘W…well…’ I stutter, amazed by her light tone. ‘Well yeah, I…I mean the living cost is pretty high.’

          

‘Yeah figured. Guess that’s the side effect of having rapid economic growth.’

          

‘Uh huh, lives of the locals are getting harder and rougher by day.’

          

‘It’s not like we don’t benefit from it at all, I mean, I do have more people coming over to buy egg tarts in my shop near the ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral. But the bloating cost is just…. Unbearable.’ She falls silent for a moment, I turn my head towards the neighboring window, and see waves splattering outwards, like a flower petal, reflecting sunshine as they fly mid-air. Dazzling for a short while, then re-combine with the bluish-green sea.

          

‘So what are you doing in Macau?’ She asks, breaking the veil of silence.

          

‘Holiday.’ I think for a second. ‘Did you just say you run an egg-tart store near the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral?’

          

‘Yes I did.’

          

‘Do you mind showing me your store?’

          

She hesitates for a second. And says ‘Sure.’

Linda

          

Before we alight Aaron has already told me a lot about himself: He works in a bank in Hong Kong, he’s single, he lives in a 400 sq. ft. flat...... Strange how I feel at ease around him, and strange how he can trust me despite having only a brief acquaintance.

          

We board a bus together, and I look at the window as the trees and trunk transmute into a blur as the bus moves.

          

‘It’s my stop, see you tomorrow.’ He says as he takes his bag, and exits the bus. He disappears into a majestic lobby with gold-lined pillars and statues on either side of the entrance. Next to the lobby is a pond, where gondolas are parked. It looks Victorian, not even close to what Macau is. But I guess that’s what people like " luxury instead of local culture. It is hard to believe that this huge Y-shaped 5-star hotel can be built upon a piece of bare land which held nothing but emptiness.

          

The next day I go to my shop at 8 am, an hour earlier than usual for Aaron. I told him that usually at 10 the plaza will be filled with tourists and Mainlanders and he won’t have the chance to appreciate the ruins. As I look outside the window from my shop I see a brown, carved wall standing in the sky. The arched hollows on the wall penetrated by the sky, painting the arches with sky blue, and an occasional splat of white. Aaron arrives in brown shorts and a white t-shirt at 9, half an hour earlier than our agreement.

          

‘You’re early’ I say

          

‘It wouldn’t be nice to leave a lady waiting, would it.’

          

I grin, and take out an egg tart for him.

          

‘Thank you.’

          

After he has finished, I ask ‘Do you know the story behind the façade?’

          

‘No.’ he answers shaking his head, with his eyes on me.

          

‘During a typhoon in 1835 a fire started in the Cathedral, and burned down most of it. The structure was so damaged the government ordered demolition, while keeping the southern façade, the one you see now, intact, as it was not completely destroyed. Later concrete and steel were added to the façade and what’s left of the cathedral was turned into a museum.’

          

His eyes are fixated on mine, he says ‘Wow an egg-tart vendor, and a historian. Impressive.’

          

‘Hey I am part of the tourist industry of Macau, of course I need to know something about it.’

          

He smiles, a sweet, boyish smile, and remains silent, his head then turns towards the façade.

          

Come on ask me to show you around, ask, ask, ask, ask, ask!

          

‘So……. Would you like me to show you around?’ I ask.

          

My heart is up my throat and at any second I might puke it out. He looks at me, his eyes are brown and electric, sending a current all over my body every time he looks at me. His hair is like leaves: short, and flutter every time a breeze passes by. His features are strong, with a defined jaw. He opens his mouth, and says

          

‘Yes please. That’ll be nice.’