Chapter 13
“Ok first, the way you hold your racket. You hold your racket like this.” she demonstrated and he copied.
“Now for the serve. You just drop the shuttle and swing your racket so it hits it while it’s falling.” she showed him “You see? Now you try.” he did but he couldn’t hit the shuttle. It just dropped to the ground at his feet.
“I guess I’m not such an intelligent student” he grinned sheepishly at her.
“Bonkers! You’re as good as anybody. Here let me show you.” She went behind him and held his hand that was holding the racket. “Ok drop the shuttle. Then you follow through.” They hit the shuttle across the court. “There see, it’s really simple.”
Kian wasn’t concentrating though. He could still feel the warmth of her arms around him and the hand that she held felt like it’s been imprinted with her finger prints. He didn’t want her to walk away. He tried to do it again but again he didn’t hit it. She came around to help him again, which was what he wanted. This time he turned around just as she had her arms around him again ready to guide his hand.
“Alena...” he looked at her. He wanted to kiss her so bad. She quickly looked away. No! he cried out within himself.
“Oops dropped the shuttle.” She avoided his eyes. “Come on let’s play. It’s really easy and I’ll teach you as we go along. All you need to do at the moment is hit the shuttle back to me which isn’t really hard.” She went on babbling. She really didn’t know what to do. Kian had tried to kiss her again. She couldn’t give into her urge to let him kiss her. No she couldn’t.
For the rest of the day they played badminton and Alena tried to forget what had happened. The rest of the time in Kuala Lumpur was spent doing more interviews and public appearances. Afterwards they then proceeded to Singapore where they did pretty much the same thing. Kian and Alena played a bit more badminton but she made sure this time that she asked the other lads to come too to avoid another awkward situation. From Singapore they then went to Hong Kong. They proved to be very popular in both countries as well as in Malaysia. Hong Kong was very enthusiastic about their arrival. Alena continued to travel everywhere with the lads translating for them. She felt happy for a long long time though a nagging pain still persisted in her heart.
Alena got to take some time off in Hong Kong to visit some of her friends and relatives that lived there when the lads had a day off and didn’t need her to translate for them. Some of the time when Kian had spare time as well he’d insist that he go with her to visit her relations.
It was that on one of these trips, without Kian coming along, that what Alena thought was now here stable world fell apart. Alena had gone to her aunt’s,(her mother’s younger sister), house to take her aunt shopping with her.
“Hi Auntie Mei! I’m here” she called as she let herself into the apartment using the spare keys that her aunt had gave her. She saw her aunt sitting down on the couch in tears streaming down her face, staring in to space.
“What’s wrong Auntie Mei?” she rushed over to her aunt.
“I...it..it’s your m..mo..mother” she stammered her aunt.
“What’s wrong with my mother?” asked Alena suddenly afraid, with pain piercing her heart as past emotions rushed back into her heart.
“She’s dying...” whispered Auntie Mei and then she broke down into tears again. Alena blinked. Panic and shock seized her so that she froze. Her breathing stopped. No, that was not possible, her mother had always been in great health.
“Why..How?” Alena choked as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. Auntie Mei told her what had happened after she left New Zealand. Her cousin Rita had died while having her child and Luke in his grief in losing Rita (Luke was Rita’s boyfriend) had killed himself. Alena’s mother had been left with the child but then Alena’s mother had an accident and was hit by a drunk driver while driving back home after work. She was, at that moment, struggling for her life. The doctor had confirmed that she wasn’t able to live long as she had punctured her lungs, caused by broken ribs. Her head had been smashed into the ground so that she had severe brain damage. Even if she survived she’d be in a coma for the rest of her life. Alena held a hand to her mouth, she wanted to retch, to scream, to just cry until nothing was left. She had to go see her. She made a decision.
“Come on Auntie Mei, pack your bags. We’re flying to New Zealand.”
“What would be the use? It’ll take at least 11 hours at the fastest. She might have died by then.”
“I don’t care, I’m going. If you don’t want to come, then fine” she had to go back to see her mother, even if she didn’t reach her soon enough. At least she had tried.
“I’m coming” decided Auntie Mei after a second. They rushed around throwing her things into a bad. Cash, passport and essentials only, was taken. They then rushed back to Alena’s hotel to get her things. Writing a quick note to Kian saying she was going and was very sorry about her sudden departure. She knew, in her heart of hearts, that she might not come back again. Her tears flowed and dripped onto the note but she didn’t have time to write a new one so she just stuck it on Kian’s door and. She left for the airport.
At the airport they managed to get emergency tickets on a plane to New Zealand. Although they had only first class seats, Alenas bought them not caring about the cost. Half an hour later Alena and her aunt was on the plane. Alena stared out of the window. I hope Kian understands, she thought, new tears flowed. She missed him already and wished he was there. How come I miss him so much? she wondered to herself. I can’t think of that right now. I can’t love him. I won’t! she insisted to herself. But in her heart of heart she wished she could see his sparkling blue eyes twinkle her and wished that he was there.