Her grandfather's health shrinking tremendously. What Teacher Xiao said becoming into a fearful reality. Previously, her grandfather would often get up at midnight and remembered himself. He would apologize to her grandmother for the tough day she had to go through because of him. Sometimes, when Yi Ling introduced herself her grandfather would remember her. Although not most of the times.
"I wish, nothing had gone wrong with me,'' one Sunday evening her grandfather said this to her when she took him for a walk.
However, these days, her grandfather had not only forgotten himself, his body weakening, and he would lay in bed all day. The doctor had diagnosed him that her grandfather was half paralyzed. Yi Ling would often drop by her grandparents house these days to help out her grandmother. In fact, since her grandfather fall sick, Yi Ling had been staying with them most of the time.
At the same time, life moves on. The adults has to keep working and she has to work hard for her study because she was in her senior year. Her third uncle had ask Chen Yang to help Yi With her studies. Because of that, Chen Yang anf Yi Ling had spend time studying together after school. They would often study outside, going into cafe nearby, or sometimes they would go to his house studying and sometimes they would go to her grandparents house studying.
Even when they don't study the same class stream, Chen Yang as one of the top student in their school, he could help her out with her studies, especially subject like maths, history and science. Her maths has always been not in the best ideal grade. Compared to other subjects, maths was the hardest subject to learn for her. Yi Ling had to study harder whenever there was a maths test. Still, most of the time during maths lesson,she would find the understanding of maths is complicated.
"Old Zhao will bash me up once the test result out," An Ran said somberly. Old Zhao was their maths teacher. Since he taught maths for the senior high schoolers, he was stricter as to compared the maths teacher they had during their junior year. Old Zhao likes to give out piling of homework, and he likes to pick on student especially those with bad grades in maths.
"How come! How come you don't know how to answer this section questions? We're you even listening during my lesson? I've taught this clearly in the class!" Old Zhao scolded An Ran one afternoon during his class in front of everyone when he was distributing their test result.
Old Zhao back then had asked An Ran to stand up. While getting lectured, An Ran didn't dare to voice out anything, the whole class was quiet.
"An Ran, you should remember you are in your senior year! No longer can play a foul! Come and take your test, next time when I see you repeating with such result, you will really get it from me!" Old Zhao threatened. Thus, An Ran had requested her mother to hire a private maths tutor for her.
Old Zhao was a straightforward person. He would scold the students and say whatever he wanted to say in front of the class. And when he was distributing the maths test result paper, he would criticized especially those who was not doing well with his paper. He could exactly point out where their mistakes was, and after he was done pointing out, he would give them a good long lectured. Since her class was in Art class, they were number of students who are not really good with their studies. Thus, Old Zhao like to spend time giving her class a good long lecture especially after their exam.
"Jin Sing," Old Zhao took a long sigh as he called out his name. Jin Sing without being told, stood up. Old Zhao just shook his head as if he was in unbelievable state. " Let me ask you something, which university are you aiming?"
Jin Sing thought for a moment and answered him.
" Hmmm, I haven't thought which particular university yet. But at least, I want to go for Beijing!" he was saying those words with excitement in front of the frustrated Old Zhao. Yi Ling just shook her head. The boy clearly didn't pick on the situation and Old Zhao dangerous gaze. Boy like Jin Sing, who often caused trouble in the class, and would prefer playing basketball instead of study maths class for a whole day, he really had a carefree attitude. However sometimes, his carefree attitude would often put him into troubles itself.
Old Zhao took a deep breath and close his eyes. "Do you think, with your result, you can casually aim for university in Beijing!" Old Zhao threw Jin Sing's paper in front of his desk. Only that moment Jin Sing realised he shouldn't casually answer the strict teacher question. Jin Sing didn't dare to say anything, he didn't even dare to pick his maths paper that was lying on the floor in front of Old Zhao's desk.
"What are you doing? Go pick your paper!" Old Zhao scolded. Jin Sing quickly did as he was told. The whole class didn't uttered anything. The deadly silence was reflecting the tension that was happening on the class.
"You!'' Old Zhao pointed his long stick to Jin Sing direction, "Come over to my office later after class!" Jin Sing could only nodded and being obedient to Old Zhao's command.
In the distance, on that morning of the twenty-seventh day of July, a plane passed through the afternoon sky. It began with a rumble of engines sound; the roaring was so loud that the horning bus couldn't even match with it. Then as the plane moving, it left a long spot in the sky, dark like a smoke. Yi Ling didn't know what kind of plane it was since she was not interested into knowing piloting or aircraft industry. It was An Ran who told her later that the plane was a twin-engine bomber, a military aircraft which the model different from the normal commercial plane. Yi Ling watched the plane moved to the west at a brisk clip. The plane moving away, and slowly fading from her eyes. An Ran was looking at the same direction as her.
''Where do you think they are going?'' unconsciously Yi Ling wanted to know the plane destination. An Ran who was standing beside of her shrugged her shoulders.
''I don't know. Since that is a twin-engine bomber, and looking at the color seemed to be military aircraft, they should noSint be heading to New York or London to go for shopping.'' Yi Ling shifted her gaze and looked at her friend. An Ran really know how to talk, Yi Ling thought.
Yi Ling was curious how a girl like An Ran came to know the type of Aircraft that passed by just now. She didn't know An Ran was interested in Aircraft industry since she had never mentioned this to Yi Ling before. ''How come you know what kind of plane that pass by just now?''
They began to walk. Since it was a Sunday afternoon, and it has been in a while for the two friend playing out together due to their Senior year which filled with countless homework, constant examination and preparation for the university entrance exam, the time Yi Ling and An Ran playing out together gradually lessen. Senior year was not easy, even the playful An Ran had started to take her study seriously. Most of the time, An Ran would spend her extra time with her private tutor, while Yi Ling would spend most of her time studying with Chen Yang.
''My cousin is in military. He is a pilot in airspace, he taught me the kind of planes in the military that he had seen. I saw some of his friends,'' An Ran became enthusiastic, ''military boys is totally different from white-collars. Especially when they wear their uniform, they look very cool and handsome. Next time, when my cousin come back from the military and bring his friend over, i will invite you to see them.''
Yi Ling just smile at her. ''An Ran, your mind is really something. Shouldn't you be thinking about how to improve your grade?''
An Ran snorted. Yi Ling for a moment just noticed that An Ran had keep her hair longer and she was dressing more lady like as to compared before. Yi Ling noticed that An Ran usual pale lips was covered in a cherry colored lip gloss. An Ran appearance was changing. Not only An Ran, in fact most of their peers had come to know how to apply make up and dress up. Yi Ling remembered, when they were younger, none dared to put on lipstick or lip gloss for fear getting teased. Now as they already start their senior year, even Yi Ling herself had come to learn that it is normal for a girl to dress up and know about make up. In fact, one of their class beauty, Li Wen, had taught the girls in their class how they should apply eyeliner. Her mother who worked in a beauty shop in Beijing had brought her the whole set make up equipment for her.
"First, you need to tilt your eyes like this," Li Wen demonstrate to the girls. They all watch in fascination, even Yi Ling herself fascinated by Li Wen's make up skill. And most of them didn't know much about make up. That day, Yi Ling had discovered the existence of eyeliner. Previously, she only knew how to apply lip gloss and foundation on her face.
The girls became very quiet while most of the boys from her class had been busy playing basketball in the school compound. Some who stayed inside the class, could only watched the girls and shook their head. Some even muttered, "Girls are complicated."
"You girls watch me. You need to draw the line on your eyelid," Li Wen showed them how to draw. Some of the girls draw closer to Li Wen as they watch, even Yi Ling herself. "At the end of your eyelid, you need to draw thinner line. There, like this. This way, your eyes will look shaper and more attractive."
The girls clapped their hands in fascination. Yi Ling had called her mother that night, she requested her mother to buy an eyeliner from New York. At first her mother asked her if she know how to apply the eyeliner and Yi Ling told her a classmate taught her how to draw her eyelid with the eyeliner. Her mother had joked about this, "my daughter is growing up. Now she know how to apply make up. Later, I will buy a whole set for you."
Yi Ling looked at An Ran. Not only her cherry lips that was noticable. Yi Ling noticed An Ran had applied eyeliner too. However, the line seemed a little clumsy as to compared what Li Wen had taught them. But it was true, the eyeliner changed An Ran's eyes to be sharper and looking more attractive.
"An Ran, you apply that make up on your own?" Yi Ling asked shyly.
An Ran blushed. Then she bat her eyes at her and nodded. "How is it? am I looking so different today?"
Yi Ling nodded. " You look prettier." Yi Long admitted.
An Ran became embarrassed. "I told my cousin to buy the make up set for me. I asked Li Wen to teach me the whole thing again. Eh, Yi Ling, you want to apply or not? I have them on my bag."
Yi Ling thought for a while and nodded. After all they were a young girl, who are curious about the world and new discovery. And as a young girl, they would want to look at their prettiest. "I want to try. But later, I need to go to Chen Yang house. I promise him today we will study together at his house."
Although Yi Ling want to try the make up, but the thought of having her face full with make up in front of Chen Yang she feel embarrass. Since her third uncle and Chen Yang's father going to go fishing together, Chen Yang had suggested that Sunday study session will be at his house since they will be having dinner together with her third uncle.
"Woah, then you should take this as your chance classmate Ling! You should show your extraordinary beauty to your crush. When you meet him later, you should do this when he open the door." An Ran batted her eyes in a flirtatious way and pushed her long hair to the back. Yi Ling watched her with shiver. She could never act that way in front of Chen Yang or any other boys. The thought itself made her want to dig her own grave.
"You really have dirty mind. Old Zhao will faint of he see you like this." Yi Ling shook her head. Despite of this, they had stop by the nearest public washroom. An Ran had take out her make up set and fixed Yi Ling's face. Yi Ling didn't complain. She wanted to try too. After spending for about thirty minutes, finally they are done. Yi Ling looked at herself on the mirror. Since she usually didn't wear any make up and leave her face bare, Yi Ling felt herself like a different person. She touched her face and smile in shyness. Later on when she became adult, she only realised the mind of a young girl truly innocent and pure.
"Do I look pretty?" Yi Ling asked An Ran on a small voice, still feeling a little embarrassed with her new look.
An Ran nodded her head enthusiastically. "You look pretty. Now we are even." and both girls smiled. The age of seventeen and eighteen, is the most youthful age. They say, those are the age where young boys and young girls start to really grow with their youth. Cell phones were expensive back then. only few people could afford. Nokia model 1011 had been widely used. Her mother had bought her one, a present when she first entered the senior year. Since having her own cell phone, she didn't need to go to the phone booth to make a call.
An Ran and Yi Ling had made a plan to watch movie in the town's theater together. They plan to watch James bond movie 'Die Another Day'. Yi Ling practically idolised James bond. She had watch him while growing up. had watch his movies. She likes to watch Americans movies as to compared with the local movie. Being young, she had this little American dreams, just like most you g girls and young boys, and she particularly like to intimate their American accent.
Both An Ran and Yi Ling waited at the bus stop, waiting for their bus. When their bus arrived, both friends paid their fare as the got in. Yi Ling noticed a group of young boys at the back seat, some of the boys had been staring at their direction. Yi Ling looked away and pretended she didn't notice their stare. An Ran was the opposite of her, she gave those boys a small polite smile.
"Eh, you notice? those boys in the back were staring at us." An Ran whispered to her as they took their seat.
"You are thinking too much." Yi Ling pretended she didn't know.
An Ran frowned. "Am I ? but just now, when I smiled at them, they smile back at me," An Ran titled her head slightly as if she was confused. Yi Ling didn't say anything. The bus ride to the town center took them about twenty minutes. Once they reached their destination, both friends bought their tickets. Before entering the theater room, Yi Ling ordered two big plastic cup of coca cola and one huge paper bag of honeyed popcorn. When they entered the theater room, they look for their seats. As they were about to head the row, Yi Ling noticed the group of boys from the bus were occupying the row. She looked at An Ran.
" What a coincidence," Yi Ling muttered. Am Ran could only shrugged her shoulder. When they took their seats, Yi Ling put down the popcorn on the empty seat beside her and asked An Ran to help her hold her drink. Just then she felt her phone vibrated. She had silent it before entering the room, afraid of getting scolded if she received unexpected call halfway their movie. She took out her phone from her bag. She received a text from Chen Yang.
'Today session cancel. My friends ask me to go out with them. Tomorrow I'll drop by your grandparents house to compensate today's session.' Yi Ling read the text. She felt a little disappointed. She was looking forward to come over to Chen Yang's house, especially that day since she had her make up on.
'Okay. I'll see you tomorrow.' Yi Ling replied. Chen Yang did not send her another text. She didn't know if he had read her text. Just then, their movie started. Yi Ling started to focus on the movie. When it was time for James bond to appear on the screen, he never fail to catch her attention with his american accent. Since it was an American movie, they put subtitles both in Chinese and English. Reading the subtitles while the actors were speaking, Yi Ling intimated their accent with a soft voice for fear of disturbing the others. An Ran glanced at her friend and chuckled. An Ran understood her very well int his aspect, whenever they come out to watch movie together, Yi Ling would always prefer American movies compared to others. Then when the screen displayed the actors action, Yi Ling would read the subtitles and following their english accent. There was one time when they watch a disney movie. Yi Long had intimated one of the actor's british accent and An Ran had burst into a fit of laughter. The uncle who was sitting beside them had scolded them and told them to be silent.