Su Na didn't come back to her friend's house after leaving that fateful day about two years ago.
*RING*
Xue answered the ringing phone. It was the third time the phone was ringing that morning, and she was in a hurry, getting Du ready for daycare.
Xue Jing had resumed work and had enrolled Du in the daycare close to the house. Every morning before she left for work, she would drop Du there. Du was a very smart child that had begun saying some words here and there. Xue and Ren Jing were surprised by the genius of their daughter. They couldn't have asked for more.
Du Jing celebrated her 2nd birthday, and Xue's relationship with Su had become strained.
Since when Su came to Xue's house when she had just given birth to Du, Su never came back again. She moved to another town, saying she found a partner that had asked her to move in. Xue knew there was something disturbing Su and had asked her over the phone several times without getting direct replies. It had become tiring to Xue, and she left Su alone.
"She is a grown woman, and I have a family to take care of", Xue had said to Ren one day.
"Do not worry, Xue. She will come around. Su always does. The woman is going through a lot in life, you said so yourself. Give her some time, okay, baby", Ren had told her.
Xue rushed to the sitting room wondering who was calling the home phone. Not a lot of people had that line.
"Hello?"
"Hello!! How are you, Xue Jing?"
"Su?"
"Yes?! I am coming back"
"Coming back?"
"Yes. I am coming back to town. I am sorry for keeping myself far from you all. I am coming home"
"Okay... apology not accepted. How about your boyfriend?"
"Which boyfriend? He got married last week. Screw him. How is Du?"
"She is doing great. We are about to leave the house. Do you need me to come to get you from the airport?", Xue asked her friend.
"No, darling. I have it all arranged already. So, see you soon, yeah?", Su said.
"Sure. Have a safe trip, Su. Bye!"
Xue dropped the phone, turned around to walk back into the room when someone tugged on her skirt from behind. "Mama, phone?"
She carried Du in her arms, "Yes, baby. Mama answer phone. Now, Let's go to school"
"Yay!"
Du Jing enjoyed playing in the daycare.
The women who look after the children had told Xue one day that Du sleeps a lot. They thought her to be a peaceful child, who only ran around when she was awake, and that was less than half of the time. For most of the day, Du Jing was asleep.
* * *
"Did you hear what Du just said?", one of the guardians asked the cleaner who was cleaning up a mess some children had just made in the playroom.
"No, I didn't", Hao said as she continued to mop the floor.
"That girl gives me the creeps"
"Oh, come on. Creeps?", she rested the mop against the wall and faced Hu. "What do you mean?"
Hu Wu saw as Hao twisted her mouth, "You do not believe me, right?"
"You haven't even said anything for me to believe or not. What did a baby do that gave you the creeps?", Hao asked.
"Wait here, I'll show you"
Hu Wu left Hao where they had been discussing and went to look for Du Jing. She met Du sitting on the floor, her legs wide apart with a cup of soil between them.
"Du, stop that! Where did you get that sand from? That's dirty... dirty girl", Hu said as she gently pulled Du up, wiping the soil off her hands.
"It is not dirty. You are the dirty girl, not me"
Hu Wu froze.
"Give me back my soil", Du Jing said.
Hu handed slowly handed the cup back to Du, who rolled her eyes and walked to a corner in the class to contnue with what she was doing previously.
Hu Wu remained there until the owner of the daycare met her standing. "Miss Hu Wu. What is the matter? You look so pale... are you ill? I have said it before, that no one should come in if they have even the slightest flu, because of these kids. Go home if you are unwell, please"
[A child that age shouldnt be able to talk like that. No no no. She shouldnt be acting like that at all], Hu Wu thought, still transfixed.
"Did you hear me? Miss Hu Wu!", Cheng Heng shook her.
"Ah! Sorry Madam. I didnt hear you coming. Do you want your coffee?"
"Coffee? I asked you if you were unwell"
"No, ma'am. I am fine. I was just lost in my thoughts, thats why"
"You are sweating", Cheng Heng said, her brows creased as she worried about the young lady who didn't have any business thinking like that.
Hu Wu's hand flew to her forehead, "Oh"
"If you continue lke that, you will truly get sick. Please check the children"
"Okay, ma'am. Thank you"
Cheng Heng took a look around and walked back to her office.
Du had been backing them, so Cheng didnt see what she was doing. None of the teachers knew that she was meditating, and Karina's spirit had left her body for a quick check-in in the spirit world.
Hu Wu gave Du a last look, stared at the girl's back for a moment, and turned away. [I do not have the strength to deal with what I don't understand], Hu thought.
"Children, snack time", she called out, and the children scampered to their respective lunch packs to get their snacks out.
Du didn't move from her sitting position.