Chi Lian came out of the basement as if she had been down there the whole time.
"Mother," she called out, "I am hungry." She complained as she greedily made her way to the kitchen from where the tantalizing smell of food and spices was coming.
She found her mother stirring something in a pan over low heat. She went over and hugged her from behind. Breathing in that familiar vanilla scent of her soap, she could not help but feel grateful for her presence in her current life. Hearing about the plight of Kiki and her siblings had not been great. She could only imagine the misery they had endured of having hope for a happy loving family ripped out from beneath their feet like that.
"Mother, your little baby is hungry." She wheedled.
"So you know how to find your way out of that basement at last." Mama Chi replied sarcastically. "I thought you would lock yourself in there forever."
