It was a sunny cloudless day with the crisp air of early summer.
Weiwei was looking out the window, running fingers through her hair. Weiwei always loved sunny days. She also loved rainy days. Weiwei loved most of the days, except for the ones when the wind was dead and the smog was sitting in clumps across the city.
A 20-year-old loves most of the days when her heart is singing. And Weiwei was that type. She was happy about most things in life, as long as she could see the sky, or stand under the umbrella in the rain, and stop by her grandma's house for some steamed buns and a chat. Grandma's buns with juicy Bok choy and mushrooms were the best in the world.
"Yes, I should go visit her."
Weiwei cheerfully got up and bounced through the small ground floor apartment toward the front door.
Just as she started to look for her shoes, the door opened, and Uncle Gu walked in. His face was paler the usual. When he saw Weiwei, he pursed his lips a little. Weiwei was familiar with her uncle's usual sour expression. Uncle Gu didn't like her.
The problem was that Weiwei had to live with Uncle Gu. Both of her parents had passed away, and the uncle had ended up taking care of Weiwei, even though she'd much rather live at her grandma's place.
"Where are you going?" asked Uncle Gu. He was a brusque square-built man.
"Grandma's."
Uncle's eyes were tired and angry.
"You can't go today."
Weiwei stared. It was the first time Uncle Gu wouldn't allow her to go to her grandma's.
"Why?"
Uncle Gu slammed the front door shut.
"Your grandma was taken to the hospital. Now go back to your room and stop annoying me!"
"Hospital? What happened?" Weiwei was breathing faster. Everything darkened in her eyes.
"I don't know," barked Uncle Gu. "The doctors will tell us when the time comes."
Oh no, poor grandma! Weiwei imagined her grandma alone in the hospital, helplessly lying on a bed, surrounded by doctors and nurses and other patients. Weiwei had never been admitted to a hospital, but she vaguely remembered visiting her mother there when she was very little, so Weiwei thought the hospital was the most dreadful place in the world.
"We should go to the hospital and visit her!" she cried out. "She must feel terrible, all alone there!"
"No. We can't go now. She is in the emergency room. I'll get a call when she is out."
Weiwei leaned against the wall. She felt empty and helpless. Grandma is in the emergency room! Things must be really serious.
"Now go away!"
Back in her room, Weiwei didn't know what to do. She was sitting on her bed staring at a wall. The day suddenly felt gray and sinister.
How it could've happened? And why today?
Yes, Grandma was in her late 80s, but she'd always been healthy, always looked well after herself, and Weiwei had always thought that Grandma looked pretty young for her age. She has always told herself that Grandma looked 70, at most.
Poor, poor Grandma.
Time passed very slowly.
Weiwei could hear Uncle Gu talking on the phone in the next room. The apartment was small and the uncle's voice loud, so it wasn't hard for Weiwei to guess that he was speaking with Yu Xinmei. Uncle Gu had divorced a number of years ago and now intended to marry Yu Xinmei, a woman five years younger than him, with quick sneaky eyes and flowery dresses.
Yu Xinmei had a son from her previous marriage, whom she adored, and who recently graduated from university and worked as a software engineer.
Weiwei sighed. She didn't like Yu Xinmei. She didn't like the way Yu Xinmei flirted with her uncle. Over time, Uncle Gu seemed to fall more and more completely under Yu Xinmei's control. Her every wish had to be fulfilled. Her visits became more and more frequent, and lately Uncle Gu started to talk about their upcoming marriage as something decided.
Even worse for Weiwei, Uncle Gu had been constantly comparing Weiwei with Yu Xinmei's son. Those comparisons were never flattering.
"The boy is very smart. Much smarter than you, Weiwei. He's a talented engineer. He's going to go far. He is making his mother really proud," he'd say.
Weiwei was attending a local college, but she wasn't a stellar student, even though she was smart and hardworking.
Uncle Gu never missed an opportunity to remind Weiwei that Yu Xinmei's son used to be one of the top students in high school.
"I'm also a good student," said Weiwei.
"Not a top student. Not nearly as good. I don't think your parents would've been proud if they were alive."
Weiwei was so upset that she cried into her pillow that night.
Weiwei remembered her mother's face and kindness, but she remembered very little of her father. Still, Weiwei was certain that her parents must've loved her very much, and would've never been disappointed in her, no matter what Uncle Gu had to say. She'd never let her parents down.
Overhearing Uncle Gu's conversation with Yu Xinmei, Weiwei again was beginning to feel uneasy. She thought she could hear them talk about her and Grandma. They never mentioned Weiwei by name. They always referred to her as "that girl" talking to each other.
Do I even exist?
All of a sudden, the chatter stopped.
"Hello?" Weiwei heard Uncle Gu's voice answering another call. "What? When?"
Soon, Weiwei heard Uncle Gu calling her name.
He was standing by the front door, getting ready.
"Get dressed," he said calmly. "We have to go to the hospital to do some paperwork."
Hope suddenly filled Weiwei's entire body with surging warmth.
"Is Grandma getting better?" she exclaimed.
Uncle Gu was looking away.
"No, she passed away."
Weiwei's legs gave in without warning, and she lost her balance. Weiwei landed clumsily on the floor, toppling a small chair and making a nearby bucket fly and land with a huge thud.
"What is wrong with you!" Weiwei could barely hear Uncle Gu's voice.
Tears were streaming down her face and she could hardly breathe.
"It's okay, stop crying," mumbled Uncle Gu. "She was an old lady…"
Weiwei kept crying.
Poor Grandma. Why did you have to pass away! Why did you leave me so soon, now completely alone in this world?
Uncle Gu waited for a few moments, then grabbed Weiwei under her arms and stood her up. He sighed angrily.
"You are useless, Weiwei."