Will of a Tiger by Iris Yang

Author:Iris Yang [Yang, Iris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781948598132
Publisher: Open Books
Published: 2019-01-16T11:41:39+00:00

Chapter 31

The small village was a thousand miles from Chungking. They flew first to Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province.

Xiao Mei had never flown, for flying was a privilege for rich people. She was afraid of heights and very anxious. Yet she said nothing. Riveted to her seat, she clutched her hands and pressed her left thumb into the small scar on the back of her right hand.

Sitting next to her, Birch sensed her nervousness. He was compelled to reach over and comfort her. They’d known each other for more than ten years, and he cared about her. He knew she must be frightened. The young woman seldom displayed her emotions. He’d noticed that pressing the scar seemed to be her way to suppress anxiety or fear.

They were so close that their elbows touched. The scent of jasmine pinned to her milky blue sweater teased his nostrils. Even so, his fingers tightened around the model airplane in his lap to keep them from reaching out to her. He was worried about sending the wrong message or giving false hope. He couldn’t offer something he didn’t have. The incident several months earlier in his bedroom was still fresh in his mind, not to mention embarrassing, although no one had ever mentioned it.

“Xiao Mei, take a deep breath,” he urged. He allowed a teasing note to enter his voice. “Relax and enjoy the scenery. Not every day you’ll see something like this.”

His calmness and concern put her a little more at ease. Closing her eyes, she leaned back and drew a cleansing breath. When she opened them again, the plane was already in the air. One look out of the window and her eyes brightened.

Xiao Mei was born and raised in Nanking. She’d traveled only once in her life, when she fled the killing field of Nanking to the war-time capital, Chungking. But that was a journey of survival. She’d not had the opportunity to enjoy the scenery.

It was a crisp autumn afternoon with a few white clouds floating in the blue sky. Far below, different crops turned the earth into a multicolored patchwork—green, gold, red, and purple. Over the verdant highlands, lakes shone like cerulean jewels. The elevated view obscured the ugly remains of war—charred buildings, blackened ground, and scarred forests. For the rest of the trip, Xiao Mei pressed her forehead against the window and fastened her gaze to the scene outside.

Before landing, she turned to Birch. The sun was setting. The last rays burned the sky a fiery orange, casting a glorious glow on her face. She was brimming with joy as she said, “Now I understand why you love to fly.”

He nodded. Appreciating the beauty of nature had been his way to balance the ugliness of war and to combat the stress of being a fighter pilot. “Danny used to say he wouldn’t trade his job for anything in the world. He loved it.” He fingered the olive green airplane. A wistful look came over his face. “He said he’d be a pilot in his next life.

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