Fabula, sed vera Ch. 02

Even after stopping at a bakery to get some breakfast, I was still in good time when I reached the clothing store and the overweight Chinese man behind the desk lightened up in a big smile, when I walked into the store. "Hello again... Long time, no see!"

Smiling, I walked up to him. "Yes, it's been a while, Mister Wu. Are you busy today?"

He shook his head sadly. "No. It's a real Sunday with too much football and too little trade." He looked at me "What can I do for you? Do you need more shirts?"

I shook my head and switched to Chinese. "No, I'm just doing my boss a favour. His daughters are going to a party or something and he had forgotten to buy them the clothes that he promised them." I spread my arms in mock frustration. "So here I am on my day off, buying women's dresses because he can't leave his damn tea party!"

Wu chuckled. "You have a hard life, my friend, but you have come to the right place. Exactly what do you need?"

I shrugged. "Well, all he said was some clothing for two girls in their early twenties."

Wu sighed. "Do you at least have their sizes?"

Nodding, I looked at my note and gave him the numbers, adding "Oh these are Chinese sizes. Evidently the only things with sizes on them that he could find in a hurry was some clothing that they bought in Hong Kong."

He waved my concern away. "Do not worry about that. If I didn't know the Chinese sizes, Mrs. Wu would have killed me a long time ago." He shrugged and started to walk to the other side of the desk. "I will find something, but I cannot promise you that the girls will like it."

"That is a problem." I admitted. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Buy more than one set." He said with a large smile. "It is your boss that is paying, right?"

I smiled back, since he came with the exact suggestion that I had hoped that he would. "Right. Do you have a discount when buying more than one set?"

He looked horrified for a moment, but then nodded. "For you, I would give ten percent."

"That is a good start." I said with a smile. "But I cannot tell my boss that I accepted the first offer you gave me."

Despite his somewhat dissatisfied expression, I could feel that he was pleased with the chance to haggle.

So, we haggled for half an hour while looking at clothes and when we departed with smiles, he had succeeded in selling me no less than six complete sets of clothes, six dresses and four pairs of shoes at a fifteen percent discount and we were both satisfied. That's the best form of deal anyone can get.

I placed the bags of clothing in the trunk of the Audi and drove to another store, where I bought six sets of underwear in each of the sizes I had been given, while I hoped that the note with sizes that I had seen in Wu's store was right.

If not, I would have to go shopping again later.

The last stop before home was a supermarket, where I bought some food, toothbrushes, shampoo, hairbrushes, and a lot of other stuff that they might need. In a fit of inspiration, I even bought some deodorant and perfume as well as two makeup kits, which happened to be on sale.

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To my surprise the two girls weren't relaxing in front of the television when I came home again. Instead, Nu Tian was cleaning, while Fei Mei was sitting in a chair, looking somewhat helpless.

"Hello again." I said as I placed two bags on the floor.

They both smiled at me and bowed slightly as they said hello. Then Nu Tian said. "I am sorry for not asking first, but the place did seem like it could use a bit of cleaning."

"My thanks."

"You're welcome." She said with a dazzling smile.

Fei Mei sighed. "I tried to help, but my legs still hurt too much."

Tilting my head, I looked at her. "I can make them a lot better, you know. The offer about healing still stands."

Biting her lips, she thought about it for a moment and then nodded hesitantly. "In that case I would like some healing." She shrugged in frustration. "I feel so useless right now."

"Give it time." Said Nu Tian quickly, before I could say anything "Look at how much better I got."

Fei Mei nodded slowly, and I used the break to point at the massage table that was still standing in the middle of the room. "Please lay down there. I am sure that Nu Tian will find a towel for you while I get the needles and massage oil."

"Of course." Nu Tian said and walked to the bathroom, while I found the things I needed in the closet.

When I turned around again, Fei Mei was laying on the massage table with two towels over her.

I walked over to the table and examined her. The muscles in the legs were stiff and just needed acupuncture to get the energy flowing, followed by some massage to loosen the muscles and get the blood flowing as well. There was no need to use psychic healing for something as trivial as this.

"Is it serious?" asked Nu Tian, who was watching with interest.

I shook my head as I inserted the first needle. "A bit of acupuncture and some massage and she'll be as good as new."

"Good."

I let the needles work for half an hour and then started on the massage. Years of driving a wheelchair followed by years on crutches, had given me very strong hands and shoulders and I was grateful for that after a while. Massage can be hard work, especially when the patient had lots of muscle mass and Fei Mei had very well-muscled legs.

Halfway through the massage I took a break and asked. "Do you do any sports?"

"I dance a lot." She replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you have well-muscled legs for a woman, but I guess that a lot of dancing will do that."

Nu Tian answered for her. "Fei loves to dance, and she is very good at it too. Back in China she taught classes in dancing."

That got my interest. If they were to stay in England, they needed jobs to earn some money. "Did you do Modern dancing or traditional Chinese dancing?"

"Both." Replied Fei without turning her head. "Modern dancing one time a week and traditional dancing twice a week. I want to become a professional dancer."

"Well, you have a chance here." I said as I started on the other leg. "I think that the competition in Modern dancing is rather hard, but my guess is that there are jobs as a teacher in traditional dance."

"That would be nice." She said and then slowly added "And if I can't get a teaching job, I can always sew something. That was my real job back home and I also used to sew the costumes we danced in."

I smiled slightly. It sounded better and better. I might even be able to help her get a job, since Wu also did custom tailoring.

"That is very good." I said and looked at Nu Tian. "What about you, Tian? Are you a dancer as well?"

She shook her head. "Yes, but I only danced for the fun of it. I fixed cars for a living."

I lifted an eyebrow. Somehow, I couldn't see this beautiful woman in an overall and with oil in her face. "That is very useful."

"And too modest." Said Fei with a small sigh of pleasure as I shifted my hands on her leg. "Tian can repair anything; she is just better with cars."

Nu Tian shrugged. "I like building and repairing things." She smiled slightly. "I want to go to school and become an engineer. "

"That will take a while, but it's a worthwhile goal." I finished the leg and then walked over to the other side to give the other leg a finishing massage after applying some more oil "What else do you do?"

"Well, I can trade, repair or build cars, knives, swords and old-style Chinese armor." She looked somewhat embarrassed by that. "Our village was close to the Great Wall and I used to make swords and armor for the tourists we danced for. They paid very well for a Chinese sword or scale armor, and it pays better than dancing for them, which we also did."

I chuckled. "You don't exactly look like a sword smith."

She smiled. "I know. I am not as strong as my uncle, who taught me how to make swords, knives, and armor, so I used the machinery in the car shop to make most of the things."

"Well, it certainly seems like the both of you can get jobs rather easily." I said as I changed to the other leg for the last time. "At least the two of you have skills that can be used in the city."

"We can also cook." Said Fei Mei with a grimace. "At least we have done that enough."

"More than enough." Added Nu Tian. "I like cooking, but if I can avoid doing it for a living, I will do that." She smiled as she looked at me. "Do you work in a hospital around here, Jim?"

The question took me somewhat by surprise, but I did manage to say. "No, actually I don't work as a doctor at all. I do financial work for a big corporation that produces medical equipment."

Now it was her turn to look surprised. "But you are a doctor, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, but I also have an education in finance and that is what I am using right now." I smiled a bit as I finished the massage and placed the towel over her. "I am trying to get some experience."

Fei Mei nodded, and I used the break to change subject by pointing at the bags on the floor. "By the way, here are some clothes for you. I hope they fit." They looked at the bags, so I continued. "I suggest that you take the clothes into the room and try them on, while I go to the car to get the rest.

Their eyes grew wider, and Fei Mei asked, "You bought more than this?"

"Yes, quite a bit actually." I said as I wiped the massage oil of my hands with a towel. "Have fun trying on the clothes."

I walked out, so that Fei Mei could get off the massage table in privacy.

When I returned five minutes later with the four other bags, the living room was empty and the bags were gone, so I placed the rest against the door to their room and walked into the kitchen to make myself a cup of Café Latte. Taking a chocolate scone from the fridge, I went back into the living room, placed myself on the sofa and turned the TV on.

The news about the explosion in the house was evidently not 'newsworthy' anymore, because it wasn't on any of the news channels, so I channel surfed until I found a program about the first world war on Discovery Channel that caught my interest. I watched that for a while, while drinking the Latte, eating my scone, and started to feel relaxed.

The sound of somebody walking made me look over my shoulder and into the kitchen area where Fei Mei came walking with a happy smile on her face. My eyebrows rose at the sight of her.

Evidently being dressed in normal clothes had helped a lot on her self-esteem, because she held her body in that certain way women do, when they know that they are good looking and sexy.

And she did look both good and sexy in tight fitting jeans, a blue top and enough distance between the two to show off some golden skin of a flat stomach. She really did have the body of a dancer.

Smiling, I said. "Well, the clothes did fit, and you do look good in them."

"Thank you." Still smiling she glanced at the clothes. "They are... different from the ones we had back home."

"Well, the guy that sold it to me is Chinese and said that the clothes came from China, so they shouldn't be all that much different." I told her as I drank some more of the coffee. "Have you tried it all?"

"No, not yet, but I will as soon as Tian is finished trying something."

"Hmm I hope that they fit her as well."

"They fit quite well. She's just trying a dress on." She said with a giggle.

Unsure about what to say I tilted my head. I failed to see what the joke was.

Seeing my confusion Fei said. "Oh, I've tried to get her into a dress for years, but she always refused, saying that she looks fat in a dress."

"Will you shut up!" said Nu Tian who was still hidden around the corner.

Laughing Fei Mei walked a few steps forward. "Just come out and make me do it."

"I refuse!" was the reply from the other side, but there was laughter in her voice and a moment later Tian stepped into the kitchen and as I watched she walked into the living room wearing an elegant knee-long summer dress. With a slight smile on her face, she stopped and tried to look like a model on a catwalk. "What do you think?"

Even with shoulders slightly wider than normal for a female, she looked absolutely fantastic, sexy and had a body that screamed after a lover's touch, but that wouldn't be the polite thing to say, so instead I slowly said. "You look very good in that dress and no, it doesn't make you fat in any way."

Fei Mei grinned. "I was right! I am not the only one that thinks that dresses look good on you!"

Taking two quick steps, Tian was next to Fei a moment later and clapped her behind like you would do with a child. "You talk too much."

They continued mock fighting for a little while, while I leaned back in the sofa and enjoyed the sight of two beautiful and smiling women in my living room.

After they had disappeared into the guestroom again to try the rest of the clothes, I relaxed for a while before I went into the kitchen and opened the fridge to find something we could have for dinner. Normally my fridge is well-stocked with food, but of course when I for once needed the food, the fridge turned out to be mostly empty, and I really didn't want take-away.

Sighing, I went back to the living room to get my jacket. I needed to go get something that we could eat.

I was met in the door by Nu Tian who had changed into jeans and an orange T-shirt.

She looked somewhat nervous as she said. "Can I ask yet another favour from you, Jimmy?"

"That depends on what you're going to ask." I answered with a smile.

"We need some... hmm... woman things." She said while not looking at me.

It wasn't hard to guess what she was talking about, and I mentally kicked myself for not thinking about it myself, so I nodded. "No problem, but it would be a lot easier if you would come along with me to the store. Then you could get all the things that you need."

She nodded. "That would be nice. I will go tell Fei Mei that we're going."

"Good. I'll just get my jacket on." I said and walked into the hallway.

A minute later she joined me, but then stopped. "Eh, I don't have a jacket."

Another thing on my list, I thought and handed her my short leather jacket. "You can use this. "

She put it on and managed to look quite adorable in it, since it was just too big. Looking in the mirror she laughed. "I look like I am drowning in it." She closed it and turned to me. "But it's soft and warm."

Nodding, I took a cane and opened the door for her. "Yes, it's a good jacket."

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The weather had turned to the better and there was even a bit of sun as we walked down the road.

I became aware that she was looking at me and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I was just wondering... " Her eyes drifted down to the cane and up again. "You actually do need that cane, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." I said with a nod. "I was in an accident, and I'm still not totally recovered. That is also why I don't work as a doctor right now. My back hurts when I stand up for too long."

Thoughtfully she nodded and then said. "I don't understand you, Jimmy."

"What do you mean?"

"You have a bad back and you need a cane to walk, but you lifted both Fei and me and carried us quite a bit, ignoring the pain it must have cost you." She smiled. "Not to mention the fact that you do not look like a fighter, but still... you saved me and walked into a house to save Fei from those three guys and yet you haven't asked anything in return." She shrugged a bit. "I keep thinking that there has to be a catch here somewhere."

I laughed, which surprised her, and then I said. "There isn't a catch anywhere, Nu Tian. I promise you that I will not suddenly demand that you pay a lot of money or anything else in that style."

"Somehow, I knew that you would say that. " She said with a laugh. "And that is why I do not understand you. Most people would have demanded that."

"I am not most people." I answered with a grin and then pointed at the store. "There's the shop."

Sawat's Grocery store is the only shop in the area that I could think of that had the things that the two girls needed and who was open on a Sunday as well. It looks small from the outside, but it is bigger than it looks.

Nu Tian started looking around as soon as we entered and I could see that it was Sawat himself that was behind the counter, so I said. "You go find the things that you need. I'll be at the counter."

She smiled and nodded. "I will be as fast as I can."

"There's no hurry, Nu Tian. Take the time you need."

She disappeared between some shelves, and I walked up to the counter. "Hello again, Sawat."

He smiled. "Jimmy!"

We shook hands as we always do.

"It has been a while, Sawat." I said in Arabic. "Have you been hiding from me?"

He grinned. "No, but if you would stop working all the time and come visit the store in daylight like today, you might see me more."

Without asking he filled a cup with coffee and handed it to me.

"Thank you." I drank a sip from it. "Well, I have to pay the bills and that takes work."

He was about to say something when Nu Tian walked up to me and asked in her heavily accented English "Do you like Chinese food, Jimmy? Because I would like to make something for you."

I nodded. "Sure. Go ahead and get what you need."

"Thanks." She smiled and walked towards the refrigerators.

Sawat's eyes followed her for a moment and then he looked at me and said in Arabic "By all that is Holy, where did you find a woman like her?"

"Relax, Sawat. You're married, remember?" I answered with a grin, but admitted to myself that the thought warmed a bit.

He grinned back. "That's okay. I can have more wives."

"Not according to the laws here in England." I looked over at Nu Tian and then back at him. "And besides we are not involved in the way that you think. No romance there."

He shook his head sadly. "What is wrong with you, Jimmy?"

"Nothing, but I just met her yesterday." I sipped from the coffee, as the door rang, signalling that another customer had entered the shop. "Only fools rush in, you know."

"And if she wants to cook for you already, I will say that you're well on the way." Sawat joked and then suddenly looked to my side as a masked man walked up next to me, pointed a gun at him and said, "Give me your money!"

I cursed at myself. This weekend had been like a computer game I once played about an ordinary man, whose week just turned to hell, because everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. In the game the man was in the bank when it got robbed, and here I was in an ordinary grocery store, when some idiot with a gun needed money.

To make matters worse, I knew that Sawat had an excellent security system with video cameras all over, so I couldn't do all that much without being caught on tape.

"Sure." Sawat shrugged slightly, opened the cash register, and started to take out some money. I knew that he was insured, wasn't about to risk his life for some petty cash and since he came to England because he was tired of being in the army, he most likely wouldn't panic.

A crash behind the guy made him turn around, swinging the gun wildly.

I sighed when I saw Nu Tian standing still over some cans that she had dropped on the floor, looking at the guy with wide eyes.

"On your knees, bitch!" he shouted.

I coughed to get his attention and he turned around again. The look in his eyes was as wild as the movements with the gun, which was a bad sign.

Sawat placed some money on the counter. "Here's your money, sir."

The robber didn't even look at them as he shouted. "I need more!"

He turned to look at Nu Tian, but she had wisely used the distraction to walk away quietly and had disappeared behind some shelves.

I coughed again and when he turned towards me, I calmly said. "You have made a successful robbery, man. The only thing you need to do is to take the money and get out!"