Short Story : Promised Land – Mi Bao (Last Part)

Here is the continuation story of Ah Yan and Xiao Mu. Due to the scarcity both of them decided to move and go to South in order to find new resources. 

Promise Land

Later for very long time, at the time when Ah Yan recalled that day conversation with Xiao Mu, he felt that whatever she said actually was right. Even though this world couldn’t get any kind of helps, there stills thing that once it has passed, and it would never come back anymore. While their lives just alike water which evaporates by the winds. Such easy to scatter and yet without leaving any trace.

They brought water that enough to be used for one week walked heading to south, Ah Yan said to Xiao Mu, if they didn’t find any new water source and not die because of thirsty, they should have given up to stay at this place and then return to the city, trying to survive in the polluted air.

This what so called as life, nothing better so that it left the worse. Of course at that time they didn’t know there was more serious secondary radiation.

Later in the Ah Yan’s biography written, that was the most dangerous six days, also the most blessed six days.

When night came they would take a rest. Xiao Mu would be drawing inside the tent, Ah Yan would sit beside her while smoking. Xiao Mu drew sunset, and yet it still purplish color, all the colors in her pallet was such weird. Ah Yan threw the cigarette butt, let me asked you what is this drawing called?

Xiao Mu said: “Just call it as ‘promise land’.”

Ah Yan asked: “When will be your drawing finished?”

Xiao Mu answered him sadly: “Unfortunately the color seems not enough…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Ah Yan comforting her, “Hurry, at the time when we get into new water source, we can go to city and sell it.”

At that night Ah Yan has been feeling unwell, his head hurt badly. That night finally the moon showed up, the silver moonlight illuminating the land, the temperature gotten low drastically, frozen him to the point he shivering.

Suddenly Xiao Mu shook him, said: “Can I sleep with you?”

Ah Yan touched her frozen hand, heaved a sigh, opened his blanket. Xiao Mu smiled happily, got into inside, then she entered into his embrace. The girl soft hair scattered on his collar bone, at the time when he sniffed it, there was kind of sweet smell that he never smelled before. Just at that moment his heart skipped beat, without he realized he hugged her tightly. The body in his embrace was so thin to the point bitter his heart so much.

Both of them were hugging each other under this moonlight. Xiao Mu peeping out from the blanket, while her nose tip touched Ah Yan’s chin, mouthful she sniffing the smell of cigarette which spreading from Ah Yan’s body, asked him: “Ah Yan, can we survive?”

“We will. We will.” Said Ah Yan, but suddenly there was a touching feeling in his heart, at sudden he felt as if he also shouldered another person’s life, he really had thought not to let go this hand forever, he really thought to keep on hugging each other until the end.

Xiao Mu couldn’t fall sleep, she gently humming a song. It was unclear song, but it has such sad melody, followed the drifting winds at that night, until sky bright.

Xiao Mu said: “Ah Yan, it seems that I have fallen in love with you.”

Xiao Mu smiled, she put her hand on her chest: “I know,  every time I think about you, here will feel pain.”

The girl showed her firmness and also her stubbornness, which made her suddenly looked so beautiful, proud, also blessed, as if she was announcing her confession to the world.

Ah Yan dearly staring at her, said: “Do you think that you are falling in love with me, just because we are depending on each other.”

“That’s right!” Said Xiao Mu, “You are my life!”

 Ah Yan staring at the moon hung in the sky, finally his eyes moisten: “You shouldn’t fall in love with me, I can’t give you happiness. I really didn’t have this ability.”

“You have already given it to me.” Said Xiao Mu, “Being able to stay with you, everyday is happy day, if tomorrow I die, I will still be the happiest person in this world.”

Ah Yan hugged Xiao Mu even tighter, he hugged her tightly.

“Sleep. Have a sweet dream.”

Xiao Mu raised her head, she imprinted a kiss on his face, happily she smiled.

That kiss just alike wind. Ah Yan stunned, and then he tried hard to feel it, but he only got a tiny bit of softness feeling. Xiao Mu’s smile, it just alike a little stone that threw inside his heart’s well.

The next day, Ah Yan’s head even felt more painful. He was lying on the bed, he heard Xiao Mu was preparing breakfast, sausage fried egg and milk, his stomach was calling out, Xiao Mu called: “Ah Yan, get up.” He used the blanket to cover his head. Xiao Mu walked over, pulled the blanket.

“Ah Yan, I call you for the last time, if you still not going to get up I won’t leave…” Ah Yan pulled her into the blanket, Xiao Mu shouting out loud, so quickly Ah Yan has already stuffed her mouth.

They were kept on walking heading the South. Along the way Ah Yan was trying to endure the pain on his head, while Xiao Mu was singing. The heat from sun bit burning, but the wind kind breezing, Xiao Mu’s eyes kept on glancing at Ah Yan. Ah Yan asked her why she kept on staring him. Xiao Mu said, his eyes were bit swollen, like panda! Ah Yan stretching out his hand wanted to knock her, both of them just enjoying themselves. Ah Yan drove the car twisting right and left. While the smoke kept on spreading through the muffler cutter.

During the night they would stop at the place where the wind backing them, Xiao Mu took a rope and then drying their clothes, the white clothes followed the drifting winds, Ah Yan was putting the Oxygen mask and out from back, which made Xiao Mu shouting.

The last 6^th day, Ah Yan knew there was a perfume which called as the last six days, people in the city like to use it. They used Gu Long, they said that man should has masculine smell.

Later when he returned to the city, when he saw the advertisement in Television, as it stated: “The last six days of love fragrance.”

It short, obsessive and an endless love.

They were traveling during the day time, sleeping at night. They expressed their love, they said those lovers have been saying out all of the rotten words and yet just relishing. Ah Yan never thought at that time he was such—old-fashioned. He must be really blinded by love, although he knew at the same time in the same world there were many people who sinking into love sea, but he still felt himself so blessed.

The last three days, Ah Yan got a message, finally there was a business man who interested with his invention, hoping to have talk with him.

That day Ah Yan opened the last bottle of his liquor, together with Xiao Mu they celebrated until drunk. Both of them were holding hand while making round, laughed freely, until they fell hard on the desert land.

Ah Yan has been waiting this time for very long time, he almost couldn’t remember. The loneliness that he had during his research days, Xiao Mu came into his side, brought laughter, and also luck, she even brought him love. The monotonous life in yellow deserted land once became so rich and colorful because of Xiao Mu this best painter in the world.

Xiao Mu sat inside Ah Yan embrace facing on the sunset paint: “In the future I will paint 10 meters painted scroll, the full painting of this desert landscape, call as Promised Land. This place is the place where Ah Yan and I set, all my wishes come true in this place.”

Ah Yan smiled and said: “All my wishes also come true at this place.”

“You are my lucky star.”

“Yes, you are my lucky star.”

He kissed her soft face.

But at last Xiao Mu didn’t paint that 10 meters painted scroll, even that small paint also left unfinished. At the fourth day she fainted, Ah Yan saw there was government’s sign in the wilderness, and they were in the radiation zone.

This just too unbelievable, last year when Ah Yan came here to take water there were still few animals! This world going to be ended! Ah Yan murmured bitterly, held tight the person in his embrace, this world going to be ended!

Xiao Mu was having high fever, Ah Yan couldn’t find any water, thus he only could hold Xiao Mu tight in his embrace. He said to Xiao Mu: “We are going back! We are going back!” Xiao Mu closed her eyes said nothing, he kissed her hot lips, Xiao Mu didn’t react. She has already lost her consciousness.

Later Ah Yan described this to others, it was like your stock raised so high and then at half hour later it fell to the lowest point. That person wanted to say: “Man, don’t curse me!”

They were given up by heaven.

At last Ah Yan really didn’t remember the last two days how they went through, the radiation has caused his brain to completely mess up within that two days.

Soulless driving the car, the gas was out, he soullessly carrying Xiao Mu and walking. He kept on letting out SOS sign but no one replying, people have already turned to be selfish didn’t care about other.

They need water, thus they were leaving this place where has already tolerance them, let them to fall in love in the desert. The person held in his hand getting weaker by days gone, Ah Yan sanity getting worsen day by day. Death is their footprint and shadow, while living just like hope which similar to sun above their head.

Later on Ah Yan grew a habit, he likes to raised his head to see sun, until his eyes wet by tears. The psychiatrist said that is kind of self-tormenting habit, the guilty in his heart need to go through this condition to vent out. He suggested Ah Yan to use sun glass.

At that time Ah Yan thought two of them would die. After he gave Xiao Mu a bottle of water, he used his body to shield the heat of sun. Xiao Mu moved her mouth, murmured something.

Ah Yan gave his ears closer, he heard Xiao Mu called his name, his heart felt so bitter to the point he letting out tears. In his heart he kept on praying hoping that Xiao Mu would not die!

Heaven don’t separate us! He willingly to exchange his life for Xiao Mu’s life! But at the time when he thought if he died Xiao Mu would be so sad, being alone in this wilderness desert land and how would she out from here?

Xiao Mu gained her consciousness, moving her hand to remove the masker, softly asked: “Where are we?”

Ah Yan said: “We are almost return!”

“Where are we going to?”

“Place without radiation.”

Xiao Mu opened her eyes, that pair of eyes used to so clear, that eyes has been emptied, it seemed that life has been leaving from here.

She asked: “Ah Yan, are we already died?”

Ah Yan coughed: “What nonsense are you speaking?” voice has been so weaken.

Xiao Mu closed her eyes for while, and then she opened her eyes, said: “Ah Yan, if there is a day we are dying, we must be buried face to face. By this way, after one thousand years when we awaken to new world, the first sight we are going to see each other’s face….” And then she fainted back.

The wind was blowing badly, everywhere was sands. Ah Yan kneeling in the ground calling out Xiao Mu name, but Xiao Mu didn’t hear. Ah Yan’s head hurt to the extreme pain, while the thing in front of his eyes getting blur, an exceptionally, Xiao Mu’s face getting clearer, getting clearer…

Later when Ah Yan woke up in the hospital, it was only him.

The doctor told him, he got a radiation, there is swelled back his head, it would affect his vision. A young man who wearing casual clothes came over and said: “Do you remember me? I am the representative of Hua Sheng manufacturing, we ever met before. I want to have talk with you about the invention.”

Ah Yan asked: “Where is Xiao Mu?”

“Who?”

“Xiao Mu… that girl… who was in my embrace…”

For very long time the other party didn’t speak.

Ah Yan’s eyes felt extremely sting and hurt, but there was no tears falling out, doctor said, that was because his lachrymal gland was hurt badly.

Hence even he didn’t cry, his tears flow to his heart. He didn’t ask again, because he knew it just useless for him to ask.

The mask, white clothes that hung outside the tent, the purplish sunset, a delicate face and gentle kiss, the yellowish sand in the muffler cutter, the perfume which maintained for six days… also Promised Land, all of them just seemed to be existed in the dream. In this dream he ever loved a girl called Xiao Mu deeply, he didn’t know where she came from but knew that at last where she went…

Ten years later, Ah Yan has witnessed how his invention changing this world. The air became clear, the radiation controlled, the viruses and gems exterminated, resources recycled. People are starting to put down the mask. Flowers started to bloom, birds also chirping. Sky started to rain, after rain there is a rainbow.

Currently Ah Yan is famous person, he is the great inventor, no one doesn’t know his name. Everywhere is his sculptures and face. His name is used for funds, scholarships, university, street name. he lives in big beautiful mansion, he is planting many hydroponic plants.

The research that he did in that desert land was able to save the entire people. But only there is one person who couldn’t enjoy the benefit that brought by his invention. That soul has been in sky changed to be cloud, sometimes it would drift above his head, stop for while and then drifting away, leaving without trace,

Friend gave him gallery ticket, said: “Cutting-edge painter, during the most dangerous time of radiation has lost her sight, but the paint is sold with high price. The oil painting especially called sunset. Do you like it? Let take a look.”

Xiao Mu…

Ah Yan put his sunglass when going out, the painter is young girl, bit plump, but she has friendly smile, also kind of simple happiness.

Ah Yan is wearing black T-shirt, among many men in black suit he didn’t look obvious. Some may recognize him but some just passed by him. At the most people who are in the venue actually busy.

Ah Yan walking and walking, suddenly he stopped to move. He saw a painting scroll about 10 meters long, it used the most glamorous purple color paint, the craziness, the wilderness, all full with soul. Just at that moment as if he could see a petite figure stood in front of the paint and turned to look at him, the bright pair of eyes flashed.

On his ears rang words that Xiao Mu ever said: “If there is a day we are dying, we must be buried face to face. By this way, after one thousand years when we awaken to new world, the first sight we are going to see each other’s face….”       

Suddenly face wet with tears.  

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