I was meditating under the custard apple tree when I heard someone calling me. It was Ah Hoe.
"Da, they have found Ning!" he gasped, almost breathless with excitement.
"They have! Where and when?" I asked, jumping up.
"Two villagers found him lying by the river bank just now, you know where the old jetty used to be. They recognised him and brought him back to my place!"
"The old jetty! That's miles away from here. How did he get there?"
Ah Hoe shrugged. "Anyway, he's alright and sleeping in my hut. Do you want to come and see him?"
"Yes, of course! By the way, have you told Mimi?"
"Er ... no, not yet. I thought maybe Ning might want to have some time to settle down and think things over, you know."
"Good thinking, Ah Hoe. Alright, let's go."
Ning was still sleeping when I arrived at the hut. Ah Hoe said he had cleaned him up and fed him some milk.
About fifteen minutes later, Ning stirred and opened his eyes.
"Ning," I cried. "We're so glad you're alright!"
Ning slowly sat up, looking rather pale and dazed.
"Look, guys, I'm ... I'm sorry I gave you all this trouble ....oh my head hurts," he groaned.
"Take it easy, Ning," said Ah Hoe. "You can tell us your story later."
Ning nodded and went back to sleep. I told Ah Hoe I would come back during dinner time and asked him to take good care of Ning. Head Nun and the other nuns were of course quite relieved that Ning had been found. It was good to know that they cared for him too.
Ning was looking much better when I visited him in the evening. He had just taken a bowl of soup and when he saw me, he got up excitedly. "Da, I've got something to tell you!"
"Ok, ok, Ning, don't get all worked up. Are you feeling better now?"
He nodded and continued, "You'll never believe what happened. After you left me, I wandered endlessly for days without food or water. I didn't know where I was going or what I wanted to do. I felt downright miserable and so guilty because I had hurt Mi Mi. One day I found myself at the old jetty. It was deserted of course and as I sat there looking at the murky waters, I suddenly had this urge to jump in and end it all. Even as I struck the water, I saw to my astonishment that the old man on the bicycle had appeared from nowhere ...."
"What?" I gasped. "The old man ... you mean .... you mean Tom?"
"Yes! I couldn't believe my eyes when he cycled over the waters, swept me up into his arms and took me to the opposite side of the river! He laid me down on the river bank and just as I was about to pass out, he whispered softly in my ear, "Go home, Ning. Mi Mi's waiting for you." I swear I'm not making this up, Da, it all happened like I said it did. If it weren't for him, I would have drowned!"
For some moments, the three of us could not speak. Tom again! He had returned to save Ning but why? Because he loved Mi Mi and knew she cared for Ning? It was an incredible story but I was sure Ning was telling the truth, he's not the type to make things up.
"Da, please don't tell Mi Mi yet I've come back, ok? I need time to think things over before I see her again ...
"Sure, Ning," I said. "You just get well first."
"Thanks, Da and you too, Ah Hoe. I'm so sorry I'm such a nuisance."
"Not to worry, Ning," said Ah Hoe cheerfully. "All that matters is that you're safe and sound."
To cut a long story short .... Ning was his old self in a couple of weeks and finally built up enough courage to pay Mi Mi a visit. They have remained good friends up to this day and the subject of marriage was never mentioned again. I think maybe both of them prefer it this way and I suspect, so does Tom.
"Da, they have found Ning!" he gasped, almost breathless with excitement.
"They have! Where and when?" I asked, jumping up.
"Two villagers found him lying by the river bank just now, you know where the old jetty used to be. They recognised him and brought him back to my place!"
"The old jetty! That's miles away from here. How did he get there?"
Ah Hoe shrugged. "Anyway, he's alright and sleeping in my hut. Do you want to come and see him?"
"Yes, of course! By the way, have you told Mimi?"
"Er ... no, not yet. I thought maybe Ning might want to have some time to settle down and think things over, you know."
"Good thinking, Ah Hoe. Alright, let's go."
Ning was still sleeping when I arrived at the hut. Ah Hoe said he had cleaned him up and fed him some milk.
About fifteen minutes later, Ning stirred and opened his eyes.
"Ning," I cried. "We're so glad you're alright!"
Ning slowly sat up, looking rather pale and dazed.
"Look, guys, I'm ... I'm sorry I gave you all this trouble ....oh my head hurts," he groaned.
"Take it easy, Ning," said Ah Hoe. "You can tell us your story later."
Ning nodded and went back to sleep. I told Ah Hoe I would come back during dinner time and asked him to take good care of Ning. Head Nun and the other nuns were of course quite relieved that Ning had been found. It was good to know that they cared for him too.
Ning was looking much better when I visited him in the evening. He had just taken a bowl of soup and when he saw me, he got up excitedly. "Da, I've got something to tell you!"
"Ok, ok, Ning, don't get all worked up. Are you feeling better now?"
He nodded and continued, "You'll never believe what happened. After you left me, I wandered endlessly for days without food or water. I didn't know where I was going or what I wanted to do. I felt downright miserable and so guilty because I had hurt Mi Mi. One day I found myself at the old jetty. It was deserted of course and as I sat there looking at the murky waters, I suddenly had this urge to jump in and end it all. Even as I struck the water, I saw to my astonishment that the old man on the bicycle had appeared from nowhere ...."
"What?" I gasped. "The old man ... you mean .... you mean Tom?"
For some moments, the three of us could not speak. Tom again! He had returned to save Ning but why? Because he loved Mi Mi and knew she cared for Ning? It was an incredible story but I was sure Ning was telling the truth, he's not the type to make things up.
"Da, please don't tell Mi Mi yet I've come back, ok? I need time to think things over before I see her again ...
"Sure, Ning," I said. "You just get well first."
"Thanks, Da and you too, Ah Hoe. I'm so sorry I'm such a nuisance."
"Not to worry, Ning," said Ah Hoe cheerfully. "All that matters is that you're safe and sound."
To cut a long story short .... Ning was his old self in a couple of weeks and finally built up enough courage to pay Mi Mi a visit. They have remained good friends up to this day and the subject of marriage was never mentioned again. I think maybe both of them prefer it this way and I suspect, so does Tom.
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