CELESTIALS
1686 Words
Zhang Mei and Wang Li walk in the forest searching for firewood. Each girl is carrying bundle of logs and twigs to which they are adding more sticks.
"My friend you are too kind" Wang Li suddenly remarks light heartedly.
Zhang looks up at her friend with, a light hearted smile playing across her beautiful face. "What are you talking about Wang Li?"
"I am talking about yesterday, that fly which fell into your tea," replied Wang Li.
"That was quite awkward," Zhang Mei confessed. "I keep playing out the scenario in my mind. It was only a fly but the way you carefully picked it out of your tea. Gently blew on it to dry it. Wang Li paused briefly before proceeding. "I promise it was as though you had fallen in love."
Both girls burst into light heartedly laughter.
"Oh Wang Li, you are too much", Zhang Mei exclaims playfully, stooping to pick up a small log and adding it to the bundle already in her arms.
"If you can care that much for fly, what more the boy who will win your heart. He will be the most fortunate person in this whole wide world."
Zhang Mei laughs at her friend's teasing.
"Seriously though, Zhang Mei why don't you want to accept one of the many suitors who practically throw themselves at your feet."
"Do they really throw themselves at my feet as you put it?" I thought it was more like them coming to ask for my hand in marriage," Zhang Mei teases playfully. Both girls burst into light hearted laughter once more.
"But the incident with that fly yesterday was really strange, Wang Li remarked with a serious look on her face.
"I didn't understand it myself, I was feeling this strange sense of peace at the time that fly appeared," said Zhang Mei.
"Me too," added Wang Li almost to herself thinking back to the events of the previous day.
"At times I have the strangest impression of being watched from above", Zhang Mei proceeded. "There is a sense of peacefulness that comes with it. But when I saw that fly it in my tea I was consumed by an unexplainable concern for it. As though saving that fly was the most important thing."
Look over there!", Wang Li suddenly exclaimed pointing out and drawing Zhang Mei's attention to what looked like a star descending out of the sky in broad daylight.
Chen Jun held up an unconscious crown prince Wang Wei with one arm under his master's arm pits as they descended out of the blue sky. The early morning rays of the sun bouncing of his armour casting a bright light around him. Chen Jun was worried about Liu Chang whom they had left behind at the mercy of the rebel soldiers.
He knew that his choices were limited, saving crown prince Wang Wei's freefall was his first priority. Having successfully managed to break, crown prince Wang Wei's freefall from the celestial realm, he felt he needed to get back to jade heaven as soon as possible to save Liu Chang as well.
He was hoping that it was not be too late for him to save Liu Chang. He was hoping that somehow Liu Chang would have managed to hold the rebel soldiers off.
Chan Jun looked around him as his feet touched down in a forest. He was looking for a place to lay down the unconscious crown prince Wang Wei, just for a while so he could get bsck to help Liu Chang. His roaming gaze finally settling on a large tree.
He propped up the unconscious crown prince in a sitting position with his back resting against the trunk of the tree.
"Wait here your highness," Chen Jun advised before leaping back up to the celestial realm.
"It seems to have fallen over there", Wang Li announced.
"Let's go there", said Zhang Mei, and they immediately set off at a steady jog in the direction of where they had seen the star fall.
After sometime of running through the forest, Wang Li pointing out announced, "it should be somewhere there.
"Let's check behind that big tree", Zhang Mei, panted from running. Zhang Mei and Wang Li slowed down to a walk. They cautiously approached the big tree which stood in front of them, slowly walking around it from either end.
Their hearts were beating fast with barely contained n anticipation of what they were going to find.
They slowly approached the other side of the big tree. Their eyes fell upon the unconscious body of a man sitting propped up in the shade of it's shadow. He was dressed in fine looking silk and expensive looking boots.
"Is he dead?", asked Wang Li as she an Zhang Mei stood before the unconscious body.
"I will check said Zhang Mei, approaching the unconscious body. She felt his forehead, "He is still alive, she announced confidently.
"I wonder what could have happened to him?" said Zhang Mei thinking out loud.
"He seems to be from a rich family. She said observing his expensive clothing .
"Maybe he was attacked by highway bandits and his servants must have fled leaving him behind", suggested Wang Li.
"But there are neither footprints no hoof marks to indicate that there had been anyone here. On foot or on horse back," observed Zhang Mei looking around them. "The one thing I know for certain is that we can't leave him here."
"What if his servants come back for him?" protested Wang Li.
"We 'll deal with that when we come to it", Zhang Mei confidently replied.
Lifting the unconscious crown prince with difficulty from the sitting position, Zhang Mei and Wang Li struggled to prop him up between them.
Half dragging, half carrying crown prince Wang Wei, they slowly made their way back to their village. It was midday when they finally arrived and took him to Zhang Mei's house.
Zhang Mei's blind father was waiting at the door.
"Zhang Mei, who is there with you?
"It's only me, Wang Li, Mr Zhang Zhao," Wang Li promptly replied.
"Oh Wang Li," exclaimed Mr Zhang Zhao pleasantly.
"Wang Li are you aware that the person with you is not of this world?",Mr Zhang Zhao challenged.
"Nice try father," Zhang Mei promptly replied on seeing the surprise on Wang Li's face. While quickly covering Wang Li 's mouth with a cupped hand.
"Wang Li seems to be exhausted. Why don't you take her to your room and let her get some rest", suggested Mr Zhang Zhao pleasantly. Standing aside to let them in.
"Careful," Mr Zhang Zhao urged, as Zhang Mei and Wang Li struggled to bring crown prince Wang Wei into the house.
After careful laying the wounded Wang Wei on Zhang Mei 's bed.The two girls left him to rest peacefully in the room.
"Come sit with me Mr Zhang Zhao urged sitting on a bench. "You too Wang Li."
"But father..." Zhang Mei began about to protest.
Mr Zhang Zhao lifted up a hand to silence her.I am the one who does not have eyes but it seems it is you who is blind".
There was a brief pause of tension filled silence.
I am still Zhang Zhao the blind metal smith. There is nothing that gets past me. I know that the person lying in your room is not Wang Li".
"But how do you know father?", asked Zhang Mei.
"Haven't you noticed the sense of peace that is around him? It is as though he carries a divine atmosphere with him."
"Come to think of it you are right father."
"I have also felt it", agreed Wang Li.
"Ah so I was right, you are here Wang Li ", Mr Zhang Zhao exclaimed triumphantly.
"You tricked us", said Zhang Mei playfully.
"I can also argue that you lied to me, your father. However that is neither here nor there. The important thing is that you brought home a celestial being."
"A what!?" exclaimed Wang Li".
"You heard right", Mr Zhang Zhao affirmed as both girls gasped in surprise. Didn't you not notice from his attire that he is no ordinary man?", asked Mr Zhang Zhao.
"We just assumed that he is from a wealthy family," Zhang Mei explained.
It is a good thing that you brought him home with you,"proceeded Mr Zhang Zhao. "You can not tell anyone about him."
"Why not Mr Zhang Zhao, if his being here is such a good thing?" asked Wang Li.
"Yes why not father?" Zhang Mei also weighed in.
"The condition he is in stongly suggests that he did not simply stumble and fall down from the celestial realm."
"But father other people people will also notice his expensive dressing," Zhang Mei pointed out.
"I will give him some of my old clothes. He should fit in perfectly as a villager."
"How will we explain his sudden presence?" challenged Zhang Mei.
"You will claim he is a distant cousin. The only son of my late brother."
"But what exactly is the reason that could have brought him down here among us mere mortals?" asked Zhang Mei.
"I suspect there is trouble in the celestial realm. Such that he had to flee jade heaven," replied Mr Zhang Zhao.
Will his presence here not put our lives in danger also?" asked Wang Li.
"How can you be so narrow minded in such a scenario,"Zhang Mei scolded. "It is important that we save his life and not just think of ourselves."
"But father," Zhang Mei began.
"On the contrary, his presence is a blessing. Can you not feel the immense sense of peace that he carries with him? Mr Zhang Zhao paused before proceeding. "Anyway he is already here, whatever trouble comes our way, we will deal with it," declared Mr Zhang Zhao brimming with confidence.
"Hence forth from now on he is your responsibility. Both you and Wang Li. When he finally does wake up you will not allow him to step out of this house until we can get our story together."
- Writer
