We watched you grow up...you were our friend...one of us even loved you. He gave you everything. To him you were more important than anything this world could offer. If only there was one thing that I would really respect about you, it would be the fact that you were with him for so long. Sadly, your own materialistic ambitions drove the both of you apart. You desired glamour, the rich life, luxuries that he never could provide. We still kept you in our hearts, every now and then we would meet up and catch up on old times. Now you will be going away, I do not know when we will meet again. If we do, would you have changed?? Will the 3 of us still remain the same?
Little Elva
My car stopped outside his house. Brian, my closest friend for almost twenty years. Its funny how we never fell apart, when all the friendships around us faded away. There was a time when the tabloids speculated that we were a gay couple...it was a load of crap. Leading a life of a performer was tough, I wished that I never had to cut commercial deals, or sit in for those irritiating press conferences. I loved to go on stage, whack my rhymes, and retreat back to my small studio, to dream up more tunes. I enjoyed acting, getting to star in a local sitcom and even co-directed a motion picture. My work took me all over the world, I rarely came home, but thankfully saved enough money to get a car, buy my parents a new house, and yeah, pay all my bills.
Brian, I never lost touch with him, no matter what happened. He always looked to me for advice. Since young, he called me his walking dictionary. I would tell him all the things he needed to know. He was highly self-conscious, yet flamboyant. He loved fashion, art and cuttlefish. He wanted to be an accountant, but deicded to open his own boutique after graduation. Now, his business was booming, his line of clothes becoming a household name...
"Uncle~!", a cute little girl of 5 opened the door. It's our 'niece'. She's dark, has a sharp pointed Cleopetra's nose, and slit-almond eyes.
" She is starting to look more like her mom", I said as Brian took his seat in the living room. He planted a kiss on her cheek and sent her off to play with her Lego.
"Yeah, she's a darling, if only her mom could see how beautiful she is..." There was a sign of weariness in his eyes.
Managing his company, looking after Elva, it was a tough burden to bear. But if he didn't take her, who would? It was the mother's last wish, the slip of paper on the hospital bed, before we knew she had been discharged. She just left without saying goodbye, she couldn't bring the child up. No, not with the life she was leading. She knew who the father was, but she wouldn't tell us. I believed it must be that jerk who asked her to go to England with him, and cheated her, left her all alone there, until Brian came...
"Its been hard on you, but its been so long, why can't you tell Vince about it?" I asked.
It was the same question. Vince, the only who should have known but couldn't. He loved Elva's mom more than anything in this world. He would do anything for her. If not for the fact that she told Brian not to tell Vince about the kid, we would have taken the kid to him. She couldn't face him, not after what she had done. She thought that if he knew about Elva, he would harm the kid. How silly can she be? Even if she came back to him now, he would still be there for her.
Brian closed his eyes for a moment. "Sometimes, I wonder, why must it be me? Why did I have to take reponsibility for someone's foolish actions. Why couldn't she have asked you or Liz to do it?" Liz was her closest girlfriend, now a singing sensation, whom I wrote a couple of songs for. Used to like her alot when she was in college. Now, she's just a singer who hates kids.
" It has got to end somewhere, Vince has to know. He's the only one who can be a father to her. We all know, if Elva's mom comes back one day, you want her to tell him everything right?" He remained silent. "I'm taking Elva to Hongkong," I said
Brian was stunned. "Please, don't make this harder than it already is!"
He was worried. Vince had been staying in HK ever since he made it big in the property business.
I put my hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I will take care of her...if I know that he's still hostile, I will bring her back..."
We took the morning flight the next day. There were a few reporters at the airport. Nosey folks who wanted to blow up a story of me and a little girl. I left them with a short answer, and boarded the plane. Its great having Elva around on my trips. Took her out a couple of times, when Brian wanted to take a breather, and brought her along wherever I went. She asks really interesting questions, a trait she picked up from him, and its always a joy to answer them. This time she seemed rather quiet. Was it because she knew where I was taking her?
We went to Ming Towers, after a day's rest at the hotel. I was not well known here, so it was good that the paparazzi weren't around. I had called Vince's secretary to arrange an appointment. I was in luck, he had just came back from Taiwan to settle the deal of the new trade center. 2pm after lunch.
I knocked on the door to his office. Huge 8-ft pine doors, with the sign of the dragon crafted onto its frame. This was the penthouse. The highest floor in the 250 storey building. He built his empire, taking big risks, single-handedly.
"Hey Joe!," he exclaimed as I walked in with Elva.
He put his hands around me. It was a warm embrace. Its been almost 2 years since we saw each other. The last time was when I came down to HK to help Liz produce her sophomore album. She had this thing for him, people thought they were really going to hit it off. Nah, she's too much to handle.
"Its been a long time, Vince," I said. "Would like you to meet someone," I turned to Elva who was hiding behind me. "Hey Elva, say hi to uncle Vince". The girl gave a shy hello, she was usually very apprehensive of strangers.
"Oh man! Can't believe it Joe, all those things they say about you are true? You are a father!"
"It's not mine Vince, its hers."
He stood silent, the look in my eyes told him everything. He knew that instant who she was, and why I had came here.
"No it can't be...it just can't...is this some kinda joke?" He stepped back with a cynical laugh.
"No, its not. Elva is her daughter" The girl now stood next to me, her eyes in total bewilderment.
Vince scowled. "So what is this you're bringing here? Some bastard child that bitch wants me to have?" He may have said alot of nasty things, but I knew deep inside he did not mean it.
"I'm sorry, I know I should have told you earlier. I've been wanting to, if not for Brian".
"Damn, it's always Brian right? She's always telling him everything, even when we broke up. You know they should have been together right from the start!" He mocked. She would tell Brian everything, and Vince would always be the last to know.
"Its time to put this thing to a close, Vince. It has taken its toll on all of us. Brian has taken it upon himself to bring the child up. C'mon, just look at her, " Elva was sitting on the sofa, staring at the both of us. "She's innocent, and she doesn't even know who her mommy is. Every day, she asks us this question 'where is mommy' and we can't tell her the truth. You know how painful is that? I know you still want her to come back. We all do. But we can't find her now. If there was one thing in her heart that she didn't tell you, it was that you would take care of Elva as your own."
His eyes were red. it had been too much for him. All these years he lived only for her mother, he didn't care what his life was worth. He took a gamble everytime he wanted to hit big, hoping one day he would be rich enough to bring her back, no matter what the cost. He walked over to Elva, she reminded him so much of her mom. It was the only thing she left behind for him.
"How old are you, Elva?" he asked.
"I'm five," she replied. she stared at him briefly and looked down.
He placed his hands on her head, and looked at me. It was that expression of confidence, the part of him I had learned to respect. He turned back to look at her, "Don't worry Elva, we'll find your mommy. no matter what."
