P. Stormcrow

Another blast of frigid air hit Charlotte in the face as she stepped past the immigration gate into the general arrival area. With a black jacket folded over her left arm, she toted her suitcase forward, scanning for familiar faces. Faces she hopes to avoid.

No such luck.

“Ms. Leung.” One of the three men in suits, crisp white shirts and sunglasses pulled away from the line to step up to her. “Welcome home.” He dipped his head low in recognition of her status, and she recognized him as Jackie Lee. Like many others, her father had taken him in from young to groom. From the way the other two hung back, it appeared that he had risen in rank since she last saw him.

God, she hated everything about Hong Kong, her birthplace, and the seat of her father’s powers. But her training kicked in, and she only nodded in return.

Another man swung around to take her suitcase from her, because heavens forbid she did anything herself. He could be identical to Jackie if not for the bleached tips of his spiked hair, a common hairstyle amongst the lower ranks of the Triad.

The last of the trio turned to lead the way, and she walked with a brisk pace, leaving Jackie to match her strides. 

“How are the funeral arrangements coming along?”

“The cremation ceremony is set two days from now. We have sent out invitations to the other organizations and many have already replied that they would come to pay their respects beforehand. There will be an open casket viewing.” 

A full on dog and pony show then. It was no surprise she wouldn’t be able to mourn her father in peace, but resentment still welled up inside.

“Tell me who is on the guest list.”

That proved to be a mistake. As Jackie rattled off an impressive number of names, Charlotte struggled to focus on his words. It had been a long thirteen hours on the plane and she had not slept well on it. It was a relief when they walked through the parkade at last and to the black Bentley that was her father’s favorite in life. 

He opened the door for her, and she entered, sinking into the backseat and closing her eyes. Blessed silence reigned until her three escorts also came in the car. Jackie slid in next to her, careful to keep distance.

“Yen Lok Fong has requested your company for dinner tonight at the Five Fortunes Restaurant,” he said as soon as the driver pulled the vehicle out of the spot.

The mere mention of the place dredged up more memories from the past. Her father held court there so often that even she, at a young age, had the menu memorized despite not understanding what happened there until she was older. She could almost taste the mix of sweet and savory of cheung fun from the place’s dim sum cuisine. She had sampled the same dish all over North America but no one ever quite made it the same as the chefs there.

But her heart dropped to her stomach. David Yen, her father’s much younger right-hand man, had joined later but risen in ranks in just three short years. Her father always spoke well of him in their video chats, but the few times she had met him on previous visits had chilled her to her bones.

How should she play this one out?

She opened her eyes and pushed herself up, her mind still racing as she fought for calm.

“Ms. Leung, if I may?”

She nodded once but said nothing.

“Yen Lok Fong has taken up temporary leadership after your father’s passing, with the uncles’ blessings. Since the start of Mr. Leung’s decline, he has been garnering more loyalty and respect with his work.”

Not a single regrettable word. She tilted her head to one side, watching the scenery give way to streets and high-rises. “You are saying I should pay my respects.”

She watched Jackie confirm with another nod In the reflection and resisted the urge to sigh. Chinese superstition dictated that sighing was only meant for those that thought their life was full of suffering. 

“You should have three hours to rest and refresh before we need to go to the restaurant.”

This was what she didn’t miss when she lived abroad, where no one knew who she was. “Jackie, did he assign you to look after me?”

“Yes, Ms.”

Charlotte clenched her jaws and counted to ten silently. “Fine, tell him I will join him for dinner tonight.”

“Thank you, Ms.”

Why did he thank her? She rolled her head back to rest her eyes as the car slowed to weave its way across the busy streets. From what she glimpsed, the city had changed so much from even when she had visited three years ago.

“We’re here Ms. Leung.”

Charlotte snapped her eyelids open. When had she fallen asleep? Disoriented for a moment, she looked around the carriage of the vehicle until her sleep fog cleared and she recalled where she was.

“Thanks,” she muttered as she stepped out and gaze up at the mansion that had been her home the latter part of her teenage years.

With dread weighing like lead at the bottom of her stomach, she walked up the steps and through the door Jackie opened for her.

“I’ll leave the keys here,” he offered, but did not follow her beyond the foyer.

The eerie silence struck her before she came to terms with how empty the entire house felt. “Where’s Ayi?” she asked, recalling the small wiry woman who served both as nanny and housekeeper. She was one of the few people she had been looking forward to seeing.

“Ah.” Jackie cleared his throat.

Charlotte sensed hesitation radiating from him and spun around to face him.

“Mr. Yen dismissed her after your father passed.”

She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. “I see.” To control the surge of anger, she turned her back to him. “You may leave now.”

“I can have the men take your lug—”

“You may leave now,” Charlotte re-emphasized, lowering her voice.

“Yes, Ms. I will come pick you up at five thirty.”

She remained still until the door closed with an audible click behind her. Only then did she slump her shoulders and she walked over to the couch, falling on it with a long exhale of breath. She couldn’t be certain of Jackie’s loyalty, and even Ayi had left. David had already moved to isolate her. Did he think she was interested in the business? She laughed at the absurdity of the idea. Her father had sent her away to North America to keep her out of the Triad.

Not that she hadn’t trained for it regardless, because they both knew that this kind of lifestyle had a way to reach family. But no, she had only come home to pay her respects. 

She rolled her head to one side to stare at the suitcases standing in the foyer and groaned. Lugging those upstairs would be a pain in the ass. She should have let Jackie and his minions bring them up.

C’est la vie.

With more effort than she thought she had, Charlotte pushed herself off the couch and strolled over to the luggage. Start off easy, Char. She lifted the first bag and dragged it up the stairs with both hands until she reached her room.

It was as she always remembered it, and the emotional impact was like a sucker punch to her stomach as she stood there, staring at her childhood. 

The same pastel colored curtains framed the tall French doors that open out to the patio, matching the heavy duvet on the bed. Knick knacks and photos of her with her dad dotted the low shelf in one corner and spilled over to the vanity beside it while to the left was her desk, its surface bereft of books. That was the only difference from how she pictured the room in her memories. Even the same old poster of her favorite movie remained taped to the wall.

Tears welled up. Her thoughts on her father had always brought complex emotions, filled with warm recollections of when she was younger and a sense of abandonment from the way he sent her away. Still, what she wouldn’t give to talk to him one last time. To hug him one last time.

She cleared her throat and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm. Fuck it. She could mourn later. Right now, she had to prepare for the damn dinner with David Yen, so for the next hour, she busied herself with unpacking and making a list of what she needed to stock the place for her stay. Living by herself overseas had its advantages. She had learned to survive on her own without relying on servants. 

As she entered the galley kitchen, she trailed her hand along the countertop, a bittersweet smile on her lips. Her dad loved to cook and before she moved, they spent every moment they could together in here, experimenting with different recipes.

She crossed into the smaller room, almost more like an alcove, and sucked in a breath at the wok resting on the separate stove, a common feature. In large Chinese households. Despite the expansive house, this tiny space was still her father’s favorite one to be.

No, she should stop this trip down memory lane. As she forced her feet to move, she marched with more purpose out of the kitchen, across the entire first floor and up the stairs and into the ensuite bathroom. She needed to stay awake in order to get rid of the jet lag, so a shower was the next best thing.

The reflection in the mirror caught her attention, and she turned to study herself. The makeup did nothing to hide the puffiness of her eyes, swollen from the lack of sleep. Her pale skin would be the envy of other Chinese women but for her who had embraced the Western culture, it was another sign of her stress and grief.

Riiiing

Her phone’s ringtone sliced through the quiet, and she dug it out of her black denim pocket in haste. The profile photo accompanying the number on the screen lifted her heart, and she picked up the call.

“Oh my God! Are you back?” 

Even without the caller ID, Charlotte would have recognized who it was. “Hi Cherry. Yes, I got in just a few hours ago. How did you find out?” For the first time this day, a ghost of a smile graced Charlotte’s lips.

Cherry giggled. “Jackie told me.” She paused, then plunged ahead, lowering to a whisper. “We’re low key going out.”

Ah. She always had a crush on him since they were all kids. “Good on you.” Charlotte cradled the phone against her shoulder as she emptied her pockets.

“I heard you are having dinner with Yen Lok Fong,” Cherry continued without waiting. “Be careful.”

There was something in her tone, even over the line, that gave Charlotte pause. “What’s been happening?” 

“From what I hear, not all the uncles are happy with him. He’s been ruthless testing everyone’s loyalties.”

“But that’s nothing ne—”

“To him, Char. Not to the group.”

A chill ran down her back, and she tightened her grip on her phone.

“And some are wondering if you have returned to take over for your dad.”

No surprise there. “I’m a woman. The uncles are old fashion, so that won’t happen.”

“This is not the seventies. Even some of them have gotten on with the times and I think they see you as the lesser of two evils. Just—” Cherry took a deep breath — “just be careful tonight.”

She nodded before she realized she wouldn’t have seen the gesture. “Okay. I will.”

“Meet up tomorrow?”

“Yeah, that works. I’ll text you.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Charlotte hung up and placed the phone down with care. She had to convince David that she had returned to mourn and once she said her goodbyes, she would go back to her simple life in the States.

Easy peasy.