by Jeff Stone
Hú Dié leaned toward me and looked at my phone.
“It looks like we have a little time to enjoy the view before heading back,” she said, turning to face the river. “It is so beautiful here.”
She was right. The river was close to a hundred feet wide at this point, and it was unusually clear. There wasn’t a house or car in sight, and the air smelled fresh and clean. Songbirds chirped all around us while a magnificent great blue heron hunted the shallows on the opposite side of the river. It was picture-perfect.
Hú Dié turned to me. “Thank you for bringing me here, Jake. I will always remember this place. I will always remember you, too.”
I felt my eyebrows rise in surprise. “What do you mean? You’d better remember me! It’s not like we’re never going to talk again.” I paused. “I mean, you’re going to keep in touch, right?”
She shrugged. “I will try. You never know how these things will turn out, though. Nothing ever seems to work out the way I would like.” Tears welled up in her eyes once more.
Man, she was low. I felt so bad for her. “Is there anything you’d like to talk about?” I asked.
“Such as?”
“I don’t know. When I’m bummed, it usually makes me feel better if I talk about it.”
“That is not how I was raised,” she said. “I was taught not to burden others with my emotions. It is like this for many Chinese.”
“Well, you’re not in China right now. Let loose. What have you got to lose?”
“Your friendship, for one. I may have already lost a friend today, possibly more.”
“Who? Phoenix?”
“Yes,” she said. “Phoenix, and maybe his grandfather, as well as his uncle Tí. Perhaps Hok in San Francisco, too, if Phoenix tells her what I was asking for.”
“Why?”
Hú Dié sighed. “I suppose Phoenix will tell you once I leave, anyway. I asked his grandfather for some dragon bone to give to my mother. When he declined, I called Hok. She declined as well.”
“Are you sure dragon bone will help your mother? She has ALS, right?”
“Yes. It is a disease of the nerve cells in her brain and spinal cord. Those are exactly the cells that I believe dragon bone connects with and enhances or repairs. She has lost nearly all control of her muscles, but her mind is still as keen as ever. It is a horrible disease.”
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what Hú Dié’s mother must have been going through. “I am so sorry,” I said. “I wish I could help you somehow.”
She locked eyes with me. “Do you?” she asked. “Do you really, Jake?”
“Of course, I—” Hú Dié was looking at me funny. “Wait a minute,” I said. “What do you want me to do?”
She didn’t answer. She just stared at me.
And then I knew what she wanted.
“No way!” I said, putting one foot atop a pedal to leave. “Hok may have called me a sneaky jackal, but I will not steal from Phoenix’s grandfather or anybody else.”
“No, no, no, Jake!” Hú Dié said in a rush. “I would never ask you to steal anything from anyone! Please, do not leave yet.”
“Tell me what you want, then.”
She bit her lower lip. “If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to share it with anyone?”
“Now you sound just like Phoenix, making everyone keep quiet about his family’s secrets.”
She suddenly scowled, and for a second I thought she was going to punch me. But then she lightened up. “Maybe you are correct, for this is his secret, too.”
I took my foot off of the pedal. “Fine, tell me.”
“Phoenix and I hid some dragon bone in case of an emergency. Nobody else knows about it. Not his grandfather. Not Hok. Nobody.”
“Great,” I said. “Except me now.”
“Yes, except you now.”
“And you want me to get it for you?”
“If you would be willing.”
“Why don’t you get it yourself?”
“I cannot,” she said. “There is not enough time.”
I shook my head. She was right.
“Why me?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you ask Phoenix to get it for you? Wait, that’s what you guys were arguing about in the house, isn’t it?”
“You overheard us?”
“Um, kind of.”
She frowned. “Yes, that is what we were discussing. Phoenix said that he needs to think about it more, but my mother may not be able to wait any longer.”
“I heard him say something about ten years,” I said. “What was that all about?”
“Phoenix’s grandfather’s supply of dragon bone is scheduled to run out after that time. Phoenix plans to retrieve the extra supply and offer it to his grandfather as an option to extend his life beyond those ten years.”
I blinked. “Phoenix’s grandfather is scheduled to die in ten years?”
“Yes. Phoenix’s grandfather came up with that plan. He wants to be finished with dragon bone, but he does not want to die until Phoenix is grown up. He ordered Phoenix to send all of the remaining dragon bone he had to a woman named PawPaw, in China, as well as a man named Grandmaster Long, who is also in China. Those two individuals are both dragon bone users, and they each now have enough dragon bone to last them more than one hundred years. I believe Hok possesses roughly the same amount through her own sources.”
“I remember Phoenix telling me some of this in California,” I said, “but he didn’t say anything about how much dragon bone was left, or who had what amounts. This is insane! Phoenix’s grandfather is going to die in ten years, while three other ancient people live a hundred more years? And even though Hok has a hundred-year supply, she won’t give you any to help your mother?”
“That is correct,” Hú Dié said with a sniffle. “Hok and Phoenix’s grandfather do not want another person having to take it the rest of his or her life. Hok did promise to try to find alternative Chinese herbal treatments for my mother. She is going to ask for PawPaw’s help, too.”
“Why can’t one of them give your mother dragon bone for a short time, and then stop? Maybe it will heal her. That’s how people used to use dragon bone. Ryan took it for a while and then he stopped by taking that antidote Hok made. He’s fine.”
“I asked that, too. Hok said that Ryan was healthy to begin with, whereas my mother is not. Hok believes that once my mother begins taking dragon bone, she will need to take it forever, just like Hok, Phoenix’s grandfather, PawPaw, and Grandmaster Long. Hok believes the antidote would kill my mother because the dragon bone would become too much a part of her. For the same reason, Hok will not take the antidote, nor give it to any of the other ancient individuals, because she believes it would kill them, too.”
“No wonder you’re super upset,” I said. “How much did you and Phoenix hide?”
“Fifteen years’ worth.”
I rolled my eyes. “Phoenix hid that much—with your help—but he won’t even share part of it with you?”
Hú Dié shrugged. “He said that he needed to think about it more.”
“Where is it?”
“Pine Loop Mountain Bike Trail in Brown County State Park.”
I thought about that for a moment and realized something. “The race we did there,” I said, “the one you won and Phoenix came in last because he wrecked—he didn’t really wreck, did he?”
“No, he did not,” Hú Dié said. “He only pretended to crash in order to buy himself enough time to hide the dragon bone.”
“But … how?”
“Do you remember us both wearing those large hydration backpacks?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I thought it was a little odd for you to have them for such a short race.”
“I had a folding shovel in mine,” Hú Dié said. “I threw him my pack a few minutes into the race when we were ahead of everyone else, and he threw it back to me at the end. He slid down a very tall hill with his bike in order to get near the finish line ahead of everyone else. He o
nly made it look like he wrecked at that late point in the race.”
“So the dragon bone is buried near the beginning of Pine Loop?”
“Yes.”
“Where, exactly?”
Hú Dié locked eyes with me again. “If I tell you, will you help me?”
I rubbed my sweaty forehead beneath my helmet. “I may hate myself later, but yeah, since Phoenix can’t seem to make up his mind, I’ll do it. Tell me everything I need to know.”
Hú Dié was so happy, I thought she was going to kiss me. She didn’t, though. Instead, she punched me in the arm.
Hard.
“Ouch!” I yelped. “What did you do that for?”
“I am too full of excitement!” she said. “I need to release some energy.”
I shook my head. “You can release that energy on our sprint back to Phoenix’s house.” I checked the time on my phone again. “We’ve been gone almost twenty-five minutes.”
“I can spare another five minutes,” Hú Dié said. “I promise I will not hit you again. I need to give you clues about how to find the dragon bone.”
“Clues?”
“Phoenix would not tell me exactly where it is, but you can figure it out. You are clever—like a jackal.”
I smirked.
Hú Dié continued. “Phoenix pulled off the trail right before a short, steep climb that was really dusty and covered with small rocks. It is the first place most people get off of their bikes on Pine Loop.”
“I know the spot,” I said. “There are a bunch of tall ferns right there, before the climb.”
“Yes! That is where Phoenix hid his bike. You have an amazing memory.”
“It comes with being a jackal. What else?”
“The shovel in my backpack,” Hú Dié said. “It was clean when I tossed the pack to him, but kind of dirty when he returned it. He had wiped most of the dirt off before putting it back into the pack, but it still smelled really bad.”
“You mean, like garbage?”
“It smelled worse than garbage. Phoenix’s shoes stunk, too. When we got home, I found a tiny piece of what appeared to be a mushroom inside the backpack that was not there before. I did some surfing on the Internet, and I believe that Phoenix buried or hid the dragon bone within a patch of stinkhorn mushrooms.”
“Buried or hid? He brought back a dirty shovel. He buried it.”
“Maybe,” she said, “or maybe just half buried. He accidentally mentioned something about a tiny cave. If you can find a rock outcropping near a patch of stinkhorn mushrooms somewhere near those ferns, I believe you will find the dragon bone. It will be in a silk drawstring bag.”
“Supposing I find it, how am I supposed to get it to you? Mail it?”
“No. Phoenix mailed large quantities to PawPaw and Grandmaster Long, but PawPaw arranged everything. We cannot ask her to get involved with this. She would say something to Hok and Phoenix’s grandfather, and I would be out of luck—and you would be out of a lot of money. You might even get in trouble for mailing it. Even though dragon bone is a natural substance, I do not know the laws about shipping medicinal herbs out of this country.”
“What am I supposed to do, then?”
Hú Dié sniffled and wiped her eyes. She gave me a pleading look.
I braced myself.
“You could bring it to China,” she said.
I groaned. I had a feeling she was leading up to this. “You want me to call Ling and accept Mr. Chang’s offer to try China for one week.”
“I really do think you would enjoy China. Honest.”
“I don’t know, Hú Dié. Riding in China is one thing, but smuggling dragon bone is another. My parents are lawyers. What you’re talking about could be some kind of serious offense. How would I even get it through security and customs and all that?”
“Phoenix once hid dragon bone inside a container of protein powder he had emptied out. It fooled the police in Texas.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?” I asked. “This all sounds so crazy.”
Hú Dié began to sob again. “You are right, Jake. It is crazy. I just do not have anyone else to turn to. I am sorry that I bothered you with it.” She turned away from me, her back heaving from the effort of crying.
I felt like a jerk. I couldn’t stand to see her like this. It sounded like dragon bone was probably Hú Dié’s mother’s only shot at staying alive.
Before even I realized what I was doing, I heard myself say, “I guess I could do it, Hú Dié. At least traveling to China would give me some more time to hang out with you.”
Hú Dié turned back to me, and her dirt-streaked, soaking-wet face lit up like the sun. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, I’m certain.”
“You are the best ever! I cannot wait to show you my hometown of Kaifeng.”
I began to smile, but then it quickly faded. “Kaifeng? What about Shanghai? You’d still race there on Saturday if I came to China, right?”
“I hope so. It depends on my mother’s condition, though.”
“I understand,” I said. “I guess I’m going to have to figure out a way to bum a ride to Brown County tomorrow.”
Hú Dié looked concerned. “No, Jake. You should try to retrieve it today. You are supposed to contact Ling and Mr. Chang by tonight if you want to accept their offer, and they will probably want to fly you out tomorrow. The race is on Saturday, and it’s already Monday.”
“But how can I possibly get to Brown County today?” I asked. “My parents are both tied up until tonight.”
“Back home, I would just call a taxi.”
I thought about it for a second. “That could work. Or maybe a private shuttle car like my mom and dad take home from the airport when they have to go out of town.”
“I have about fifty dollars left that I can give you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I don’t want your money.”
“I will think of some way to repay you,” Hú Dié said. “You will see.”
“You don’t have to—”
Someone suddenly shouted, “There you guys are!”
It was Phoenix.
He rolled up to us atop his mountain bike, and he didn’t look happy. “I should have known you’d bring her here, Jake. What were you two talking about?”
I swallowed hard. “Nothing, I—”
“Jake was just telling me that he is going to accept Mr. Chang’s offer to try riding in China for a week!” Hú Dié said without missing a beat. “Is that not exciting?” She wiped more tears from her face.
Phoenix eyed her suspiciously. “Then why are you crying?”
“Because I am happy,” Hú Dié said. “It does not erase all of my sadness, of course, but it makes me feel better. Are you not excited?”
“No. I’m leery.” Phoenix turned to me. “Is it true?”
“You bet, bro!” I said, trying my best to sound stoked. “I want us to keep hanging out together. Hú Dié has to go back home, so, you know, the only way for us to chill is for all of us to go there.”
Phoenix still didn’t look convinced. “Hú Dié is going to race?”
“Yes,” she answered. “I will talk with Ling and Mr. Chang about me spending a few days with my mother, then joining you in Shanghai. If I need to hurry back home for some reason, Shanghai is only a few hours away from Kaifeng by bullet train.”
“Bullet train?” Phoenix said, smiling a little. “I’ve always wanted to ride on one of those.”
“There is a bullet train that runs from Shanghai airport to downtown Shanghai,” Hú Dié said. “You will probably ride it after you land.”
Phoenix’s smile grew. “This sounds legit.”
“It is,” I said. “We’re going to China.”
“Rock and roll!” Phoenix said. “Have you told Ryan yet?”
“Nope.”
Phoenix spun his bike around, aiming it up the narrow game trail. “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s get back to my house and call
him!”
We made it back to Phoenix’s house even faster than Hú Dié and I had ridden to the river, which was a good thing. She and I had spent too much time talking, and she still needed to shower and pack.
Hú Dié kicked off her shoes and raced into the house, while Phoenix and I remained outside on the back porch. It wasn’t that I was afraid to go inside; it’s just that I was filthy. His house may have been small, but it looked neat as a pin.
Phoenix’s grandfather and Uncle Tí came out to greet me, and I tried to not react to what I saw. Phoenix’s grandfather had gone through some rough times over the past few months, and it showed. His tall, slender body was now hunched and kind of shaky; and his previously long, thick hair had become wispy and thin. Phoenix’s uncle Tí looked the same way he’d always looked, like a healthy, middle-aged Chinese physician with a receding hairline.
I took off my helmet and shook my hair out.
“Wow,” Uncle Tí said. “I wish I had hair like that.”
I laughed. “Hi,” I said.
“Hello, Jake.”
Phoenix’s grandfather nodded his hello. He wasn’t much of a talker. I nodded back.
Uncle Tí looked at the soil and leaves stuck to my legs, and he grinned. “It was kind of you to take Hú Dié for a quick ride. It clearly improved her mood.”
“No big deal. It helps me all the time, but I didn’t plan it. I actually came here to talk to Phoenix.”
“Yeah,” Phoenix said. “Guess what?”
“Jake has decided to conquer China, after all?” Uncle Tí asked.
“Yes!” Phoenix said.
“Congratulations to both of you,” Uncle Tí said. “Ryan, too.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I wouldn’t have won that race in California if it wasn’t for them pulling me.”
“Does Ryan know about your decision?”
“Not yet. I’m about to call him. I actually need to call my folks first, though. I haven’t even told them my decision yet.”
“Don’t let us get in your way,” Uncle Tí said. “We just came out to say hello.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Phoenix’s grandfather and Uncle Tí headed back into the house.