Try To Remember

Jinghua left from the window. He went to find Yuming who was in her room. She was sitting at a white table with a mirror on it. Her hand was resting against her face. There was a dark circle under her eye. She was obviously exhausted from crying and waiting for her brother. Jinghua knocked on her door. "Come in" She said, miserably. Jinghua let himself in, stepping over the threshold and closing the door. "You're frustrated, aren't you?" She said, turning to face him as he bowed to her. He nodded. Yuming got up and went to her tea table, pouring herself and Jinghua a cup. "You have to make him remember. It might take while but it's the only way you'll be back in his life. Because right now, you have never existed for him. Yes, it's frustrating and sad but it has to be done. He thinks he's younger and—" Yuming paused, putting down the kettle. Her hands trembled. "He….he's ill. There's a chance he won't remember. It's not only you but all of us. All of us have to make him—" A knock interrupted her. "Who is it?" She asked. The quiet voice replied, "It's Bojing." He then opened the door and came in. He made no eye contact with jinghua and smiled at Yuming. It was like one day the two knew each other and the next they were just strangers. "Bingwen, can you try and remember what happened two days ago? Focus your Chi. I know you must be weak but please, try for me?" Yuming pleaded. "Dreams carry memories." Jinghua said. "What if you fall asleep and try to dream? That's the..that's the last place we saw each other. In your dream. We were looking at your memories of us." Bingwen frowned. "But if I don't remember you, there won't be any memories of us." Bingwen said. Even through all the confusion, deep down, Bingwen wanted to remember. All everyone was saying was to remember. Remember, remember, remember! Remember what?

Bingwen closed his eyes and repeated in his head, Remember your past, remember your 20 and not 15, remember Ning Cheng! But what Bingwen didn't know was that trying to remember 'Ning Cheng' wasn't going to help. He had to remember 'Jinghua'.

Eventually, Bingwen had closed his eyes and had transferred into the land of dreams inside his head. And again, it was the same place Jinghua had last seen Bingwen remember.

Yuming sighed. "Well go on, go help him remember!" She told Jinghua. He smiled but a fake smile. He focused his Chi and transferred his soul inside Bingwen's dream.

Endless green fields once again filled Jinghua's view. And there in the middle, was Bingwen, standing in the wind. Jinghua walked towards him. He wanted to reach for Bingwen's hand but didn't want to scare him. Jinghua remembered that just the day before, he had caught Bingwen with that same hand. Bingwen turned around. "You're here. I..I'm Sorry I can't remember anything about you—" Jinghua interrupted when he held Bingwen's hands within his own. "Don't be sorry. This isn't your fault. It's..mine…" Jinghua said. Bingwen pulled away and cleared his throat. Of course he would feel uncomfortable. Jinghua is basically someone Bingwen had just met. Jinghua sighed. "This is the last place we spoke to each other."

Jinghua said. Bingwen and Jinghua walked through the field. Jinghua thought to himself, Yuming wanted him to remember, so he should asked him about his past. Bingwen walked all the way to the swamp he and Jinghua were in before. Jinghua caught up to him. "Try to remember what happened in your past. With your sisters." Jinghua said. Bingwen closed his eyes and in the swamp water, transparent figures rose. It showed Little Bingwen, younger Yuming and little Lanying as a baby in Yusheng Min's arms. The figures spoke. "This is your little sister, Li." Yusheng Min said in his memory. Little Yuming stood on her tippy toes to take a look at Lanying. "Bojing! Lets call her a nickname too!" Young Yuming said. "That's right." Bingwen said. "We all called each other nicknames. Li is Lanying, Mei is Yuming, and I'm.." He paused. He was just called by his first name in his family. The only one who had ever called him something was Jinghua. "Bingwen." Jinghua said, smiling slightly. "But why can't I remember you!" Bingwen said, stomping his foot. The memory stopped. Bingwen had never shown anger towards anyone. Maybe frustration or annoyance but never anger.

Bingwen walked away from the swamp. Jinghua needed to try and help. "Hey, you did remember. You remembered you call your sisters by nicknames. That's a start." He said. Bingwen turned around, tears in his eyes. "But you want me to remember you! But I can't! I don't know who you are! And yes, it must be sad to hear that but it's true. Whatever we were before or whatever happened, it's all gone." Bingwen said. "Maybe it would be better if you just left."

Leave?! He wants Jinghua to just leave?! "No." Jinghua belted. The grass around them swooshed as he said that. Bingwen turned around but backed away as Jinghua approached him step by step. "I'm not leaving. I won't let you throw me out just because you don't know who I am." Bingwen had backed up so much, he was at the edge of his dream. Like a cliff. Jinghua grabbed onto Bingwen's robe before he could fall. "Be careful!" Jinghua yelled. Bingwen grabbed his hands. "Let me go!" Bingwen exclaimed. Jinghua pulled Bingwen off of the edge and embraced him with a hug. Bingwen was held close against Jinghua's chest. There was no rhyme or reason, but Bingwen felt he had to hug Jinghua back. There was an empty part in Bingwen's head. A space for someone. That space needed to be filled. "Please don't forget me that easily." Jinghua said, holding Bingwen close and tight.