1 The Mirror

I never wanted to be a doctor.

That was the plan, study hard my whole life, graduate, become a doctor and get rich. That was my parents could brag to all their friends about how smart and successful I am. Just studies first, become a doctor and make money first. Then you can do whatever you want, explained my parents.

I don't really have anything I want to do either.

How depressing

Since I didn't have any other real dreams or aspirations then I should just do what they say. It was annoying so I did it to get them off my back.

I was a good student growing up; studying was no problem for me. But then I went to college. While the classes for a lot more difficult and I began to struggle more, I found myself. I didn't find my life long dream or anything like that.

But I found a lot more friends, hobbies, and had a lot of more fun with my life. I discovered a life beyond just studying. Before I would just go to school, to tutoring classes and pass out in a stressed tired mess. For fun I would play video games secretly on my handheld consoles I bought with my red envelope money. That or read novels and lie to my parents saying it was for school.

It was a whole new world and while my grades drop I'd say it was worth it for my personal growth. I should have figured then that the plan my parents set wasn't for me. I should have taken longer, should have taken a break to figure myself out. Instead I graduated and went straight on to medical school.

That is until I broke down and ultimately dropped out.

It doesn't have to be mentioned, let alone described how my parents reacted, badly. It was to the point I moved out for my own heath. I was in a bad spot for a long time, I'm still not fully ok. I took my savings and what education and certifications I built up and got a decent job as a physician assistant where I had previously interned.

Just because I never wanted to be a doctor doesn't mean I wasted all my years of education. It's not my dream job, nowhere near close but I still don't have that thing I really want to do. I just want to live my life how I please and never go back to those painful days. Maybe I just want to get a paycheck.

My parent tried to get me to come home and get back on their track but I ignored them. I felt bad but I had to. I couldn't talk to them like that. Our stalemate ended a year after I moved out, when my grandmother died.

It wasn't too surprising, she was a very old woman and her health wasn't the greatest these last few years. What was surprising is that she left me something.

My maa maa and I were never close. She had too many children and even more grandchildren. My cousins and I could make a soccer game with two opposing teams with how many of us there are. And yes, some of them are doctors too, 3 of my elder ones.

While my same age and younger cousins are understanding, I've been the joke of the family since I dropped out of med school. Which is why it surprised me to see something left just fkr me in grandmother's will, something very special?

I was never told such a thing until that moment, no one was. It was a small carved wooden box, one my mother didn't even know maa maa had.

"Whichever brat most resembles me. It's one of the middle ones I think, you know the one."

Thank you very much maa maa for that very clear description. It seems she later added on something like:

"You know, my Bi Ming's kid. Yes the girl, why would I give this to a boy? That one!"

Our family would have figured it out even without that addition but it's nice to verify. Out of all of my maa maa's 12 children, people say that my mother looks like her the most. To the point it's shocking. If my maa maa was the original score of 10, all my aunts would score a reasonable range from 3-6 in likeliness. My mother would rank a very close 9.

Of course, being her child, I look like her with an astounding rank 8. Since I'm so used to seeing my mother's face it's hard to call her a beauty, I guess I can say she looks rather good for being past middle aged. With her dedicated skincare routine and large lively eyes, she passes for 10 years younger than she actually is. But so do all my aunts. Yay good Asian genes.

The rare black and white photos of my maa maa in her youth definitely showed that she was indeed a traditional beauty. I remember staring in awe at a particular one, where she was sitting elegantly in an old fashion Qipao. It was a long time ago, before she had even half her children and moved across the ocean in search of a better life.

When I look into the mirror I don't see that despite the near same features. Maybe I just grew up in a different time with a different set of standards. We have a lot of different makeup techniques now. I still can't get into lip liner and nor the thin way my aunts draw their eyebrows. Regardless I'm the one that fits the bill the most and thus I get the mystery box.

So here I am with this dark wood box craved with mother of pearl inlay. It would be gorgeous if it wasn't so old and worn. It does have that now popular antique feel to it though?

After maa maa's burial and the obligatory banquet meal, I left with my box. Wrapped and tied in a faded cloth. Since my mother reminded me that it's bad luck to go straight home after a funeral, I'm sitting in the parking lot of a local bubble tea shop.

Sipping on my iced boba tea I debate if it's improper to open such an old thing, a memento of my late grandmother, in a parking lot of all places.

Curiosity wins.

The box creaks open easily, despite obviously not having seen the light of day in a very long time. The insides are surprisingly well preserved and smell of sweet incense. While it's a small box I immediately value the items inside as antiques from a time even before my grandparents.

There are some traditional ornamental hairpins and combs so beautiful, so old, they should belong in a museum. Tiny containers made of beautiful wood or even smaller ones made from seashells. One of them is even filled with a red substance, rogue or some sort?

There are accompanying delicate brushes made from precious stone and possibly animal hair. A little embroidered pouch with a stack of ancient coins inside, and a bangle of milky jade that felt oddly warm to the touch.

The item that stood out the most in the surprise treasure chest of heirlooms sat in the middle. There was a perfectly round circular amulet made of golden bronze, with delicate carvings and painted with swirling flowers.

Upon picking it up I noticed it opened into a compact mirror. How lovely except for one disturbing fact. The case and everything else was antique, all obviously belonged to the same time period.

Inside the compact, however, was a very modern mirror. My reflection staring back at me in mild surprise.

The scent of incense and plums grew stronger, like a breeze brushed by.

When I look up I think I'm dreaming. A beautiful otherworldly sight greets me. One of foreign buildings and ancient dressed people passing by. One of plum trees that are just beginning to bloom.

It looks like something out of a historical drama.

I blink once, twice and the sight is still there in front of me.

I pinch myself hard and still nothing. Then I try slapping myself for good measure. Yep still there.

This can't be real but it is.

I don't think I'm in America anymore….I don't think I'm even in 2019 anymore.

But it gets worse because of course, it does.

Shakily I drop the compact mirror back into the box. Reflected in the mirror, the bottom spelled out in blood-red rogue.

"Save her or die

Time Left: 3 hours."