Past Memories

Tang's phone chimed indicating arrival of a message. Acute disappointment and relief surged through him simultaneously as he read its content.

One of his best friends, Li Jie, had written to inform that Jia Li wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding functions due to some work related issues and that he and Chung were also going to reach last minute.

Cheng Jia Li, Zheng Li Jie and Deng Chung were his childhood friends. The four of them had been born a few months apart from each other in a small neighbourhood in Moganshan. Till date Tang couldn't remember the exact moment when all of them became as close as they could without fusing into each other.

23 years ago

An introvert child, he had always employed aloofness as a shield. Jia Li and Li Jie's houses had been adjacent to each other and both of them had been easy going kids unlike him.

Tang recalled the first time he had laid eyes on the pair of them chasing a tattered ball. He had stopped it with his foot and refused to give it back to them. Even at the age of four, the girl was gorgeous and looked like a princess.

She had commanded, "give the ball back. It belongs to us".

To which he had replied casually, "I caught it. Its mine now."

Narrowing her eyes, she had walked up to him and pushed him hard in the chest with her chubby hands. Tang had lost his balance and fallen on his skinny butt while the little chit collected the ball and ran, dragging her friend along with. He had gotten up brushing the dust off his shorts & his pride. He had chased them with all his might. As he had rounded the corner, he saw that the two of them had called reinforcements and a short stubby boy stood waiting for him. Not the kind to back down, he had sauntered up to the trio. The three of them had encircled him and Tang had expected a bashing, the odds not being in his favour.

"I am sorry I pushed you. But you should not have taken my friend's ball", the green eyed girl had spoken.

He had been prepared for everything except being offered explanation mingled with apology. A flummoxed Tang had stared at her.

"Hi, I am Lin Jia Li", she spoke shyly.

He didn't know how long did he stare at her before someone else spoke up.

"And I am Zheng Li Jie", said the boy with the ball.

"And this is our friend Deng Chung. We all stay in the same lane. What is your name?" she had prattled on.

"I am Xie Tang and I live below that hill", he pointed towards the road below.

Somehow, within those few minutes, it had become vital to him to speak with the girl, to connect with her. They had all grinned at each other and Tang forgot all about being shy.