I only had three day offs in a year, but I still called up my company .

I then offered a few hundred dollars to my colleague who was resting at home that day to cover for me .

I flagged a cab and went straight to the hospital .

The driver was all smiles but drove as quick as lightning . I didn't want to complicate things so I simply told him that I was having a tummy ache and he got me to the hospital in the shortest time possible .

I handed him 21 dollars but he took only 20 . He told me, "That's fine . Just hurry and go get a doctor . "

I smiled and rushed to the hospital building .

I called the number back .

After what seemed like hours of ringing, the line finally connected .

"h.e.l.lo?" I started .

"Hi, how may I help you?" a lady answered .

"Where is the owner of this number? I'm her grandson . "

"Number 1 People's Hospital," she responded .

"I'm in here already . The specific location, please?"

"Inpatient department, unit 603 . Someone's ringing the bell, I got to go . "

"Alright, I'll be there soon," I said before hanging up .

I was connected to strangers twice . Was Granny really in such a serious condition that she was unable to speak?

I looked around the building, having no idea where the inpatient department was situated .

I kept asking for directions from nurses and doctors and finally got to the right section on the sixth floor .

I found unit 603 in no time but I had no courage to enter .

As shameful as it was to admit it, I didn't know Granny anymore .

Standing outside the ward, I made another call to the same number .

I heard the ringtone coming from inside the ward, and felt somewhat awkward .

"I'm like a fish in your pond, wis.h.i.+ng for us to wait upon the moonlight . . . "

I looked into the room and spotted four beds . The phone was on the table by the furthermost bed .

"The lotus remains fragrant despite the change in seasons . . . "

I quickly hung up and walked in .

One of the three other patients asked, "Who are you, little fellow?"

"May I know where's this patient?" I asked, pointing at Granny's empty bed .

"Out for a stroll, probably, because it's so stuffy in here . She should be back soon so just wait a while . "

"Stroll?"

Wasn't she in a critical condition?

"Oh, she's back now!"

I turned around and saw Granny standing by the door .

Both hands were in her pockets as she walked in slowly .

"Darling," she called with a smile

I was embarra.s.sed but then I remembered that my grandparents used to call me that when I was little .

"Granny?" I hedged .

She smiled and walked over to me to start fiddling with my s.h.i.+rt .

"Where have you been? Why are you covered in dust?" she said, swatting at my s.h.i.+rt and turning me around to repeat what she did to the front .

"There's dust at the back, too? You can see them?" I asked .

"I saw it the moment I came in! I was wondering which fool was covered in so much dust!"

"No, no, wait . A doctor told me you were critically ill . Where is he?" I questioned .

"Xiao Gao, right?" she asked, smiling .

"Xiao Gao?" I repeated .

Another patient added, "He's in the general medicine department . There should be a number in her phone so just go take a look . "

I walked to the bedside table and picked up Granny's phone .

There was indeed a Xiaogao in the call records . Granny couldn't have typed these on her own .

Perhaps his contact was given to her by a nurse .

I called him .

"Aye, has something happened to your grandmother?" he said by the way of answering .

"I'm Chalk . You said Granny . . . " I turned to look at Granny .

She was still patting my clothes so I covered the phone a little . "I'll be back soon, Granny . "

She put her hands down . "Come back soon . "

I walked to the corridor and picked the phone back up . "You said my grandmother was in critical condition . What's going on?"

"It's two separate matters . Your grandmother saw it as an excuse to see you . "

I sighed . "So it's fake? She's fine?"

"No, no, it's real . "

"I'm confused . "

"Your grandmother has no other family member around now . Your uncle and aunty are overseas . She wanted to see a family member so she had me call you over . "

"So she's fine?" I asked, letting my guard down .

"That's what she thinks . There's another thing that's pretty serious . "

"What is it?" I asked, frowning .

"Because she's alone, we didn't want to tell her about her condition . You must know that she's over 70 and we've found lesions in two parts of her body . They are spreading . It's critical, but we don't know how to break the news to her . Since you're here, we're telling it to you now . "

"So she's really ill . . . "

"Yes, but her case is rather unique . We don't know how to show the report to her . Her case file is with me . I think it's alright to hand them over to you now since you're her family," the doctor said .

"Alright . Where are you, Doc? I'll go collect it . I'm in your hospital . "

"That's fine . It's really messy here so I'll make a trip down to that department during lunch break to pa.s.s it to you . I'm also going to personally share with you some information about your grandmother's condition . I'm a bit busy at the moment so go spend some time with her in the meantime . "

"Is . . . is it curable?" I asked .

"I'm still treating a patient right now so I'll be brief . Because it's not just one lesion, we do not suggest surgery . "

"Alright . Okay . We'll talk later . "

"Sure . I'll hang up now," Doctor Gao said before ending the call .

I stood rooted to the ground, looking into the room .

Granny had a powerful voice; I heard her say, "See that boy? He's my grandson . He's working in a state enterprise . "

She chatted casually with other patients as I ma.s.saged my temples .

After recalibrating my emotions, I calmly walked back into the ward .

I only had three day offs in a year, but I still called up my company . I then offered a few hundred dollars to my colleague who was resting at home that day to cover for me . I flagged a cab and went straight to the hospital . The driver was all smiles but drove as quick as lightning . I didn 39 t want to complicate things so I simply told him that I was having a tummy ache and he got me to the hospital in the shortest time possible . I handed him 21 dollars but he took only 20 . He told me, That 39 s fine . Just hurry and go get a doctor . I smiled and rushed to the hospital building . I called the number back . After what seemed like hours of ringing, the line finally connected . h.e.l.lo I started . Hi, how may I help you a lady answered . Where is the owner of this number I 39 m her grandson . Number 1 People 39 s Hospital, she responded . I 39 m in here already . The specific location, please Inpatient department, unit 603 . Someone 39 s ringing the bell, I got to go . Alright, I 39 ll be there soon, I said before hanging up . I was connected to strangers twice . Was Granny really in such a serious condition that she was unable to speak I looked around the building, having no idea where the inpatient department was situated . I kept asking for directions from nurses and doctors and finally got to the right section on the sixth floor . I found unit 603 in no time but I had no courage to enter . As shameful as it was to admit it, I didn 39 t know Granny anymore . Standing outside the ward, I made another call to the same number . I heard the ringtone coming from inside the ward, and felt somewhat awkward . I 39 m like a fish in your pond, wis.h.i.+ng for us to wait upon the moonlight . . . I looked into the room and spotted four beds . The phone was on the table by the furthermost bed . The lotus remains fragrant despite the change in seasons . . . I quickly hung up and walked in . One of the three other patients asked, Who are you, little fellow May I know where 39 s this patient I asked, pointing at Granny 39 s empty bed . Out for a stroll, probably, because it 39 s so stuffy in here . She should be back soon so just wait a while . Stroll Wasn 39 t she in a critical condition Oh, she 39 s back now I turned around and saw Granny standing by the door . Both hands were in her pockets as she walked in slowly . Darling, she called with a smile I was embarra.s.sed but then I remembered that my grandparents used to call me that when I was little . Granny I hedged . She smiled and walked over to me to start fiddling with my s.h.i.+rt . Where have you been Why are you covered in dust she said, swatting at my s.h.i.+rt and turning me around to repeat what she did to the front . There 39 s dust at the back, too You can see them I asked . I saw it the moment I came in I was wondering which fool was covered in so much dust No, no, wait . A doctor told me you were critically ill . Where is he I questioned . Xiao Gao, right she asked, smiling . Xiao Gao I repeated . Another patient added, He 39 s in the general medicine department . There should be a number in her phone so just go take a look . I walked to the bedside table and picked up Granny 39 s phone . There was indeed a Xiaogao in the call records . Granny couldn 39 t have typed these on her own . Perhaps his contact was given to her by a nurse . I called him . Aye, has something happened to your grandmother he said by the way of answering . I 39 m Chalk . You said Granny . . . I turned to look at Granny . She was still patting my clothes so I covered the phone a little . I 39 ll be back soon, Granny . She put her hands down . Come back soon . I walked to the corridor and picked the phone back up . You said my grandmother was in critical condition . What 39 s going on It 39 s two separate matters . Your grandmother saw it as an excuse to see you . I sighed . So it 39 s fake She 39 s fine No, no, it 39 s real . I 39 m confused . Your grandmother has no other family member around now . Your uncle and aunty are overseas . She wanted to see a family member so she had me call you over . So she 39 s fine I asked, letting my guard down . That 39 s what she thinks . There 39 s another thing that 39 s pretty serious . What is it I asked, frowning . Because she 39 s alone, we didn 39 t want to tell her about her condition . You must know that she 39 s over 70 and we 39 ve found lesions in two parts of her body . They are spreading . It 39 s critical, but we don 39 t know how to break the news to her . Since you 39 re here, we 39 re telling it to you now . So she 39 s really ill . . . Yes, but her case is rather unique . We don 39 t know how to show the report to her . Her case file is with me . I think it 39 s alright to hand them over to you now since you 39 re her family, the doctor said . Alright . Where are you, Doc I 39 ll go collect it . I 39 m in your hospital . That 39 s fine . It 39 s really messy here so I 39 ll make a trip down to that department during lunch break to pa.s.s it to you . I 39 m also going to personally share with you some information about your grandmother 39 s condition . I 39 m a bit busy at the moment so go spend some time with her in the meantime . Is . . . is it curable I asked . I 39 m still treating a patient right now so I 39 ll be brief . Because it 39 s not just one lesion, we do not suggest surgery . Alright . Okay . We 39 ll talk later . Sure . I 39 ll hang up now, Doctor Gao said before ending the call . I stood rooted to the ground, looking into the room . Granny had a powerful voice I heard her say, See that boy He 39 s my grandson . He 39 s working in a state enterprise . She chatted casually with other patients as I ma.s.saged my temples . After recalibrating my emotions, I calmly walked back into the ward .