4 Why does it have to be Han? (1/2)
When his father left the hospital, Richard packed his bags and went back to his parents' house. It was a decision he and his brothers arrived at after an hour of discussion. Their parents were getting on in years and the hired nurses could only do so much. And since he was single and his hours flexible, the choice naturally fell on him.
Richard set up an office in one of the old buildings in the estate and spent his days driving the short distance between the main house and his office. His parents seemed satisfied with his filial dedication and he was satisfied to be doing his own thing. The only one out in the cold and seething about the arrangement was Valerie, who demanded that Richard introduce her to his parents so they could get married immediately.
She had gone to the south to film her TV show and came back just as Richard was packing his bags to leave. She had been naturally pissed off and even screamed shrilly at him like a fishwife. She stormed off in anger but returned an hour later to demand that Richard honor his commitments to her because she was owed.
He forced her to become his mistress; she can't openly date him because everyone knew his ex-wife.She was sick and tired of being constantly introduced as one of his talents every time they were out. Everything will be okay once they're married and people realize how much in love they really were.
Richard didn't say a word and merely continued folding clothes in his bag.He wanted to say something but what? He didn't know. He had been feeling out of depth since his divorce and he can't understand why. The work he had loved so much and put much time to build had started to seem stale to him.
Even the people who knew him personally was surprised when he announced he was leaving the city to move back in his with his parents. Leave city M? Just when his top talents were earning successes in the movie and TV industry? What was he thinking about? Du Lu, who had started the business with him, was more blunt: ”You sound like you're nursing a big broken heart. Is it An Ning or Valerie?”
He didn't even rise to the challenge, merely walking away and locking himself inside his office. He started the talent agency when he came back from uni five years ago, His father had been very surprised since he had been expected to take his place in the family business along with Alex. But three years spent in Europe and months traveling with a group of students on a pilgrimage to Fatima changed all that.
One of the students in the group had been a struggling actor who convinced him to manage his career. The actor had been in the business for nearly two years and had been through three different agents, one of whom attempted to **** him during an out-of-town shoot. Richard was intrigued by the actor's tale of woes.
It sounded ugly yet fascinating to him. When he came back, he immediately contacted a realtor and rented an office under his partner's name on the ground floor of a building owned by his former in-laws.
The business took off almost immediately. Du Lu was street smart and knew the business insideout. At first, he helped Richard navigate the industry's under belly then left to concentrate on becoming a famous actor when Richard transformed from an ingenue to the steely-eyed human-eating wolf everyone was terrified about. For Richard, the life of an agent became a journey of self-discovery.
He realized that by changing careers, he more or less took a job that measured him for his competence alone in an industry that allowed him no lifeline in case of failure. But he also realized that this world, which can become toxic and deadly depending on current ratings and box office returns, was something that suited his personality. He loved to talk, he loved to party, and he loved the make-believe that sells itself as true and real in a world riddled with the fake and meaningless.
The holidays came and went. He heard that Han was back in the army and that An Ning was staying with her parents. Valerie was in Venice shooting a movie, which paired her with a popular young actor whom not a lot of people know was gay. Valerie was excited to do the movie because it was her first and the publicity was going to be enormous. Richard squeezed a lot of money on her behalf from the producer who also wrote the screenplay. The story was infantile, the production big and Richard was flat out bored with it all.
He drove to the city one day to check the publicity stills that the production was preparing for release the following week. It was hot and humid and traffic was at a stand still. The road was literally clogged with cars and angry motorists sweating under the sun. Seeing the long line ahead, Richard called the production crew and re-sked a meeting with them the day after. Turns out, one of the crew staff was about to call him to ask the same.
”There seems to be a major accident up ahead,” the staff said. ”About a truck and an ambulance I believe. I heard it on the radio.”
Richard said something about police cars driving towards the crash and was about to put his phone down when he heard his name being called.He turned to his right and saw An Ning on a car beside him, her perspiring face leaning out of the window.
”Richard!” An Ning screamed, tears running down her terrified face. ”Richard! Help...help me! Get me to the hospital please. I think I'm losing the baby.”
Richard stared stupidly at her. ”What?”
”Help me,” An Ning sobbed. ”Take me to the hospital.”
Released from his catatonic state, Richard run to the car and opened the driver's door.”What the hell are you doing?” he snapped angrily. ”Don't you have the sense you were born with? Who told you to drive a car when you're pregnant?”
”I was about to meet Han at Charlie's.He said no but I insisted. I was getting bored doing nothing and it's not far. Richard...please...please help me,” she said, her thin shoulders wracking from her sobs.
Richard depressed the seat belt, lifted her in his arms and carried her to his own car.An Ning was crying brokenly, her small body heaving with each sob, her stomach barely visible under the loose white summer dress she was wearing.
”Let me have your phone,” he said.When he found the name, he pressed the call button and waited. The phone was answered after one ring.
”An Ning? Where are you? I just got off the plane and heard the news,” Han's voice was racked with worry. ”Are you okay?”
”Meet us in St. Lukes,” Richard said without preamble, starting the car and driving thru the island into the opposite lane. ”I'm driving there now. The hospital in Lithe. The road is open to traffic.”
”Richard? Is she okay?”
”She's alright. Just a bit shook up. I'll call ahead and let them know. Here,” he said, turning to An Ning. ”He wants to talk to you.”
By now, two police cars were trailing after Richard's car. One car drove closer, the driver gesturing angrily for him to stop. An Ning leaned her head out the window and yelled at him. The driver of the car, a young policeman barely out of his teens, stared at her then as her words finally made sense, his eyes opened wide in horror.
There was a sudden screeching of the brakes.The police car swerved to the shoulder and came to an abrupt stop. The other police car behind him tried to avoid the car in front of him but plowed instead next to an EMT parked on the roadside.
Richard drove on steadily, watching the unfolding catastrophe on his rear view mirror with detached amusement. ”And it's only Monday. I wonder what you'll do next for an encore.”
”It does feel like a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid kind of getaway, doesn't it?” An Ning grunted, her face pale and wet with sweat.”But poor Han won't be able to get through in that pile up.”
Richard dialed Han's number.”Change of plans. Go to the Western Hotel in Wilson. There's a helipad on the rooftop. A plane will be waiting for you. It will get you thru to the hospital faster.”
”What happened?”