Living in China started with a museum and a wish.
Love slave that I am, I travel with my love. In 2004, one of
his business trips took us to San Francisco. As usual I went to the Japanese
Tea Garden, and then to the Asian Art Museum. (I adore art and stalk every
museum I can). I was meandering through the galleries, and I came upon an
exhibit that focused on Suzhou (pronounced Sue-Joe) China.
The exhibit presented videos on the “Venice of the East”.
Suzhou earned the nickname because of the numerous canals that used to
transport goods through China. The town appeared to be a beautiful place but
most stunning were the gardens of Suzhou. Due to the mild climate, many of the
Emperors gardeners retired in Suzhou creating their own masterpieces. There are
eighteen magnificent gardens and each is different.
I was taken by these exquisite works of art. Every step
gifts you with another view the gardener wanted you to see. Around every turn a
new perspective that draws you further into the depths of the natural beauty
perfected and enhanced by the master gardener.
I watched the 20-minute video 3x crying at the magnificence.
Over the weekend, I brought my love to the museum mostly see the videos of
Suzhou. He was impressed.
Z.: “I wish we could live there. It’s so beautiful.”
My Love: “Be careful what you wish for…”
Two years later, my love and I settled into an apartment in
Suzhou China. We lived in Suzhou for almost six years. I spent many early
mornings and late afternoons, meandering through these works of art trying to
appreciate every gift the gardener had left.
In The Great Wall Styx and Jin go to the
gardens quite often. Here’s an excerpt from one of their garden adventures that
changes everything between them.
Excerpt from The Great
Wall:
“Let’s go to the Lion Grove Garden.”
A short train ride later, Styx and Jin were climbing around
the rockery of one of their favorite gardens.
Ornate gray limestone protrusions shot up around a tranquil
lake, its glassy surface marred only by occasional koi surfacing to feed and
ashes of their orange and silver gliding by. The limestone rocks, some of which
resembled lions, were littered with natural holes of various sizes and shapes
and formed an interesting maze. If the right path was chosen, it led to the
towering teahouse pavilion. The teahouse had been refurbished in the last
century, but the Chinese craftsmen were so precise with their restoration it
appeared original. Parts of the garden were untouched from the 1300s, though
braces now held up several of the ancient pine trees to prevent them from
toppling.
Styx sighed in irritation when a tour guide screamed to her
group, interrupting the garden’s peace. Her voice carried to them an
explanation of how the rocks came all the way from Taihu Lake. It wasn’t far by
modern standards, but in the Yuan dynasty, it must have seemed like an
interplanetary move.
As expected, around three thirty the tour groups left. Apart
from a few older folks, Jin and Styx had the garden to themselves.
Jin beamed at Styx. “We have to thank your grandfather again
for these passes. Mmmm, smell the jasmine.”
He stuck his face in the large bush to inhale. When he finally
stepped back, he came away with several white petals stuck in his golden hair.
“Come here.” Styx plucked each flower petal out of Jin’s
hair. He fought the need to exchange kisses for each petal.
Jin leaned over, bringing with him the intoxicating scent of
the flowers mixing with his own.
Styx was glad Jin relished the gardens of Suzhou as much as
he did. With the garden passes, they visited the eighteen popular gardens
created by the emperor’s retired gardeners, and even the smaller, lesser- known
ones commissioned by rich merchants.
“Yeah, just remember we have to renew the cards soon. Hard
to believe we’ve been in Suzhou for almost a year,” Styx mused.
They climbed the steep, rough-hewn limestone steps, along at
stone bridges between formations, and down into the rockery that rimmed the
pond. Across from their position, a number of elderly people gathered for an
informal senior social club at the old teahouse. The excited words of two men
playing a heated game of mahjong carried to them, making Styx recall how
animated Jin became when he won a game.
“Styx?”
“Jin?” He hoped to lighten the direction of the conversation
he was sure Jin would take.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were depressed?” The words
tumbled out of Jin as if he’d held them back far too long.
Styx tried to make fun of the diagnosis. “According to the
doctor, I’m not. I need to focus on my work.”
He didn’t miss the concern on Jin’s face. Turning away, Styx
climbed onto the next section of rocks. The trees blocked their view of the tea
pavilion’s ornate carved guardians and the people gathered in their protective
shadow. Styx almost believed they were the only ones in the world.
“Styx?”
A one-word warning told him he’d
better fess up and do so quickly. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want you to
know.” No man wanted to show such a loss of face. His inner voice demanded he
act as culture dictated.
Styx jumped off the bridge path and landed on the rock face.
He stepped around the peak, grabbing one of the jagged edges as he climbed over
to grin at Jin.
“Careful, Styx.”
He scaled the unexplored parts of the rockery, relishing the
fact he was breaking the rules. He’d left the proper-acting, rule-following boy
back in Yintang. Here with Jin, he became himself—Styx, the boy who loved
making Jin laugh, and not Jun Tai, the boy who had to marry a neighbor girl to
please his family and honor tradition.
Styx orbited Jin, leaping from limestone outcropping to tiny
footholds in the rocks until once again he stood beside his favorite person in
the world.
BUY LINKS:
The Great Wall
Blurb:
Destiny will be decided by a battle between heart and mind….
Jun Tai “Styx” Wong loves two things: playing the drums and
his best friend, Jin. But being a good Chinese son means he can’t have
either—he’ll have to marry a girl of his parents’ choosing and settle into a
traditional job. His move to the bigger city of Suzhou is both a blessing and
curse, as living with Jin makes it harder for Styx to suppress his desires.
Nearly dying while trying to eradicate his feelings serves as a wake-up call
for Jin, who takes extreme measures to keep Styx safe from harm.
When given a second chance at life and happiness, will Styx
be able to claim the future he wants with Jin, his bandmates, and his music?
Can love and hope grow with the constantly looming threat of Styx’s parents
ordering him home? Great things await—if Styx finds the courage to break down
the wall that stands between him and everything he wants.
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