Jedidiah woke up covered in sweat. He knew that today she would come. It had been three months but he did not forget her beautiful face nor her innocent smile.
Mai Lin, however, had no intention of going anywhere today. She didn't want to get out of her slippers and robe nor did she want to climb off her bed. It was one of those days where mother complained at her every move. "Mai the herbs needed to be plucked and you left out the blue pot to get dirty. Mai you made a mess in the bathroom again. Mai get dressed. Mai wash your clothes. Mai your music is too loud." The music was purposely too loud to drone out her mother's nagging voice every three minutes. Mai's father was down at the family's dry cleaning business and her mother was supposed to go to the market, but for some reason got delayed. Somehow it was her fault, as it was always her fault.
Mai had completely forgotten about the slip of paper that was stuck at the bottom of her laundry basket. She would never forget the small mousey blond boy who risked his life to save hers. He had a funny name and he was very strange talking about Jesus. Mai heard of Jesus, but being a Buddhist she never talked about him nor really thought much of it. She regarded him as a skinnier version of Buddha.
Mai dumped out her laundry basket to find a certain pair of jeans that she contemplated wearing and saw the crumpled phone bill with Jedidiah's scribbled writing on the back. Mai stared at it for a long time as if the paper was poisonous. Finally she reached into the basket and pulled out the paper, which despite being moldy and a little wet was nothing to fear. She opened the crumpled wad of paper and straightened it to read the words on the back. "Jesus Christ Saves". "Hmmm..." Mai thought as she recalled the words the funny boy told her. "I am to go to this house."
Mai had never prayed to Jesus. She had knelt many a time to the Buddha in the hallway and said her chants. But this was different. She wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do nor did that matter. She got on her knees as she had seen done in movies and she closed her eyes. "Um Jesus...you there?" Mai felt rather silly, but was compelled to continue. "I don't know if you are real, but you saved me... I guess. I mean that boy did but he said it was you. So...." Mai stopped, what do you say when you don't even know who you are talking to.
"I want to believe in you Jesus, but I don't know... and my mom will kill me." That last statement made Mai Lin smile. "Jesus I will do it. I will believe in you." Mai Lin stood up and grabbed her back pack, it was time to pay the odd boy from the pool a visit.
