A pauper's excuse

 Lu Yi and I were approached the expansive delta, we had no way of knowing the depth of the water.
After a brief arguement. We thought it would be better to take off our boots and try to make it across with our pants rolled up. 
Wading into the delta the underwater vegetation cushioning our feet. The current quite strong in some parts. We could see little flecks of houses in the distance it was the city. I looked back at Lu yi's worried face.
"Lets go back, it looks like it might rain."
I'd never seen her so worried before, back in our hometown she seemed the most courageous of any of the girls. Now she was in an all out state of panic.
I walked her back to the water's edge.
"Do you want me to come back here and get you in about a week?"
she stirred "I think it's just better for me to go back home."
"Well you know what to expect I guess, same controlling people, our families can barely afford to feed us."

The consternation across her face was almost humorous to me, I was never able to appreciate caution.
"Come on, you heard Zhan's story about the opportunties and great wonders of the city."
She reluctantly caved for a second time. So we waded out, once again.
Perhaps we would have avoided calamity by not having hesitated for so long, hindsight is a psychological kick in the face.

The dark clouds had really accumulated, the sky began spitting, timely Lu Yi began her "I told you sos".
After thirty kilometers of trudging endless rice paddies, it was like water over a ducks back. As I pictured the feathers of the ducks back amusingly, In that sudden tragic shock of a moment, a thick layered torrent swept us prostrate.
The first thing that went was my boots. I had no idea where Lu Yi had ended up.
An hour of being washed around in those waters. Onto a huge pile of debris and grass. I gripped the mess as the water slowly subsided.   

Exhausted, I walked toward the smoke in the sky, under great overgrown evergreens that used to part of some abandoned estate. Tall thick grass up to my chin, using a staff I'd fashioned out of a branch to beat my entry into the grasses incase of mangshan vipers that nested there.

Coming out on the other side, I spent the night in a park, under some pergola that offered just enough shelter from the random passing showers.
Morning a cloudy greyish yellow. I was barefoot, I had lost my bag, my money and I was filthy.
Hunger slowly set in.
I made my way down the street parallel to the park into a middle class neighbourhood that sprawled out for many kilometers.
Following the wider avenues I found my way into town.

I tried to ask for some food at a local convenience store. The storekeeper had laughed at me and told me to leave. I felt pathetic, but I thanked him for his time, as he stared at me cynically.
"If you steal anything, I'll catch you beat you and take you to the police station myself."
"I lost my money and belongings in the flood, yesterday" I replied trying to hold the bitterness back.
The storekeeper looked away, ignoring me.
A few kilometers down the road getting closer to the city center I smelt the delicious aroma of fried food.
I hid outside a restaurant behind a wooden fence and some shrubs. I knew begging wouldn't get me anywhere. I was at the back of the restaurant, I could see their trashcans, as much as I abhored the thought of scavenging here, it had already been 24 hours since my last meal.

The door flicked open and scruffy thirty year old man came loading scraps into the main bin.
I secretly thanked God and when the swing doors closed behind him, I made my way carefully to the bin.
It was full of the uneaten fried potato chips and pieces of meat and salad. I saw a whole uneaten piece of battered fried chicken. This was it, peel the batter off like a perect cover and eat the chicken inside.
Oh was it good? Incredibly! Until I got to near the bone and noticed it was almost raw. I threw it down and cursed at the same time as spitting the last mouthful out. It had been thrown out because it was undercooked. I was twenty nine years old but it seemed I had to learn every life lesson over again one by one. starting with listening to Lu Yi.

I got water from the tap next to the bins and cleaned myself up.
I was now semi clean and fed. Maybe I am doing something right.
I continued toward the city center. As the cloudy but still visible sunset was coming over the horizon I saw a good bridge to camp under for the night. 
A few dogs wandering around and on the otherside of the river the bridge crossed was a group of semi organized homeless.

I slept on a pile of rags in the protected area between the upright columns and sloping abutment of the bridge. I woke to see the redhaired crossbreed labrador licking the black mut with the white chest.
Neither of them perturbed by my presence.
They followed me as I walked onward toward where I thought the city center was. I'd get a job. I'd get somewhere to stay. I'd live here. I'd survive somehow. Where the hell is Lu Yi right now.
After being looked unapprovingly by the sidewalk commuters under the tall narrow buildings I came on what looked to be a corporate business park. With a big field and a mural made out of glistening steel in the middle, supposedly a seashell.

Build under the side of a small hill was a very trendy looking cafe. I went over partly out of necessity and partly out of curiosity.
"Am I far from the city center?" In the most honest sounding voice I could conjure.
"Yeah about 3 kilometers along the main road north west there." The owner seemed to have a look of understanding.
I nodded like I knew where he was talking about.
"Can I please use your toilet?"
"Yeah, it's a unisex straight ahead, those people you can see there are in line."
"ok"
There were three other people in the line, one dressed in old ragged clothes worse than me.
He had soiled himself and he stink of it was getting to the other two ahead of him, positioning themselves exactly toward the toilet door as if god would see and speedily rush the occupier out.
It wasn't to be, the occupier took 10 minutes. One of the men infront left the line furiously cursing and wadling like he'd been holding on.
A few minutes later Lu Yi came out of the door. I almost tried to hide in shame at the way I looked.
She caught me straight away. taking three purposeful paces and hugging me.
"What happened to you?"
"I lost everything in the flood and went looking for you." I lied, I had tried not to think about what could have happened to Lu Yi to not drive myself crazy.
"you look like a holocaust survivor ." Ashamed I changed the subject, noting she was tying on a uniform.
"Well looks like you survived. Are you working here?"
"Yeah pretty sweet, I got rescued from the river that runs through the city.
Mister Wang and his wife saw me in the water. They own the place."

Wow how some hit it lucky I thought, she didn't look like my sister anymore. No one I knew had such confidence and spark.
"Almost drowning certainly changes a person." Even the way she spoke didnt seem like her. However she did have a way of adapting.

After finally using the toilet and cleaning myself up a bit, I came out to the main seating area where a bowl of food was waiting for me and Mr Wang was talking to Lu Yi.
"So your the brother?"
"Yes sir"
"Well we can't offer you much here, I got pair of shoes here for you, Your sister says they are your size. And 100 yuan. You can come and visit anytime. But I can't offer you any more money."
"Thank you sir" I managed between slurping down the food. Secretly I collected the scraps in a napkin.

I Hugged Lu Yi realizing I was killing her gig and left. The red lab and black mut were both sitting waiting. I gave them the scraps I had taken from the restaurant and walked toward the city center with my new albeit used shoes and two companions.