A Great Great Trip

A Great Great Trip

Fionna

"Sam said he would offer us a trip on Labour Day. I said I would go with you and some friends. Will you come?" I asked Cera on our way to dorm.

"Wow, great! Where will we go?" Cera's face lighted.

"We haven't mentioned it yet. I'll ask him tonight and when you go back to your room you can ask Hua if she would like to go with us."

"OK."

"And remember no to tell others, I haven't asked Sam how many friends I can bring but it's not good to bother him with too many people."

"Yes, I know" Cera nodded, "Americans are very kind, though. When we are walking out from Walmart with heavy bags, there are always kind-hearted strangers offering us a free ride to our dorm."

"Yeah, and when you are waiting to cross the street, the cars will always wait for you! In our country all the vehicles are scrabbling road and never wait for passers-by unless there is a traffic light."

"Exactly, Americans are pretty good." Cera agreed with me.

"I have invited an American friend to my dorm tonight. I met her at the party. She's very nice. I'll cook for her. Will you come and enjoy us?"

"I'd love to. I know you're a good cook, but I have to go to my evening class..."

"Ok, oh my ab hurts again," I put my hands on my lower abdomen, " It seems my BIG AUNT has come to see me."

"Are you still regular?" Cera casted me a look of sympathy.

"No, she should have come two weeks ago." I struggled with the pain.

"Me either, maybe it's because we just came here and we need time to adjust to it."

"Yes, I have to go to the toilet and remember to ask Hua!"

"No problem! I'm sure she will go with us because it will be a great great trip!"

"Ok, see you!"

"Bye!"

My BIG AUNT didn't come, perhaps she lost direction on her way to America.

I went to my dorm and prepared to write an email to Sam.

Sam was a salesman in a nearby store. The second day we arrived in the small town, I and Cera went shopping at the store. He greeted us warmly and helped us to get the mop we were searching for. He was very kind to us and we had a happy conversation. He had an ancestry of many countries, mainly Scotland. Also, he knew a lot about our home country and he could even speak a little of our language. We exchanged emails before we left the store. He emailed us that night and we became friends soon.

Labour day was coming, it would be our first festival in America. We were all hungery to learn the culture and people here. However, the problem was we didn't have a car or even a bicycle, we had just come here for two weeks. And there was almost no public transportation in the small town. Then Sam said he would like to offer us a trip, he even asked for a sick leave to spend the trip with us. How kind he was!

I still needed to know how many people he can take, because many of my friends must want to catch the chance to spend the first festival with an American. Then I wrote:

  Dear Sam,

It`s terrific that we can spend the Labour Day holiday and travel together. How many friends can I bring? Is two or three OK?

And where will we go on that day? Do you have any plan for it?

We are all expecting for the trip, thank you very much!

Have a good day!

Yours,

Fio

After sending the email, I scurried to the kitchen and cooked for Mandy, the American girl I met at the party.

She came at 6 o'clock sharply, as I guessed, Americans were always punctual. I introduced my roommate Kay to her and we enjoyed the food.

"So do you guys like the place here?" Mandy asked a most popular question that we have been asked for many times.

"Yeah," we both nodded, "It's very peaceful and people here are very friendly."

"Yes, we can have free ride when we walked out of Walmart, there are always good people take us back to school." Kay repeated the free ride part.

"Oh you take it?" Mandy opened her eyes widely, "I can't believe you take it! It's not safe!"

Now it's our turn to open eyes widely and stared at her.

"Really, especially when it's dark, and you're walking alone in the street. It's OK if it was a family that offered you a ride, but if it was a man alone, you should be careful!"

We were much surprised. It was like riding on a pillow of cloud, rising up to the heaven and then someone told you in a sudden: "Welcome to the seventeenth floor of hell!"

"For us, the biggest thing to worried about is called 'rape', do you know what is it?"

We nodded.

"Yeah, especially when you go out with a man at night, you should be very careful. Even you go out with a man you know well, but it can happen when he gets drunk."

After we finished dinner, it was almost 9 p.m. We insisted to accompany Mandy to her dorm to thank her for giving us a lot of advices, though her college was just opposite of ours. She said she appreciated  it very much, because it made her feel safe.

We went back and I checked my mail, Sam had already wrote back:

Hi Fio,

I plan on taking you to my hometown of Multon, which is only a 45 miniute drive from here. I will show you around town and I'll show you my Dad's house. My Dad and Stepmother are going to be out of town, but I can still show you around. My Uncle has a small horse farm...maybe you would like to see the horses? There are also some Texas Longhorn cattle on a farm between here and Multon. I have no clue how they got there.

From there we will go to the State Park which is an old Cival War battleground. Do you know about the U.S. Cival War? Also the park overlooks the Mississippi River which is the largest river in the U.S. and one of the 10 largest rivers on Earth. There is also a museum there. So bring cameras. You will see some things that you will want to share with others.

I have a small car, so there is only room for you and two other people.

If you can think of something else that you would like to see, just let me know.

Have a good day!

Sam

It was wonderful! I told Kay the plan and her eyes became shining. We were both brought up in the crowded city, we had rarely seen live horse. What's more, we were going to see a lot of American scenes! It surely would be a great great trip!

But why there was room for only three people? I couldn't imagine how small the car was. For most of the cars I think it will be enough room for four people, in addition, it's in America！The cars should be more big, because people here are much bigger.

My abdomen hurt again. I wanted my BIG AUNT to come now, because then she wouldn't trouble me on the great great trip. I usually had a severe pain on the first day my BIG AUNT came, it was like a thousand threads hanging in my lower abdomen with a big rock. And the rock dangled with my steps when I was walking. Also I couldn't touch cold water or sit on the ground or walked long distance when my BIG AUNT came to me, it would hurt or leave some bad effects to a woman's body. I didn't want my BIG AUNT to have the trip with me. I wanted to go hiking in the park and play with water of Mississippi River!

The next day I told Cera how amazing Sam's plan was, but Cera said she wouldn't go with us, neither did Hua, she would go to her cousin's home.

"Sorry but my Mom kept nagging on this for a whole hour last night! I even shed tears!" Cera looked at me helplessly.

"Why?" I was pretty confused.

"My Mom said we don't know what the person will do to us. What if he's a freak and kill us?"

"But you know he's a great person!"

"My Mom said we can never judge a person by his appearance. She wouldn't let me go."

"But we can call a boy to go with us and we can bring our knives!" I dreamed to fight against bad eggs since I was a kid, but I never really did it.

"Sorry, I can't go unless my parents allow me to," Cera signed," if you want to call a boy you can call Jacco, maybe he would like to go with you."

"OK." I can call a boy with us and there wouldn't be more than three persons if we go without Cera. It's not a bad thing.

I went back to dorm and told Kay Cera wouldn't go on the trip.

"Oh she told me this afternoon." Kay said.

"I think her mother has been worrying too much, do you think so? Sam is a great person."

"I don't know but she's right that a person can never be judged by his appearance. Are you sure he is a good person?"

"I'm not sure but it seemed he was very nice..." I thought if there was something unnatural, "The only thing troubled me is he never mentioned his wife or children and he's about 50 years old now, I guess..."

"It's weird." Kay said, frowning.

"Don't worry, I'll call a boy to go with us and I'll bring my knife on the trip."

I called Jacco.

"Hi Jacco, this is Fio, will you go on a trip with us on Labour Day?"

"Where?"

"It's...Oh!" my abdomen hurt again, "I have to go to the toilet, give me your number and I'll talk to you later on-line."

I hurried to the toilet and my BIG AUNT still didn't come. Why did she enjoy cheating on me?

Then I told Jacco the plan on-line, he seemed very excited.

"Cool! It must be a great great trip!"

"Yeah, I guess so. Will you go to Walmart with us tomorrow? To buy some food for the trip. Labour Day is the day after tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I'm afraid I can't go because I have promised to go shopping with Cera and Hua."

"Ok, we'll just buy you some food."

"That will be best! Thank you!"

"You're welcome, see you on Labour Day!"

"See you then!"

Then I emailed to Sam:

Hi Sam,

It`s wonderful that we can share the holiday together.

I will bring two friends only, my roomate Kay and a friend named Jacco. Cera had something to deal with so she will not go with us.

We are glad to meet with your family that day, but can you tell me about your famiy before that? I want to make preparations, otherwise I will be nervous.

When and where shall we meet on Labour Day?

Keep in touch!

Yours,

Fio

As soon as I emailed the letter, my Mom called me on-line. It was a clinche that I told my Mom what I was doing and what I would do, this time including the great great trip.

"Don't go alone if nobody goes with you." Mom also worried about this, but I could understand.

The next day, I and Kay went to Walmart. Besides Chips and bread, I also bought some flour, sugar and vanilla. I had intended to cook a big lunch box but concerning we wouldn't have heatings on our trip, I changed my mind to bake some cookies. Sam was so kind and I just wanted to do something in return.

Kay suggested us buy some bottled water.

"It's not safe to drink water given by others, we'd better bring some." She said.

After we came back I baked the cookies. It was my first time to bake cookies. I put water into the butter and sugar, trying to melt them but finally the flour was too wet and I had to put more flour. When it was done, it tasted with a flavor of dough. But it was sweet enough to satisfy an American appetite. I was already imagining the scene that Sam was eating my cookies and praised me whole-heartedly. It became sweeter and I drank three glasses of water.

I checked my mail and Sam wrote:

Hi Fio...

Here is how it is. 

My real Mother died back in 2000 and my only Brother died in 2002 in an unexplained car accident.

After my real Mother died, My Dad married a lady named Pauline and she is a sweetheart. In fact, she has been very good for the family and I love her as if she were my own mother.

I still have an Uncle who is the Brother to my real Mother. He is the one who has the horse farm that I told you about. Problem is that he doesn't like foreigners. Most likely due to all of the factory closings in this area. So it will be best if we don't go there.

But then again there is the State Park which overlooks the Mississippi River. It's an old Cival War battleground. Most people don't know about it..so I'm sure that you will see something that most people have never seen.

As far as Family, my Dad is all that I have left. People get old and they die. I don't like it, but that's the way that life is.

You asked me and I told you. We'll meet at the Parking Lot at 11 a.m on Labour Day. I'll be more than glad to show you and your friends around. In fact, I actually look forward to it.

Keep in touch,

Sam

I read the letter to Kay.

"But he still didn't mention about his wife or children, and the part he mentioned about his parents and uncle is so strange, it seems none of his family would like to see us. And the place he's going to take us seems very lonely."

"Maybe he divorced" I tried to think for the best," and it's not good to ask about this."

Then I saw Jacco calling me on the Internet.

"Hi Jacco!" I typed, "we'll meet 11 a.m. in the Parking Lot, do you know where it is?"

"Actually I have a question. How much do you know about him?"

"I know he is a nice guy and he is a salesman in the store near by."

"How do you know he's nice? Cera talked to me about him and what her mother told her. I'm hesitating now."

"Come on! You are a boy!" I couldn't believe a boy could be frightened like this.

"But we've just been here for two weeks, we don't even have cellphones to call for help if something happens!"

"I can bring my knife with me, and you can bring yours, too."

"Remember it's legal here to have a gun. What are we going to do with our knives if he points a gun to us?"

"But you are a 20 year-old boy and he's about 50 years old!"

"But a man cannot fight against a gun, right? And I'm not going to take this risk."

"Ok, then you don't go with us."

I turned to Kay, "Jacco was so timid!" I was a little irritated. "He's afraid if Sam shot him and he's not going with us. He's like a girl!"

"Uh-uh, but can we go by ourselves without a boy? " Kay asked as if she was trying to explore something. "Just two of us?"

Kay's words reminded me the key point and then I typed to Jacco:

"Would any of your roommate or friends like to go with us? We need a boy."

"Probably no one will go with you..."

"Wimps!" I said to Kay, "the boys are all wimps!"

"Fio," Kay said with a soft tone," I think we'd better not go, either. It's not safe for us only two girls. Remember what Mandy said about the dark and the ride?"

"Yes," I agreed with Kay, "but what can I explain to Sam? Tell him we can't go because we are afraid he will rape us and kill us?"

Kay turned to her computer and didn't answer.

I must have drank too much water and I hurried to the toilet. I found my BIG AUNT! She came so secretly this time. No pain, no aura, I didn't even know she came.

After changing my pants, I emailed Sam like this:

Dear Sam,

I'm so sorry that I suddenly have some femine problems with my body so it will be unconvenient to go out and move around. Can we just cancel the great trip and we will invite you to our dorm to have a meal? I mean, you can come to my dorm and I will cook you good dishes tomorrow afternoon and we can also chat with each other. Is that OK?

I`m really sorry about the cancelment but It will be hard if I go out. You know ,girls always have more problems.

I live in Ruth Building, Room 563 and my dorm phone number is 236-835-9031. I wish you could come! You can email me the answer whether you will come, I will check the email tomorrow morning.

Have a great day!

Fio