Free Smoke and Shadow by Gamal Hennessy Page B

heard the
sympathy in Baker ’ s sigh just before he hung up. “ Understood. Say hello to your mom
for me. ”

Chapter Four: This Woman ’ s Work
     
    In spite of her condition, Sunny
Chu answered the phone with an enthusiasm worthy of her
name.
     
    “ Hello beautiful
boy. Why are you wasting time calling an old woman like
me? ”
     
    “ I just wanted
to hear your voice, pretty lady. How are you holding
up? ”
     
    “ I ’ m
perfectly fine my dear, but you don ’ t need to worry about that. I know
you ’ re probably at
work. You shouldn ’ t be calling me when you ’ re on a secret mission. Now
don ’ t go and get
yourself in trouble with Mr. Baker. You can ’ t take advantage of him just because
he ’ s your
friend. ”
     
    “ It ’ s fine,
Ma. He wants me to stay in touch with my mother. ”
     
    “ He ’ s such a
nice man. Do you know he sent me flowers on my birthday? I
can ’ t believe he
remembered my favorite kind. You always send roses, but he sent me
the most beautiful cushion chrysanthemums with a personal card in
perfect calligraphy. He ’ s so nice. How is Mr. Baker these days? Are you ever going to
get together with him? ”
     
    “ Hey! I thought
you liked roses. ” Chu smiled to himself. His mother ’ s infectious buoyancy lifted his
spirits when no one else could. “ Baker is fine, ma. And he has a
wife, remember? Besides, I didn ’ t call to talk about him. I called
to check up on you. Are you ok? ”
     
    “ Oh,
I ’ m perfectly
fine. I spend most of my time rolling around the clinic. You know
there ’ s so much to
do these days. So many people need help, but it gives me something
to do to keep my old hands busy. ”
     
    “ I ’ m glad
you ’ re staying out
of trouble, but you ’ ve always been helping people. Who ’ s there to help
you? ”
     
    “ I
don ’ t need any
help. I ’ ve got two
good hands and pretty good eyes. I still have my hair and almost
all my teeth. Why would I need anyone to help me? A lot of people
my age can ’ t even
chew their own food. ”
     
    Chu laughed with
her, but his response held more irony. “ If you say so …”
     
    “ I do say so,
but you don ’ t
believe me. What ’ s
wrong, my beautiful boy? What are you so worried
about? ”
     
    “ Nothing, I just
wanted to talk to you. ”
     
    “ I like that
very much. I appreciate the company. ”
     
    “ So
where ’ s Dad?
What ’ s he been up
to? ”
     
    “ You know your
father is down at the Blue Crane. He gets so worked up over his
games. I hate to think about what the stress is doing to his heart.
It ’ s just not good
for him. ”
     
    “ How good is it
for you? ”
     
    “ I ’ m
perfectly fine, my dear. Your father wins quite often.
He ’ s very
good. ”
     
    “ But what
happens when he loses? ”
     
    The creak of slow
spinning wheels harmonized with Sunny Chu ’ s sigh of resignation. “ He has always been very
passionate about his interests, my dear. ”
     
    Chu ’ s eyes
burned. “ That ’ s not
passion, Ma. It ’ s
anger, and whatever it is doesn ’ t give him the right to take it out
on you. ”
     
    “ It ’ s fine, baby. It ’ s fine. I spend my days at the
clinic. He spends his nights at the Crane. I hardly get to see him
much at all these days, except for church on
Sunday …”
     
    “ So you spend
your life running from your husband? You hide from him so he
can ’ t hurt
you? ”
     
    “ No, no it ’ s not like that at all. ” Sunny spoke with the smooth soothing tones of a
mother trying to protect her son from the evils of the
world. “ I ’ m not
afraid of your father. I ’ m not afraid of anyone. I know I
have a strong son who looks after me. ”
     
    “ But
I ’ m not there for
you, and I wasn ’ t
there when you really needed me. ”
     
    “ Beautiful boy,
you have been running to my rescue from the day you started to
walk. I still have your protection bottle. You saved me more times
than you can ever know. And now, you ’