Petals of Ruby and Jade

by Nick Yee

Yu-Heng and Man-Fung grew up next door to each other. When they were still boys, they often terrorized chickens and painted the cows black. The autumn they turned 10, they even ran away together for three days until they grew tired of running away. Everyone in the village thought of them as brothers. When they both entered the same university together far away from home, it was no surprise that they became even closer friends.

By then, Man-Fung had grown a pair of broad shoulders and a pair of eyes that seemed dark enough to hold the moon captive. They say it was not his eyes though, but his every move and gesture that were truly captivating. Yu-Heng grew tall instead, and traded weight for height, and captivation for keen introspection. They say he thought too much.

An-Mei and Man-Fung fell in love with each other the first moment they met. They spoke until the banquet ended, and then until An-Mei fell asleep in his arms under the autumn moonlight. They found themselves in each other and loving one another made them whole. Together, they were able to forget the world.

Yu-Heng smiled with everyone else, but then not even a smile could dispel the loneliness he began to feel inside. The emptiness became a gnawing pain and soon a silent jealousy filled his weary heart. He did not hate An-Mei because their love was inevitable, and because deep inside he was happy for Man-Fung.

One winter day, An-Mei came to Yu-Heng in tears. He tried to comfort her and when she had emptied her tears, she was holding his hand. She had told him about a misunderstanding that became misunderstood. She told him her fears, and found comfort in his words. She trusted him because she knew that he understood Man-Fung. That winter, An-Mei spent many nights talking to Yu-Heng. They spoke of her fears. They spoke of her dreams with Man-Fung. But more often, the candle-glow flickered as they spoke about Man-Fung and nothing else.

War had broken out when winter returned. Man-Fung joined the army, while Yu-Heng stayed behind to finish his studies. An-Mei wrote him letters, but she never sent them because she felt they did not capture the passion she had for him. One night, she asked Yu-Heng to help her write what was really in her heart. Yu-Heng chose words for her until she fell asleep, and then he wrote alone until the moon set. An-Mei sent the letter the next day while Yu-Heng was still sleeping.

Man-Fung returned from war one unusually warm spring day, and proposed to An-Mei as soon as he saw her. On their wedding day, as they embraced, Yu-Heng could hold back his tears no longer and cried.

Some say that Yu-Heng cried because he was happy for the pair. Others say that he cried because his loneliness overwhelmed him. No one guessed that he cried because one autumn night long ago, he also fell in love.