Tangled Vines (16 page)

Erik moaned again, something unintelligible.

“Okay, Erik. You’re sorry. I get it. Now please just shut up.” She didn’t care what he had to say. She just wanted to get home to Jojo.

The taxi driver kept staring at them in the mirror and it was irritating Li Jin. He was probably wondering how she’d snagged herself a rich-looking foreigner. And with his being from the older generation, he didn’t approve. Well, she didn’t, either, she thought as she shot him an indignant look. She didn’t need his stern looks to tell her she’d screwed up her life by partnering with Erik. But every young woman in China wasn’t lucky enough to make only good choices. Some had people in their lives to back them up and lead them straight. Some had the reassurance of a roof over their heads if something went wrong.

Some had parents.

She didn’t need him judging her. She’d had enough of that in her life.

“Kuai yi dian.”
She told him to hurry and shot him another defiant look in the mirror. Then she gazed out the window, ignoring Erik’s moans and drunken declarations of love.

Finally the driver screeched to a stop in front of their building. Li Jin nudged Erik to wake him up. He’d have to walk; she couldn’t possibly get him up the stairs by herself. This definitely had to be the drunkest she’d ever seen him.

She looked at the driver in the mirror, hoping he’d offer his assistance.

“Yi bai kuai,”
he said, looking away quickly to let her know there was no room for negotiation.

Li Jin pulled the bill from her purse and threw it over the seat. The driver could have helped her; as he was getting one hundred reminbi for a thirty-reminbi trip. Shooting him a dirty look in his mirror, she opened the car door and climbed out, then came around to Erik’s side.

She opened the door and Erik almost fell on top of her. She grabbed him and shook him.

“Erik. We’re home. You have to get out and walk.” She pulled until he clumsily moved his long legs out of the car; then she helped him stand.

“What time is it?” he mumbled. “Where’s my drink?”

Li Jin ignored him and led him to their stairwell. She looked up at the steep stairs and sighed. It was going to be a long climb. As they went, he ranted at her almost incoherently about how much he was doing for her and her son. Li Jin wished she were brave enough to tell him he’d never have gotten the great deal on their apartment if she hadn’t put it in her name and helped him avoid the overpriced rent most foreigners had to pay. But he didn’t think she was good for anything, obviously.

Half pushing him, half pulling him, she finally got him to their door. She took out her keys and opened it as he leaned against her. Finally, they were in. Out of breath, she led him to the bedroom and to the bed. He dropped, his face buried in the mattress, and didn’t move another muscle.

Sweating now from the exertion, she reached down and unlaced his shoes, pulled them off, and tossed them in the corner of the room. She recoiled as she bent over him. He reeked of cigarettes and booze. She looked at her watch. It was after four in the morning. She really wanted to get Jojo but it was much too late to wake up Ms. Jing. She’d just have to wait until morning.

She sighed and went into the bathroom, already planning on taking Jojo’s spot on the couch. But there was no way she’d be able to sleep a wink until she got the stench of the bar scene off her. She undressed quickly, dropped her clothes in a pile at her feet, and climbed in the shower, relieved to finally have peace and quiet.

She moaned as the water ran down her back, glad in this moment that their apartment had some of the best plumbing she’d ever known. Most showers in places she had lived consisted of only a showerhead attached to the wall of the bathroom and a drain behind the toilet. But Erik had insisted on a Western-style toilet and shower when he’d moved in and when the owner refused, he’d paid for the renovation himself. Now Li Jin could see why. The added enclosure kept in the steam, making it feel like heaven.

She reached up and touched her hair. It felt awful. She’d have to wash and rinse a few times to get all the smoke out of it. But first she’d just unwind and let the water cleanse her of the night’s insults. She continued to let the hot water soak her hair and run down her back, easing the kinks out of her tired muscles. Finally relaxed, she reached for the shampoo, when she felt something—or someone—behind her. She jumped. She couldn’t believe Erik had gotten up!

“No, Erik! You’re drunk. Get out!” She pulled away from him and turned around. She felt faint when she saw Obi standing there, completely nude except for a leering grin across his face. The door—she had forgotten to lock it!

“Li Jin. Come on, you know you want me. I saw how you were looking at me at the bar and you’ve been giving me a show in here for the last ten minutes. You know you want some of this.” He reached down and grabbed himself, then moved a step closer, closing the gap between them.

Li Jin backed up until she was completely against the wet wall of the shower stall. She huddled and crossed her arms over her chest, terrified at the look of intent on Obi’s face. She didn’t know how long he’d been watching her and she felt violated. She looked around, but other than a few bottles of shampoo, there was nothing to defend herself with.

“Obi. Please. Get out. If Erik wakes up, he’ll kill you.” Her eyes darted around, looking for escape, but there was no way out without him moving.

“Erik won’t wake up. He drank more
mao-tai
than any of us. He’s lucky he’s still breathing. Just be a nice, quiet girl and we can have some fun. He’ll never have to know it. I’ll be gone in an hour.” He reached for her then.

Li Jin couldn’t help it. She screamed. In her mind, she suddenly saw the face of her foster mother’s son, the way it looked as he had raped her so many years ago. She pushed against Obi and he pulled her to him, pressing his wet body next to hers. Suddenly his hands were all over her, exploring forbidden places that even Erik had never gone.

“No! Let. Me. Go.” She lunged for the glass shower door, but instead of pushing it open, she fell against it. The glass shattered and she struggled not to fall. She couldn’t catch her balance and hit her knees, half in and half out of the stall. She jumped up and reached for her towel and saw blood streaming from one of her legs.

“You dumb bitch. I told you to be quiet.” Obi moved toward her.

“What the hell is going on in here!”

Li Jin froze. Erik had woken up. Here she was naked in the bathroom with his best friend, but thankfully he would clearly see it was against her will.

“Erik, he attacked me!” Li Jin threw herself against Erik, for once glad that he was strong and could protect her.

Obi calmly climbed out of the shower and pulled a towel from the rack over the toilet. He wrapped it around himself and casually threw his hand in the air.

“Man, you know how it is. She put you to bed and invited me in. I couldn’t say no—you get me? Things got a little heated and she fell against the glass.” He reached for a towel and began drying himself off. His nonchalant manner made the heat rise farther on Li Jin’s neck.

“You’re a damn liar!” she spat out, still shaking as she pointed her finger at him.

Erik pushed her away. Li Jin stood against the wall, unbelieving of the accusing look that came into his eyes as he stared her down.

“I knew you were a cheating whore, Li Jin.” He slurred his words so much they were barely distinguishable. “Whatcha trying to do? Get another foreigner on your
sss…string
? Ain’t I rich enough for you?” He staggered out of the doorway, back toward the bed.

He shook his head, then sat down and grabbed the edge of the mattress. Li Jin ran to him and knelt in front of him, holding tightly to the towel around her. She knew he was still drunk but still she hoped he would be alert enough to know Obi was setting her up. She could still hear him in the bathroom, muttering more of the fantasy he’d made up and trying to make it sound even more real.

“Erik, don’t listen to him. He’s lying.” She tried to keep her voice from shaking. “Don’t you remember? He didn’t help me get you inside. It was just us. I put you to bed and then got in the shower. I forgot to lock the door and Obi came in the house and climbed in with me! I swear! You can’t really believe his story, can you?”

Erik reached down and wrapped his hand in her hair. Slowly he stood and dragged her up with him, then pushed her onto the mattress. With one hand he reached behind him and grabbed his own shirt, pulling it over his head. He made a menacing sight, standing over her with only his jeans sagging low on his hips, his expression stone cold.

He jerked the towel from her body and slung it to the floor. He grabbed his already unbuckled belt and pulled it loose from his pants. He suddenly looked more sober and alert. “I’ve had just enough of you and your lies. Li Jin, you need to learn some respect. And I know just the man to teach it to you.”

Li Jin grasped at the coverlet and a pillow and tried unsuccessfully to cover herself. The sticky sweet stench of the alcohol on Erik’s breath washed over her and his eyes turned meaner than she’d ever seen before, the whites showing as he glared at her. When the cords on his neck stood out and one began to throb like a beckoning beacon, Li Jin knew she was in for the fight of her life. Before she could react, he threw her down on the bed and towered over her, his face a mask of drunken rage.

Just behind Erik, she could see Obi had come out of the bathroom. She sent him a pleading look but he wouldn’t help her; she knew that. He leaned against the wall, his hand disappearing under his towel and a creepy grin on his face as his eyes traveled the length of her nakedness. Her last thought before Erik’s belt came raining down was of Jojo and how glad she was that it had been too late to wake him. At least he was safe.

W
hat felt like hours later, Li Jin opened her eyes and jerked when she saw Erik’s face only inches from hers. He lay snoring loudly, breathing his sour breath straight up her nostrils. Moving slowly, she winced at the first streaks of pain. She tried to think back and remembered taking a beating, then Erik raping her as she continued to fight. She must have finally passed out, because everything after that was foggy. Slowly, inch by inch she backed away from him. Her head pounded and she had a hard time focusing her eyes. Strange, she thought, since she hadn’t drunk any alcohol.

Finally off the bed, she stood and looked around the room as she struggled to get her balance. Even through her blurry vision she could tell it was a wreck. The colorful red-and-black bedding was on the floor and everything from the bedside table had been wiped off. Even the lamp lay broken on the floor, shards of ceramic scattered around. Li Jin thought about Obi and swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. Where was he? She was too afraid to look in the living room. She felt a shiver of revulsion. After the first few punches everything else was a blur, so she didn’t know if Obi had touched her but she prayed not.

She reached down to pick up a sheet to wrap around herself and an excruciating pain shot up her left arm. It didn’t want to work properly, so she held it close to her body. With her right arm she got the sheet and clumsily held it against her tender breasts.

Walking softly so she didn’t wake Erik, she headed for the bathroom. As she moved, it felt like fire ran through her body, making every muscle contract in pain. She remembered Jojo and frantically looked around. He must still be asleep downstairs but she couldn’t believe Ms. Jing hadn’t heard the commotion. She hoped she hadn’t, at least. She needed to get herself and the room cleaned up before Jojo came home. As she stepped over the items on the floor, she saw the time on the overturned clock said 7:43 a.m. It had only been a few hours since they’d arrived home and her life had literally been turned upside down.

She’d never forgive him this time. The foggy memories were becoming clearer. Erik had beaten her with his belt and then raped her, all in front of Obi.

Li Jin couldn’t get Obi’s shifty-looking face out of her mind. He’d stood against the wall and egged Erik on, telling him to beat her more and show her who the boss was. Erik had never hurt her so badly before and Li Jin didn’t think he would have this time if not for Obi. He probably wouldn’t remember much of it, as he was drunker than she’d ever seen him. But that was no excuse. If she wasn’t scared for her own hide, she’d go to the police and file a report. But either way, she wished she could kill him—kill them both, actually.

She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door softly behind her. Gingerly she stepped over the broken glass and gasped when she looked in the mirror. She looked like a crazed jungle woman. Her hair was a mess of wild tangles and her left eye was almost swollen shut. A gash across her cheek was open and she wondered if she’d need stitches. The wound was obviously caused from Erik’s buckle and it was ugly. She picked up a washcloth and wet it, then held it to her face.

A trail of dark bruises covered her body and now, turning to look at her backside in the mirror, she could see where the burning sensation was coming from. Erik’s belt buckle must have caught her a few times there, too, because she saw several open welts sporting beads of dried blood. She looked at the shower stall and wished she could climb in and wash away the dirty feeling she carried, but she knew the moaning of the old pipes could wake Erik. She’d have to wait.

Her heart sank and Li Jin felt the tears spring to her eyes.
Why? She’d done nothing wrong. All she’d tried to do was take care of Erik and make him a nice home. Her lip quivered and she shook her head at her reflection. She made herself sick. She was a coward. A failure. Now Jojo was going to come home and there was no way she could hide this from him. He was going to know.

Sinking down onto the closed toilet, she stared at the door. Would Erik still be angry when he got up? Would he beat her more? She couldn’t go on living like this. Each time he was getting worse and what if it went too far? And if the next time she didn’t get through it, who would take care of Jojo?

She needed to leave, but Erik had threatened her that if she did, he’d find her or turn her name in to the authorities. And now what was he involving Jojo in? It was her responsibility to protect him, wasn’t it? And her
hukou
only gave her authorization to live in Suzhou; she’d have to apply for permission to move around China. Frozen with indecisiveness, she didn’t hear anyone moving until the door opened. She cringed as the crack became wider. Would it be Erik? Or Obi?

“Ma?” Jojo poked his head around the bathroom door. “What happened in the bedroom?”

No, not Jojo yet!
She needed to fix herself.

Li Jin tried to cover more of her body but it was of no use. She couldn’t hide from him. She looked up and met his gaze head-on. The door clicked closed behind him and his eyes widened when he saw all the broken glass and then looked up at her. In his hands he held his yo-yo, the pieces taped back together. His eyes widened even more, shock registering at her appearance.

“What happened to your face? Were you in an accident?”

An accident? Of course!

“Yes, baby. I fell through the shower door. But I’m okay.” She didn’t mention she thought her arm was broken. They’d get to that later. Right now she had to think of what to do next.

Jojo came to her and put his arms around her. She winced as he squeezed her throbbing arm.

“Ma, your face is cut—do you need a Band-Aid? Want me to get you one?”

With that one small compassionate offer and his strong little arms around her, Li Jin couldn’t contain her tears any longer. She broke into sobs, her entire body heaving. She was in so much pain—physically and emotionally. She felt more trapped than she ever had in her life, even more so than during her years of being shuttered in and out of the institute at the whims of those who thought they wanted her, then quickly decided they didn’t.

“What, Mama? You’re scaring me.” Jojo pulled away, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

She tried to suck it up and stop crying. Between her sobs she consoled him.

“I’m o…kay…Jo…Jo.…” She tried to convince herself. But the truth was, she wasn’t okay. She’d never be okay again. Her life was in shambles and that meant his life was in shambles. She was a terrible mother.

She took Jojo’s hand and pulled him down to her level. He crouched in front of the toilet on his knees and the stark fright on his face made her more determined than ever.

“Jojo, listen to me. I need your help. We’re going to go away on a trip, but I don’t want Erik to know.” She thought suddenly of her problem of the
hukou
but that issue was pushed aside as she heard something from the other side of the bathroom wall. She froze and listened for a second.

“Jojo, was Obi out there?” she whispered.

Jojo nodded, then wrinkled his nose. “He’s asleep on the couch. And Ma, he’s naked. I saw his private parts.”

Li Jin felt a shiver of fear. Another obstacle. Could they get out without waking either of them?

“Okay, Jojo. Forget about him. We’re going to pack some things and sneak out. Do you think you can help me?” She needed to clean herself up and get dressed. That itself was going to be hard. Her body was stiffening up from the pain and every movement she made brought more agony.

“I can do it. You get dressed, Ma. I’ll pack us some clothes.”

She knew then that her son wasn’t as naive as she had thought. By the serious look on his face, he also knew that they needed to get away.

She nodded. “Be
really
quiet, Jojo. I mean as quiet as you’ve ever been, do you understand? I can pack my things but you use your school bag and pack underclothes, shirts, and jeans. Then go back to Ms. Jing and wait for me on the porch. Okay?”

She was so scared. Leaving was hard enough, but if they woke while she was attempting a getaway, there would be hell to pay. Li Jin didn’t know if she could take another beating in the shape she was in, but she had to make a run for it.

“Okay. Don’t worry.” With that he opened the door and started to slide out.

“And Jojo—if I don’t come soon, I don’t want you to come back up here alone. Promise me. I should be down in less than a half hour, but if I’m not, you come up and bring Ms. Jing.”

“I promise, Ma.” His eyes were huge and sad as he shut the door quietly.

Li Jin hoped they would not even have to see Ms. Jing. She didn’t want to explain anything. She stood up and dropped the sheet, thankful that her clothes from the night before were still on the floor. They were her only good jeans and she didn’t want to have to leave them behind. First things first—she’d work on her face, then tame her hair and get dressed. Pack her bag. Get out. Finally.