Kevin scoffs quietly to himself. The office he's been dreading stands right in front of him. He stares at the time on his phone, wondering if he should go in or not.
"Fuck, man, might as well kill two birds with one stone."
Kevin steps up to the office and tries to open the door. It jiggles a little, but doesn't open. "No dice," he murmurs to himself.
"Well, at least I tried."
Kevin flips around with a small, triumphant grin on his face. Relief washes over him; he won't have to stick around after all. He only walks a few steps away before he hears someone calling after him:
"I'm terribly sorry for being late, sir. Let me unlock the door."
Kevin closes his eyes, exhaling slowly. He remembers that voice. It's the voice of the man he talked to on the phone. Kevin turns around to see a tallish older man wearing a blue suit and glasses, his hair seeming to be combed over in a rush as if he did it in his car moments before. In his right hand, he holds a briefcase and keys, his coat draped over the other arm.
"Oh, right… for sure," Kevin replies.
"You are Mr. Qiau, correct?" the man asks.
"Yep, Kevin Qiau, you got it, man. What's up?"
"It's nice to meet you, sir," the man says with a polite nod.
"Let me unlock the door so we can go over what you inherited."
Kevin rolls his eyes and walks into the building. It's a well-lit, clean space with green chairs in the waiting area and a reception desk opposite them. He walks past the waiting room and into the man's office. It's small but cozy, with his desk set up in the middle. In one corner is a small garbage can, and in another, a cabinet for files and books. On the desk are photos of the man with his family, which makes Kevin a little uncomfortable. A nameplate reads 'Zhao Jung, Estate and Inheritance Attorney' with 'Managing Partner, Ed and Zhao's' printed in smaller, bold letters beneath. Kevin spots a chair opposite the desk. He sits down before being asked, setting his groceries on the floor.
"I don't think I've introduced myself yet. My name is Zhao Jung. I work as an inheritance lawyer. It's nice to meet you in person, sir."
"Uhh, yeah, for sure. Nice to meet you, too," Kevin replies.
"I'm sure you're in a hurry, so I'll speed this up." Mr. Zhao nods in response. He puts his briefcase on his desk, opens it, and takes out a file.
"All right, let's take a look here," Mr. Zhao mumbles to himself. "Well, isn't that interesting?"
"What's interesting?" Kevin asks.
"They've left you a small house. It's a one-floor, small-sized home. Whether you decide to sell it or live there is up to you. Small houses like that do pretty well on the market."
"Sell it, definitely sell it," Kevin shoots back. Mr. Zhao looks up from the file, sensing Kevin's urgency.
"I see. I can have that arranged for you," Mr. Zhao replies. He notices another page in the file, and as he opens it, his eyes widen.
"There is… one more thing," Mr. Zhao says with concern.
"What's up? Is everything all right?" Kevin asks.
"Mr. Kevin, you have a younger sister, correct?"
Kevin freezes. He hasn't thought about his sister in a long time. Kevin has three siblings: two older sisters and one younger. However, he had always been closer to his younger sister, Ming. He remembers teaching her math or taking her to the store when everyone else was busy. Ming's curiosity always shocked her family, considering the quiet nature of the rest of them. However, as curious as she was, she wasn't half as careful. Many times, she had gotten lost in their little town, often late in the day. Most of the time, Kevin would be the one to look for her.
"I do," Kevin forces out, finding it hard to swallow. Ming hadn't been at home when Kevin had run away. She was at school at the time, leaving the last time she saw him when Kevin had dropped her off.
"Well, we have an issue. There's no one to take care of her as of now," Mr. Zhao says.
Kevin's eyes widen. "What?! What about her sisters? Are you sure there isn't anyone?!" Kevin shoots back with urgency as he stands up from his chair.
"Well, her sisters are both in college abroad. They have already been informed of the news, but due to complications with the program they have enrolled in, they cannot come to take care of her as of now," Mr. Zhao responds calmly, trying to ease the tension.
"So what? Is she just by herself right now?" Kevin asks, fear and concern for his sister's safety clear in his voice.
"Not exactly. From what I've heard, there is someone taking care of her—a close family friend I've been in contact with. However, he cannot be listed as a legal guardian due to his criminal record," Mr. Zhao replies.
"I've talked to him personally. He's not a bad man by any means; he's just had a past he doesn't often talk about."
Kevin sits back in the chair, his mind racing out of control. He can't think straight and feels like he might pass out then and there.
"So what now? What can I do?" Kevin asks, trying to look calm.
"Well, you can personally put yourself as her guardian; that way, she can't be put into adoption. However, this means you would have to go live in Qiawu, as Ming doesn't have a proper passport to come here to America," Mr. Zhao says.
Kevin doesn't say anything. He isn't sure what he could say. Even if he tried to respond, he doubts anything would come out of his mouth. Kevin isn't the greatest in high-stress situations.
"Listen, your father and I were quite close. I was born in Taiwan and moved to Qiawu when I was young, where I met your father. It was terrible when he passed away."
Mr. Zhao takes out a picture from his wallet. It was what seemed to be a much younger Mr. Zhao and Kevin's father, who had fallen into a river, with another boy taking the selfie and making a peace sign with his hand. All were smiling together as friends. Kevin hadn't seen his father as a kid before, but he had seen the river. It was the same river he and his family would often go to on weekends. It was secluded due to many trees around it, so many people didn't know about it, making it the perfect spot. Tears well up in Kevin's eyes.
"I don't usually do this, but if you decide to take custody, I can handle all the paperwork free of charge. I think it's what your father would have wanted," Mr. Zhao says softly.
"Thanks, thank you very much," Kevin finally says. It was all he could say.
"I won't ask you to give me an answer right now. So I'll leave it at that," Mr. Zhao says as he starts getting up from his chair.
"Yeah, for sure," Kevin replies quietly as he picks up his groceries.
Mr. Zhao leads Kevin to the entrance. Kevin follows, a grim look on his face.
"I'll see you another time, Mr. Kevin. If you make a decision, don't hesitate to give me a call," Mr. Zhao says.
"Right," Kevin responds dryly. He starts walking away from the office, but stops after a couple of steps. There's a question he has to ask.
"Mr. Zhao, I have a question."
Mr. Zhao faces him, listening intently.
"Did my dad ever talk about me?" Kevin asks, bracing himself for the response.
"Not often. It wasn't something he liked talking about," Mr. Zhao replies.
"Oh, all right," Kevin says, disappointed, turning around to leave.
"However," Mr. Zhao continues, "when he did, he spoke about how you were a very bright boy with big dreams, and how he regretted how things had turned out. Your father may not have been very understanding, but he had nothing but love and respect for you, as a man and as his son."
There's a pause for a couple of seconds. The world seems to stand still for both men.
"See ya later, old man," Kevin says, walking away from Mr. Zhao.
"I hope so, Mr. Kevin. I hope so."
Kevin's thoughts were in turmoil on the walk home. After all, in one afternoon, his whole life had been turned upside down. He isn't sure what to do next. Kevin was at a unique crossroads. He felt as if he was already on a path—long and winding, leading nowhere. He isn't sure if he likes this path, but it was simple and came without hardship, even if it was lonely and depressing. Now he has been given a chance to go on a new path, or rather, the one he ran away from long ago. Continue this endless cycle of emptiness he calls his life, or go back to what he ran away from? The choices were tearing him apart. However, even though the burden of choices was put on him, he felt as if an old, long-standing burden had been lifted off his shoulders. "Your father had nothing but love and respect for you." Kevin replays Mr. Zhao's words in his head over and over again, as a smile forms on his face.
Even after he made it big in boxing, he had been afraid to reach back out to his parents due to how things ended. He was afraid for nothing and didn't know how to feel about the time he'd lost with his family. As he passed houses, parks he took walks in, stores he worked gruelling shifts at, and families laughing around him, his mind became clearer and clearer. For the first time in a long time, he knew things didn't have to be how they are now— he knew that things could change. Soon, he made it home, unlocked his door, and put down the groceries he had with him, not even bothering to put them away yet. His small apartment looks the same as he had left it earlier: clothes and wrappers littered everywhere, and a small mattress on the floor, messy and unmade. However, it feels… different. No longer resembling the prison it felt like before. Kevin picks up a phone and dials someone's number.
"Hello, is this Mr. Zhao?"
From now on, he knew.
"Oh, he isn't in right now? We'll tell him Kevin called."
From now on, things will change.
"Leave him a message? Well, I guess tell him this."
Can even a hawk with broken wingsOne day stand proud once more?
"I'm going to Qiawu."