In contrast to the cool and refreshing air of San Francisco, which made exercise light, the humid, sub-tropical heat of Dan Sia weighed on Sue like a wet blanket. Her breathing was laborious and her steps felt heavy, as she made her way up the steep steps leading to the distant summit. Wen taunted her slow pace from above. Although he was already in his fifties, her younger brother never missed an opportunity to tease her. He recalled nostalgically of the days he sprinted up the mountain in thirty minutes with a large watermelon in tow to enjoy at the top. "You're limping too, you know?  You think you can still do that?" Sue jested. As she climbed, every rock formation, tunnel and step carved in stone stirred up something inside of her. Those long forgotten moments burst forth like a small flame when she was suddenly prompted by a flood of sounds and sensations from what felt like another lifetime ago. 

That morning, Sue had woken up to the loud whirring of the AC unit working overtime as it had been on all night.  On the hundreds of business trips, she had taken over the years as an engineering consultant, these horrible little machines had been the bane of her existence. Often cheap and overdue for a cleaning, the dried-out air they produced had wreaked havoc on her sinuses.  However, whether it was the jet-lag or the fact that the air outside was very humid, Sue had slept very well indeed despite the AC.  The night before, she had a long phone call with her German fiancé about how to deal with a plumbing issue in their rental unit back at home.  However, since she had arrived in Dan Sia, it seemed as if the heat and breeze of the surrounding mountains, river and trees had enveloped her mind and made it very difficult to fixate on these headaches.  Her problems all seemed so far away and it was a welcome reprieve for Sue that it was so. 

Her stomach growled suddenly.  It seemed that her appetite had been surprisingly good since coming back.  Since the move to San Francisco, she had lost a lot of weight.  There were issues from her tenant and endless maintenance work to be done in her new-old house.  Along with the usual work and life stress, she had felt hollowed out and weak, only able to tenuously maintain the bare minimum each day.  

Sue suddenly snorted at the irony of it all.  She had only bragged a few months before about how the Bay Area had the best weather in the world, the only place outside of the Mediterranean to have Mediterranean weather.  But now looking back, something about the “perfect” weather hadn’t been so perfect for her.  It had made her cold and weak.  Ironically, it was the sweltering heat that engulfed the south-eastern part of China every summer that had somehow filled her with a warm energy from the inside out.

“Hey, are you awake, Hong?” 

“Mmm…”

Sue couldn’t help but smile when she looked at the disheveled middle-aged woman lying in the bed next to hers.  Hong had been her best friend since middle school and lived next door all her life.  That is until Sue moved to Virginia to study for her engineering masters… After all these years, chatting and laughing late into the night like young girls, being with Hong still felt like home.  The best way to describe the feeling is perhaps just the extreme closeness of having someone be able to read your mind then take care of you and speak to you just how you prefer.  Without words, you know fully and are fully known by the other person.  

“Hong, get up.  I’m hungry…” 

“Mmm…We ate so much last night.  How are you still hungry?”

It was true.  Sue was starting to feel like a glutton since coming back to her hometown, Shao Guan. Her brother’s wife Mei had ordered a large feast from a local restaurant last night.  In the recreational area they were staying at, there wasn’t much in the way of businesses but family-run eateries and homestays.  The sprightly diner proprietress had worked from the early afternoon to prepare all kinds of sumptuous local dishes for them to enjoy.  Her brother, Wen, who was friends with the homestay owner, had arranged for everything to be brought to the roomy, front patio area so they could enjoy the night breeze.  Looking at the hanging twinkle lights and lovely potted plants all around the sizable table filled with succulent dishes, Sue had to admit her brother had done a commendable job bringing her here.  However, the feeling was short-lived after all when he and his friends proceeded with their usual revelry – smoking, drinking, talking a lot of nonsense and just being obnoxious in general.  

Nearly drunk on Chinese white liquor, Wen suddenly asked, “Sue, do you remember when we went swimming in the river there?” 

“Of course, I remember!  I almost drowned that day.”

“Wasn’t it fun though?  The boat didn’t even come close to you.  You panicked yourself.” 

“Hey, don’t you remember how I saved your life?” another drunk voice suddenly chimed in.  It was Chiang, Wen’s best friend. 

“Are you kidding me? We both nearly drowned!  Why did you jump in when you can’t even swim well?” Sue laughed. 

Chiang was speechless for a moment.  “Well, I had to do something… You were in the water and…” 

“Obviously he had to jump in!” Hong suddenly interjected with a knowing grin.  “Chiang always has to show what a gentleman he is.  Chivalry is not lost here, boys!” 

Everyone at the party laughed and poked fun at their childhood friend for a while.  Later that night, Chiang chuckled to himself as he lay in bed.  He thought it was all well and good that he had gone fishing yesterday.  The middle-aged man felt giddy all of a sudden and found some humorous consolation that the sunburn he got from fishing the other day disguised the impetuous flush on his face.  He thought about those long summers before Wen had married Mei and Sue had left for America.  Before he had become estranged from his wife and his daughter was too busy with her job to mind him anymore…  He was an unsophisticated country boy who fished and swam in rivers for fun.  He ran around playing games with Wen and chasing his sister and her friends.  When he was a teenager, all the boys lugged large watermelons up to the peak of Dan Sia Mountain and they stayed up all night to watch the sunset.  With affectionate thoughts of his old friends and their rapturous youth, Chiang drifted off into a sweet slumber.  

As the two friends approached the breakfast stall that morning, Sue’s mouth began to water immediately.  The fragrant aroma of freshly steamed rice noodle omelet reminded her of school days with her brother.  At that time, a savory roll stuffed with dried shrimp and barbecue meat had only cost two cents.  Of course, that was no small portion of their allowance at the time.  Sue chuckled to herself as she thought of how eagerly Wen had always inhaled any street stall food they bought and looked so longingly at her portion.  

“What’s so funny?” Wen had just come back from smoking.

“Nothing. I’m just thinking about how malnourished I was growing up because you kept stealing my food, you rice bucket.” 

“Well, eat up! Eat up, big sis!  It’s my treat today!” Wen teased.

“Then what about me?  I also shared with you,” Hong added, “I’ll assume the big man will buy my breakfast too.”  

“Ohh, it looks like I didn’t bring enough money today,” feigned Wen innocently, “Thank you so much for your generous donation but you’re on your own today.”  Hong pretended to glare and Wen laughed mischievously. 

Feeling slightly neglected, Mei ate her meal silently.  It was easy to be left out in this group of old friends, especially being the only one who had never gone to university.  Mei had only completed her junior high education and went straight to work as an assistant at a factory.  Wen had been an engineer there and that was how they met.  

Sue had done the best in school among everyone in the group.  Looking back on it now, she often wondered if it was a blessing or a curse.  Sue recalled the pride in her father’s eyes when she had scored within the top one percent and entered South China University with full scholarships. Out of all the neighborhood kids, she was the only one to make it to the US.  But it wasn’t the land of promise she had envisioned.  She had lived through cancer, divorce and single motherhood in isolation.  As an immigrant without any support system, the vicissitudes of life had slowly worn Sue down until hardly any remained of that brave and carefree girl who had dreamed of something more.   

When she thought of Mei and her small world, Sue could not help but feel a tinge of envy.  Though she had never seen the Golden Gate Bridge or tasted the finest French cuisine, Mei had been cared for her whole life.  Wen provided for his wife and she supported him within her own capacity.  Although Mei could be petty and limited in her views at times, she was still vibrant and full of energy like a young woman.

Later in the day, this fact became only too apparent as the troupe of middle-aged friends struggled to make their way up the mountain of their youth.  It was already nearing mid-morning by the time they started the long trek upwards.  The air was heavy with humidity and the sun beat down on them mercilessly in each stretch that was not covered by the protective shade of trees.  Mei, who had already walked the dog for over an hour on a shorter trail that morning, was quick and light-footed compared with her collegiate companions.  The two slightly older men pressed on, wondering why they had agreed to subject themselves to this torment, attempted to disguise the limp in their step.  

“Do you need any help? I can give you a piggyback ride,” Chiang heaved playfully between labored breaths. 

Sue snorted at the offer.  

“Oh, I want a ride!  But I just ate double portions for breakfast so you better be ready for the extra weight!” Hong teased back.  

They had just passed the halfway point not long ago.  Sue was impressed but wistful upon seeing how the landscape of the mountain had been altered over the years.  Instead of the pure wildness of formidable stone, uneven paths and overgrown bamboo, the provincial government had erected tidy stairways and resting areas.  Chinese adages had been carved and painted into the natural rock formations and the trail was lined with metal lamp posts and intermittent vendor carts.  Even the ancient Buddhist temple no longer reflected its age, as it had been remodeled with shiny, new shingles and wooden beams in each pagoda.  It was much easier to walk here now, but Sue found herself lamenting how these artificial touches had changed the landscape of Dan Sia so drastically.  

“Hey, let’s stop and take a picture!” Wen said excitedly, as he pointed to a slope of raised stone steps ahead which led into a tunnel entrance.  

How many years had it been?  In a dusty photo album somewhere in the old Shao Guan house, there lay a faded photo of the very same view.  Featuring all the neighborhood kids, a spry gang of adolescents stood there glowing with energy and smiling from ear to ear.  

Now that the adult counterparts had returned with a few members missing which included Chiang’s younger siblings, three of Sue’s elementary school friends and an older brother nicknamed “Airplane Head.” 

“Unbelievable!  I’m almost embarrassed to compare the old photo to this one.  Look at how old and wrinkly we’ve all become,” Hong laughed.

“Speak for yourself!  Don’t lump me in with you senior citizens!” Chiang insisted, “I’m still handsome and young…”

“Hah! Who are you calling a senior citizen?”

“You’re still itching for a beating from us, aren’t you?” 

Chiang pretended to run away as the two indignant women started to berate him.  For a moment, the grizzled, middle-aged man had transformed into a naughty teenage boy who had just run off after playing a bad trick on the neighborhood girls. 

Now it was almost noontime and the party had nearly reached the summit. 

Sue found herself holding her breath in anticipation as she climbed the final steps of the long wooden staircase.  Then upon the first exhilarating view from above, she found herself suddenly breathing out all the feelings she had been holding in.  

At the summit, Sue felt as if all the friction and incongruity plaguing her life was suddenly swallowed up by the endless mountain landscape around her.  From the balcony of the viewing deck, Sue took in each protruding sandstone cliff among an endless sea of trees.  She marveled at the dazzling waters of the winding rivers below.  A memory of an old social studies lecture floated into her mind, “The layers of reddish rock sediments in Dan Sia were formed over 65 million years ago by water and erosion…”  How wonderfully humbling to be reminded just how small we really are, Sue thought with a big smile on her face.  Despite the arduous journey, it seemed that she was meant to come this way all along.  It seemed that God was not so indifferent to her existence if he had made this heavenly place to be such a source of awe, inspiration and light.

Nearly dizzy with euphoria, Sue composed herself before turning to Wen. 

“Thanks for bringing me here, brother.  It’s really beautiful.” 

“Mmm… No problem.  It’s fine.  I just can’t believe they won’t let you smoke here anymore.”

“I’m glad they don’t, Wen.  You should quit.  It isn’t good for you.”

“I know… I know… But it’s too late for me, big sis,” Wen said quickly, trying to change the subject, “Here come help me with this.  I can’t believe we carried these all way up here in our fifties.” 

Then out of his large pocket and Chiang’s too, the two men produced two tiny watermelon each the size of a coconut.  Sue stared blankly for a moment at her brother’s surprise and laughed, “I can’t believe I didn’t notice this whole time!”  It was at this moment Sue realized the spirit of this place.  Enveloping and sweet, like the companionship of a loved one, who watches, protects and considers without a word from the other.

 Story inspired by this poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: 

Often I think of the beautiful town

That is seated by the sea;

Often in thought go up and down

The pleasant streets of that dear old town,

And my youth comes back to me.

And a verse of a Lapland song

Is haunting my memory still:

‘A boy’s will is the wind’s will,

And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.’