Chapter 2 Long Time No See
The Central Hospital in Buena City was blocked. Dozens of medical workers treated these people who suddenly appeared from 1998, helping them bandage the wounds and taking physical examinations. A nurse helped Queenie to deal with the bruise on her forehead. After that, she had various physical examinations. Then, she was taken to a conference room in the hospital. The Public Security Bureau arranged for two household registration policemen to look for their families.
There were a row of tables in the conference room. On one side of the table were two policemen, and on the other side were some passengers who had completed their physical examinations. All the passengers here looked worried and tired. An old woman was crying in her husband's arms while the woman sitting next door was holding the child in silence. Others seemed to stare at the policeman nervously, watching them making phone calls.
"I can't get through to the number you provided."
"The number does not exist."
"Do you have any other one?"
It seemed that the situation of most people was not optimistic. Queenie stood in the back of a seat in fear. In front of her was the driver in his thirties. His injured head was wrapped in a thick bandage and his face was still covered with blood. After dialing several numbers, he finally stood up with red eyes, still holding the crystal pendant took away from the minibus. The little boy's face on the pendant was seemingly blurry.
The policeman looked at the man in front of him, saying gently, "Why don't you wait by the side? We will arrange the household registration policemen to look up your family's information."
The driver nodded. This five-feet-tall man, with his shoulders drooped, carefully walked aside to line up.
Queenie sat down worried, looking at the male policeman in the opposite. She still felt very confused and could hardly understand why she had come to 2021.
"Excuse me, is it really 2021 this year?" Looking at the policeman, she asked restrainedly.
"Yes, Miss, it's August 20th in 2021." Said the policeman.
Hearing that, she felt weak all over with her shoulders dropped instantly and her eyes even more confused and helpless. She couldn't help biting her thumb, trying to suppress her feelings of despair.
"Are you all right, Miss?" The policeman asked with concern.
She quickly shook her head, replying in a panic, "It's all right. I'm fine."
"We'll help you contact your family now." The policeman, who looked very young, was very gentle, but it still made her nervous.
She nodded. "Okay."
The policeman asked, "Do you have your ID card?"
"Yes." With trembling hands, she took out her ID card from her bag, handing it to him. The policeman took the ID card, entering her ID card number in the computer. Then, he looked at her, saying slowly, "Your ID card has been canceled."
"What do you mean?" She asked with difficulty.
The young policeman patiently explained to her, "The ID card of the missing person will be canceled after your immediate family apply for declaration of death."
She had just been controlling her emotions, but now she felt her tears were uncontrollable. She had a hard time controlling herself from crying. With her eyes wide open and tears swirling in her eyes, she looked at the young policeman in front of her, asking in disbelief, "How can they apply for it?"
The young policeman gently reassured her, "If your family can't find you in five years, they can come to apply for he declaration of death. It's just a normal procedure. It can't represent anything."
She sniffed, nodding hard.
"Do you remember the phone numbers of your family or friends?" The policeman asked again.
She hurriedly answered, "Ah, yes. Quite a lot. I remember the landline phone of our family and my father's mobile phone number..."
Even though she tried to restrain her emotions, her red eyes betrayed her current panic and fear. She repeatedly reported her home number and her parents' mobile phone numbers, but all failed to be got through.
These numbers the policeman had dialed were all busy. Each sound of the busy line made her heart ache. Feeling desperate, she even trembled with fear. Why couldn't it get through? How was it possible? She kept staring at the policeman in front of her and the phone in his hand.
Twenty-three years...Many thing might change, since time would bring a great change to the worlds.
The policeman kindly suggested, "There's no need to mention the numbers of the elderly. Tell me the number of someone young!" Based the experience just now, the policeman didn't want to waste time, nor did he want to disappoint her again and again since she looked so frail and heartbroken.
"OK. I remember my husband's phone number." Taking a deep breath, she raised her head to hold back the tears in her eyes. Sniffing, she opened her eyes wide and cautiously told him Timothy's mobile phone number with vague expectation.
She felt nervous as the police pressed the numbers on his mobile phone. Listening to the sound at the other end, she waited. She waited, listening to the sound at the other end and holding her breath.
The first ringing...
The second ringing...
Gritting her teeth, she tried to stop herself from trembling.
The third ringing...
"Please, answer the phone!"
The fourth sound...
No one answered the phone, which made Queenie so hopeless as if she had fallen into the abyss. Lowering her head, she could not help crying at last.
"Hello." Suddenly, a man with a low and magnetic bass spoke.
Lifting her face wet by tears, she stared at the phone held by the policeman with her eyes shining. Her tears fell down one after another. Pricking up her ears, she carefully distinguished the voice. Although she had made a phone call with Timothy more than an hour last night, but at this moment she could not tell whether the man at the other end of the phone was Timothy or not.
"Hello." The policeman was also very excited. This was the only phone call he got through tonight. He then asked, "Are you Timothy Carter?"
"Yes." Hearing that, Queenie felt that she could finally breathe. She was so excited that she felt some tinnitus in an instant. The policeman was also very happy. Looking at her, he gave her an encouraging smile and continued to speak to Timothy, "Hello, Mr. Carter, I'm the policeman of Buena City Police Station, responsible for the Round Road, Foggy District. Your wife Queenie Carter is waiting for you in the Central Hospital."
Timothy was silent for a long time. Then he asked in disbelief, "What are you talking about?"
"Your wife, Queenie Carter, is waiting for you at the Central Hospital." The little policeman said it again, telling him the situation here. The policeman told Timothy that he was definitely not a liar. Also, he gave Timothy the address and asked him to hurry to pick her up.
It seemed that Timothy on the phone calmly agreed.
The policeman was relieved, looking up at Queenie with a gentle smile. "Congratulations! You are the first one who successfully contacted your family."
"Thank you!" She repeated her thanks. At this time, she was finally relieved. Standing up, she bowed to him and made room for the people behind her.
Although she was relaxed, she still trembled with fear when thinking of the whole thing. She rubbed her legs with her hands, sitting nervously at the door of the conference room. She found her family! She found her family! How lucky! She rejoiced to hear the news.
The passengers who had been missing for 23 years continued to register their information, but during the whole night only Timothy was able to get through, and none of the others had contacted their families. They either sat in the corner crying silently, or stood in front of the household registration policemen, keeping searching rather than give up. Another man in his forties even wanted to fight with the driver. After all, it's all because of his stinginess. Moreover, he had chosen a lane!
The conference room was in a mess. The policemen hurriedly separated the two people. After this vent, the man sat on the ground, crying loudly and the driver also cried, which made the atmosphere in the room oppressive and sorrowful.
She was also sad, since she couldn't wait to see Timothy. She opened the door of the conference room, walking to the corridor. Then, she walked to the elevator nearby the conference room. She stood there, staring at it and walking.
She didn't know how long she had waited. Then she heard a bell ring and the elevator stopped at the fifth floor. Then, the crowd rushed out. Behind the crowd came a tall and upright figure with outstanding temperament, which could be easily noticed at a glance. Seeing him, her eyes lit up. Then, she wanted to look at him carefully through the crowd. However, he walked so quickly that his handsome profile flashed by. He walked straight ahead, without noticing Queenie who was pushed aside by others. Turning around, she followed him. She didn't greet him since she felt this man just looked like Timothy but she's not sure.
When lowering his head, this man looked quite indifferent . Was the man in a black suit with a straight back and a handsome profile Timothy?
Queenie followed him to the conference room. The man quickly walked to the policeman, saying, "Excuse me, sir, I'm looking for Queenie Carter. You just called me."
"Queenie Carter!" The policeman remembered the only passenger who found her husband tonight, so he looked up and raised his chin toward the door. "Over there. Right behind you."
Clenching his hands, the man seemed to take a deep breath. He slowly turned around, looking at the door. She finally saw his face.
She was a little stunned. She knew clearly what Timothy looked like, but now his image suddenly became blurred when she saw him. Was this man Timothy? He looked so different. She remembered the young man Timothy didn't wear glasses and always looked very cheerful and lively, but now this man wore glasses and looked dignified and calm. She also remembered that Timothy favored baggy clothes and was warm-hearted, but this man in a tailored suit gave her a fierce and forbiding feeling. In her memory, Timothy looked so handsome and energetic when he smiled, but this man kept his mouth tightly close and looked indifferent with no smile on his face. She thought Timothy should have a fair skin and ruddy cheeks with a pair of bright eyes, but the man in front of her looked pale and even a little sallow. Also, the lenses covered his eyes and expression.
Originally, she was walking to him, but now she stopped, looking at him at a loss. This magical journey was like a long dream to her. When she woke up, things had totally changed. Twenty-three years...In her opinion, the man in front of her was her husband. They were so sweet a week ago, but now...
Her husband, Timothy Carter, was standing in front of her at the moment, but she felt that he was so strange that she dared not get close to him.
During the two hours she had just waited for him, she thought about many possible scenes of his arrival. For example, she would rushed to him and tell him all her fears and grievances in his warm arms. Or she would stamp her feet, pretending to ignore him and blaming him for being so slow because she didn't want to stay at the police station anymore. She also thought that after twenty-three years, it might be a little embarrassed for them to meet again, but she didn't think it would be so embarrased.
Her long simmering emotions eventually turned into emptiness and powerlessness.
"Queenie?" She didn't expect that he had greeted her first.
When he called her full name, he was even a little uncertain.
"Hello." She answered, awkwardly avoiding his eyes. Then, she hesitantly raised her hand to greet him, "Timothy."
Timothy looked at her. It seemed that he was extremely calm.
The air seemed to be static, since the atmosphere was awkward.
Fortunately, the policeman on the side timely spoke, driving away the suffocating and weird atmosphere.
The police officer, who had just finished the records, held several forms, asking Timothy, "Are you Timothy Carter?"
He nodded. "Yes."
The policeman then asked, "What's your relationship with Queenie Carter?"
He replied, "Before she missed, she was my wife."
Hearing his answer, she looked at him with some surprise. Because he said the words "my wife" and also he deliberately emphasized the time "before she missed".
The policeman glanced at them, calmly saying to Timothy, "Come with me. Sign the paper and then you can take her back."
"OK." Actually, Timothy had countless questions about the 23 years since she had missed. Before he arrived, the policeman had already told him what had happened. Also, he had checked today's news to make sure it was true. But he still thought it incredible. If he hadn't seen her face unchanged with his own eyes, he wouldn't believe it.
Timothy said to Queenie in a polite way, "Please wait for me for a second."
Queenie nodded. "OK."
Then, he followed the policeman for a few steps, but suddenly he thought of something. Looking back, he said to her, "Stay here. Don't walk around."
"Sign here, This one. An here." Timothy filled in the form according to the instructions of the policeman. The policeman added, "Keep your phone open in 24 hours. There may be some follow-up visits. This is a temporary ID card, please keep it. Later, you'll be notified to deal with the original of the ID card and other important documents. Now if you have no questions, you can go back first."
"OK, thank you!" Taking the ID card, Timothy went to her and carried her suitcase. "Let's go!"
Following him, she reached out her hands since she wanted to carry the suitcase herself, but she was a little embarrassed to be too close to him.
She walked behind him. Then, they arrived at the gate of the hospital. On the way, they didn't talk. At the gate, Timothy suddenly stopped. Taking out his mobile phone, he sent a voice message to the driver. Turning around, he said to her, "Wait a second. I didn't find a parking space when I come, so I asked the driver to drive around. He should be there in a moment."
"OK." She glanced at him curiously, muttering in her heart, "It seems that he is doing well. Now he can even afford a driver." In those years, when they went out, they either walked or took the subway. In order to save money to buy a house, they were even unwilling to buy an electromobile.
Timothy had been holding his mobile phone, saying some medical terms to it as if it were a walkie talkie. He seemed very busy.
She could not understand what he was talking about, nor could she see through what he was thinking, so she felt more isolated. She looked up at the strange street, the crowded skyscrapers, and the endless traffic. Now, in this city, Timothy was not the only one that made her feel strange.
She looked back at the long corridor of the hospital, thinking of the passengers in the conference room who were the same as her. Before going out, they all looked at her with jealous eyes.
Anyway, she was lucky.
At least she had someone to pick her up. In this completely strange city, there was another person who could take her back home.
Thinking, a black car stopped in front of them. She didn't know what this car was. She only thought that the logo on the car, a big "B" with wings, looked like a kind angel. It seemed that Timothy was like the angel, coming to rescue her who had been lost for many years.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Professor Carter."
"No big deal."
"Get in the car!" Timothy politely opened the door for her.
She was stunned. When Timothy opened the car door for her in a suit, she felt his action was not only elegant and gentle, but also calm and mature. He had the special self-restraint and charm which was a symbol of a mature man. Especially, compared with this young man who also wore a suit but looked quite young and naive, Timothy looked even more prominent.
Of course, Timothy was very different from the one who was smart and handsome in her memory.
She even remembered that the suit he wore for the interview when he just graduated had been borrowed from a upperclassman. The upperclassman was as tall as Timothy, but fatter than him. Therefore, his clothes were a little too big for Timothy. At that time, she had tailored them with the needle and thread overnight to make them fit him.
At that time, he had held her face with a smile and kissed her several times, praising her dexterity. He had exclaimed that she had been good at taking care of people.
At that time, he also looked good in a suit. However, because he was still a little childish, his temperament didn't match the suit well.
She took a glance at him. Wearing a suit, now he looked elegant and natural. She silently bit her lips, thinking that he had really changed.
After a while, he also went in the car and closed the door.
The closed space made the atmosphere of embarrassment and alienation to the extreme.
Feeling nervous, she rubbed her hands slightly on her legs. Looking down, Timothy saw through her uneasiness.
Despite all these years, he could easily see through her emotions at a glance by observing her behaviors.
He remembered that she would unconsciously rub her legs in this way every time she took an exam, performed on stage, or even had an interview at school. In the past, he thought that such behavior was particularly lovely, so he could not help taking her hands and kissing them.
Timothy felt a little stunned for a moment. He didn't expect that he could remember such small details after more than 20 years.
"Dr. Carter, are we going back to the conference center?" Asked the driver.
"No, go to my old house!" Timothy thought for a moment and answered.
"Really? But there are many experts and leaders waiting for you to make a report!" The driver reminded him.
Timothy said, "It's OK. Morris is there. I'll just call him and let him do the report."
Pursing her lips, Queenie looked at him. She was worried that her arrival influenced his work. She wanted to tell him that she was all right, so he could go to work first. However, before she could say anything, she saw him calling again.
"Sorry, I can't go. I have something personal to deal with now."
"I'll send you the information and you can do the report."
"It's all right. I will definitely attend the press conference tomorrow. Don't worry!"
"OK, I'll send it to you right away."
After that, he hung up the phone, starting to send e-mails from his laptop in the car. Queenie noticed that his laptop was small and thin with silver arc. It looked very beautiful, much better than her previous clumsy desktop computer.
He opened the files in the computer, planning to change several data. He had experimented many times before, and he knew the data clearly in his mind. He entered them several times, but always made mistakes.
Her sudden appearance made him ill at ease. After taking a deep breath, he calmed down for a while. Then he revised all the materials and sent them to Morris.
Queenie sat quietly and obediently beside him all the time. Then she saw him closing the computer and putting down his mobile phone. After a while, she was sure that he was available now. Therefore, she summoned up the courage to speak to him gently, "Sorry, did I disturb your work?"
Timothy glanced at her, politely replying, "It doesn't matter. It's just a meeting. It's no different if I attend or not."
"I see!" Queenie didn't know whether this meeting was important or not, but it seemed that he had received the call during the meeting and then came to pick her up.
"Do you really feel that only ten hours have passed?" He asked a question that had been pent up in his mind.
She nodded. "For me, my parents just sent me out this morning!"
"By the way, Timothy, do you still have contact with my parents?" She kept asking.
Shocked, he frowned. "Your parents..."
"What's going on?" Queenie became nervous. Her eyes were full of fear, since she was afraid of hearing bad news.
He gave her a meaningful look, saying, "I haven't been in touch with them for a long time."
"No contact?" She looked at him in surprise, not expecting this answer. After they got married, her parents really liked him. Last night, her mother had stuffed several bags of sausages into her suitcase and asked her to bring them to him.
They were not in touch anymore?
It was also reasonable. It had been 23 years. Maybe he had remarried. Therefore, how could he still contact his ex-wife's parents?
Timothy pressed his lips tightly, apologizing after a moment of silence, "I'm sorry."
She forced a smile, but her eyes turned red. She waved her hands as if she didn't care.
"It doesn't matter. Everyone has his own life. After all, they are not your parents."
After Queenie said that, she was silent since she didn't know what to say.
Timothy also lowered his head without saying anything.
She looked out of the window, biting her lips hard. Taking a deep breath, she then said, "If it's convenient for you, please take me to the railway station or the bus station nearby. Or could you call a taxi for me? I want to go home. I want to go home to find my parents."
"Your house has long been demolished. I'm not sure where your parents have moved now." Timothy looked at her. He clenched his fists, putting them on his knees and pretending to be calm. "I'll find someone to ask about it. Why don't you wait for the news? You go back later."
"Has it been demolished?" She was very afraid, feeling that the world suddenly became dark, and she was like sitting on a lonely boat in the ocean, lonely, desolate and terrified.
Now, the only person she could rely on was Timothy who was familiar but also strange to her.
"I see. Thank you." She heard herself murmuring.
"You're welcome." Timothy replied to her politely.
Such a polite and strange dialogue seemed to build a thick wall between them, so that neither of them could know each other's feelings and thoughts behind the wall.
The two never spoke again. There was silence in the car. Queenie kept her head down and stubbornly gritted her teeth to prevent herself from crying or getting too close to him.
He was not her Timothy, but someone else.