Unexpected Company
She stood leaning against the trunk of a tree in a large garden adorned with various plants and flowers. Birds flitted about happily, chirping as the sun began to set. The view was breathtakingly beautiful, but her mind was far away. Though her eyes were fixed on the horizon, she stared absently at the sunset, lost in thought.
Beside her stood a woman in her mid-forties....a hospital staff member, her doctor...who gently placed a hand on her shoulder and softly said, "It's getting late, let's go inside for a bit."
Liyana didn't even blink, her eyes distant as if she hadn't heard the words. Slowly, tears welled up in her eyes, and her breath came shakily. The doctor took her hand and drew her into a light embrace. "Come on, sweetheart," she whispered, "are you already breaking the promise you made?"
Liyana rested her head on the woman's shoulder, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. The doctor closed her eyes and gently patted her back, trying to comfort her. They both turned upon hearing approaching footsteps in the garden. A man stood a few feet away, watching them but not moving any closer.
The doctor greeted him respectfully, but Liyana instinctively pulled away, turning her back to him, tears still falling from her eyes. Just like always, his presence made it hard for her to breathe. Suddenly overwhelmed, she broke down in harsh sobs and clung to the tree beside her for support. The man didn't reply to the greeting. He simply turned and left the garden.
The doctor rushed to catch Liyana as she nearly collapsed. She helped her down onto the soft carpet of grass, gently trying to calm her. "Why, Liyana?" she asked softly. "Why won't you keep the promise you made to me?"
With a trembling voice, Liyana whispered, "I'm sorry, I just can't… I really can't…"
The doctor pulled her close again, rubbing her back as she held her tight, overwhelmed with sympathy. In all her years of practicing medicine and helping countless patients, none had ever touched her soul the way Liyana did. She wished she could take away her pain, bring her happiness again...help her forget the past and face the present.
Softly, she said, "Liyana…"
Liyana lifted her teary eyes to the doctor.
"I'm so sorry, Liyana. I truly am," the doctor said.
Liyana looked away, silent. The doctor took her hand and gently helped her up, and together they left the garden, heading toward the main house.
A Few Years Ago
"Talk to Yiming about it. I know he would never agree to this, and he'll definitely find a way out for you…" Liyana looked at her friend Soraya with wide eyes. For a moment, she said nothing, then slowly lowered her gaze and replied, "That would just be another heavy burden, Soraya. You know how expensive apartments are in this city. And I already told you....I won't ask him for anything again. I won't let him do anything else for me…"
Soraya sighed. "But if you don't ask him, then who do you have to ask? Besides, you know how he is...he could easily twist this whole situation against you. I honestly think you're better off just telling him. You'll have more peace of mind that way."
Liyana fell silent, weighing Soraya's words. After a moment, she exhaled deeply and shook her head. "It's fine, Soraya. There's no need to tell him. I'll manage… We only have a year and a half left anyway."
Soraya looked at her with concern and took her hand. "Or you could come stay with me. I'll just tell them a friend of mine will be staying with us for a little while."
Liyana shook her head gently. "Let's not trouble them, Soraya. Don't worry. I'll find a way."
"No," Soraya said firmly. "I'm going to talk to Hailong-ge about your situation. I know he won't say no. His wife, though—she's something else. And honestly? I don't care. You don't even know the nonsense she's been pulling lately. She hasn't cooked in days. I just end up eating snacks or making cereal for dinner. You know Hailong works night shifts, and me? I'd rather eat junk food than starve."
Liyana chuckled. "So you want me to come over and suffer with you, huh? You're hilarious."
Soraya rolled her eyes. "So what? You're not staying with her, you'd be with me. And did you forget? Hailong is my cousin brother. Whether she likes it or not, I'm staying in that house until I finish my degree. She can deal with it."
Liyana shook her head. "Don't start with that, Soraya. I'll adapt to my current situation with time. I know I'll get used to it eventually. It's just hard now because of how I was raised...and some personal principles. But I'll be fine, really."
Just then, her phone buzzed. She glanced down and said, "I think my ride's here, Soraya. See you tomorrow."
Soraya sighed and said, "Alright then, take care of yourself. I'll head home too." With that, they parted ways. Liyana walked toward the cab she had ordered to take her back home.
It was around 10 p.m. when Liyana finished preparing noodles for dinner in the kitchen. As she scooped the noodles into a plate and grabbed a fork, she heard the sound of the sitting room door opening. Calmly, she rinsed the pot, placed it aside, opened the fridge to grab a bottle of water, and walked out of the kitchen, heading directly toward her bedroom.
Just as she reached the corridor, the door of a room just a few steps from hers opened. She didn't even glance in that direction, focused only on unlocking her door, when a voice said, "Hi, good evening. We didn't get to meet when I came in earlier today. I guess you had already left for school. You can call me Rayhan. I'm your new housemate....moved in this morning."
Only then did Liyana turn to look at him, but she said nothing. He gave a small nod and repeated, "Rayhan."
Flatly, without emotion, she replied, "I see."
Just as she was about to enter her room, he quickly added, "One minute, please." She turned back to him with a neutral expression. He asked briefly, "Are you Chinese?"
Her brows furrowed slightly as she replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, alright," he said, adjusting his posture. "What I mean is… could I borrow some of your bottled water and maybe some beverages just for tonight? I'll get mine tomorrow if you don't mind."
Without looking at him, Liyana said curtly, "Okay."
"Alright," he responded. With that, she entered her room, locked the door, and turned the key in place. Even after finishing her noodles, she didn't feel like opening the door again to return the plate to the kitchen. Instead, she left it on a side table, went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, then sat on the edge of her bed and picked up her phone.
She saw two missed calls from Yiming, both from around 6 p.m. She sighed and checked the time....almost half-past ten. She opened WhatsApp and saw that he was online, so she decided to call him through the app. When he answered, she lowered her voice and greeted him quietly.
He didn't respond to the greeting and instead said, "Now is when you finally saw my calls?"
She let out a hidden sigh. "I'm sorry… I just saw them now."
"You mean your phone hasn't been with you all this time?"
"Not exactly… I've been studying since I got back from school. We'll be starting exams in a few months."
"I see. So you think I don't deserve your time anymore because exams are coming? How could your phone ring twice and you claim you didn't notice? Do you think I'm stupid?"
She didn't know what to say. The phone had been on silent mode, something he had previously warned her against multiple times. Wanting to avoid further conflict, she chose not to mention it.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's not like that, really…"
"Sorry for yourself. Tell me exactly where you were when the calls came through. Your lectures ended by 4 p.m. Baltimore time. Where did you go after that?"
She closed her eyes and opened them again, already drained from the interrogation. After a pause, she said softly, "I was in the sitting room, studying. My phone was in the bedroom."
"Oh, so now you're hanging out in the sitting room? Since when? Did your housemate stop bringing her boyfriend over?"
Her heart skipped a beat. Carefully, she replied, "She's not around. She went to L.A. yesterday."
"That makes three times I've called you this week and you didn't answer until it pleased you. That nonsense better not happen again. Are you the only one preparing for exams, or are you trying to tell me I'm unimportant now?"
Liyana said nothing. Her eyes filled with tears.
"Did you hear me?" he said sharply.
"I did," she answered quietly. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"Good. Go to bed."
"Thank you… goodnight," she whispered while wiping tears from her cheeks.
He ended the call without another word. She placed the phone beside her on the bed, laid her head on the pillow, and let the tears fall. After a while, she got up, went to the bathroom to wash her face, returned, turned off the lights, and curled up in bed.
~**~
The next morning, Friday, Liyana and Soraya finished their lectures early. They sat at the exact same spot they had the day before. Soraya was on a call while Liyana seemed lost in thought. So deeply lost that she didn't even notice when Soraya ended the call.
It was the gentle tap on her shoulder that brought Liyana back to reality.
"What's going on with you, Liyana?" Soraya asked. "I've been talking, and you didn't even hear a word. What's on your mind?"
Liyana forced a smile. "I'm just missing my mom and siblings, that's all."
Soraya frowned. "I don't buy that. Something else is clearly bothering you."
Trying to dodge the topic, Liyana asked, "Was that George on the phone?"
Lowering her voice, Soraya leaned in. "Please, tomorrow's the weekend. Let's go to Virginia, Liyana. George is throwing a birthday party, and we're also going to the beach. Don't say no, we need to unwind. It can't be all books all the time...we didn't invent school."
Liyana stared at her. "You're really going to Virginia, Soraya?"
"What's the big deal?" Soraya rolled her eyes. "It's just a four-hour ride from Maryland. Please, for once be social, Liyana. Aren't you tired of being stuck in one place in this country? Monday we'll be back, no one will even know we left. I already planned my excuse with Hailong ge. You don't even have anyone watching over you like I do, and yet you keep wasting your freedom. Once we're back in China, that's it. This trip includes both guys and girls."
Liyana shook her head. "Honestly... I'd advise you not to go, Soraya."
"Well, I didn't really ask for advice," Soraya shrugged. "Ten of us are going."
"Safe journey then," Liyana said quietly. "Hope you get there and back safely."
Soraya narrowed her eyes. "So you're definitely not going?"
Without looking at her, Liyana replied, "You already know I won't."
"Fine, suit yourself. See you Monday." Soraya stood up.
Liyana raised her brows. "You're already heading out? There's still time, Soraya."
"What are we still doing in school? We don't have any more lectures. Funny you're now saying there's still time, given how eager you always are to get back home." She rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable."
Liyana said nothing. Deep down, she no longer felt at ease at home. Sharing an apartment with a Chinese guy wasn't something she thought she could handle. If he were of another background, she wouldn't even care....but this? It unsettled her. She hadn't even seen the new housemate since morning.
Soraya, watching her closely, suddenly seemed to remember something and sat back down. "Wait... this is all because of your new housemate, isn't it? What's your deal with him? He minds his business, you mind yours. If he ever bothers you, just call the cops. Dial 911, end of story. Honestly, with the way things work here, he probably struggled just to get into this school. If he was rich, he wouldn't be living in a shared apartment in the U.S. Rich kids are usually the wild ones anyway. These scholarship kids just keep their heads down. Do your thing and let him do his. He probably came here on a scholarship."
Liyana just looked at her. Soraya pursed her lips and added, "Let's head back to your place. Except Hailong ge won't let me rest unless I personally escort you home."
Liyana pleaded, "Please talk to him again, maybe he'll let you stay. Back then when he stopped you from coming over, we had just started classes."
Soraya waved her off. "Don't bother. He won't agree. Come on, let's go. If your housemate sees you acting all nervous, he'll lose respect for you. You need to carry yourself like you belong. Otherwise, he'll start second-guessing you."
Liyana stood. "Let's just not speak Chinese when we get there. Pretend we're not from China."
Soraya laughed. "You may not be, but I'm Chinese and proud!"
And with that, they left the campus and headed home. When they reached the apartment, Liyana opened her handbag and took out her keys. She unlocked the front door, and they both stepped into the sitting room. Soraya immediately noticed the pleasant scent lingering in the air.
"Looks like he just left," she said, sniffing slightly.
Liyana glanced around. The guy's study materials were scattered across the sofa.
"Please relax and go about your business as usual," Soraya said. "You're in Maryland, USA...not some remote Chinese village. Be modern, will you?"
Liyana gave her a look and set down her bag. "It's not that I care about foreign roommates. My only issue is that he's Chinese. He even asked me yesterday if I'm Chinese."
Soraya's eyebrows shot up. "So you've already talked?"
"I didn't answer him. I pretended not to understand. I'll just say I'm from Saudi Arabia."
That sent Soraya into a fit of laughter. She nearly slid off the couch.
"Well, lucky you...they're known for having stunning, fair-skinned women. He'll totally buy it. Just sprinkle some Arabic here and there, he won't know the difference. He might even think you're genuinely Arab. And imagine what Yiming would say if he finds out you're living with a Chinese guy. Baltimore would be too small for the drama. I told you to tell him!"
Liyana didn't respond. She left Soraya laughing and walked into the kitchen, wondering what to cook. She hadn't even had breakfast before leaving earlier. Standing there, she noticed at least seven cartons of bottled water...premium brands....and a cabinet full of high-end beverages. She walked over to the fridge and opened it. It was fully stocked with expensive drinks, fresh milk, fruits, and plenty of eggs.
Just then, Soraya's voice came from behind her. "Whoa, who put all this stuff in the fridge, Liyana?"
Liyana turned around, speechless. She quietly took some eggs and shut the fridge. Heading over to her corner where she kept her food, she found that even her shelf was now filled with new groceries.
"Is he blowing all his scholarship money on this?" Soraya muttered, holding her chin. "Or is he just clueless about budgeting in this country?"
Liyana grabbed a pack of noodles. "Cook these for us, please. I want to talk to Mom before Aunty Layla leaves for the market."
"Alright," Soraya agreed.
Liyana left the kitchen, grabbed her phone, and went into her room. She opened WhatsApp and sent a voice note to their neighbor, Layla....her usual way of contacting her mom.
Around 4 p.m., Liyana walked Soraya out to the ride she had ordered. Her cousin had been calling repeatedly, worried about her delay. Once Soraya got into the car and waved goodbye, Liyana turned and slowly walked back to the apartment. As she approached, she noticed a car parked in the assigned space. She leaned against the wooden fence and peered through the gap.
She watched as her housemate stepped out of the car, engrossed in his phone. He entered the apartment. Liyana stayed put for over five minutes before walking slowly up to the door. She tried the knob. It was locked. Frowning, she knocked...three times.
He opened the door and said, "Hi."
She didn't respond. With a blank expression, she brushed past him into the sitting room. She went straight to pick up her phone and reading materials from the couch. As she turned to go to her room, she paused, went into the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of water.
On her way back to her room, she glanced at him. He was busy unpacking books from a large carton, completely immersed. He didn't even glance her way.
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