This dream had been haunting him night after night, robbing him of sleep. Who was that resolute silhouette, that girl? A sharp pain flooded his brain, and he raised his strong liquor, drinking it in one gulp. He couldn’t think about it. Whenever he tried to recall details, he would suffer splitting headaches, and each time, he could only numb his nerves with alcohol.
He knew this was a sequela from a car accident. Ten years ago, he had been in a car crash. When he awoke in the hospital, a year had already passed. He had lain in the hospital for an entire year, and then he could no longer remember who he was. His mind was a blank slate. They said his awakening was already a miracle. Beneath his thick hair was an ugly scar from the craniotomy.
He knew he had amnesia. He was a person without memories. The doctors said his memories before the accident might never return in this lifetime. When he first awoke, he could barely speak, couldn’t control his limbs, and needed help with everything. But his mind remained clear. During his most difficult times, besides his parents, two people had always been by his side, caring for him, supporting him, encouraging him. They said they were his best friends and brothers, but he had completely forgotten them. Yet in the following days, he could feel their intense emotions towards him.
They told him he was twenty when he first awoke, and then they recounted his memories from birth to before the accident – his name, family background, personality. He knew that besides his parents, he also had a sister. He had grown up in China and only came to live in the United States after the accident. Everything seemed explained, but he always felt something crucial was missing. Then, without warning, that dream came – suddenly and unexpectedly. He had never mentioned this dream to anyone.
Until one day.
He said to Lei Xi, “I want to go back to my home country.”
Lei Xi was leisurely drinking red wine when he heard this. His hand slipped, and the wine almost spilled. He asked carefully, “Why do you suddenly want to go back?”
Xing Tuo replied, “I want to know what the place where I was born and raised is really like.”
“When are you planning to go?” Lei Xi asked cautiously.
