Half World Read Online Free PDF Page B

smiling. She loved how Ms. Wei always used the third person. She didn’t know why, but it somehow made things seem slightly more manageable. . . .
    Ms. Wei did not wait for an answer she already knew. “Come! Come upstairs!”
    She turned off the lights and they made their way up a narrow staircase at the back of the store.
    Melanie had never been inside Ms. Wei’s living space before.
    Most of the floor had been opened up so that the living room and the kitchen were combined. The wide-open space was welcoming and airy. The north wall was completely lined with books, the titles on the spines written in Chinese, French, German, and English. Two tall metal filing cabinets, two comfortable-looking chairs, and a large reading lamp were placed near the window of the west wall. An enormous wooden table, covered with books, stacks of paper, and drawings, occupied the center of the floor. An orange tree filled one corner of the room, the leaves almost brushing against the high, sloped ceiling. Tiny fruit hung from the branches. The air smelled spicy with it.
    â€œMs. Wei doesn’t often have guests,” Ms. Wei apologized. She cleared off part of the table and gestured for Melanie to sit.
    Melanie sat on the crushed velvet seat and curled her fingers over the carved wooden arms of the chair. Ms. Wei put water on to boil in the kitchen. Melanie sagged back in her seat and her eyes began to grow heavy with exhaustion. She jolted upright when Ms. Wei set down a teapot and two cups with a soft thump .
    Ms. Wei’s crinkly eyes narrowed. She poured out brown tea, a nutty aroma filling the air. Melanie drank the hot liquid gingerly. It was delicious.
    Ms. Wei’s eyes narrowed even more. “Is Melanie hungry?”
    Melanie looked up from her cup. It took several seconds before the words sank in. She nodded.
    â€œMelanie must first eat before she tells her story,” Ms. Wei said emphatically.
    â€œNo, I have to hurry. My mum—”
    â€œMelanie cannot think or make good choices if she is hungry. Eat first. Talk later!” Ms. Wei went back into the kitchen. She set something to whir and turn in the microwave. Melanie heard the crack , crack of eggshells, the sound of mixing. She slowly nodded off once more until the thump , thump of plates being set before her jolted her out of her stupor.
    â€œEat,” Ms. Wei said.
    Melanie fell to the simple meal of hot broth, stir-fried pea leaves, and scrambled eggs. Hot rice. Each bite was full of flavor, savory and nourishing, and Melanie could feel her unsettled emotions grounding, her wits returning. When she was finished, Ms. Wei added more water to the teapot. She refilled Melanie’s cup, then focused her sharp eyes upon the girl’s face.
    â€œTalk.”

    She began slowly, at first, and when Ms. Wei did not interrupt with questions or ridicule, the words tumbled from Melanie’s lips. She told her everything that had happened that afternoon and evening. “As I was running from the house,” Melanie concluded, “the phone started ringing again. And it shouldn’t have.” Melanie shook her head. “‘Half World,’ he said. ‘Realm of Flesh.’ Could such a thing possibly be, Ms. Wei? He’s just a crazy man and I should phone the police, right? ‘Mr. Glueskin,’ he said.” Melanie shuddered at his repulsive name. “Is this all true?” She looked up from her empty cup. Ms. Wei’s eyes were closed. Had she fallen asleep?
    Ms. Wei stood up so quickly, her chair clattered on the hard wood floor. The old woman rushed from the table to her filing cabinets. Using a key she had on a chain around her neck, she unlocked one of the cabinets and began to slide open heavy drawers, rifling through folders. The smell of ancient dust filled the air. Melanie sneezed.
    The old woman was swearing. She slammed shut the lowest drawer, relocked the cabinet, then turned to the second one and