When the boiler in the basement of Temple B’nai Chaim broke down, Zhou Lei decided it was too cold for our weekly Chinese lesson. Our parents were summoned by phone, no doubt grumbling about losing their two hours of Sunday freedom, forced back out onto deceptively slippery Connecticut roads.
“They be awhile,” our teacher told us as we sat at the conference table still huddled in our coats. “So I tell you story, maybe make you feel little warmer.”
We’d all heard Zhou Lei’s stories before, and they were enough to stop the pulse of any healthy eleven-year-old. In truth, they made us shiver more than the January winds. As Zhou Lei began, the six of us scraped our folding chairs closer until we were grouped at the head of the table like abandoned kittens in a cardboard box.
“In Xinjiang Province, where I was born, day like this would be considered slightly chilly. Tian Chi, which means ‘Heavenly Lake,’ begin to freeze over in November and stay that way until April, sometimes May.
“Many years ago, man name Lim Pong live very close to shore of Heavenly Lake. He build little restaurant there, very popular with many people who would ice skate on frozen surface.
“Lim Pong become friends with man named Shing, son of magistrate’s accountant, who live miles away on other side of lake. Shing would often cross lake by boat, for this was time before Zhongshan Bridge was built. He would visit Lim Pong’s at his restaurant, eat his fill of dumplings, and often bring younger sister, Mei-Lien, who Lim Pong fell deeply in love with first moment she walked through his door.
“Lim Pong, whose dumplings could make an emperor’s mouth water, was not so good with words. So he pray to gods. He ask them to please find some way that he and Mei-Lien might one day find way to wedding altar.
“One day in late winter, a letter was deliver to restaurant. It was from Shing saying that he had plan to marry. But his mystery fiancé, who he met only weeks before, did not receive his family’s approval. Love is stronger than tradition, Shing had written, so we will marry in secret on afternoon of first day of spring. You, my friend, must be here by noon and you must bring along some of your wonderful dumplings for our wedding feast. We will need only enough for four, as Mei-Lien, my sister and trusted confidant, insists on being present.
“Along with letter is map giving directions to small cottage across lake where Lim Pong was to meet others.
“Lim Pong’s heart soar for himself as well as for his friend. Gods had listen his prayers, and found opportunity for him to win devotion of Mei-Lien.
“Problem was this. Wedding was to take place in just four days. Heavenly Lake was frozen. To walk around it would take too long. Be too dangerous. Lim Pong think about riding across ice on horseback, but the lake was beginning to thaw and weight of such a heavy animal could prove tragic.
“But Lim Pong was clever. I can skate across ice, he figure. I can leave at night and arrive early next morning.
“So on eve of his friend’s wedding day, Lim Pong close his restaurant early, pack up plenty dumplings, put on ice skates, and start out. Moon was full, night was crisp, and Lim Pong—gliding along ice like proud mother swan—was more fill with hope than ever he had been.
“All night he skate under moonlight until, when just before sun come up, he notice another skater on lake. Not so far ahead of him, Lim Pong see what appear to be young woman dressed in red . He call to her—he want to make sure all things okay—but she either not hear him or not want to hear him.
“Lim Pong know that sometimes thieves hide behind trees on shore for skaters out alone. What could young woman in red do in such situation? So he continue to follow her as she skate north, even though this is opposite direction Lim Pong want to take.
“For at least two hour he follow and call out, but Lim Pong lose sight of woman in red not long after sun come up. She must be safe, he reason to himself, otherwise I would have been witness to her problem.
“Was at this point Lim Pong realize he has gone several miles out of his way. Having had enough of Heavenly Lake, and more than enough time to reach destination, he decide to go up on shore and walk rest of way.
“Following shoreline south, he soon come upon several children sitting on fallen tree, ice skates on ground by their sides. ‘Why such sad faces?’ he ask one boy.
“‘Off from school,’ the boy answer, ‘but ice too thin to skate on.’
“Lim Pong look in direction boy point, and notice that ice around shore has broken as if someone has tested thickness by rolling in large rock.
“‘We should go north where it’s thicker,’ a second boy say. ‘But by time we get there, it will be thin as well.’
“Lim Pong give each child dumpling as he stop to consider his luck. Had he not followed skater in red, he would surely have arrived at this spot, not noticed softening ice in dim morning light, and fallen through. And at that time of day, would have been no one to hear his cries for help.
“Lim Pong continue on to small cottage on map. He arrived well before noon, and knocked on door. Before too long, a sad woman in everyday clothes answer door.
“‘Ah,’ Lim Pong smile. ‘You must be Shing’s mystery fiancé. I am Lim Pong.’
“But sad woman say nothing, just stare.
“‘Excuse me,’ he say, ‘but for bride you seem very unhappy.’
“‘I will not be bride today,’ she tell him.
“‘Why?’ he ask. ‘Is Shing sick?’
“‘Is not Shing,’ fiancé say. ‘Is sister. She die last night.’
“Lim Pong immediately feel his heart leave his body.
“‘Mei-Lien?’ he ask.
“Fiancé nod head. ‘She had been ice skating in afternoon and fell through thin ice by shore. She make it back here, but whatever we do to get her warm does not work. As night passes, she grow worse. And during that time, she speak only of you.’
“‘Me?’
“‘She say she know you will try to cross ice. That you are unaware of danger. That if you approach from north, maybe you will be safe.
“Later that day Mei-Lien’s body was put on altar meant to be used for wedding ceremony. As Shring and mystery fiancé pray for her eternal happiness, Lim Pong, unable to hold back bitter tears, decide it is foolish to ask gods for anything ever again.
“That night, he start back home. He hope that he might once again see woman skater dressed in red, but only companions are cold wind and wolves that howl from shore.”
Lily Zhu Silberman, my best friend and the smallest among us, was the first to speak.
“Did Shing and the mystery fiancé ever get married?” she asked.
“Oh yes,” Zhou Lei said.
“Are you her?” I asked shyly.
Zhou Lei laughed.
“Oh no, no. She was far older than I would be.” His smile straightened. “But they did have daughter who grew up to be very wise and very sure of self just like I want all of you to be.”
We looked from one to another.
“I hear parents’ cars outside,” Zhou Lei said as she pulled on heavy leather mittens and a red wool beret. “Be careful outside, sweet nieces.”
But none of us moved until our parents came inside for us, and by that time Zhou Lei was nowhere to be seen.