Kidnap!
(View inside the Xixi wetlands Park: Hangzhou, China)
Ying’s mum was shocked and alarmed by many aspects of modern Chinese life in Suzhou, but possibly my very favourite event was during the time we spent in the Xixi wetlands park. We had arranged to leave and checked out of the little hotel. There was no driver that day (as the previous day we had not realized it was the hotel owner who had arranged for our arrival in his car) so they actually arranged for us to be taken to the park entrance by other means. All we knew was that the travel was electric and we would have to travel separately. I had an image in my head of a small buggy device, but I was relying on Ying’s mum for translation. If she was happy, I was happy to take whatever method of transport arrived.
Two young men on e-bikes appeared and the surprise was evident on Ying’s mum’s face. She was actually rendered momentarily speechless by their arrival. I was beginning to enjoy myself as I couldn’t imagine that she would really get on and hang onto the boy driver. I offered to take her handbag as our respective luggage went between their knees. Ying’s mum did indeed embark – we had little choice as our driver for the journey home was due to arrive shortly. Laden with two handbags, I also swung onto the pillion seat and waited for their bike to leave first. The whole time I was on the bike, I was amusing myself with the thought of relating this tale to Ying – his mum on the back of a bike! It was to become a considerably longer saga.
They sped out of sight as their battery must have been fresher than ours, which was struggling at every incline. I considered they would presumably stop at the West entrance where we would meet the driver and my chauffeur and I would meet them. I presumed (in my folly) that my driver a) knew where the West entrance was and therefore where we should be headed, and b) could communicate with the other driver, or recognise him. Neither a) or b) were true. We passed an entrance and he slowed, but we didn’t spot a familiar face, so he continued. Of course, that was the required entrance, though we were both in complete ignorance until we reached what I knew was the North entrance. Now he spoke to me. I understood practically nothing and we both started laughing together. It was pretty funny after all. We were lost and unable to make a game plan. He gestured and I pulled out my phone to call Ying’s mum. I forgot that I was holding her handbag. He made a call with it, I assume to the hotel staff. Here comes the tipping point; He shuffled on his seat to make a U turn, but the bike did not start. I made some comment in broken Mandarin about this being very bad. He mumbled and turned the handle again, with this, it sputtered into life again and crawled around to continue our trip back the way we had come. It occurred to me at this point that Ying’s mum was probably panicking, or at best, a mite concerned. I was right.
Ten minutes later we made it and his companion jovially mocked him. I alighted, thanked him and was greeted by my now surrogate mother who had been worried sick, probably scolding her driver and borrowing mobile phones to call the hotel with the number she was clutching in her hand.
