Little Sharpshooter

Little Sharpshooter Chap 36

Three months had passed since Randy's death. Trevor was living with Zhou's brother Tao in Chinatown in San Francisco. It was one of the few places where he never heard rumors about her death. Probably because most people didn't speak English. He was sure he turned eighteen but he didn't even know what day had been his birthday. When he wasn't sleeping, he was sitting on a bench at the ocean with the urns that held the ashes of the Carter family. He tried every day, but he couldn't let them go and say goodbye forever. For some reason watching the waves alone made him want to sob. He left the beach carrying the full urns back to Chinatown.

He dropped into a chair in Tao's Chinese urn shop defeated.

"You must find love to heal and let them go," Tao said.

"It's only been three months." Trevor held his head in his hands. "I can't say goodbye to her and I've tried every day since I've been here. Look, she's still sitting here beside me." He rested his hand on the urn.

"You have a loving heart. You must love again to move on. I have just the thing."

He handed Trevor a newspaper. Trevor took one look at it and threw it back at the old man.

"I'm not getting no mail-order bride." He folded his arms.

"But these are young ladies in need of love. Your Randy told you to love again, didn't she?"

Trevor rolled his head in frustration. "Yes, I told you what she said. I don't want to do that right now. Maybe in a year or two ... or three."

"Here's one that sounds like a girl for you. She's an orphan looking for husband. No in-laws is a bonus, believe me." He looked up at Trevor and winked. "I can't make out her last name. I think it's Russian but she goes by ... Um ...What name is that?" He pointed, showing it to Trevor.

Trevor paused and then squinted at the old man before he read it aloud. "You know what is on the paper but you can't read Mimi?" Trevor's heart began to race. "No. That's not right." He rubbed his hands together and then rubbed his brow.

"I don't understand," Tao said.

"I don't understand you. Why are ya bringin' this up? Why is her name Mimi?" Trevor was on his feet and leaned against the wall on one arm so he could look out the window with his back to Tao. He pressed his fingers into his eyelids. It was just a weird coincidence.

"They take on first names that are easy to say in English. I did that too when I came here."

"Can I meet her first?"

"No, it doesn't work that way. Read this."

"When choosing a mail-order bride, the bride and groom may not meet until the day of the wedding as to not forfeit the expense of bringing the bride from overseas." Trevor paced the room. "It costs money, doesn't it?"

"I will pay for it if it will help you. You need to be needed to get better."

"I need some air." He walked the streets for hours contemplating what to do. Randy wanted him to love again. Maybe the name Mimi was a sign that the girl was meant for him. If not, he couldn't handle it if he was going to be haunted with reminders of Randy forever.

Trevor waited another day before he made his decision. He felt he was betraying Randy when the words. "I'll do it." Fell out of his mouth.

Tao helped Trevor find a nice suit to wear when the day of the wedding finally arrived. He only needed to show up and did whatever Tao told him to do so he wouldn't run away.

The bride requested that they marry on the beach with horses to ride away on when the ceremony was over. That was the hardest, saddling up Al to marry someone that wasn't Randy. He swore he could tell that Al was disappointed in him as he rode the horse down to the beach.