Derek in China

Derek is a remarkable character that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I’ll always remember my first meeting with him, when he opened wide the lighting studio door during photography one gloomy Monday morning. He smiled with a Cheshire grin, boiled cheeks glowing bright, I remembered thinking I’d see him on the ITV ten o’clock news in years to come after he had attempted to keep a poor soul hostage. I felt slightly cruel for laughing at him with my friends on that day, he was new and I’d already been at the school for five years, but still this was a new chapter for me as much as for him. I never knew on that day that in months to come we’d be twelve hours away from embarking on a culture shocking adventure.

Travelling on the mini bus through morning traffic as rush hour started to pick up, I looked towards the back of the bus where I was met with that Cheshire cat grin once more, it’s a smile that never leaves you. The mini bus continued to rattle along the motorway, Rebecca, the girl I had befriended for the trip due to a family connection had already made me regret my decision of partaking in this trip. After complaining numerous times about feeling sick, the tragedy had finally occurred when the substance was released from her mouth. As the vomit trickled down her arm, disappearing at the rim of her sleeve, collecting in the palm of her hand. “Does anybody have a tissue?” she questioned, my friend and I shook our heads not only in response but also in disbelief. We watched Rebecca not knowing what she’d do next. Wipe it on the bottom of the seat? Chuck it out the window? No, she failed to do any of the tasks mentioned above and decided to gobble the vomit up straight out of her hand. Gobbled, she actually gobbled up her own sick, I was shocked by what I had just witnessed, but not as shocked as finding out I’d have to sit that to the girl reeking of her own non food based vomit for the next eight hours.

The first few days in China were unexpected, with the new aspect of life that was thrown my way being challenging but yet also exciting. With language barriers to break, and finding out how astonishing Beijing is, the trip started to become something that was formed off of dreams. Visiting the Great Wall of China is one of the most exhilarating experiences anyone could imagine in their lifetime, unless you’re Derek that is.

Derek’s first encounter in China was rather intimidating, after being cornered in a denim jean store at Pearl Market – a knock off designer outlet. “They cornered me, I was only looking. They pushed me, I could feel their breathe on my face! Igot two pairs of jeans for eight hundred yuan. I don’t know what to do.” Derek flustered after his more likely first shopping experience alone.

“That’s eighty pounds, that’s one way to spend all your money.” Dan smiled, quickly walking away after spotting a sign for Starbucks.

 “Wow, ouch that was really painful!” Derek spoke as he returned to a small minority that had already come back from visiting the wall.

“What was?” Lawrence answered without connecting his eyes with Derek.

“I just fell up the wall, it hurts like hell. I think I might have some stone in my leg.” The small collected group looked at each other with humour glistening in their eyes.

“You fell up the wall? You really should fall down.” Lawrence replied with his eyes again not reaching Derek’s.

Derek reached for both legs of his pale blue coloured jeans, tugging so the material was placed just above his knees.

“Oh my goodness, look at the state you’re in! No wonder you were limping, I have some anti bacterial wipes in my bag, hold on.” Rebecca spoke in a caring tone, rustling through her bag to find her first aid kit.

“He doesn’t need a first aid kit, it’s barely even a graze.” Dan again spoke with a smirk being placed on his lips, which reached the rest of the group. But that was just the beginning of Derek’s misfortunes.

Derek was barely noticeable for the first few days after the knee-grazing incident, with the only sighting of him being on the coach. Looking out of the window into the streets of Beijing, with his moody music video glare he slightly head banged with his brand new knock off shiny red beats placed upon his head, and blacked out shades that I would have gotten for free with an issue of ‘Top of The Pops’ magazine in the late 2000’s.

On one of the days where we spent the day at Beijing Number 57 School was by far one of the best. Walking around the school grounds appeared to be like a scene from The Borrowers, with grand stone stairs leading to every outdoor classroom, surrounded by pits plainly filled by emptiness made raised by classrooms that surrounded them. After having a tutorial on interactive gaming, and desperately trying to fly a computerised plane it was time for us to move on to a different part of the school.

“I don’t know if it was due to hand, eye coordination or I just really suck at playing computer games.” Sophie spoke to the group around her.

“None of us would ever be able to become pilots! It was shocking.” My group of newfound friends chuckled about how horribly their plane simulator experience had just gone.

Walking along narrow sand coloured paths the small group of us trekked as Rebecca decided to explain her life story once more. “I like want to be a primary school teacher, like yeah I think it’ll be cool to like be able teach them everything. They’re brains ain’t clever yet.” On hearing this story numerous times we all had zoned out, there was something about the way Rebecca told a story, I’m not sure if it was due to her lack of speaking in correct English or she was just a really boring person!

Walking started to become difficult as the narrow paths reduced even more, spotting a smooth slop to the left of us the majority of the group decided to change their direction.

“Derek, walk on this slop the ledge you’re on is far to close to them ditches.” Sophie called as Derek sped ahead a small ledge that held the classrooms situated on the opposite of the path the rest of us were following.

Derek decided to play up to the comment, deciding to walk faster, looking behind at the rest of us as he did so. Looking smug with himself Derek decided to walk on leaving us to trail behind.

Suddenly hearing a thud, as if something had fallen quickly from the sky. Looking around questionably we wondered where the noise had accumulated from, only to find Derek had dropped down to the descending pit. He got way too smug with himself and ending up somewhat like a pirate, walking the metaphorical plank. Cruelly hiding our laughter after seeing him disappear down into a pit of nothing,

Jumping up quickly up Derek leaped to his feet, leaving behind the dignity that he had dropped when he had fallen.

“Oh my god guys, ouch my legs!” Again Derek exposed his pale legs with a smooth tug on his now worn out jeans.

“Here we go again. I can’t wait for the constant legs rubbing and winced smile in group photos now.” Dan spoke as he lead the rest of us to continue walk on, leaving Derek rubbing his slightly red legs behind.

After spending our final days at the Chinese school and with our home stay family we departed on to spend our last few days in Beijing in a hostel and a hotel. The time we spent in this accommodation made some of the best memories, and produced the stories that my friends and I always laugh about.

“Let’s find a shop so we can buy something to put on our feet when we used the showers. I’ve got that bottle of vodka I got in the airport, we could always get shots from the bar and stay in your room?” Ryan spoke as we stood in the room I was sharing with Sophie and Rebecca. Collectively we grabbed our purses and headed into the streets of Beijing, leaving our red outdoor lighted rooms, which made it look slightly like a brothel behind.

“I’m sure we didn’t go over that bridge. I’m sure I haven’t seen a sign with Chinese writing on before.” Rebecca pointed into the blacken distance.

“How could you not have seen a sign with Chinese writing on? We’re in fucking China! Look around you.” Ryan shouted angrily at Rebecca. “Let’s go back to the supermarket and turn left, I’m sure we’ll find our way back.”

After now spending around an hour in the streets of Beijing, we had kind of gathered we were lost and had no clue on how to get back to the hostel.

“Look, guys I’m going to ring one of the teachers or the police. We’re not safe.” Derek spoke reaching his hand into his pocket to reach his phone.

“Don’t ring the police, we’re not in danger. Why did you follow us out here anyway?” Ryan again shouted, stomping off in front.

“Maybe I could go on Google Maps and find the hostel that way. Does anybody know the name of it?” Rebecca kindly asked.

“Yes because we all can read mandarin, can’t we. Would you three stop laughing, I’m getting so annoyed.” Ryan directed comment at Dan, Sophie and I, with humour and anger both laced in his voice.

“Guys I’m going to ring somebody. I don’t like it here.” Derek spoke again; almost repeating the words he had spoke before.

“No need.” Dan calmly replied, “I can see the hostel behind that bridge.”

Getting back to the room that was designated to Sophie, Rebecca and I, we sat in a make shift circle, sharing the two trays of shots Ryan had purchased and also his vodka.

“Derek, do you not want a shot?” Dan asked, with Derek only answering by the shake of his head.

“Have one, don’t be boring. It’s our final nights in China, be adventurous for once.” Ryan spoke, picking up shot for himself and another for Derek, directing his arm then in Derek’s direction.

“No, I want to have my first legal drink with my dad. I’m not going to drink until before then.” Derek crossed his arm, leaning slowing back into the chair he was sat on.

“Everyone drinks before they’re eighteen. Go on.” Ryan spoke, pushing the shot further towards Derek. Again gaining the response of Derek’s head being shaken.

“He doesn’t have to drink.” I spoke, seeing how distress Derek was getting.

This gained a huffed sign from Ryan, who lightly threw the shot glass on to the patterned designed tray, leaving a slightly splattered of drink on the flat surface as the drink came trickling out.

“Look, I’ll have one.” Derek slowly leaned forward, grabbing the small glass with his thumb and index finger, slightly swirling the blue liquid before reaching it to his lips, placing his head backwards and letting the liquid slide down this throat.

“See it wasn’t that bad, was it?” Ryan smiled proudly, as if Derek drinking was a type of accomplishment.

Derek slumped back in his chair, resting his head back moving it side to side, parting his lips and reaching up to gather small chunks of hair his hands.

“Guys I feel really dizzy, does it normally feel like this? My head really hurts.” Derek moved positions, this time resting his elbows on his knees, rubbing the palms of his hands against his face.

“That’s why I don’t drink, I hate the feeling. But that happens to me after loads, not one.” Dan spoke, as the rest of us looked on with amusement.

Lifting his head up Derek looked around the room. “How many drinks do you need to have to get alcohol poisoning?” Before collapsing his body back down, as the room filled with laughter.

“Take the card, just go back.” Ryan slightly shouted before throwing the card to the hostel room they were sharing in Derek’s direction.

Derek had decided he wanted to go back and have ‘an early night’, leaving Ryan annoyed with the constant pestering for their joint room key.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to open the door, I think you should come with me anyway.” Derek begged, as a red faced Ryan stormed out the room.

Our second to last day in China seemed to go so quickly, with trips to Pearl Market, Tiananmen Square and watching homeless strangers with one arm fighting with dwarfs filling the majority of our day.

Walking again through the streets of Beijing the sun shone, as if the country was starting to give us a glorious goodbye, with stories from the night before being repeated by the group.

“We got back to the room, I told him I was going to have a shower, but no he kicked me out!” Ryan moaned as we strolled along the street.

“He wanted to Face Time his family, for some reason I had to stand outside the room for that. Then when I get back in he’d hidden my bottle of vodka, he feared for my ‘alcoholism’. Do I look like a drunk?” Ryan questioned as he explained the events of what happened when himself and Derek got back to their room.

“Then when he wouldn’t give it back, I thought forget this I’ll go to sleep.”

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked as Ryan took a breather from his story.

“He watched me sleep. That’s what’s wrong. He waited and watched me sleep!” The only response Ryan gained was laughter.

“Maybe it’ll be better when we go to the hotel, it will be the final night. He might forget about your alcoholism then.” Dan teased as we continued on our walk.

Standing in the hotel we were going to be spending our final hours of China in we waited to collect the keys for the rooms we be spending a few ours in.

“Derek, here’s your key. You’ve got a room to yourself.” The words boomed around the room, as Derek went to collect his room key.

“Yay, I’m on my own! I’m so happy, yay for me!” Derek was heard call in a sarcastic tone.

“I’m glad he’s got a room to himself, maybe he’ll give me back my vodka now.” Ryan muttered as we started to walk to halls to find our rooms.

The hours spent in the hotel were spent by properly packing our suitcases, washing worn pairs of knickers in the bathroom sink as we suddenly run out and more importantly for some, trying our hardest to stay awake!

After travelling on a cramped mini bus, to what seemed like would take us to our death. If we couldn’t see anything but luggage, what the hell could the driver see!

After fuelling ourselves with caffeine to stay awake at the airport, we had finally arrived only to then fall to our slumber near our gate. Awaking to the voice of Derek, I opened my tired eyes to see Dan being shaken awake by no other than Derek. Shaken, more than once violently, my first impressions of Derek being a murderer were finally coming to light, I felt like this was now the time my ten minutes of fame had finally arrived and maybe I could also appear on the ITV news too. I could see the headlines – ‘Schoolboy dies on way home from China Trip, as classmate shakes him awake.’

China was an amazing experience I do not think I’ll ever forget, and I don’t think Derek will either.