Cross the railway tracks and hopscotch down the stone steps that lead back home, a young woman in an oversized dress sighed at yet another day of work. The wages were terrible for the number of duties she had to complete each week, but what else can a seventeen-year-old Asian like her get after leaving home? After a month living jobless and close to being kicked out of the rented loft, it was a huge blessing to be able to secure even a small place in the rat race.
But it was so boring! She loved sewing but day in and out at the factory, with the supervisor's bossy demands for perfection, had quickly put her off. Now she lived on simple, stiff clothing she was able to purchase at the downstairs store.
She dared not request clothing from her mother. Afterall, the town her family lived at was nowhere close. Now living in the outskirts of Sydney – a town that many were hailing as a city – everything was super super expensive. Besides, she was supposed to be the one sending supplies or money back, not the other way around, she reminded herself time and again.
A golden gleam among the grasses made the woman pause mid-step. It was by the edge of the ditch next to the road, and it gleamed because it was made mostly out of heavy metal – she was unsure what type, but it would surely fetch a high price. The part that was metal was hollow and curved in a 'C' shape. The other half was shaped like a box with numbers printed on it like a numerical version of the typewriter. Circled by these numbers was a large panel engraved with the upward-tilted shape of the metal object.
The young woman cast a look around, hid the mysterious object in her satchel and hastened her steps back home. She was not sure what it was, but the metal part could be gold, something that was popular at the moment and extremely marketable.
"Gwendolyn, is that you?" The voice of the landlady and shopmistress called from the back of the house once she opened the rickety gate. "Don't forget to keep your laundry! They must be all parched by now in this summery hell."
"Yes, ma'am! Thanks for reminding me!" The young woman yelled back. She was just debating where to unveil the object since there was little to no privacy even in her little loft upstairs. The landlady would often go up to make cleaning inspections. With the reminder of laundry, she figured the knoll where the clothes were hung would be an ideal location.
It was a grassy location that the landlady and her husband rarely visited due to the distance from the house. Why was she hiding it from them? Well, curiosity and fascination with the strange thing warred against necessity.
Now that she had the chance to properly examine it, she found that it was extremely beautiful. The artisan must be very very skilled to have engraved on that metal C such uniform and repetitive patterns. They looked like ribbons but put together made the object look like a corn cob. While she still could not tell what the material of the other part was, it was infinitely lighter than wood and she could even see her reflection on it!
Her finger hovered over the circular panel with the engraved upside-down C. It might be a clue as to what this whole thing was and so she lightly put pressure on the panel.
Nothing happened.
Just as she was about to try again, a sound crackled out of the metal C.
"Gooooood morning! This is Yu-ne speaking, from the...World Help Organisation. May I know to whom I am speaking to?" The voice was young with a strange lilt, but it sounded her age.
There was no mistake it was coming from the metal object. Is this what a voice transmitter looks like? She'd heard of an up-and-coming machine that could connect two people's voice from far away.
"Hello? Uhh, is this Jay? Or maybe Mrs Venette?" The voice paused. "Ahh, maybe you're not sure how to use the telephone? Can you hear me? Please answer a yes or no so I can help you."
Unsure of what to make of this, the young woman cleared her throat. "Umm uhh...yes?"
"And do I have a name, miss...?"
"Uhh Guan'er... no, Gwendolyn, but you can call me Gwen." She replied softly. It was awkward conversing to a hollow tube. She didn't know who the person on the other side was, but the voice was speaking in English, so she decided against using her birth name.
But the voice seemed to insist on using it. "Ohh Guan'er, lovely name! Well, this machine you're currently holding is a telephone and it allows us to talk to each other even across vast distances. No land, sea or sky is the limit! Whenever you wish to connect to my side, just press the phone button in the middle of the box, that is the big circle you might have pressed a minute ago. To exit the conversation, place the golden part over the bracket on the top of the box. I won't be able to hear you until you next press the phone button. Got everything?"
"Yes." It was like she guessed. What a strange blessing to have found such an incredible machine. In a ditch, of all places! "Do you know who this machine belongs to?" She had to ask even though she really really wanted it for herself.
"Belong?" The voice returned incredulously. "No no, a telephone does not belong to anyone, Guan'er. It's like a err... a meeting place, only appearing when two people want to talk to each other."
"A meeting place?" What strange description. She might have heard wrong, afterall there was again that strange lilt around the voice's words.
"Ahh maybe there is no perfect word to describe what I mean. Your language must be severely limited. What language are you speaking may I ask?" The voice asked.
That perplexed Guan'er: "Ehhh, aren't we speaking English?"
"English? I've never heard of that language. If it sounds like I'm speaking this English to you, that means I'm the only one using a translator." The voice seemed surprised although she didn't truly understand by what the last word meant. Trans-lay-ter? The voice drew her attention to the telephone again. "I know it's rude to ask, but just where are you, Guan'er? I'm in Pocks Town, south side, come find me anytime!"
Guan'er wasn't sure how it was rude to ask about her location. "I'm in Sydney Town, New South Wales. I'm not sure where Pocks Town is...What's the name of your country, or state?"
"Country? State? I don't know what you mean, but it's at the south side. If you're north, just cross the bridge and there's a big directory that shows where all the towns are." The voice said exuberantly.
Just cross a bridge to get from north to south? Where is that kind of place? When her parents came to Australia, they had to take sail across the sea for a month, bypassing several countries that all spoke different languages. Her parents had always reminded her what a privilege it was to be able to live here since the journey was so arduous.
"So what did you mean earlier when you said you're from the...Help Organisation?" Guan'er redirected the conversation. "Do you provide any services?"
The voice didn't reply for awhile. "Ahhh uhhh um promise not to be mad, but I'm not actually from the organisation. My sister is an employee though and she uses the phone a lot. She always sounds super cool!" The level of admiration in the voice shone clearly through to Guan'er. "So...when I found this telephone, I was trying to mimic her. I swear I mean no harm though; I will try to help you as much as possible! Although I'm not sure where you are Guan'er, so I'm so sorry but I can't provide any material services."
Guan'er, however, was not at all upset by any of what the voice said. If anything, she was excited that she could keep this machine and this voice. "We can always talk on the telephone!" She proposed. "Call me tomorrow, Yu-ne, at this time? This has been the most interesting conversation I've had for a long time."
A shy laugh came through the golden tube. "Thanks! And of course, let's do it! This has been fun. Then, I'll hear you tomorrow. Bye!"
To prevent any potential accidents, Guan'er made sure to follow precisely as Yu-ne had instructed to close the telephone. There weren't any brackets on the box, and she tried to fit the golden tube on what she thought is the top side. As the tube lowered, a swell appeared, curving inwards into the box and the tube was able to fit snugly onto the box.
"Wow, amazing!" The young woman couldn't help but remark. This telephone kept surprising her, and she hoped it would never stop.
After bagging her indeed parched stiff laundry and hiding away the telephone among the grasses, it was already seven o'clock. She had a quick dinner with the landlady and went to bed early, impatient for tomorrow's work to arrive and end already.
-
In a dusty, unlit corridor filled with various antiques was another seventeen-year-old.
"We can always talk on the telephone! Call me tomorrow June, at this time?" The voice, who had said her name was Guan'er, suggested through the speakers of the old telephone.
June rocked back on her haunches with a tentative laugh. She had a great time as well and wouldn't mind calling again. However, this was an incredibly impulsive thing of her to do. Luckily Guan'er was none the wiser.
She popped the handle back on its resting place and gently placed the whole machine back where it belonged. Looking at the thick books behind, she smiled. "Guess I won't be needing you guys now."
Early dawn, she had once again tagged along with her sister to the World Help Building. Her sister was one of their phone counsellors and often couldn't afford to spend time at home. June, of course, could not bear to stay home alone, where boredom sets in quickly and thickly. She also would take any chance to ride her sister's stallion, Embrazil.
She couldn't wait to get her licence next year!
June emerged from the corridor and patted down her green rain jacket and black pants. She checked her mod for the one message that had pinged when she was distracted earlier and made her way to the cafeteria.
"Sorry I'm late!" Her sister was already at a table with two sets of meals.
Sis shook her head. "I've only sat down anyways. The lunch line is pretty long, as you can see." Yeah, waiting in line for some cold slabs of meat and floppy buns, June saw. Why can't the cafeteria serve Orange Rice or Cookies? "What did you find today? More books?" Sis chased away her annoyance when she suddenly asked.
June thought to answer truthfully – that she found an ancient telephone, the likes of which people used 500 years ago, and that she had conversed with someone who didn't even know what a telephone was. She shook away that tinge of honesty. It wouldn't do any good to reveal she had done the forbidden, touching mysterious technology that she had found in a busted locker. Books were already quite a mild risk, working machines were on another scale. No, no, best not to bring her sis into this.
"Yeah. I found this book on ancient telephones." She held out the manual she found alongside the telephone. A manual wouldn't hurt.
Her sis' eyes widened and she carefully took the paper book, which posed a very detailed image of the golden machine printed on its cover. A finger traced the patterns on the handle. "These symbols..."
"Don't they look like the royal emblem?" June asked. This patterning was what drew her to pick up the golden handle and press call. The royal stuff always had magical properties.
"It does look like the ribbon signature...But the entire handle looks like a bone with the repeated patterning. How foreboding." Sis flipped open the manual and squinted.
The manual was completely unreadable. Words had faded with age; it was a miracle the paper survived at all.
"No dice, sis. Wish it's in the museum." June sighed.
Sis handed back the manual. "There's probably a great reason it's not. Who knows? Maybe it connects you to another world."
"That would be amazing! Then I wouldn't be bored all day."
"That wouldn't be, June. It's dangerous and probably forbidden."
June poked out her tongue.
"You're such a child, June."
The next day arrived with yet another round of heavy rain. Embrazil, her sister's stallion, was once again cranky as he shook his mane when they reached the hanger of the World Help Building. After drying off, they each headed to where they needed to go.
June all but ran to the east wing of the building. It was the storage side of the roughly 3-hectare structure, and contains several rooms and corridors colonised by dust. It would be spooky if not for the enchanting atmosphere, always begging her to be explored. As long as the general rules were followed, she had been permitted to come and go as she pleased.
The corridor she was in yesterday was one that she oft spent her time in. It was about two meters wide and curved as it formed the very corner of the building. Bookshelves lined one wall while the other held small openings that let in outside light.
She settled on the carpet floor next to the locker and pulled out the telephone once again. Now that they had gone through introductions, what could she talk to Guan'er about? She channelled her inner Sis as she waited for the call to go through.
Will it go through again? Will she get to learn more about Guan'er? June had high hopes of becoming friends over this rainy holiday.
"Hello?" A click then a familiar voice filtered through.
"Good morning Guan'er! How are you today?"
"Good." The voice replied immediately. June sensed the reply was almost instinctive as if she were asked the question daily, so she was delighted when Guan'er decided to speak more. "But truthfully I'm exhausted. Wishing for time to fly faster makes it go so much slower. How about you, June?"
June totally understood that feeling. "Awesome! I was feeling lethargic yesterday but after finding the telephone, I'm feeling energetic. I usually like reading books to pass my holiday but it's so much better to actually have someone to talk to."
"Oh? What do you usually read?"
"Outdated research studies, history books and the like. They're all in this abandoned place where I found the telephone." She answered, looking around.
"Huhhh, and you actually read them from cover to cover?" The voice asked with incredulity. "How old are you?"
June didn't understand how that could be strange. All those old tomes were unique: the folks who had written them each had their own flair imbued within their words, and she could sense the importance and respect they each placed on their respective topics. She felt protective over them. "Yeah, I'm seventeen. What's it to you?"
The voice panicked. "No, no! I think history books are tedious to read and a waste of time, but I didn't mean to make fun of you. Honestly, I think it's admirable you can read them. I'm seventeen too."
"Oh. Right. These books make up such a big part of my life I get very protective over them, sorry." She couldn't believe she had been rude to Guan'er, jumping to assumptions just from her voice. "Your turn Guan'er, what do you like to do?"
"Ummm I used to like sewing or knitting but at the moment I can't think of anything I like to do. Maybe walking? The weather here in Sydney is often very mild and I can sometimes smell the sea breeze. Walking is the only time where I don't feel pressured from work or my family..."
"You're working, Guan'er? At seventeen?"
"Things are always expensive at this time so as the eldest of my family, I'm the breadwinner. I'm not the youngest in the factory too." The voice answered.
"Can't you or your family ask for help from neighbours? Or the local help station?" June wondered. Since their parents were always away, Sis always sought assistance from the local help station to manage their home while she went to work. The station's people were extremely friendly and skilled in all manners of tasks.
"Local help station? You mean the police? As if!" The voice scoffed. "My family and I are different from the people who live here. They don't look too kindly to us and my father says it's a weakness to ask for help from those asses."
June had never heard of such things happening. People being unkind to another because they were different? But everyone was different from each other! Wouldn't they have to be unkind to everyone? She failed to wonder how that worked.
"Anyway, what else do you do?" Guan'er's voice sounded more confident now which June was glad for. "My mother would call you a hermit if she knew you read books all day and she'd throw you a broom to clean the whole house." She laughed.
Puffing her cheeks out, June argued, "I don't have to clean the house but I do other things too, you know! It's the holiday season at the moment so I'm just...free."
"Lucky!"
"I'm not. It's so boring!"
"So what's the 'other things' that you do?"
"Taking care of my sister's stallion, Embrazil. Taking it out for rides when Sis isn't aware." June decided to reveal her ambitions. "I'm training for next year when I can get my licence to ride anytime, anywhere. Embrazil's super understanding too. But I hope to get my own once I have my licence."
"You have a horse? Double lucky!"
A horse? Embrazil wasn't a horse! Did the translator hit another limit from this 'English' language again? He's of the Equidae family, sure, but equating him to a horse was not doing the majestic gryffoun justice. If there were no such word, Guan'er might as well be in another world!
Lexical gaps, June shook her in pity, yet she merely replied, "Most often than not, Embrazil's just a really gruff, really old lion."
Guan'er laughed. "That sounds so cute! Like my family's dog. I've always wanted a horse though, makes travelling to the town center so much easier."
June really wanted to visit Guan'er and take her for a ride. It sounds...sad that this girl on the other side lacked so many nice things June has lived with for so long. "I've never thought about wanting another..." June wanted to share all these things. "Embrazil's been with my parents and their parents before. He's very loving, proud, protective but a total flirt with the females."
"Wish I could see that!"
"Yeah, I'll try to find a way to find a way to send you a photo or something. Do you have a mod?" June asked with lots of doubt.
"Mode? What's that?"
June felt like there's a lot she's missing about Guan'er, but what it was she wasn't sure. It just felt right to assume that the other girl wouldn't have a mod, even though everyone has one. Even the royal guards with their magic powers use mods.
"Gwendolyn!" Another voice came through the telephone. It started to say something, but June guessed Guan'er must have muffled the speakers because she couldn't hear what.
Yesterday, Guan'er had offered the name 'Gwendolyn' and its abbreviation as a second thought. June had immediately disregarded them as their letters held no essence, like the words 'is' or 'the' extracted out of a sentence, vacuous. This stranger had broken a golden rule, calling someone by a false name!
"I must go now." Guan'er's voice on the telephone, followed by a loud tired sigh, cooled her rising irritation. "I'll call you tomorrow. I might be later, I'm usually very very busy on weekends."
Slight disappointment niggled at June. It had only been an hour. "Oh, alright. In the meantime I'll try to find a way to send photos to you. Hear you tomorrow, Guan'er!"
"Hear you, June."
The call ended with a thud.
June stared at the buttons on the telephone, fantasising re-circuiting the wiring to enable a way to deliver images through numbers. She'll have to ask Sis how she usually solves problems of the impossible because her new friend's situation was seemingly inaccessible by ordinary means.
A/N: Longest thing I have written in ages. Also wrote this in 2 days 😳 I'm starstruck.