[ WP ] Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 lands in Beijing Airport , 3 Months late - passengers claim to have flown as normal .

Mei's eyes are different. 
 
 Everyone who disembarked had the same glassy eyed look. They trudge off the plane and everyone's shouting in relief and excitement. The crowd pushes their way through. Relatives scoop up their long lost brethren, while reporters' cameras flash away. Everyone is happy, except the passengers who just look confused. 
 
 Questions zoom at them from all directions. I have my share of questions, but I hear the crowd and I feel ashamed to want to know. I look towards Lok. He has fixed his eye on the gate, wanting to know at the earliest possible moment that Mei is safe. Then Mei stepped through the gate, and because he is pressed against me in this tight crowd, I can feel him relax. 
 
 The crowd continues to surge forward. The passengers have begun to respond blandly. They do n't see any big story about their arrival. The plane just landed as expected. Nobody believes it. I do n't believe it, but I do n't like that they keep badgering at the passengers. Sure, they disappeared for three months, leaving their families in a paralysis before the unknown, but they're here now. Ca n't the reporters or these badgering relatives wait a little bit before assaulting them with questions? 
 
 Mei glides through the crowd, her movements furtive yet timid as she approaches Lok and me. She has heard the clamorous insistence that her appearance is a mystery, and her shoulders are stiff, as if she expects Lok to join in with the questions. 
 
 Lok does n't ask. Instead, he sweeps her up in a hug. 
 
 
 I dutifully called my parents. I told them Mei is safe, then lie that Mei is sleeping and can not talk right now. Well, the last part of that is n't a lie. My parents -- bless them -- are worried, but they have questions. 
 
 I know Lok's approach to this will be to let Mei bring it up when she's ready. He told her he would be willing to listen. Mei nodded that she understood but I think she might be holding back. 
 
 I know something's wrong but I do n't know how to help. I want to protect my sister from all this craziness with the reporters and the questions, and at the same time I get this impression that the reporters are not Mei's biggest problem. 
 
 I spend the night at Lok and Mei's place. I have done this many times before, and so we can pretend we're doing everything normally. I shift myself around on my futon until the sticky confinement of the bedding gets to me and I finally kick off the covers and sit up. Maybe a drink of water might help. 
 
 I dart to the kitchenette. When I open the cupboard, I hear a thud behind me. 
 
 Mei stares at me through those hollow eyes. It looks like she is asleep, but she's never sleepwalked before, so I do n't know if that's what she's doing now or if something else had seized her body and soul. 
 
 `` The water,'' she mumbled. `` We were under the water. We were calling and calling. Why could n't you find us?'' 
 
 I wanted to say, I'm sorry. I wanted to say, Do you realize how big the world is? I wanted to say, We looked. The whole world looked. We tried. But eventually we had to go back to our lives. We did n't know what else to do. The human race is too inadequate to save you. We kept hoping. We would never stop hoping, but we need more than hope. 
 
 Lok and I have lived together in this apartment for the three months Mei was gone. I know what you suspect, but do n't worry, Lok has n't been unfaithful. There is nothing physical between us, but we need to be together. We need to be here for Mei, to somehow give her the assurance that she will not be lonely. We will always be here for her. 
 

