Message from Alice…

Posted by gina on Apr 16, 2009 in Chi Stories, Friends Visit With Chi | 8 comments

I haven’t written anything yet, first because I don’t really like promoting myself and second because I’m french and not quite sure if every word are going to sound english haha, but I think it’s the right time to share my experience with Chi.
I first met him 2 years ago in Paris, while I was following Jeff and his band Will Haven who was opening for Deftones in Europe. The Tones always been one my favorite band and I was pretty impressed to have the opportunity to see them play every night for about 20 days. They all quickly became friends and I respect all of them for being so nice and treating me like one of them since the beginning. That tour was pretty funny, Deftones had a rad bus and we were following them in a shitty van half of the tour (van who actually caught on fire true story), without taking a shower for couple days, getting sick or eating properly. But I remember that everyday, Chi was there to give me a big hug, food, and a big smile. I was everyday so impressed on how generous and caring he was, and that tour is one of my most favorite memory ever.
I saw Chi since that tour once in a while in Sacramento, and I always enjoyed seeing him and talking to him. But I’ll always remember the last time I talked to him. It was 6 days before his accident. I went to see a band play with my friend Matt and my best friend Angela at the Empire in Sacramento, the show ended and my friends and I started going outside. I saw Chi walking towards the stage, I yelled his name cause I wanted to say hi but he didnt hear me. So I was like “ok whatever I’ll see him around soon enough”. But I still don’t know why but I told my friend Matt “k wait for me outside, I really wanna say hi to Chi” and i went backwards. Chi was on stage because he was working at the show and was helping packing up, when he saw me he jumped and gave me one of his famous hug. He seemed tired but he told me he was taking this time off to relax and enjoying his son before hitting the road in 09. It was really good to see him, and it’s still seems weird to me to think i went back to say hi to him, things I would probably not have done normally. Because the next time i saw him was 2 weeks after this show on an hospital bed with tons of tubes around his body… I brang him a little white buddha that day and it was so hard the 1st time i saw him that i couldnt stay in the room for more than 5 minutes. It took me an hour to go back, stay longer and look at him, I was so shocked that it’s still hard for me to write about that day.
Even if this day I met this beautiful person who is Jeanne, and it’s kinda weird to think I met my mom only 5 months ago because I feel she has always been in my life. This family is absolutely amazing, all Jeanne’s sisters and the Cheng kids are the most beautiful people i know and I love them sooo much.
So since that day, i’ve tried to be back as much as I can, almost every week end, sometimes couple times a week, it’s just impossible for me to spend too much time without seeing him. I don’t really know why, but since the beginning he reacts a lot when I’m next to him, we have a really strong connexion so I try to be there as much as possible and to read and collect informations about coma and semi coma. When I’m with him I sit down on his bed, hold his hands and I try to never stop talking, moving his arms, singing,.. and I’m waiting for the day he will punch me in the face to tell me to shut up!!! Once I touched his nose and he moved his head and looked at me with the “stop that RIGHT NOW” face, it was pretty funny. I can tell to everyone than I’ve seen so much progress in 5 months. I saw him moving his arms and hands when i asked him, he tried to sit down, look at me in the eyes when i talk to him, tried to talk,…
One very emotional moment was with Jeanne and I. We were almost leaving and I was asking him to lift his hand up, which he did and I started crying because I was so happy, he looked at me and saw my tears and tried to sit down to give me a hug, and of course made me cried even more… And about a month ago, I was leaving, i putted my head on his chest to give him a hug and he started mumbling SO loud, i guess it felt comfortable and when I looked at him he was moving his jaw and tried to talk =)
Last time I saw Mr Cheng, I spent the night at the hospital by myself. We listened some Radiohead, and because I know he gets sad and frustrated, I talked to him about how important it is for him to fight, believe in himself, in his body, to be patient, and how so many people love him and care about him. He was really paying attention and listening to me and seemed a little more relaxed. The next morning, Jeanne and I were asking him to move his legs, and he lift his left leg so up that I dont think i’m flexible enough to do that. It was awesome, we were so happy and he did it couple more times.
I’m so proud of him for what he has done already, he’s amazing and I know he’s getting better and better. I know it’s seems like an eternity for us but it has only been 5 months and he has already done so much progress.
Well, I think it’s time to stop writing, it’s 3 a.m and my english is getting bad lol but I really want to thank all of you who are spending time thinking about him and keeping him in your thoughts, those who donates, I’ve been listening to the messages on the get well CD, I read so many sweet comments everywhere on the internet world, and i know it means the world to his family. And by the way, I really wanna thank them for treating me like a Cheng, I love all of them, I’ll be here for them forever and I’m so glad to know those beautiful people.
Thank you Gina for everything you’ve done and what you’re doing, you have been amazing, an angel =)
Chi, keep fighting man, I can’t wait you tell me how annoying i was talking in your face all the time and moving your arms everywhere. I can’t wait we laugh about this. I love you brother.

~Alice