SNL 2020

Roadtrip pt2

After we had our turns washing on the two bathrooms in the pension house, Xiao and I smothered ourselves with insect repellant lotion and worn warm clothes before going out on the porch with drinks in hand, I have warm tea while he has coffee, and sat on the reclining chairs there.

Xiao: (while settling on his chair) This place is gobsmacked in the middle of nowhere but the things here are for shit. This chair is comfortable.

Me: Yeah. Joi was good at finding places like this. He is like Meng.

Xiao: (laughing) Meng can find a bog in the middle of a desert.

Me: (chuckling) Yes.

Xiao sighed. We turned our heads a little when we heard raucous laughters and shout inside the house. Qing and his friends are playing games again.

Xiao: Tell me, they are using drugs...right? Some of them are high. They couldn't be this energetic still.

Me: (sighing) Qing has friends who are doing things I don't like for my fiancé to get associated with.

Xiao: Fuck you and your elaborated sentences. Just tell me.

Me: (shrugging) Yeah. Sure. Some of them indulge once or twice. Qing knows how to smoke pot and snort cocaine but I told him I can tolerate the first but the second one...he better not let me see him high on that because I will truly leave him.

Xiao: (smiling) What does he said about that?

Me: The little shit asked me, what about meth?

Xiao laughed. I grumbled while drinking my tea.

Me: People think I am the cheeky piece of shit between us but Qing could be cheeky too. He thinks he is adorable but he changed his mind after I boxed his ears. I told him never to mess up with me when it comes to him using drugs. I will really kill him.

Xiao: And did it work?

Me: (nodding) I think so. Qing has never came home to me high on anything I won't approve of. We once had a fight when he came home smelling like a pot but since then, not really.

Xiao: (grinning proudly at me) You trained him well. Attaboy Dayu ah. (raising his cup to me)

Me: (letting my cup kiss his) Just learned how to handle Qing. No big deal.

We heard more laughters and even some cheering sounds inside the house. I don't know what game Qing and his friends are playing but I feel happy when hearing my fiancé's laughs. This roadtrip is finally serving its purpose. To lighten up and cheer Qing so he can forget his problems for awhile.

Xiao: You love him so much.

Me: What?

Xiao: You, love Qing ge, so much.

Me: What? Why? How...?

Xiao: (chuckling) You are smiling while listening to him laughing with his friends. You are happy he is happy.

I felt my face heating up. I am glad the porch has just enough lights for Xiao and I to see each other but not enough for him to determine that I am blushing.

Me: Yeah...Well...I am marrying him so I love him.

Xiao: Good to know.

We both sighed together. We took some silent moments of just listening to the sound of the night. The faint rustlings of leaves on trees surrounding the pension house, as well as the little animal noises we heard on our background.

Then I finally opened up the reason why I want to take Xiao to this roadtrip.

Me: Stop berating yourself for being selfish. You are doing what you think is you need to do. Stop feeling guilty.