Pork Soda

Twenty-Three

He took off his suit jacket and stepped out of his shoes, putting on his slippers, once he entered his house. He neatly lays his suit jacket over the arm of his sofa. With a bag in his hand, he walks over to a door. He enters a small room. It's dimly lit with several candles and at the very back in the center stood an altar. On the altar were pictures and paintings of his family, a few candles, an empty plate, an empty cup on a saucer, an incense holder, and a metal pot full of ash.

He looks at the photo of his late wife and gives a small smile. He picks the photo up and gently caresses it with his thumb. His late wife Li Zhi Ruo was a beautiful woman with a charming personality. She hadn't been the smartest, his parents had surely been a little disappointed as he had rejected all the noble women they tried to match him up with, but she knew all the ways to make his heart twist and turn and ache and beat for her.

In his youth, they had been playmates, but she was only of the common folk so their time together had been cut short when he started taking his studies seriously. However, once he had been crowned emperor, he looked for her. He was lucky that she was still unmarried and immediately went to court her. She rememebered him and, of course, couldn't deny how well her childhood friend had grown up. They got married and she had given birth to their daughter Hong Kong. She, because she was a human, died during labor. Their daughter would have died with her had he not taken a great sacrifice to cut his wife open and retrieved his daughter.

The memory of that time still makes him bitter with sadness. He still misses her big dark eyes that their daughter had inherited and how they stared up at him with so much love and so much joy after finding out that Li Zhi Ruo was with child. He tenderly kisses the photo then places it back on the altar.

He places the bag he was holding onto the ground and rummages through it. He brings out some flowers that he had taken from Luxembourg Gardens and places it on the altar. He takes the empty plate off the altar before taking a bowl of fruits out of the bag. He removed the plastic wrapping off the bowl before placing it on the smooth wood, being careful not to knock over any of the candles. Then he takes an incense stick and lights it using the fire from a candle before placing it on the incense holder.

The woody scent from the burning stick fills the room so he opens the windows a little as to not choke himself or his ancestors when the smell got overwhelming. He then moves the bag and plate and cup to the side, going on his knees and bowing before the altar. He says a short prayer and tells them about all that happened during the wedding of his friend. Once he finishes, he gets up and excuses himself, taking the bag and plate and cup and leaving the room.

There's a strange scent in the air. It smells of something fried. He closes the door to the shrine room and drops the now empty bag near the sofa. He makes his way to the dining room where he knows the smell is coming from. He opens the door and sees a big room with a long table in the middle. Near the head of the table was his maid who was standing next to a certain someone who was sitting and eating fish and rice like a pig.

"Eating a late breakfast, I see," he says, announcing his presence.

The maid jumps in surprise upon seeing him. He walks over to her and hands the empty plate and cup to her. She takes them and politely bows before leaving for the kitchen. Now he and his guest were alone.

"You don't normally eat fish, 亲爱的," he says, pecking the other's head before sitting down at the head of the table. (dear)

"It's cravings," America says as his chews, getting some rice to stick to his cheeks. He then swallows and looks at China. He looks at the country's fingers and frowns. "Where's your ring?"

"It's in our room. I couldn't wear it during the wedding where a lot of countries would be able to see it," the Asian replies. He's bothered by the American's messy face so he picks up one of the handkerchiefs laid out on the table. "Eat properly, will you? I don't like a mess."