GUN

Chapter 13: Xian's House

October 30, 1:13 PM: The drive home was as long and tiring as they'd anticipated. As Gun drove down the winding mountain, Xian and Goo chatted amongst themselves in the backseat, occasionally hitting each other with the empty potato chip bags in the car as they joked around. Gun glanced at her for a moment through the rearview mirror, rolling his eyes as he looked ahead at the road. He eventually blocked out their banter as he stared at the world outside, trees melting away into houses and buildings.

'Nice country,' he thought to himself as he drove, 'I like it here.'

It didn't take long for them to reach the kid's house and Gun U-turned into the driveway, careful not to hit the metal clothing rack. Some of their clothes were still hanging there even. There was a small garden to their right, growing long healthy Pandan leaves as an assortment of small potted plants sat to the side, sprouting little pink flowers, though nothing special. It was a miracle they hadn't withered and died. None of them had bothered to water them, even prior to their trip to Genting.

The three of them swiftly exited the car, going to grab their luggages. Gun and Goo hauled their bags towards the front door while Xian stood outside, letting the breeze blow her hair as she looked up at the house in front of her. Its walls were painted beige with blush roof tiles, worn from rain. It used to be a brighter red when she moved here when she was six.

Her eye caught the flash of the *CDs dangling from her neighbour's house and she looked down, hearing the splashing of a hose. (*A lot of houses in Asia have CDs hanging off trees and plants, as people believe it will ward off birds that might eat the fruit.)

She glanced over at the house to her left, catching the eye of her neighbour who waved at her in a friendly manner. The elderly lady bounded up to the fence to greet her.

"Hi, girl! How are you?"

"Hi auntie," Xian said as she bowed politely, "I'm doing okay."

"I watered your plants for you when you were gone!"

"A-ah... Thank you, auntie."

"When are your parents coming back, ya?"

"Maybe next month. It depends on their business trip."

The old woman tutted at her as she shook her head.

"So independent la you. If it were my grandson, complain the whole day y'know! Everyday also play iPad!" she blabbered on until she gave Xian a sympathetic look, "Aiyo, you must miss your parents."

"... Yeah, I guess--"

"Xian!" she heard Gun call her and looked over in their direction, seeing the duo struggling to open the gates ("Can't you even put a key in a lock?" "Quit talking or I'll break your jaw!"), "Hurry up, kid!"

"So handsome, that one," her neighboured cooed, swooning over the blonde who continued swearing in Korean, "Go la. Don't wanna hold you for too long. Remember to ask your mother what soil she uses, yea!"

"Okay auntie," she said tightly as she rushed over towards to the duo.

And they stepped foot into a house that was all too familiar to her.

☯

October 30, 1:17 PM: It was always emotional walking into her house without parents. How many times had she hoped they would leave so she could have the house to herself?

She got her wish, didn't she.

Gun caught the expression on her face, staring blankly at their reflections through the TV, and that all needed to know what she was thinking. Her eyes said it all.