On the way home they met several passing fishermen and as usual, after an exchange of good-evenings, they had to stop in the middle of the road to chat. A day in that place isn't complete without people crossing paths with each other, stopping and exchanging news. As if everybody needed to be updated with everybody.
Killing a person and burying a body isn't gonna be easy in this kind of place. These people have unbelievable eyesight, Mo Guan Shan thought. Because just when you think nobody's looking, later you would find out that somebody saw you pass by or some rando noticed you picking your nose right under a banana tree. Simple stuff like that, but a little bit annoying too, especially if you really value your privacy.
"Idol!" they called, referring to He Tian. Local boys call him "idol" for some reason and Mo Guan Shan didn't get to ask why.
"Had a good haul, boss?" He Tian asked one who looked like the leader of the group. He's carrying a pail and slung on his shoulder were bamboo fishing rods and several other fishing paraphernalias.
"Ah, just several pieces for dinner, idol. Nothing to sell because we didn't get to use the boats."
"Radio said there's going to be a big storm later tonight so we packed up and just fished from the shore," the shortest one with a bald head chimed in. He smiled at Mo Guan Shan and bobbed his head in silent but enthusiastic greeting. Mo Guan Shan returned the smile and nodded too.
They all looked up at the sky and true enough, heavy, dark thunder clouds were forming and the wind was blowing harder than it normally did earlier that afternoon.
He Tian's good at dealing with people and he seemed to easily get on their good side. These older people joked about He Tian marrying Rica and it sort of gave Mo Guan Shan's chest a slight tug. For some people, it might look that way, especially since Rica and He Tian were close friends and knew each other from way back.
"Coming all this way from China, I'd bet it's for a beautiful girl like our Inday Rica!" a sly looking fisherman said, and for some reason Mo Guan Shan didn't like the look of him. He seemed to have a mean glint in his eyes and Mo Guan Shan was sensitive to those types of people.
Rica quickly belted out her loud guffaw and after several times of witnessing her do it, Mo Guan Shan realized it's the girl's way of warding off awkward situations and unwanted comments. It makes you stop any attempt to throw in a follow up for your lame joke.
"Yawa, that's crazy! Except for these guys, I hate China!" Rica said, her stance changing into somewhat brusque and her voice raspier than usual. She met Mo Guan Shan's gaze and gave him a little twitch of her mouth. "They're so fucking greedy, they're stealing what's ours! You guys should worry," she told the fishermen.
"Well, we are worried. What if time comes and we'd really be under Chinese government? What if they restrict us from fishing in our own little seas? It's going to be a tragedy."
"What can you say about that, Kuya Ian?" Nato asked from across He Tian.
"Hmm, I can't refute that. China has a scary government, but it doesn't mean all Chinese folks agree with their methods. Just like how there are Filipinos who criticize their government's stupidity, we also criticize ours for power-tripping smaller countries. It creates tension and people start antagonizing one another just because of their race."
"But China is a fucking mean country, it makes my brain hurt," Rica said, massaging her temples for effect.
"Yes, it is. Reason why some of us get away."
"Ay sus, lip-service! It's hard to believe, coming from you, idol. Your family's been profiting off from the Philippines for more than a century!" that one nasty-eyed fisherman commented and he even flashed a satisfied grin when He Tian's expression hardened.
But he quickly recovered and plastered a dangerously serene smiling mask on his face.
"That's just weird, boss. You don't know my family," He Tian said, looking at the old man directly. It was more like a threat than a simple denial.
As if saying, "If you know my family, then you know what they're capable of." instead of the simpler, "Don't judge my family because you don't know them."
He Tian's scarier when he's being like that.
"Ah, yeah. My bad! Hahaha!"
"Oh, crap! Let's get going guys! It's getting late and I'm starving!" Rica said and signalled them to go, dragging He Tian by the arm. As if she's hungry, not after all those coco meat she gorged on earlier. "Come on guys, Mama's cooking paksiw and tortang talong tonight!"
"Aww, can we come over?" the fishermen joke.
"Of course! Dinner at my place!" Rica answered. Of course, that invitation was only an act of being polite because the fishermen started declining, also being polite, saying that they have to hurry to their families too.
"They're tactless and nosy but they're good people," Nato whispered to Mo Guan Shan when the older people left. "Don't let that get to you, Kuya Shan. Ate Rica's got a dick, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, she fluffs her fighting cock feathers every time people start pushing guys on her plate," He Tian said, patting Rica's shoulder in mock sympathy.
"I make it obvious but they're so fucking determined to find me a rich husband," she said, pouting.
"Tell them straight!" Nato said.
"How do I do that if I'm not?!"
Nato rolled his eyes and poked Rica's nose with his index and middle fingers like they're a comedic duo.
"You expect those old people to understand when they're so fucking dense. Don't even know how to read the mood," Nato nagged. "They're not like you, or me. Reading between the lines is something we're good at because we spend our days thinking. These people, our people, are too busy to think about things like that because it's useless from their perspective. You know what I mean? We have to turn the world upside down just to make them into something they're not."
He Tian and Mo Guan Shan looked at each other, stunned by Nato's brilliant observation. He's deep, mature for his age and he really does think.
"And what do you think will happen if I come clean? Every single girl in this barangay that I've talked to, even the married ones, will assume that I flirted with them! Eww!" She burst out laughing, her voice loud enough for the rumbling heavens to hear.
"That's unfortunate," Mo Guan Shan commented. "Was that serious?"
"Yup. They'd go to the river, where all the gossip melting pot is, and pretend to wash clothes while they tell each other things like, 'You know Rica, she looked at me the other day. She's lesbian, right? It's disgusting, I don't swing that way, I'm sorry' and 'She gave me watermelon yesterday but I didn't eat it because she might have put gayuma in it.' It would give me fucking ulcer! Straight people and Chinese people should all go to hell!" She vented out and gave a nearby banana tree several solid jabs. He Tian shook his head and smiled at Mo Guan Shan.
"She doesn't mean that. She's just opinionated."
"But I agree with her though," Mo Guan Shan said.
"She's gone crazy. Leave her," Nato said and dragged He Tian and Mo Guan Shan away so she called and ran after them.
"Sorry for the sudden outburst, my pretty Chinese gentlemen," she said and courtsyed. "But seriously, Mama and Papa are expecting both of you so come to dinner. Even you, I guess."
"No, thanks. We're having pork for dinner," Nato answered.
"Meathead. Eat your vegetables, monkey!"
***
Mo Guan Shan didn't insist on going to his nipa hut that night because the rain started strong and he's scared to sleep alone in that flimsy-looking house during such a violent downpour. And it's going to be too cold for him to sleep.
He Tian's sitting by himself on the sofa while Mo Guan Shan sat on a chair by the glass wall to watch the heavy rain. It's his first storm in that place and he's slowly realizing that they're indeed in a foreign country. It's scary how rain could make you feel so isolated from the world.
He looked back at He Tian.
"What are you doing?" he asked. The raven-haired guy has a sketchbook and a charcoal pencil, and he's intently working his way into some random sketch.
"Making a sketch for my next project," He Tian answered. "You make rain look appealing."
"You don't like rain?"
"No. I hate it. It's too. . . intrusive," He Tian answered, his shone like cold steel. Mo Guan Shan shivered. Since they got home, the guy's been quiet and aloof.
"Let me see your sketch," Mo Guan Shan stood up and crossed the room to sit next to He Tian. The sketch was of him sitting on the chair, its back on the wall and facing He Tian's direction so his upper body was half-turned to the glass wall and chin resting on his folded arm. He's looking away but it's what his back looks like, apparently. "Whoa. You're quick."
"Well, sketch," He Tian grinned.
"I didn't know you could draw like this."
"Hmm. I'm an artist so I went through art school and several summer workshops growing up. My parents can't seem to chill when I have an hour of free time so they made me learn a bunch of stuff."
"You're talking about yourself," Mo Guan Shan said, obviously surprised.
"So I could stop being a mystery to you."
The longer he stared at He Tian's work, the more his initial amazement vanished from his face. On paper, he looked soft and pure, which was a fucking lie. He's a used toilet paper that needed to be flushed away. This version of his isn't something worth looking at and he fought the urge to rip the page and tear the paper to pieces.
"How about you? What was your passion while growing up?" He Tian asked. The dim light cast dark shadows on his face.
Sex, Mo Guan Shan wanted to answer. Sex and nothing else.
"I eat a lot," Mo Guan Shan said instead, handing He Tian his sketchbook. He Tian chuckled and trailed a finger on his cheek.
"Yeah, you do. You also seem to have this keen interest in food, not just the eating part."
"Hmm," Mo Guan Shan kept his gaze on the dark view from outside but his vision had reverted to a childhood memory. His father, happily cooking in the kitchen of their well-established restaurant. He would beam so bright every time he got a good reaction from the toddler Mo Guan Shan followed by his mother's laughter in the background.
A wave of rumbling thunder struck and Mo Guan Shan's eyes fluttered open. He was asleep in He Tian's room, wrapped in his warm comforter but He Tian was nowhere in sight. He looked at the time: 2:04 am.
It's still raining so hard and the glass walls on the room were all fogged up. It's a one way mirror where they can see the outside and the sky flashed with veins of lightning.
"He Tian?" he called. When he received no answer, he got up and went straight to the kitchen but he's not there. He shivered and berated himself for not wearing slippers.
He just had a dream about his father and waking up alone made it harder for him to recover.
"He Tian!" he called again, navigating through the dim living room.
"In here," He Tian's calm voice answered from his studio. Mo Guan Shan ran and almost rammed himself on the ajar door of He Tian's workshop.
"You're working so late."
"I can't sleep," He Tian answered while polishing the face of a wooden figure of a naked man. It's a small unfinished sculpture but it's realistic enough to give Mo Guan Shan goosebumps. "Come sit with me."
"Uhm, I'll make you some warm milk," Mo Guan Shan said, looking at the sculpture with suspicious eyes. He Tian chuckled lightly.
"You hate statues?"
"It's not that I hate them. They just make me uncomfortable for some reason, especially the realistic ones," he answered. One reason why he didn't look for He Tian at the workshop first. "And that one you're working on, that's me."
"So? What makes it uncomfortable?"
Mo Guan Shan shook his head and turned to leave when he felt warm tears threatening to fall down from his eyes.
"I'll get something to drink," he said and carefully closed the door behind him.
No matter where the fuck he goes! No matter who he's with, they're all thinking the same thing.
* * *
Notes:
Gayuma - love potion. (also, Gayuma by Abra is a catchy song. :D)
Thank you for reading guys. Y'all make my day, just so y'all know.