Rica was quiet along the way. It's her own way of being a considerate friend, not opening her mouth, because once she does, he knew that she would only laugh at him. Not that it would offend him in any way possible. This girl has been a classmate and a friend and he also understands her more than anyone else. Rica was incapable of showing her emotional side and prefers to turn heavy situations into a joke than to deal with her own complicated emotions.
But she deeply cared about people, and maybe even the whole planet. She also panicked when he arrived at her front door, asking for help. Although she was also quick to take the role of the rational one between the two of them.
She yawned for the thirtieth time.
"Gotta catch some sleep first," she said when her house was on sight. "You too. I doubt Mo Guan Shan would leave you all alone for a whole day. He'll be back before you know it."
"I hope so. What if Auntie Dang won't let him back home today?"
"Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw laging maraming dahilan," Rica said with a knowing smile. She even wriggled her brows at him. "I wrote that."
He Tian snickered. He understood the saying and of course, Rica didn't come up with that one. It's rather old and overused, but still relevant.
If there's a will, there's away, simply put.
He Tian went straight to the bathroom for a hot shower. He's shivering with the cold and his eyes are starting to burn because of the lack of sleep. Even his hands were shaking uncontrollably. It happens whenever he sculpts for too long and then washes his hands afterwards without letting them rest for a bit. After a quick scrub, he went out naked and collapsed on his unmade bed, inhaling the faint scent of Mo Guan Shan as he burrowed under the sheets until he fell asleep in a fetal position.
The day his mother died, it was on a stormy night like this too. Although she didn't leave by herself, she drove the car to the city to buy another toy because she got her gift wrong and he refused to stop crying until he got the right one that he wanted. He was such a spoiled brat and everybody wanted to please him, so he hasn't learned to wait.
He could still remember shouting, "I will die if I don't get that set! Mom, don't cry if I die okay? It's gonna be your fault!" And then he sprawled on the carpet, dragged himself across the wide living room and rolled all over like a fucking roomba.
His mother only chuckled, hugged him and called him an overly dramatic little prince. And then they left to buy the right one. Why was she the one driving again? Ah, it was on Christmas vacation and their maids and drivers were on a break. His dad and his brother were in China and the two of them were left in their family house with his grandfather.
On the way back, it had gotten so dark and the rain was too strong they could barely see what's ahead. But He Tian was beaming because aside from his toys, he also received different gifts from the mall they visited. The manager even greeted him and gave him sweets.
It was the best day ever, until their car died in the middle of a highway. And so his mother went out to flag any passing car, just to get help or maybe hitch a ride to a nearest hotel. He Tian pouted as he waited inside the car. He's so excited to get home and open his presents!
He watched his mom, walking back and forth underneath the annoying rain, trying to get help until a raging truck hit the back side of their car. He Tian's little body slammed on the window but he was wearing his seatbelt. The truck hit the open driver's seat door and it flew away like a piece of flattened can and then the airbags exploded, but he still saw how the truck swept along his shocked mother. He can still remember her face, looking in his direction to see if he was hurt, trying to run up to the car until she disappeared just like a menagerie.
When He Tian came to, he was drenched in blood due to the broken glass windows and he couldn't find his mother. So he crawled out of their wrecked car and called out for her; searched for the body that was supposed to be part of her leg lying on the road.
Under the rain that had no consideration for the dead, he cried and sat by what remained of her. It won't even stop for his broken mother.
He Tian woke up crying. It was all his fault. No matter what his grandfather says, his mother died because of his selfishness. He shivered and sluggishly dragged himself off his bed to put on a pair of boxers. Wiping his eyes with his hands, he sat down on his bed and stared off into the distance.
He should sleep. He needed a drink.
***
Mo Guan Shan was awake when He Tian checked on him. He wanted to open his eyes, run to him and tell him that it's fine now. That he doesn't have to make that face because he was the one at fault, not He Tian.
He heard his pleading voice when he arrived with Rica because the girl's unnecessarily loud voice woke him up. He didn't understand what they were talking about but when he heard He Tian, he knew immediately that the guy had been desperately looking for him. It brought another wave of tears in his eyes and he didn't even manage to wipe away his tears when He Tian slightly opened the door.
After He Tian left, he drifted in and out of sleep until he could no longer take it. He gingerly got up and looked around Rica's room. Just like the rest of the house, it was made of old, but sturdy wood and smooth wooden planks. The windows were draped with floral curtains and several stuffed animals sat on the bedside table and on the built-in shelves. Daniella must have taken good care of everything in the house because the floors were shiny and even the bridgings were never dusty.
He wondered why Rica chose to live all alone.
Mo Guan Shan stood up to closely examine a framed photo hanging on the wall. It was a high school graduation photo of Rica and He Tian. So they went to the same school. No wonder why they seemed so familiar with each other, so much like siblings.
When he exited the room, he found Daniella in the kitchen as she busily arranged food in several food containers. She looked up and beckoned him to sit by the table. She poured hot coffee in a cup and placed it in front of him.
"Uhm, Auntie. . . Thank you for everything," he said and bowed in front of the old woman.
"Oh, you! That's what neighbors do! And we're not just neighbors, while you and He Tian are here, you are under our care. So never mind the tiny details."
Mo Guan Shan sat down and took the hot cup in his hands, savoring the comforting aroma of roasted corn coffee. She also offered him a basketful of Pan Bisaya and he took one to stop his grumbling stomach. It's way past noon.
"I swear, I will never cause you headache again, Auntie."
Daniella laughed and reached out across the table to pat his arm. She's short and plump but she's strong just like her daughter, and they even have the same raspy laugh.
"You must be starving. Come on, you eat first. I made lumpia stuffed with bamboo shoots. You will love it."
"Uhm, I think it's better if I eat at home," Mo Guan Shan said with a hesitant smile and stared at her meaningfully.
"You're right, you're right. Talk things over as you eat," she said and covered one container before carefully placing it inside a bamboo basket. She also wrapped her homemade bread with banana leaves and arranged the bundle inside the basket. "Take these so you won't have to cook."
"Thank you very much, Auntie," he said, blushing at the thought of He Tian. "Uhm, Auntie. Don't you find us odd? I mean, we're gay."
"Hmm, maybe back then, I would have judged you and He Tian. But I learned. Rica taught me and Rico, my husband, about these things. We realized that we were wrong, and that being ignorant about something doesn't automatically mean that that thing is wrong, just because we don't understand it," Daniella explained, staring tenderly at him as if she's looking at her own son. "Rica would be like, 'Read Ma, read so many things so that you also have a wider perspective.'"
"She's like, an LGBTQ warrior," Mo Guan Shan said, clearly in awe.
"She is! With her constant nagging, we slowly got used to accepting these things and now, I am so thankful for this fresher outlook because we get to see how wonderful love is, regardless of the gender," Daniella explained with misty eyes. "You just have to see how He Tian looks at you to know that true love exists in everybody. Even for a spoiled brat like him."
She smiled at Mo Guan Shan and he sniffed, wiping his own eyes. These are such good people and he's so lucky He Tian brought him here.
"Sometimes they do stupid things that hurt us even without meaning to. But that's part of being together. Nobody is perfect, so we make mistakes along the way. But let me tell you this, Shan. If there's anyone in the world He Tian is going to listen to, it's you. So tell him what you think. Let him know what you like and what you don't like. He will listen to you. And if he doesn't, whack him for once."
"You really know him so well, Auntie."
"Well, he was here for half a year. That was five or six years ago, I guess. Hmm, maybe five."
"He said he lived with a really poor family."
"He told you about that, huh. Well, yes. He lived with them because this house is comfortable enough for a real punishment. He Tian needed to see the real thing, to experience real struggle firsthand."
"Punishment? What did he do, Auntie?"
"He's too gallant for his own good. Spent way too much money back in high school, so his grandfather taught him a lesson. Transferred him here in the middle of the semester and you know, the rest is history."
They talked for a while. Mo Guan Shan loved listening to Daniella because she knows so many things about everybody and she's also wise and charismatic. No wonder Rica seemed so intelligent.
When the rain finally stopped, Mo Guan Shan stood up and thanked her again, before going out to finally go home to He Tian.