The two of them visited Rico and Daniella that afternoon. Mo Guan Shan apologized to the old couple again, his head lowered in embarrassment. He Tian apologized too and he thanked the couple for taking good care of Mo Guan Shan.
"Ay sus, no problem, no problem," Daniella said. "So how are you two now? Have you made up na?"
Mo Guan Shan nodded and turned his head to He Tian who's smirking like a little devil and he involuntarily blushed at the images that flooded his mind. The fucking idiot was basically shouting to the world that they finally made up. Daniella squealed like a giddy schoolgirl and Rico offered He Tian a glass cup filled with white liquid.
"Here, have a drink to celebrate."
"Oh! Tuba!" He Tian beamed, accepting the cup and gulped the whole thing. He wipe a foam mustasche. "Hella sweet too."
"Just got it this morning so it's fresh," Rico said while pouring another serving from a white plastic container. He offered it to Mo Guan Shan but He Tian accepted it before bringing the cup next to his face.
"Go on, it's sweet," He Tian said, his eyebrows wriggling up and down.
"If you're shitting me I'll ruin your face," Mo Guan Shan threatened in Mandarin but He Tian just looked at him as if saying that it's his loss if he doesn't taste it. So Mo Guan Shan took a sip, without taking his eyes off the innocent-faced guy holding the cup. It was indeed really sweet. He Tian motioned to pull the glass away but Mo Guan Shan wanted more so he held He Tian's hand in place while he gulped his own serving of tuba.
"He likes it! The boy likes it!" Daniella clapped her hands, calling to a pair of passing neighbors. She looked pleased and proud as she exchanged a lot of words to the neighbors who were looking at them and nodded every time their gazes met.
Mo Guan Shan, wanting to make it up to the friendly people around, asked for another glass. He honestly liked the juice too, or whatever it was, because it tasted sweet and kind of frizzy, like coconut water. Although he noticed that he's slowly getting dizzy and everything felt like a blur.
"I want more," he whined at He Tian but the guy shook his head sternly. So he leaned on his chest and pinched his nipple, oblivious to Rico's smiling eyes.
"No more," He Tian said, trying to look unaffected.
"But whyyyy?" Mo Guan Shan, eyes droopy and blinking slowly like a content cat, trailed an index finger from his chest up to his neck, tracing his jawline until he reached his lips. He Tian playfully snapped his mouth at his finger but he managed to pull back.
He Tian only looked at Rico apologetically but he's glad Daniella already returned to the kitchen.
"You're freakin' drunk, is why. Besides, the gallon is empty," He Tian said, lifting up the white container.
"I'm not drunk. It was just juice," Mo Guan Shan snickered, clinging to He Tian's arm. He even wrapped the raven-haired guy's arms around him while pressing his back on his sturdy chest, savouring his warmth and attention.
"I think we'll go ahead, Uncle. Thanks again for the lumpia. It was delicious," He Tian said and stood up, dragging Mo Guan Shan with him. "This guy's a lightweight, I didn't know," he added.
"Haha! Well, he did drink five glasses of it," Rico said, obviously pleased. He harvested his own tuba and He Tian was aware of the pride they take in their own product. These men would often drink together and compare whose harvest was the sweetest and reminisce about the times they tasted the most amazing tuba of their lives. Nobody wanted to lose the bragging activity.
"You gained yourself another customer, Uncle," He Tian commented and dragged Mo Guan Shan who was starting to sit on the chair again. "Hey, get up."
"You're taking so long."
"Why don't you stay the night here?" Rico suggested and Daniella who overheard from the kitchen, supported her husband's invitation. "Come on, we'll catch some chicken for dinner. You help me."
"If you insist. . ." He Tian trailed, glancing at Mo Guan Shan's downturned head.
"I insist. We like having you guys around, that's for sure. Old people get bored too, you know. We seldom have people around for dinner and you know how your Auntie Dang loves to cook."
Mo Guan Shan lifted his head and stared at the bunch of grazing chickens all over the wide, grass carpeted lawn. It's a different kind of grass, needle-like and fuzzy, obviously well-tended. Even he could identify that it's Bermuda grass.
Rico made a weird sound and the chickens came flocking just below the front porch, anticipating food thrown their way.
"He Tian, they're killing chickens for us. Let's go home," he whispered but He Tian only pushed him gently on the bamboo chair.
"These chickens have better life than those chicken we had in fastfood restaurants," he said, cupping the red-head's cheeks with both palms so he looked like a duck. "It's the way of the world."
"Poor chickens."
"What, you don't like chicken now?"
"Hell no. It's just different when you see them around like this, and then the next moment they're on your plate."
"They. . ." He Tian shifted his eyes for a moment before flashing him a bright smile. "They did their best for us, so the least we can do is respect and enjoy the food."
He Tian left him as he joined Rico outside to catch their potential dinner. Mo Guan Shan rested his chin and his arms on the veranda's wooden railing and with his hands hanging down in front of him, watched intently as the pair zone out their targets.
Rico made the "kurrrrok" sound again and a surprising number of chickens crowded all around him and He Tian. The old man threw milled corn around and the chickens pecked the ground, unaware of their impending doom. Mo Guan Shan stared at He Tian, his every move and his behavior towards things.
Obviously, he's richer than anyone he ever knew, but Mo Guan Shan have never heard him complain when it comes to farm activities like this. Whatever the old folks asks him to do, he immediately switches on his focus and it's mesmerizing to watch. He would listen to directions, nod and get things done.
It made him smile. The sight of He Tian seriously pursuing good results, it's like looking at a tiger patiently waiting to pounce.
Wherever he went, he fully integrated himself, and it made Mo Guan Shan jealous somehow. He wanted to become like that. He wanted to be inside that world but he's too full of doubts to take a step forward. He's always thinking of things like, "I'll just get in the way" or, "They don't need my help. The can handle it. I'll just wait for the time when they actually need my services."
He's so sick of that side of him. Nothing is going to change if he remains an observer forever.
"I want to join too!" Mo Guan Shan blurted out before he could stop himself.
He Tian looked up to the veranda and flashed him a smile. He almost shielded his eyes.
"Uncle Rico, he thinks we're too pathetic that we'd need a drunk person's help," He Tian said, grinning and panting. They had been chasing the other chicken around and it kept on slipping away.
Mo Guan Shan blushed but at least he's more clear headed now.
"Stop making up things, He Tian! I just need to do stuff too! I need experiences!" he called out and staggered down the wooden stairs. He's dizzy but he'll sweat it out once he starts chasing chickens around.
"Come on, Shan. You catch any chicken you like and it's yours," Rico said and he's grinning from ear to ear too. Daniella came out, carrying a ladle, with her hand on her hip.
"Catch a rooster, Shan. Let's wipe that stupid grin off his face!" Daniella said and laughed out loud. Rico laughed too, but said nothing.
Mo Guan Shan looked at each chicken and spotted a chick with dirty white feathers. It stood out, so he decided to pick that one out.
"Let me just. . ." Daniella murmured to herself as she faced the direction towards Rica's house. "RIIIIIICAAAAAAAAA! ANG LUUUUBIIIIIII!" she belted out at the top of her lungs. The flock quickly scattered in panic all around the place, flapping their wings and sending specks of dirt off the earth.
"Hey. You're scaring the chickens." Rico calmly reminded his wife.
"Well, she's supposed to bring those coconuts but she's idling," she answered and talked in Visayan some more. Mo Guan Shan listened to them talking as he carefully tailed his target.
"Ako lang kagod, Auntie," He Tian offered, raising a hand. His eyes darted to Mo Guan Shan's raised butt as he tried to sneak behind a white chick.
"You know how?"
"Of course. And I want to impress someone," he glanced at Mo Guan Shan again, this time hunched and arms in front of him, almost touching the tail feather of the chick.
"He's got his eyes on the ogis," Rico told He Tian, like a proud father.
"Yeah, he's pretty predictable," He Tian smiled. They heard Rica's replies from the other side of the world and they decided to catch the second chicken so they could prepare it while there's still light outside.
Mo Guan Shan finally caught his chicken without puking from all the crouching and creeping under hedges and he proudly ran up to Rico to show him.
"Are you sure you're giving this to me?!" Mo Guan Shan asked. The chicken was still young it's no larger than his hand.
"You earned it. And it's fun to have some critters to look after in this place," the old man answered. They stood watching He Tian run around to catch his target. Once he almost bumped into a fat hen surrounded by her tiny chicks and the hen fluffed herself as big as she could, poised to attack He Tian who quickly ran away. But the hen gave chase, its wings spread on both sides and probably cursed him in chicken language for almost scaring her precious kids.
"Fuck! I'm sorry, okay?! Get off me!" He Tian laughed as he shouted at the hen who tried to take off and peck his head off. "Shoo! Shit, you really want a fight?!"
"Go, Kuya Ian! Or you really need my help?" Mo Guan Shan teased the man who looked up and gave him an angelic smile. The hen might have understood that smile because she stared at him, huffed indignantly and strode off, her chest feather still puffed and tail proudly swaying side to side in her own chicken strut.
"Say that again?"
"You need my help?"
"No. The first one."
Mo Guan Shan kept his mouth closed when he noticed the glint in the man's eyes. Every time he gets weird ideas, his eyes would sparkle like that and it's making him shiver. Fortunately, Rica sauntered into the yard with three brown coconuts and threw them on the grass with a dull thud.
"Ooh, what was that He Tian? Need help?" she chided, showing off her action star smirk.
"No, I'm doing great," He Tian answered, sweat trickling down his forehead and neck.
"I can shoot it, if you're tired," Rica offered and showed him a well-made slingshot. The boys immediately came to life at the sight of the new toy.
"Whoa! That's neat!" Mo Guan Shan said and approached the woman to take a look. "Let me touch it."
"I made it," Rica proudly said, hands on her hips and tilting her head up as if she's posing for a monument.
"Make one for me too!" Mo Guan Shan said. "Man, this is so cool."
"Sure, I'll even teach you how," she grinned. "So how 'bout it, Pa?"
"No, you know I don't allow that kind of treatment," Rico answered. His girl version pouted.
"Know what guys, I've always wanted to round up these chickens and take them one by one with my slingshot."
"You're a psychopath," He Tian said, shaking his head.
"It's only a kind of urge, you know. Like, when you see something cute and you wanna swallow it whole? Just like that."
"Ugh, what's wrong with you, woman?" He Tian pushed his palm on her face and she mock-gagged, running away.
"Your hands smell like chicken shit!"
"He's been rolling in chicken shit this whole time. Almost got murdered by a chicken too," Mo Guan Shan said. Rica laughed and offered him a high five.
So Rica helped He Tian catch the chicken without using the slingshot. Daniella came out with a string made from some kind of plant and offered to tie Mo Guan Shan's chick with it so it won't get away.
The three of them shot cans for a while and He Tian, who had experience with real guns, displayed some great shooting skills with the slingshot. Rica was a good shot too, and Mo Guan Shan was obviously the loser in the bunch, but it was so much fun.
* * *
Note:
Ay 'sus - an expression, brushing off something as no biggie. (Hay Hesus!) or Ah, Jesus, but in an endearing way. Although depending on the tone, it can also mean a lot of other things like exasperation and doubt.
. . .na? - yet. Aren't you going to marry yet?, like that.
Tuba - coconut wine, basically the tree's sap.
Ogis - albino chicken.
"Ako lang kagod." - I have no idea how to accurately translate this in English. Basically, He Tian was offering do the process of shredding the coconut meat with the use of kaguran, a stool with a metal grater attached to it. Just imagine He Tian's muscles as he tackle the task. lol
"Rica, ang lubi!" - "Rica, the coconut!' Yup, lubi means coconut, literally the whole tree. But the fruit, especially the ones she brought over, were specifically called lahing, the brown ones used for extracting coconut milk.
But in Filipino, our National language, it's called buko.
Trivia: Visayan people like me basically knows(and fluent in) 3 languages. Filipino, Visayan and English. The more minority you are, the more languages and dialects you know.