(AHNZONG)
Seeing my friend kissing another guy and then watching him cry after he was left alone on the beach, anger and confused me.
I am angry, what did Director Wang said that made Yu cry? Why did he left my friend crying after their kiss?
I am confuse because why are they kissing? Since when did Yu started kissing another guy? Huh?
But I am the coward who didn't went to my bestfriend to comfort him while he cry. I chose to let Yu be. Instead, I ran back to the hotel and to our room. Took off my outdoor clothes and jumped back in bed. Pretend to be asleep and just woke up when Jian Yu came back from his walk along the beach.
"Good morning," I even yawned and stretched my arms to give credence to my "I just woke up" act. "How is the weather outside?" I asked Yu.
"Uh..." is his answer.
I sighed. Okay, Yu is not in his right mind. I think he barely knew what he was doing while we got ready for the second day of teacher's seminar.
The whole morning, I stood beside my friend to guard and observe him.
I watched in silence and winced as Jian Yu ate one banana muffin and drank a too hot coffee during breakfast with that faraway look on his eyes. I took it to task to stop Yu's hand before the juice he was pouring on his glass overflow.
Then I stared at my friend some more, who sat beside me while listening to a presentation about different methods to deal with teenagers on these modern times. Yu will clap when everyone is clapping, he will stand when everyone were asked to stand. He will sit again. Clap. And sigh. But I can bet my two months salary that Yu didn't heard even one word on that presentation.
My friend is lost.
And I cannot take it anymore. So I convinced Yu that he has a headache.
"I don't feel well?" Yu finally looked at me while we stand in front of the seminar organizer. I was asking for permission to let Yu have a few hours of rest in our room because he is feeling under the weather.
"Yes." I nodded. "You don't feel well that is why we are asking for some time so you can rest. Will that be okay, Ma'am?" I turned to the organizer. A middle aged female with a robust looking body and years of experience on dealing with deliquent teenagers.
"Is he really feeling unwell?" The organizer gave us skeptical looks.
"Of course," I said calmly. I cannot be too excited or she will be on to my lie. "Look at him. He is pale. And a bit hot. I think his body is not accustomed to the hotter weather here at the beach." I put a hand on Yu's forehead to convince the organizer.
"Yes," the organizer frowned as she stared at Yu who has that faraway look on his face again. "I can see that he is pale and cannot focus. Okay, he can take a rest. But you have to continue with this seminar," she looked at me.
"I will just take him to our room so he can rest. Then I will come back to join the activities," I said to appease the strict organizer.
"Okay," she nodded and let us go.
I took Yu to our room. Made him lie on his bed, "Rest up." I said.
"I am tired, AhnZong ah." Yu mumbled as he close his eyes. "Why am I feeling tired?"
His body is not tired. But I think his mind hasn't stopped running ever since that scene on the beach with Director Wang.
My hands fisted. I think I need to talk to Wang Qing. This cannot go on. I need to know what Wang Qing did to my friend so I will know how to help Jian Yu
I closed the curtains on the room and opened the lamp on the sidetable beside Yu's bed so he can have some light. I took a bottle of water from our food stash and the bottle of aspirin. I put those items on the sidetable where Yu can them easily. Then I sat on the edge of his bed until Yu fell asleep. That's when I stood up to leave. My mind made. I will look for Wang Qing and ask what is happening to Yu.
I didn't go back to the seminar and instead left the hotel all together. I don't care if I have to walk the whole Hainan beach, I will find Wang Qing.
But instead of the director, I found his secretary first. I saw Miss Secretary, LiYan is her name, coming out of a beach house being rented to tourists. I walked towards her while she came down from a small stair leading to the sandy shore.
LiYan, her name etched now on my mind. I find her sexy and alluring. Her long wavy black locks got teased my by the sea breeze, she wears a summer dress, green in color that compliments her sun kissed skin. She is taller than average woman with curves in the right places. Her face features are bold, feline eyes, pouty thick lips and plump cheeks. She is no delicate flower. She is no dainty daisy.
And that is what I like about her. She looks like a strong woman who can handle her own.
Yu thinks I don't like commitment that's why I go for divorce women, that is only partially true. Divorced women attracts me because of their experience. In a way, they are survivors. Of failed marriage. Failed relationship. Failed lover. Yet they came out strong. Scarred but still standing. Strength attracts me. And divorced women, I am not saying all of them, has it.
Strength.
This LiYan has that. A strong aura who will not back out. And I respect that.
But now, she is not my target. I want to talk to Wang Qing.
"Where is your boss?" I asked her without preamble as I blocked her way.
LiYan looked up at me. Yes, she is tall for a female, maybe 5'7 or 5'8, but I am 6'2, so I am still taller than her. Her face tilted a little to regard me.
"Why are you looking for him?" She asked back.
"It's about Yu ah," I said.
She frowned, "Yu ah? Oh you mean Dayu?"
It's my turn to frown, "His name is not Dayu but Jian Yu. I call him simply Yu. I want to talk to your boss about my friend..."
"What about your friend? Did something happened to Dayu? And by the way, Director Wang introduced him as Dayu to us and Dayu didn't contradict it so I guess it's fine if we call him Dayu..."
"Jian Yu, Yu, Dayu...it doesn't matter. I want to talk to Wang Qing. I want to know exactly what he said to Yu this morning for my friend to feel down." I said.
"They saw each other this morning?" LiYan looked suprise by that information.
I nodded, "Yes. I saw them on the beach this morning. Yu was out collecting shells and peebles. I saw them...I think they argued..." for some reason, I don't want to share to LiYan that I saw Yu and Director Wang kissing.
"Ah. I see...so that is why he is out of his mind this morning," LiYan nodded while there is a contemplating look on her face.
I was surprised. "Oh, how did you know that Yu is out of his mind this morning?" How did she...
"Not Dayu," LiYan waved her hand to dismissed what I said. "My boss. Wang Qing's mind is floating since he came back from his morning run. I thought he encountered his terrible ex again but it looks like he had a run in with Dayu. I see..."
Wang Qing's mind is afloat too? Like Yu's? Huh...
Still. I have to do what I came here for. "I want to talk to your boss. Where can I find him? Point it to me. Is he inside?" I point a finger at the beach house.
"Woah! Slow down, Cowboy." LiYan put a hand holding a folder on my chest. "My boss is in an important phone conference meeting with our big bosses in Beijing. And he is not in that house. He just asked me to fetch these papers for him. He forgot them. He is busy so he cannot talk to you for now." She shook her head to me.
"But Yu is troubled by what happened between them this morning!" I argued. "What about my friend?"
"What about him?" LiYan gave me a stern look. "He is the one who rejected Wang Qing...twice. Dayu had made it clear that he doesn't want to date my boss. So what is his problem now? What more does he wants from Wang Qing?"
What she said shocked me. "D-director Wang wants to date...my friend? But they are both men? You mean....?"
LiYan sighed, "Gosh I shouldn't be telling you this. And I really need to go. I have no time for you. If you want to talk to someone, talk to your friend. Why don't you know that Wang Qing asked him out? And that Dayu rejected the offer. Are you really his friend?" She gave me a look full of judgement.
I was forced to defend myself, "It's probably because Yu doesn't like men. He is straight. Your boss should ask a gay man to date him if he likes men too." I said.
LiYan gave me an angry glare, "If Dayu is straight, then we have nothing more to talk about. All I know is that Wang Qing got rejected by your friend and now he is keeping his distance from Dayu. Talk to your friend. You obviously don't know anything about him if you are guessing. I am busy. Get out of my way," She shoved me aside to walk pass by.
I stared at her back. Still reeling from her revelation.
Wang Qing asked Yu to date him. But Yu rejected his offer not once but twice.
Wow!
What is going on?
Now I am more confuse than ever. Is Wang Qing gay? Is Yu gay? Is Yu straight, that is why he rejected the offer of Director Wang to date?
Then what about that kiss this morning? And why was Yu the one crying and not Wang Qing?
Argh! My head is about to explode with all these questions! Why am I unaware about this? All of these are happening to Yu yet I didn't know about it? And we are friends!
Are we really friends? Why am I so ignorant about the happenings in Yu's life then? Why is he hiding too many things from me?
Why?
Yu ah...what is going on?
I walked back to the hotel to talk to Yu. Maybe instead of hunting answers from Wang Qing, I should get it from my friend.
If I can call Yu my friend. I am not even sure I deserve to call myself Yu's friend. This event just shows how little I know of what is going on in Yu's life.
"It's your fault, AhnZong. You don't ask. You wait for Yu to speak up and share his life to you. You don't took the initiative and ask. You...buffoon!" I want to smack myself.
I am a lousy friend. I never inquire about Yu's life from him. Used to the idea that Yu likes his privacy and that he will share to me what he is willing to share. Scared that if I push or put pressure on Yu, he will stop seeing me as his friend.
I forgot. That being a true friend means you know what is going on with your friend's life. That you at least have an idea if someone is interested to date them. That you should at least have a general idea that your friend is going through something.
Well, it will end here. Being a complacent friend, it will stop now. I will ask. I will probe. I will push Yu for details. I will pressure him to share his life with me.
I am his friend. I need to know that he at least trust me. I need to know how much Yu is regarding me as his friend.
It's scary to think this might break our friendship. But a shallow friendship is a lot worse than being a stranger. If I won't change anything, the word friend will be useless to me. I might as well call Yu an acquiantance or an alma mater mate instead of friend.
But I want to be Yu's friend. So I will push him to trust me.
When I got back to our room, I saw Yu still asleep. So I decided to lay on my own bed and wait for him to wake up.
Yu must be really tired. Well, I will let him have his rest. He will need the energy when I started questioning him.
.....................
(DAYU)
I woke up to find AhnZong staring at me unblinkingly. I blinked my eyes several times to make sure that my friend is not sleeping with his eyes open but AhnZong's eyes suddenly focused on me and woke up from a trance like state.
"Oh, you are awake..." he said before sitting straighter on the chair.
"Yes," I slowly sat up. "What time is it? Have I missed much?"
"You slept for two solid hours, Yu ah." AhnZong said.
"Two hours?" I was surprised at that. "And you also took that time to sit there and guard me? For two hours?Why?"
"No," AhnZong shook his head. "I played with my cellphone. When the batter got low, I charged it and started waiting for you to wake up. That was just ten minutes ago," he explained.
"Ah," I nodded.
"Do you want water?" AhnZong asked me kindly. I shook my head and smiled at him. "I think we have to go back to the seminar activities before we are missed."
"Really? That is what you think?" AhnZong sighed. "I think differently, though. I think we should stay here and talk."
"Talk? About what?" I frowned at AhnZong's serious expression. "Did something happened? Were the organizers truly angry because I skipped some activities? And you joined me..."
"No. No organizers had come to demerit us. We need to talk about another thing. I have been thinking and I decided that I should apologize to you, Yu ah..."
"Apologize to me? Why?" AhnZong is confusing me. Did he did something wrong to me that I am not aware about?
"For being a bad friend. For not deserving that title. I should have done it better, being your friend..." AhnZong said.
That confused me some more. "But you have been a good friend to me. I have no complaints...." I said.
"Then I have complaints," AhnZong said. "If you don't think I am a bad friend, then I think you are a lousy one. Or you simply don't trust me. Or consider me as a true friend. Yes, I am guiltying you. I am saying all of these so you will feel guilty..."
My mouth slacked open. "AhnZong ah, what is wrong with you?" What is going on with AhnZong? Is he...angry with me? Why?
AhnZong moved to lean closer, his butt on the edge of the chair already. "Yu ah. Tell me honestly..." I watched as my friend took a deep breath before continuing. "Are you gay?"
WHAT?!