[Ahda, Mrs. Najwa Boarding House, East Mondel - 5 days after the talks at East Market]
"Be home late, and Ima gonna beat ye' ass black and blue, ye hear me, boy?!"
". . . ."
"BOY!"
"W-Whoa! Yes, Nana!"
I'm so lost in thought that I can't even concentrate when Mrs. Najwa A.K.A Big Ol' Nana talking to me. That's a bad mistake. Now she is nagging me nonstop with her really amusing ebonics. Even though her vocabulary can be vulgar and even perceived as uncivilized by some, the big, black, and curly-haired old lady, is actually a truly kind soul who tries too hard to hide it.
In fact, it's only because of her that it's possible for me to have a roof for myself in this darned capital where the price of everything is just above the sky. This boarding house is not only a home for me but also for five other nice people who look out for each other. Every day, we do our best to make Nana's life easier.
"Ye move as bad as yer look! Go wash ye' sorry face, and gimme that shi!" Nana took the broom off my hand forcefully and smacked my butt with it.
I ran upstairs to my room to get prepared before going to work. On my way, I met my next-door neighbour, Zayed ibn Malik A.K.A Jay. He was just out of his room and looked dressed up for an occasion. Heck, even his beard is trimmed to the edge.
"Well, well. Already getting on her nerves, aren't we? Although, I do agree that you looked rather pale, brother," he draws his face closer to me, inspecting.
"And you look quite full of effort today, Jay."
"Of course, I am! The Ascheri are holding a party to celebrate the successful grand opening of their new theatre in Rosmayne."
Ascheri? Zevia's house?
"I'm sure that would be quite the party."
"Hm! Hm! You bet it is! They never hold back when hosting such an event."
That must be nice. I wished I could meet so many important individuals, but of course, I still have a long way to go to stand on the same ground with folks of that level. Jay must be a skilful businessman himself to secure a spot in such a prestigious event. I guess his 'herbafume' trade scored a goal.
"Well, well. Maybe I'm talking to a future Emir right now."
"Aaah, come on. Don't inflate my ego, you rascal!"
We joke around and laugh some more. Before long, the city bell rings six times, marking the lurking shadows of the evening.
"Good luck out there, Jay. Hope you strike a good deal."
"Say, brother. Why don't you come with me?"
'I WANT TO! I WANT IT SO BAD! PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU!' These are the words that I wanted to say so badly, but it sucks being poor, right? Opportunity ceases in the face of needs. The satanic circle of indigence diligently sustain itself, self-enhancing in every given opportunity.
"I'm falling short of making my ends meet this month. I'm sorry but I have to decline for now. Please don't be disheartened from inviting me in the future. Once everything is better, I'll be more than happy to keep you company, be it tough times or fun times."
Jay solemnly nods and smiles before bidding me farewell.
I locked my door after getting changed and cleaning my room. The creaky door needs some oil and a change in some of the bolts. Oh, and I also have to fix the roof later, I hope it doesn't rain tonight. Since I've bought the necessary materials, all that is left for me is to replace them all in one go. The neighbour might get angry though, but what do I care? I can always apologize and convince them later.
I ran down the stairs, but midway, I heard Nana's laughing. It's not every day that she laughs that hard, and I become curious. However, my curiosity quickly turned into surprise when I found Yusia already sitting alone with Nana, drinking a cup of tea like it was natural for her to be here at this hour.
"Yusia?"
"There you go the cur! Come here, you little devil! How come you ain't tellin' me you puke a river in your class?! Damn, boy you are embarrassing me! I'd slap the foo out of you if I teach!"
"YUSIA?"
I glared at the girl, but she was just sitting there looking away, trying to hide her smile. Acting cute will get you nowhere little lady, but first thing first, I must handle this situation calmly.
"Sigh. What are you doing here? How do you even-"
Oh wait, she did tell me that she knows where I live.
"I want to spend my time with you," said Yusia, expressionless as always.
"Daym, ye' all no playin' at all. I like the way ye' roll, baby gurl," Nana pinched Yusia's cheek playfully.
Tsk. This is just so embarrassing. At least be mindful of your words when there are others around, you clumsy girl. I legit have to take her out of here. There is nothing good that can come from dragging this out.
"Aye! Ye got no respect for the girl, you twat! Get yer ass here already!"
"I know, I know! I was about to."
I grabbed Yusia by hand and wanted to take her outside. Yet, suddenly I myself, got my ear pulled by Nana.
"Hey hey hey! That's how you do me, huh?! Is that how you do me, young man?!" Nana yelled in my ear.
"Ouch! Ouch! Stop tweaking!"
"Ain't nobody leaving the crib until I know who's who, and what's what, and where's where, and when's when! Got it?!"
Grr! This damn old widow!
We ended up spending a long time explaining things, and Yusia didn't make it better at all. Everything that comes out of her mouth sprouts more and more misunderstandings. Her answers create more questions for Nana that I am reluctant to answer. Ugh, how could this have happened?
"Gotta say I'm not a hundred percent sure, but you kids just tryna' get around it, eh?"
"Yeah, that pretty much sums it - Wait, no! You make it sound so wrong! I told you she was just confused and we just -"
"Blah - Blah! You shut the damn mouth, I'm not hearin', boy! I'm not hearin' you hear me?! All that I know, ye is supposed to gotta this beauty's feet just for even talkin' to yer bookworm ass!"
Well, there's no helping it. I can't blame Nana for having such a thought. Now that I took a proper look at Yusia, she's looking darn cute in that outfit. A long caramel skirt that dangles down to her ankles and the oversized beige wool sweater that almost buries her hands perfectly hide the charm of the wearer. I had no idea that someone could look both fluffy and elegant at once.
"Haaah. I don't know what to say . . . Anyway, I'm going to be late for my work at this rate. Can I go now?"
"Yeah, yeah. I had my fun. Go have yers too, kids. Just remember what I said, aye? Assholes been wormin' out the streets lately," said Nana as she tussles my hair and shake my head endearingly.
The night air is nice. It's chill enough to relax, but not so much that it stings our bones. It's understandable, we are but only in the early autumn after all. That's an easy climate fact that even a five-year-old can figure out. What I don't understand is what the girl beside me wants from me.
"Are you not going to talk?"
"Hm? Ah, no. I was . . . I thought you were not the type to talk while walking. I don't want to be a bother to you."
Yusia is surprisingly a considerate girl. After what she did in the locker room and Alana class, I thought she was the kind of girl who just did whatever she wanted, like Zevia, but much better since she doesn't throw punches out of nowhere.
"You don't have to be so mindful around me. Just act natural."
Then, she suddenly holds my hand. I was so surprised that I ended up jumping away from her all wary.
"What are you doing?!"
". . . Holding your hand?"
"That takes the other party's consent! What I mean is you do you, not do me as you see fit!"
"That's confusing."
Aarrgh. She is so hard to understand. I don't necessarily dislike this kind of thing, but there are steps to be taken before going all in like this, right?
Sigh. Calm down, fool. You are reading too much into this.
"Huft. Okay, so why are you suddenly holding my hand?"
"Because you walk so fast."
See? That's the problem. Plain and simple.
"Ah, is that so? I'm sorry. It's a habit of mine."
Then we walk again in complete silence. However, that only lasts for a while. Since it's getting awkward, I try to bring up a conversation by talking about what's around us. We talk about a pottery shop that is run by a former death-sentence criminal on the left side of the road, a spot where a beggar who was pretending to be an arm amputee used to stay - until an accident when he was chased by a stray dog and climbed a tree with a perfect pair of hands, and a man so drunk that he fondled Mister Biam's poisonous cactus tree and found nearly died the morning after.
I found out that Yusia is just a normal girl, except for the fact that she is unbelievably innocent. Even when I had to explain what fondling is, she practised it right in front of me without a single clue of how I might feel about that.
[Sleepy Stag Tavern, 7.30 PM]
"Okay, so here we are."
We finally arrived at my workplace. A mid-sized tavern that sells authentic Varnarian cuisine. The building is made completely out of cobblestones and honestly, doesn't look that appealing from the outside. However, when one enters the building, one will immediately understand its charm. Rowdy but neat, practical yet splendid decoration, and most wonderful of all - full of interactive mechanisms.
"Don't look around too much. The regulars are nice folks, but I can't say the same for the others. Women are always a spice for troubles, especially the beautiful ones like you."
"Um, okay."
Suddenly, the door behind the serving counter is slammed and the man finally shows his face. A roar His burly, half-naked appearance and the unmistakable wolf head headdress are hard to miss, even amongst the rough folks full of adventurers, merchants, and everything in between. Now, it's undoubtedly going to be one of those nights.
Rolf A.K.A The Boss, is on the stage now.
"LISTEN HERE, YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!"
