Published on: December 28, 2021
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"What is in your hand??"
"Canthyyy"
"And in your mouth??"
"Canthyyy"
"Too many sweets, spit it out" Mew put his hand in front of Gulf's mouth, "I said spit it"
Gulf shakes his head, tightening his lips, not ready to throw his jaggery sweet out, hiding the one in his hand.
His mouth formed a pout as Mew squeezed on his cheeks, Gulf restrained and tried to come out from the grip..
"Ithss' forrr cuuuy" he bargained showing his droopy eyes, using cuy (Guinea pig) name, Mew got smitten by her most of the time, sometimes it makes Gulf jealous like how lovingly Mew talks to her, he wonders would Qi Mew ever will talk to him like that, he is serene with the way he treats him like now, but can't he say few nice things once in a while.
"You want to feed her defiled one??"
"Dis one" he pulled out his hand, showing that he would feed her the one in his hand, Mew took the candy and putting in his pocket, "now say waaaa"
"Nooooo" somehow the grip loosen a little giving an escape chance to the younger, Mew ran after him, it is not a big deal to catch him, once he got caught, Mew clawed him between his legs, squeezed on his cheeks making Gulf pout, he struggled to get out of that grip, the struggle ends soon as the candy gets pulled out from his mouth thrown in distant.
Gulf's lips boggled, but he refused to cry, as he stomped on his feet sulking in the corner.
"I am out" he yells to make his follower hear him out.. Gulf didn't budge as he still sulked in the corner,
"I said I am out"
Gulf turned his face showing his back to Mew, he is angry.
"I am really leaving"
"In the name of God Inti Mew, if you wanna leave just leave, why making us deaf with your announcements" Meril barked at him, as she threw a pot aside,
Mew glared at her..
"Are you trying to scare me, glare harder than" she glared back folding her arms challenging him, Gulf came quietly leached with Mew's leg, Mew looked down and then at Meril.
"Cool your head," he took Gulf's hand to walk away
"You too," she remarked engaged herself putting that dried maize back in the pot..
"Are you angry??" Gulf held the hand tighter, mew didn't reply, "I won't eat candy"
Mew sighed,
"I won't give it to cuy"
Mew sighed again,
*
*
*
"Did you ask??" Pen nudged on Mew's side as they walk side by side for the uphills, guiding the llamas, they knew the path already.
"What??"
"Seriously for the god sake it has been months now", "And we already had this conversation for like 100 times"
"What are you talking about??" Mew stepped faster to avoid nagging, he knew what Pen is talking about, but can he halt this conversation for a while please he is not ready.. Yet...
"Mew" He held his arm as eyed towards a lulled head over Mew's shoulder,
"Why are you so agitated over him??"
"I am not, The longer you take the harder it would be to get rid of, which I doubt you really want" Pen shrugged as he walk ahead leaving Mew behind..
"What did you say??", "you think I am enjoying picking this kid every day??"
Pen shrugged again, who knows, it seems like he enjoys the weight on his back, drool over his neck, and getting into trouble along with the kid or for the kid, for god sake Mew is doing this exact thing for months now, but can someone put some sense in his skull
Mew sighed as he ran behind Pen, "I will ask him to leave okay"
"When??"
"Soon"
Pen rolled his eyes here we go again, soon, like how soon, how long it takes him to ask why he follows, just a simple question, not even asking to get rid, but at least ask why to follow, geeze Mew is impossible..
Why can't Mew accept that kid likes him and he likes him as well, is it that hard to say what you want, can't he just accept simply they are friends.
"I am looking for the right moment okay" He really wants to, he really is looking for the right moment okay, don't think he is hesitant because what if Gulf realized how dumb Mew can be, or how insecure he is, what if Gulf realized he is not as cool as the younger think he is, and he definitely not feared with what if his followers stopped following him.
See he has some valid reasons which can't be disclosed right now, but none of the above okay, none of it, he is not insecure nor feared...
"Ya, ya right moment" Pen walk away with his llamas, whereas Mew was still swinging the sleepy kid on his back, since when have they become like this...
Pen stopped in mid looked back at the figure behind him, "Is it the same hate??"
Mew rolled his eyes, is it even a question, why Pen doubts his hate for the kid, "It is hate from the core of my heart"
Pen shakes his head, "ya ya I can see, THAT hate", "literally coming out from the core of your heart"
*
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*
"Her eyes are big"
"Don't touch" Mew held Gulf's hand, as their gaze fixed upon the little infant in front of them, admiring the tiny nose, big eyes, and little mouth, he has a sister now, his mother delivered a baby girl a few months back, so mew is doing his current favorite thing of watching over the kid, he likes how tiny she is, like a cuy (Guinea pig),
He named her cuy, It is a secret too, Jeez he is giving way too many secrets, mother didn't name her, nobody named her, they are not gonna name her until two years, but whatever he is gonna call her cuy.
His cuy, he wants to pick her up,, but mother doesn't allow him, he been begging to pick her up for three months now, but she always stays in that crib, and cries all the time.
"Mew" his mother called and handed a stack of clothing, "give it to Gulf's father", "and ask for some chicha instead"
Mew nods holding the stack of clothing, "Snotty, I am out"
It was enough for Gulf to follow Mew, he clutched and unclutched his hand, "Qi, she holds my hand"
"She holds mine too"
"She didn't have teeth, how she eats"
"She drinks mother's milk only"
"She does??"
"Yaa"
"And where does that come from"
"From mother's breast," he had seen mother feed her a few times.
Gulf nods looking down at his chest, "do you think I have milk too??"
Mew looked at Gulf amused, as he laughed hysterically, "who knows maybe"
Gulf nods again, maybe he can have milk, he squeezed on his chest, "how to find out??"
Mew just shakes his head, "Only woman can feed", "Dumb" he would have ruffled those lush hairs, but these stacks.. he adjusts them once again, walking along.
Gulf nods his head, but isn't it wrong why only woman can feed, he was lost in his thoughts trailing behind Mew, "I am gonna leave you"
He ran faster to match with Mew, walking beside him but still keeps on lagging behind,
"Wanna ride??"
"You would be tired"
"Then I will throw you on the side" Gulf grinned these empty threats never scare him, whereas Mew considers Gulf an idiot who smiles on getting threats..
"You are an idiot, you know that"
Gulf grins again, as mew shakes his head amused..
"Come on hop on" he bend a little and Gulf jumped on Mew's back, clawing over his neck tighter.
"Am gonna rip your arms, loose the grip" Gulf chuckled and tighten his grip on Mew's neck,
"You really want to be spanked??"
Gulf chuckled again, bringing his face closer to mew's neck nuzzling over there,
"Oyye it's ticklish"
Gulf chuckled on his back, resting his chin over Mew's shoulder, "I like cuy"
"I like her too"
Gulf grinned again, "What about Gulf??"
"What about him??"
"You like him too??"
"Who is gonna like, snotty, whiny kid, who always pester on my back, can't peel a potato, and always falling around"
"You don't??" he pouts
"I don't"
"But I like Qi Mew," His voice was almost inaudible, if he was not saying in Mew's ear it would go unheard probably, Mew's heart swelled as his lips curled a little, but he just shakes his head.
And questioned to hide that smile, God how can he smile like an idiot with a simple statement, "why??"
"Because it is Qi Mew" the answer made him chuckle what a silly explanation,
"What about Pen??"
"He is nasty, pick nose than eat it"
Mew laughed hysterically, so loud that Gulf felt the vibration in his chest, Mew stopped for a sec and adjusted Gulf on his back, tightening his grip on the cloth stash.
"I do that too"
"That's fine, Qi Mew can do anything"
Mew laughed again, "you are an idiot" and as always Gulf smiled again, like getting some compliments...
*
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*
"And then I jumped back" Gulf was telling a story about how he dealt with a frog...
"You should press it down, and then pick it up", "so it won't jump on you"
"How??"
Their conversation halted, when they reached home, there are people around everywhere, what is going on, mew put Gulf down, holding his hand instead, they headed towards the entrance,
His family members were standing in a circle, his father was sitting beside the wooden crib of cuy and the girl was lying there idly like she is sleeping,
Why so much fuss, he didn't understand, "what is going on??"
Meril came across Mew, patted on his back,, "she is heading towards next journey"
"What do you mean??"
Ocllo took him to the side, Mew was looking back where his father was putting new yamcolla on his little sister, they were arranging other things aside and then they picked her up and put in a big earthen pot, along with other things, closing the mouth of earthen pot.
"Don't" he rushed towards his father, Ocllo clawed him tighter stopping him, his mother was crying on the corner with grandma, Ocllo tugged him followed by Gulf, but eyes fixed behind watching seal got closed as they put the pot on back, heading towards somewhere...
"Pama", "stop", "they are taking her away" he doesn't understand, struggling to get out from Ocllo's grip.. she picked him up trailed towards the llama yard...
"They taking her", "her Rutuchicoy is near"
"Mew" she held him back once again...
"Made gift for her", "I am gonna name her" Mew screamed, struggling in grip, Ocllo cried at Mew's turmoil.
"Mew" she held him tighter, making him face her, but his head was tilted back, as he tries to get a glimpse of what is happening out there, she hold him tougher this time, "There is no rutuchioy",
"Why??" his struggle dropped a little but there is still a fight in his eyes.
"She is dead Mew, she is not gonna come back", "No Rutuchicoy, no name"
"But..." his lip boggled, eyes welled up, "Is she gonna be like grandpa??",
Ocllo tried to smile hiding her tears it is not the first death she had witnessed, but seeing Mew like this is more hurtful, she nods her head, "ya she is gonna be like grandpa, she is safe with him",
How can she just left, "I made a gift for her"
"You can still give it to her", she wiped his face, he didn't realize he was crying.
He ran faster towards his house, took out the carved piscoynu from his treasure, this is the first one he ever made.
His father was not much far away, he catches upon him, handling the little toy, "Can you tell her, I made it"
His father patted on his head and took the toy with him towards the mountains,
They said she is gonna live with grandpa from now onwards...
Mew was still disturbed by her absence, there is no one crying in the middle of night, mother is not singing lullabies to make her sleep, he can't see the little wooden crib anymore, his family seems kind of turned back to normal, like nothing has happened like she wasn't with them for more than a year, how can she die like that, he big brother for a year, he like that big brother...
He had thought of all the cool things he can show her around, all the places he can show her around, all the secrets he can share with her, she always heard him smiling at him holding his finger, she is the only one who knew his insecurities over things, over Ocllo, over Gulf.
But he is not a big brother anymore..
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*
"Qi"
"Not now snotty" Mew was looking at distant mountains sitting on the same cliff, the sky was colored as usual with pretty shade, but it can't cheer him up..
"She didn't left us"
"And how do you know"
He was not ready for that question, he really have no idea, but "elders" say that
Mew closed his eyes, "don't trust them"
"But"
"There is no But, Gulf"
Gulf.., Gulf.., does Qi really call his name, not the usual snotty, idiot, clumsy, dumb, he is used to these names, he has been hearing them for so long, that now hearing his own name feels different, and really not in a good way, he would prefer snotty...
"Qi"
"I don't want to talk", "nor wanna play", "you can go"
Gulf stays silent watching him closely, Qi Mew didn't push him away raising his voice, it was polite... way too polite, and somehow the words said in a cold way felt far more hurtful...
He sits there in silence watching over Mew, nothing was uttered for the longest between them..
Gulf couraged to move closer, parted mew's leg to make a space settling himself in between.
Mew refutes pushing him back, his refutes got ignored as two arms encircled around his neck, pulling him closer, the cold nose nuzzled in his neck makes him shiver, the warm body gets pressed with his own, his arms stay limping idly on sides, he sobbed, "Don't"
"I'll be your cuy", "don't be sad"
Mew didn't say much, he have nothing to say, but more to grieve, this whole thing mess him up, why did no one understand this, why Ocllo didn't understand this, tears rolled down his cheeks,,
"you can call me whatever you want",
More tears fell, this time Mew pulled him closer to his chest, clutched on him tighter, crying his heart out, wailing louder on that lonely cliff entangled with his follower...
His follower cried along with him..
"Lies" sob.. sob.. "Elders lie all the time", "where is this realm, why to go in another realm", "I don't get it"...
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