World Apart

Chapter 2

Very early the next morning, Xiao Zhan woke up and started preparing for his departure to the city. He was excited and as well sad that he'll be leaving his lovely mother all alone in the village. Who will take care of her? Who will fetch water, firewood, and the rest of them? Who will go to the farm with her? Who will help her out whenever she runs out of money? It was true they never really had that kind of money the hunter and the winemakers have, but he always made sure he helps his mother by working on people's farm, fetching water for the old ones who no longer have children to help them, and they always reward him with some money or sometimes food that he'll end up eating with his mother. Xiao Zhan was and still is a very good boy everyone in the village admires, especially, because of his beauty. Many men, boys, and girls had made advances towards him, showed him how much they're interested in him and ready to make him their wives or their husbands, but Xiao Zhan never showed any interest in them and had abruptly refused those who come for his hand in marriage or asked him to be their boyfriends. Everyone wants the beautiful kind-hearted boy, but Zhan's childishness wouldn't let him understand the fact that he is no longer a kid, that he's now old enough to be in someone's house, since it is obvious, he can't marry anyone.

Those who heard of his departure were all gathered in Mrs. Xiao's house, waiting for him to come outside, so they'll see him and bid him goodbye. They'll all miss their very special boy, especially those elderly people he always helps. All are gathered this early morning, waiting to see him before he leaves for the city. Xiao Zhan, who had been hearing their voices, especially his little friends crying, was in his room, looking at the small bag he packed and was thinking of unpacking it. He doesn't think he wants to leave for the city anymore. He can't leave those who love him so much, care for him, and go to another man's land, where he knows no one. Will they love and accept him the way his people love and accept him? If only he knew, he would've married uncle Shawn when he comes for his hands in marriage, maybe by now, he wouldn't be thinking of leaving his village to another man's house. Maybe, he'll be pregnant and carrying uncle Shawn's baby, not leaving for the city to live with his uncle who doesn't care about him and his mother.

Xiao Zhan cried, looking out of the window, seeing his many friends he'll be leaving behind and those elderly people. Who will help them? Who takes care of them when he knows they have no one except him? Who will play hide and seek with his little friends? Who will sing and dance with them? Who will go to the spring and swim with them? He doesn't think he can bear their tears. He doesn't think would be able to carry his bag and wave goodbye to them. This is too much for Zhan that he let down his tears. "I don't think I can do this! Nothing is waiting for me over to that city! Everything I want is here. Everyone is here. My mother, my friends, everyone who loves me is here. What am I going there to go do? Isn't it better I stay back?...."

"But your life and future depend on you going there." Mrs. Xiao's voice resounded, making Zhan look her way and lowered his head, avoiding his mother's eyes on him. "Everyone is here and they will remain here when you come back. We've talked about this my son, why are you still thinking about it? This is for your good and those people out there will be happy to see you succeed and make it in life. You're not going there to die, you're going there for the betterment of yourself and for them too. Go, my son." Mrs. Xiao ruffles her son's hair, making Zhan slowly nod his head and finally smile. "Ah yes, I bought you some clothes. I know you're having just three, and you have to have at least a few clothes you'll be wearing before you're Uncle will be able to buy many of them. My brother is very rich and will buy you many things when you get there. Take, wear this one and put the rest in your bag. Your uncle will soon be here to take you with him." Mrs. Xiao smiled and placed the four clothes she came in with on Zhan's bed and wanted to leave when Zhan held her hands and Immediately embraced her.

"I will miss you so much, mama. Why do you have to go and spend the money you'll use and feed yourself in buying all these expensive clothes? How will you feed when you've used up all our savings on me?" Xiao Zhan cried, wetting his mother's shoulder, making his mother want to cry but she blinked back her tears and chuckled instead.

Mrs. Xiao patted her son's back and broke the hug. She looked at her son's face and smiled while removing those tears ruining his beautiful face. "You don't have to worry about me. I promise I will be fine. Your mother is a very strong woman and you know that. I will not starve because I bought some clothes for my beautiful son. I have some money left and our farm products are yet to be harvested. I will make some money from it and will eat from it too. Now, wipe your tears, my baby. I will be outside with others, please come out fast." Mrs. Xiao embraced her son before leaving the room for him to change and come out with his bag.

Xiao Zhan sighed and did as his mother had instructed. He removed the clothes he was wearing and changed the one his mother bought for him. He smiled seeing himself wearing new clothes. The three clothes he has were bought for him 5 years ago, but Xiao Zhan had always kept them neat and had always worn them carefully. He doesn't like his mother spending so much and doesn't care about what he is putting on, as long as they aren't torn. He quickly parked his bag, arranged his bed, and came out and was greeted by his friends and other villagers. Everyone was excited to see him wearing new clothes and not those old ones he had been wearing for a long time now.

"Zhan-ge, you're looking beautiful. But I will miss me gege." The little Saint cried out on seeing Zhan and others joined him, crying, making Zhan also start crying like them.

Everyone facepalmed, not who among them is going to console who. The 5, 6, 4, 3, 8, and 10 years old children who are crying, or the 18 years old adult among who will console them. They all sighed and the parents of those children took their children and allowed the elders to talk to Zhan since his uncle had already arrived and was sitting with Mrs. Xiao.

"Zhan, hold your ears so you'll hear what I'm going to say to you. Anyone you didn't hear, ask me questions and I will repeat them. In the first place, the city boys and girls deep their mouths in blood when they're going out, they call it lipstick... Yes, lipstick." Uncle Shawn said, making Zhan's Uncle among them puffed his mouth to laugh, but he held himself back from laughing out loud. Uncle Shawn continued, "We don't want to hear that you ever did that when you get to the city. And secondly, they have long nails long like flocks of witches and they painted them with different colours. If you regard us as your uncles and relatives, you are not going to do that when you get to the city. If a dog fights victoriously, the owner is proud of it. We want to be proud of you. Zhan, have you heard me?"

Xiao Zhan wondered why he's telling him all these things when it's obvious he was a boy and not a girl. But still, he nods his head. "Yes, uncle Shawn, I've heard you."

One of the elders among them who stammers took it from uncle Shawn. "That...that...that is not all. This..this...this...town...to.. township people are something else. They... They...they... They paint their cheeks...like...like... A masquerade. They...they...rub their face with white powder and when... When... When they sweat with it, they... They...they look like a peacock." Everyone burst out laughing their lungs out, including Zhan and his mother. Uncle Lee, among them dad died with laughter when the elder started stammering. The man was always funny and people enjoyed him so much whenever he was angry.

"You don't know how to talk but you talk more than everybody here." Uncle Shawn laughed, making the elder glared at him.

"Don't... don't... don't insult me!" The elder warned.

"It's alright, I'm sorry..." Uncle Shawn Immediately apologized.

Mrs. Xiao looked at her smiling son and smiled. "My beautiful son, you've heard your uncles and what they've said to you. I know you're a good boy and I know you'll not stop being a good boy, right? So, when you get to the city, you see your uncle, I want you to respect him very well, do you hear me? I want you to serve him and his wife very well so that they'll have the good mind to send you to school and you'll learn that your drawing you love so much. Do you understand what I'm saying? That's all I have to say to you my son. I know I raised you very well." Mrs. Xiao smiled, while Zhan nodded his head, acknowledging all she had said to him.

"Well, you don't have to be afraid of anything. My, I and my wife shall take care of him as our own son. In a short while, he'll turn to be the heading of pride, not only to you, his mother but to the entire community." Uncle Lee narrowed, making uncle Shawn nods his head

"It's true, I believe in him. I know he'll make us proud." Uncle Shawn said and smiled, looking at Zhan who also smiled and couldn't believe he was rejected to be this man's wife. He was such a good man and Xiao Zhan never knew he was and now, one of his age mates is the man's wife and he had been taking good care of him. And uncle Shawn is one of the richest hunters they have in this village and his wife wears the best of clothes being sold in this village. He seems to be regretting why he didn't accept him- Xiao Zhan thought, feeling sad.

"So, we have to go now. The journey is quite far. We should take our leave." Uncle Lee, stands up, making everyone also stand up to bid Zhan goodbye.

"I will miss you mother." Xiao Zhan said to his mother as he carried his bag.

"Don't worry my son, you'll be a good boy. Respect your uncle and his wife. Make me proud of you. And don't forget my pot of water you broke. Make money and buy me a bigger one. I will be fine, I will be here to await your return." Mrs. Xiao embraced her son again.

Xiao Zhan nods his head to her words and waved at his friends who are still crying, struggling to remove themselves from their mothers so they can run to their Zhan-ge. "I will miss you all... Mama, take care of yourself. I will tell you everything I see in the city when I'm back. Goodbye, mother... Goodbye, my friends." Xiao Zhan waved at them with his tears streaming down.

"Lee, take care of my one eye for me. I am giving you my only eyes. The reason I'm alive. Take very good care of him..." Mrs. Xiao cried out, watching her son cry with his bag while leaving from there.

"I will take care of him. And you take care of yourself. Here, some money for you." Uncle Lee handed Mrs. Xiao some money and started leaving with the crying Zhan. Everyone stands and watches Zhan and his uncle's back disappear from their eyes. Mrs. Xiao finally broke down and cried for the departure of her son, and everyone consoled her.

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The journey to the city was quite hectic and unbearable, especially for Zhan who hasn't travelled this long. It took them almost 19 hours to get to the city and he slept all through the journey. He was woken up many times by his uncle to have something to eat and also he vomited almost 10 times since he suffered from carsickness. It was horrible for him, but when they finally entered the city, it was like another world for Zhan. He marvelled at seeing the cars, the bikes, the beautiful roads, and everywhere. Everything is so new to Zhan since he spent his whole life living in the village. He was so happy when he saw the light and so many other things. They reached Uncle Lee's house and Mrs. Lee Susan, who was Zhan's Uncle's wife, had already prepared food waiting for their arrival. Seeing Zhan at first sight, Mrs. Susan was so happy, seeing the beautiful boy.

She welcomed them and led Zhan to his room, made sure he had his bath and laughed seeing how Zhan was afraid to use the bathroom. Mrs. Susan can't believe this kind of naive person still exists in the 21 century. This is quite a show to watch and the childish Zhan made her laugh so much that she forgot that Zhan is naked in front of him. And Zhan being the naive boy he was, didn't even care that he was naked. He bathed in the stream with children, of course, how will he know he's now a grown-up and now having puberty hairs around his small d**k.

Mrs. Susan made sure he didn't fall in the bathtub, it looks like she was nursing a baby. She Scrubs Zhan's body, washed his hair, bathes him like he was a child and dry him up, and makes sure he dresses comfortably in other clothes before she leads him to the dining table and has him eat his food along with her husband. Once they're done, Xiao Zhan was invited inside the living room where they showed him how to make use of the television sets.

"My son, this is called household appliances. It is called a video compact disc player. What did I call it?" Mrs. Susan asked, looking at Zhan to say what she just told him.

Xiao Zhan looked at her and smiled nervously, thinking of what to say. When he finally finds his tongue, he blurted out. "Ummm... hehe... Ummm.....Applyancer....." Uncle Lee, who was reading a newspaper fall out from his sitting place, because of laughter. His wife wanted to laugh, but she felt Zhan might feel bad, then, she hit her husband playfully, for him to stop laughing, and stop making the younger boy feel bad.

Mrs. Susan looked at Zhan and smiled. "It's not applyancer... It's called V. C. D. Say it."

"V... C... D" Xiao Zhan said exactly the way she sees her keeping her mouth.

"Good. Over there, is a video set player and that's a television set. I'm sure you know that one, right?" Mrs. Susan pointed at the television and switched it on, making Zhan stunned, seeing someone inside the television.

"Oh my goodness! What is that? Why is someone inside there? That person will die... I should tell them to help him out. No, I should keep my mouth shut." Xiao Zhan thought, covering his mouth to avoid him screaming out loud for seeing such a thing he hadn't seen in his life. He was lost in his thoughts and still looking at the person on the television screen without him knowing Mrs. Susan had been calling him.

"Zhan! Are you here with me? "

"I'm sorry ma'am.." Xiao Zhan apologized for being absent-minded just now.

Mrs. Susan continued, "The structure there is where wine is kept. The wine we serve visitors. It's called a bar... Say that."

"Band..." Xiao Zhan blurted out, making his uncle collapse this time around.

"Bar... B..a..r.. bar. And not a band. You'll be the reason for my death." Uncle Lee corrects and continues laughing. "Say bar..."

"Bar..."

"Again..."

"Bar..."

"Beautiful. Don't feel bad if you don't know all this. By the time you spent a few months in this city, you would've not just learned the names, but how to use them. Come, you must be tired, let me take you around the house, before you go to sleep, okay." Mrs. Susan said, and pulled Zhan and started going upstairs. Mrs. Susan showed Zhan around the house, the kitchen, the backyard, and everything and told him what each of them is called.

Seeing Zhan was tired, Mr. Susan took him back to his room and had him lay down. "My dear, feel at home. This is also your home. Once you keep to my rules and regulations, I will make sure I take good care of you. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am. And thanks for welcoming me inside your house and giving me a comfortable bed to sleep and for taking care of me. Thank you." Zhan smiled, bouncing on the bed he was sitting down, feeling happy how the bed bounced him up and down.

"You're welcome. Now sleep and have some rest. We'll continue tomorrow. Make sure you pray before sleeping." Mrs. Susan said, before leaving the room.

Xiao Zhan lay down and sighed. "Bar... D...D..C... No... V...C...D. yes, I got it. I will learn many things here and I will teach all my friends and I will brag about it. This room is beautiful. I wish my mama was here to sleep on this comfortable bed with me. I missed her so much." Zhan sadly sighed but brightened up remembering all the beautiful things he sees here in the city while coming.

"I am nowhere in the city... I wonder if something is here for me? How will my life become from today onwards? Mama, I will make you proud."

TBC...