Chapter 11:
Read Between the Lines Part 1
The tension running through the village was all but forgotten the morning of the Dragon Boat festival. Villagers were up at the crack of dawn, putting the finishing touches on their decorations and getting an early start on food preparation. Perfume pouches bounced around the childrens' necks as they ran around the village, giggling and shrieking as their parents hung up leaves and talismans to ward off evil spirits. It was as if their efforts were already working, as the evil spirits were warded off excitement and happiness took its place and settled over the village like a warm blanket. It was enough to put the biggest smile on Mariah's face, one that didn't fade as she went around waking up her friends that morning.
"The sun's not even awake yet!" Tyson protested, rubbing at his eyes. "Which means i don't need to be awake yet."
"Come on! Up!" Mariah said, clapping her hands together. She then moved over to Max's bed and shook his shoulder until he woke up. "We're wasting daylight! Today's a big day! The earlier we start the more things we can fit in! You don't want to miss a thing!"
"Yet you want me to miss my sleep?" Tyson asked, glaring at her.
She merely rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "You won't regret it, I promise. There're so many things to do today. You're not even going to miss your sleep. Just think of the music and the games and the food."
Tyson sprung upright as if he had been shot out of a catapult, a large grin brimming on his face. "Food?" he repeated. A bead of drool formed in the corner of his mouth and slid down his chin as a dreamy look settled in his eyes. He rubbed his stomach and let out a sigh. "I think I can already taste it."
"Yeah, well, you'll taste it even faster when you get up!" she insisted. "We're leaving for the city after we write a few spells."
"Whoa. Wait a second. Write spells?" Max repeated, rubbing at his eye. "Like witches and stuff?"
"Not exactly," Mariah replied with a good-natured smile. "It's just to keep evil spirits and illness and bad fortune away and trust me, we need it about now." Her smile wavered ever so slightly but it came back with a vengeance only a few seconds later. It was finally one of her favorite holidays; no little bout of bad luck was going to bring her down. If everything worked out right then her grandfather would be healthy once more and go back to ruling the village like he's supposed to. Everything would go back to being right. "Hurry up, breakfast will be ready soon and then we'll head out to the city."
She left their hut, humming as she walked along the path back towards the center of the village where the rest of the White Tiger team was waiting. They had been up much earlier than the others making sure everything was ready for the celebrations. They wanted their friends to experience everything they could. In fact, she could remember the first time she went like it was yesterday.
She, Gary, Ray, and Lee were had snuck on a boat and took a ride into the city. Kevin was still a bit too young to run around with the big kids and Crystal had gotten in trouble, thus having to stay behind. A day that had started out with heightened nerves and harsh whispers about turning back turned into a day of adventure before their very eyes. Neon lights lined the streets and illuminated the sparkles in their eyes, the delicious smells of cooking food made their mouths water, the excitement in the air almost hummed and crackled like static; widening their eyes with a sense of wonder they hadn't felt before.
Their first instinct was to run off in all directions to experience everything but they stayed together, huddled close to one another as they moved through the thick crowds. They followed Gary's stomach straight to a stall that was selling some of the best meat they've ever smelled on skewers. It almost melted in their mouths, it was cooked that well. It made their taste buds dance and smiles blossom on their faces, they'd never tasted anything like it back at the village. The meat buns were superb, the desserts couldn't be any sweeter, and teas warmed up their bellies.
With full bellies they decided to play some games, tug of war being the first that they attempted. Mariah was angry at first at having to go against Lee and Gary but with Ray's encouragement they decided to give it a go. It helped that Gary would end up distracted every now and then due to the smells of cooking food wafting through the air. She and Ray ended up pulling the ribbon tied to the rope over to their side of the line and won small charms of Zhong Kui, a figure of their mythology that vanquished ghosts an evil spirits. Lee had grown jealous seeing their prizes and went around trying to win one of his own, which only had disastrous results. He was passionate, they gave him that, but it only seemed to magnify his faults. They finally had to pull him away from a game to watch the boats racing.
It was a good, long day. They returned as night fell with full bellies and sleep-heavy eyes only to be confronted with an entire village that had spent the day looking for them. It was one thing to have the villagers disappointed in them but the Elder? That hurt. It almost wasn't worth sneaking out to the festival. Almost. Ever since then the rules had changed to allow those who wanted to experience the festival outside the confines of the village were allowed to do so. It was the first time that she knew of the rules of the village changing and, as far as she knew, it was the last time. They were proud of their traditions, after all.
The line of trees opened up in front of Mariah to reveal her friends. With a skip in her step, she rushed over to them. "Okay! I woke Tyson and Max. I think that's everyone." She squealed and clasped her hands together. "I can't wait! This is going to be so much fun! I don't even know where to start."
"How about we eat first?" Kevin suggested. "That way we won't have to spend the rest of the day hearing Gary's stomach grumbling, eh?" He playfully nudged his cousin with his elbow. "So we can stop by Feng's and Mei's, give them their wedding gift, and then get to all the festivities."
"That sounds like a plan to me," Ray agreed. "And besides, the surprise for everyone won't be set until after noon so we're going to need to keep them busy."
"I already have that covered," Mariah said with a wink. "We can get our palms read!" At the disgruntled expressions on Lee's, Kevin's, and Ray's faces she continued, "Come on, guys, it's a lot of fun. Really. Don't you want to know what lies in your futures? What you're going to do? Where you're going to end up? Who you're going to marry?"
"We already know that last part, sis," Lee pointed out. "We don't need our palms read to figure that out."
"What if the answer is different?" she suggested.
Lee crossed his arms. "How would it be different? We're already assigned to who we're supposed to marry. It's not going to change just because someone thinks they read it in your palm and tell you otherwise."
Mariah shrugged, her smile fading ever so slightly. "It's just for fun," she pointed out. "I know in the grand scheme of things it wouldn't mean anything but—"
"Then what's the point?" Lee interrupted her, scoffing. "Our lives have been made up for us. We just have to follow the right paths to get there. There's no point in visiting some palm reader." He briefly glanced over at Ray, as if checking that his friend had his back, and laughed. "You always have these crazy ideas, sis. Thought those would settle down by now."
"She's a girl, what'd you expect?" Kevin asked with a laugh. His commented earned him a few chuckles from the other boys.
Mariah pressed her lips together and blew a breath out of her nose. Tilting her head to the side, she ran her fingers through her long ponytail and pulled out the loose hairs that wrapped around her fingers. She pulled the hair tight around her fingers, waiting for it to begin throbbing due to cutting off the circulation before breaking it apart and watching the pink strands fall to the ground at her feet. As words of protest built up against her tongue she kept them inside.
It wasn't her place to try and defend herself, no matter how much she wanted to. Comments like that weren't new from Lee or Kevin but they still stung to hear, especially when the rest of her friends seemed to agree with him.
And why wouldn't they? It was all they knew. Women were put in a more submissive role compared to their male counterparts in the village. The men lead the way and the women had to follow behind with closed mouths and hanging heads. Any objections were to be kept to themselves because the men had all the answers and the women were to have empty heads.
Mariah briefly twisted her mouth to the side and, with a cleansing sigh, let it go. It was going to be a fun day, no matter what. Nothing would bring her down. Not her negative brother, not stupid jokes, nothing.
"Good morning!" Hilary chirped, walking up to the group with Kenny and Kai in tow. Like Mariah, she had a large smile on her face. "I'm so excited! When do the races start?"
Mariah spun on her heel, directing her smile at her guests. "Not until after noon," she replied, "we have to try and make an egg stand at noon first. To see if we get good luck for the rest of the year."
"Do we get to race any boats?"
"You'll see," Ray spoke up, a twinkle in his eye. "But first we need everyone here. Didn't you wake Tyson and Max?"
Hilary rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "You know how they are," she huffed. "Especially Tyson. Always acting like the world revolves around him. Like everyone has to stop and wait for him. Ugh! It's so typical! His head's so big; it could be classified as another planet! A barren planet. That sits alllll the way on the other side of Pluto that no one wants to visit because it's so annoying!"
The end of her rant was met with silence as her friends gaped at her. She didn't seem to notice their stares. Hell, even Kai was giving her a peculiar look for her unprovoked rant. The strange haze that had fallen over the group broke only when Crystal walked up, an amused expression nestled on her face. "Geeze, Hil, what'd Tyson do this time? Piss in your tea?" she asked while pushing a braid over her shoulder. Then she patted her shoulder and added, "We get it. You like him. You don't need to tell the whole world."
"Where were you?" Mariah asked. "I came to wake you but you were already gone."
"I had to take care of something, that's all," she replied with a shrug of her shoulder. "But I found some stragglers that I think you've been waiting for." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder right as Tyson and Max walked along the path. Max held his face in his hands while Tyson proudly chewed a roll that he held in his fist. "Looks like Tyson's been pregaming."
"Hey, I have to make room for later," he said, patting his rounded belly. "See? My stomach's already stretched out, later I can stuff it as much as I want. Genius, huh?"
"Yeah, you're a real Einstein," Hilary commented. At the look Mariah shot her way, her cheeks reddened and she muttered a feeble "shut up" as she turned her eyes away.
"Okay! Before we head out to the city we want to give you guys your perfume pouches," Mariah announced, clasping her hands together. She motioned to Crystal who dug into the bag hanging off her side and lifted the colorful pouches out of it. As Mariah spoke she handed the pouches to everyone, pointing to the small tag attached that told them what scents were inside. "These pouches, or Xiangnag, are used to prevent diseases and protects everyone from evil. It's the same as these threads." She held out her wrist to show a bright red thread that had been tied to it. Lee, Ray, Kevin, and Gary wore matching threads around their wrists or ankles. "They contain magical and healing properties. The whole festival is built around the purification of our bodies and our spirits as well as to commemorate Qu Yuan. It's why it's one of our bigger celebrations and taken seriously. Some of the things you see today may be a bit strange but they are traditions so pleas ego along with it."
"That's not to say that some Western influences haven't come into some part of the celebrations over the city," Ray jumped in at the suspicious expression that fell upon Tyson's face. "It has evolved over time to accommodate visitors and tourists so I'm sure nothing will feel too out of place for you. Don't worry. And if you're nervous about anything, we're here to answer any questions you have. So, we should get going, right?"
"Aren't your parents coming?" Lee asked.
Ray nodded. "I'm going to meet up with them later. Right now you all have my full attention." With a wave of his arms he motioned his friends to walk ahead of him. When their backs were turned he blew out a breath and scratched at his hairline. He caught Mariah's eye and gave her a sheepish smile.
"Why're you so worried?" she asked as she fell into step with him, trailing behind the rest of the group. "You should be excited."
"I am," Ray replied, "I just want it all to go well." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not everyday that my friends come out here. But experience our traditions like this? It all came at once, I just…don't want them to get a bit overwhelmed. You know how Tyson gets with things that are different. Tact isn't exactly in his vocabulary."
Mariah pressed her lips together and nodded her head. She glanced over her shoulder beneath the guise of brushing her hair off her shoulder with her chin. She then pushed her hair through her bangs as she looked ahead of them, noting the excited conversations that her friends seemed to be enthralled by. Biting on her lip, she reached out and grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze. She swallowed the wave of guilt that rushed through her and smiled up at him. "Stop worrying. They're enjoying their time so far. Remember how it was when we first went to the festival? How magical it all was? It'll be the same for them, I'm sure of it."
He licked his lips and then bobbed his head from side to side, which Mariah only knew too well that it meant he found that she had a point. She lightly knocked against his side and a grin burst across his face. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. The butterflies in her stomach took off; flapping their large wings and making her stomach tumble and her heart skip a beat in a way that she craved. But that sensation was lost the minute Lee turned around and Ray dropped her hand. The heat that had enveloped her was replaced by the cold space between them.
"Hurry up, slowpokes!" He called out, a large grin on his face.
Mariah wanted to kick Lee in the teeth but resisted the urge. She'd only have to explain herself to the others and that wasn't something she was prepared to do. As much as she could admit to herself her strong feelings for Ray she wasn't so sure it was worth speaking about aloud. No matter how much it was killing her.
"Oh man! I can already smell the food! It smells so good," Tyson gushed, a bit of drool dripping down the corner of his mouth once he set foot on land. "I gotta try it!"
"You'll get your chance. We have to stop by the restaurant first," Crystal reminded him as she jumped onto the shore next to him. "Besides, it's not the heavy stuff you want to save room for. It's the desserts. You've never tasted anything like it and nothing can ever compare afterwards."
"So I guess Mei and Feng are getting excited for the big day, huh?" Max asked while stretching his arms above his head.
"I think they want to get it over with at this point."
"I don't blame them," Kevin commented, his hands on his hips. "Who wants to be stuck with someone for the rest of their lives anyway? What happens if you don't like them? And you have to kiss them!" he made a face. "Yuck!"
"Uh, Kev, you know you're only a few years shy of them being you, right?" Ray asked with a good-natured laugh.
Kevin stood firm. "Yeah, well…I'm gonna pick who I marry! Or who I don't!"
"Do that and say goodbye to the village, you'll be banished faster than you can blink," Lee commented.
"Yeah, trust me, it's no fun," Crystal said, her voice completely deadpan. It made the others stop and flush with guilt and embarrassment. Rolling her eyes, Crystal shook her head and put a smile on her face. "Relax, guys. Figured I could joke about it by this point. It's been years, right?" With a tilt of her head, she shifted her weight and began to lead her group into the city.
It wasn't long before the greens of surrounding nature was peeled back and replaced with the slick metallic windows and bright signs of the concrete jungle that was Hong Kong. Sights and sounds wrapped around them like a tornado, beckoning to them in all directions but they made a beeline for the restaurant, which surprisingly wasn't busy yet.
"Hey guys! Here to hit up the festival?" Mei greeted the group with a large smile, balancing a tray of empty tea cups in her hands. She set it down on the nearby counter and brushed her palms against the apron that was tied around her waist. "I don't think you want to start out on a full stomach. The street food is part of the experience."
"We came to drop off a wedding gift," Lee replied. "From the White Tigers and our guests." As he removed a red envelope from his pocket, Crystal dug into her bag and drew out a dragon and phoenix statute. The two set them down on the countertop as Mei pressed her palms to her cheeks and repeatedly thanked them in Chinese. "We hope you and Feng have a long life together. Who knows, you could be setting the bar when it comes to the rest of us getting married."
"Or not," Kevin spoke up, causing the group to laugh.
Mei smiled and placed her hands on her knees, putting herself at Kevin's height to look him in the eyes. "Kevin, one's wedding shouldn't be something that gets compared. No two weddings and partnerships are the same. You have plenty of time to worry about your own marriage." Standing straight, she turned her attention over to the rest of the White Tigers that stood by. "That goes for you, as well. Don't rush your own arrangements. You may be matched already but you still have time. Who knows where the future will take you."
"The future's gonna take me to the food cart down the street," Tyson announced, rubbing at his stomach. "Let's get going!"
"I, too, share Tyson's excitement. I can't wait to blog about the experience of everything," Kenny gushed, holding his computer up to his chest. "In fact, I've heard some news about a little tournament being staged today."
"What? Beyblading?" Tyson's eyes lit up and now the drool coming out of his mouth was kickstarted for a different reason. "Forget the food, let's check that out!"
"Wait, did he just say 'forget the food'?" Ray asked. "Is he sick?"
"No, his priorities just shifted," Hilary said with a laugh. "Which I didn't think was possible until now."
"Which do you think he'd marry if he got the choice? Food or beyblading?" Crystal asked with a grin, nudging Hilary. The two girls snickered and Tyson stuck his tongue out at them.
"Come on, let's go! I gotta see the action!" Tyson urged.
"But I wanted to see some of the stalls," Hilary protested.
"No big deal," Max spoke up before Tyson could open his mouth. It was almost as if he could sense that Tyson was going to begin an argument. "We can split up and meet up later. Some of us can go see the tournament and some of us go see the stalls and then meet back at noon? Sound good?"
"Sounds good to me," Tyson replied. "So Maxie, Ray, you guys coming?" He got nods in return. "What about you, Sourpuss?" he addressed Kai who merely looked back at him, an eyebrow lifting. "You coming with us or hanging out with the girls all day?"
"What makes you think we don't want to go see the beyblading?" Mariah demanded, crossing her arms.
Tyson didn't seem at all fazed by her accusing and hostile tone. His nose wrinkled as he muttered, "Isn't there a bunch of girly stuff going on? Sewing and perfume…stuff?"
"Yeah, and didn't you want to go get your palm read?" Kevin asked her.
"Which is a massive waste of time, by the way," Lee added.
"I'm just saying I want the option to want to go rather than being told where I'm going," Mariah explained, rolling her eyes. She then waved her hands, shooing them off. "You boys go run off and watch the tournament. I'll play tour guide for everyone else."
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Ray asked. "Galux hasn't seen any action for a while."
"Galux and I are waiting for the right opponent that will challenge us. I won't let her sink her claws into just anyone," Mariah teased. "Go. We'll be fine."
"Alright, let's go before she changes her mind," Tyson said, charging out the front door. Max was hot on his heels, slipping out the door before it closed all the way. Kevin followed behind him with Gary accompanying him, asking if they could get food along the way. They all trickled out until Hilary, Mariah, Crystal, Kai, and Kenny were left. Mei gave them black sesame rolls to go and as they were distracted taking a bite of their food, she handed Crystal a stack of papers which she promptly shoved into her bag.
"Have a good day. Stop by at the end of the night, we will treat you to the best desserts China has to offer," Mei said as she waved them out the door.
"Hmm. This stuff sounds gross but it's actually pretty good," Hilary noted as they filed out onto the street.
"That should be the slogan around here," Crystal quipped, taking a bite of her own. "You're going to be saying that a lot. The names will fool you; we have some treasures around here."
"Oh, I don't doubt it!" Kenny gushed. "China is rich in history that has influenced the world. Take Feng Shui for example. It's become so popular out in the west that there are people who arrange their homes based on the principals. Not to mention China is the hub of many inventions that the world uses such as paper, gunpowder, and printing. And we can't forget the art of Tai Chi."
"Wow, Kenny, ever think about moving here?" Hilary asked, drabbing at her mouth with a napkin.
"Well, it's rich in culture and traditions, it could be a good change of pace," he replied. "And if they have a lot of festivals like this, it could be interesting."
"Something tells me the peddlers are really going to like you," Crystal laughed and popped the rest of her roll into her mouth. "Okay, Kenny, here are a few rules. Don't look them directly in the eye, that's how they get you. They can tell you're not from here so they're going to jack up the prices. Don't buy anything before asking Riah or me if the price is legit. They feed on tourists."
"Do you think we need to tell Kai that?" Hilary asked, lifting her chin in his direction. They all stopped on the sidewalk and turned to see him standing at a stall covered in brightly colored silks. "I knew he liked scarves but I didn't think he liked them that much."
"He's the only one who can pull it off," Crystal replied. "'Sides maybe Trunks."
"Who?"
"Never mind." Crystal waved her hand to brush away her comment while making a mental note to show Hilary a few episodes of Dragon Ball Z. Her attention then shifted from her over to their quiet pink haired companion, who stared off into space; her black sesame roll held up to her mouth but no bite had been taken out of it. Cackling a little, she approached Mariah and took the roll out of her hand. "Gonna finish that?" she asked and took a bite before Mariah could answer.
"Huh?" Mariah blinked and looked down at her now empty hand. "Oh, no. Guess not."
"What's up with you?" Crystal asked, waving the roll in her direction. "You're not being annoying. So something must be bugging you to not be bugging me."
"Ha ha," Mariah laughed and stuck out her tongue. "It's just…" her words trailed off and she blew out a breath. She bit her lip and peered at Crystal, her rival of sorts. Of course it was a quiet rivalry and a fun one, even she had to admit. She understood why Kai was so obsessed with wanting to beat Tyson; there was a sort of thrill that couldn't be matched when it came to going head to head with her in the dish. Outside the dish, however, it was a completely different story. There was more pressure, more nerves controlling her than ever before. And now it grabbed onto each palm and pulled in either direction but now she couldn't stand it anymore. "Can I ask you something?" she whispered.
"Yeah, go ahead," Crystal replied, clearly distracted by the food in her hand. "Whoa! Geeze, must be important," she uttered as Mariah grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from the group. "What's up?"
"Okay, you're the only one I feel I can trust with this," Mariah started as she wrung her hands together. "Because I know…how you feel about Ray." At the way Crystal's nose scrunched up Mariah hurried on before she could finish her scoff, "I know you like him too. I've always known."
"I think you've spent too much time in the sun," Crystal replied, turning her eyes away from her pink haired friend. "D'you need an umbrella?" She used her elbow to motion to the red umbrellas that were lined up on a shop wall nearby.
"Look, I'm not mad," Mariah continued. "I get it. I know why you like him. Probably the same reasons I do. It's why I want to ask you this question. Please."
"Oh…fine! God, just stop looking so pathetic," Crystal cried out, throwing her arms into the air. "What's the question?" She stuffed the rest of the roll into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed.
"D'youthinkyourbanishmentwasworthit?" Mariah asked, all in one breath. It was the only way she could keep the nerve she had gathered to ask the question. She got the reaction she expected: furrowed eyebrows, frozen facial muscles, and a particularly withering stare. "I know, I know, it sounds like a silly question," she continued on. "But…I can't stop thinking about him. Ray, I mean. I…I like him so much, knowing that I'm arranged to someone else…I'm not so sure I'm fine with that anymore." She pushed a hand through her hair and then rubbed her face with her palms. "What we are now…it's nice but I want more but…but I can't. I'm with someone else and so's he but lately I can't help but think about just…turning away from it all. …Is that crazy?"
Crystal held up her finger, signaling her Mariah to wait. She chewed rapidly and swallowed, slapping her palm against her chest to try and get the food down faster. She finally gasped out a breath, took another one in, and let it out. Once her breathing got back under control she stared at Mariah's nervous state: her furrowed eyebrows and her twisting fingers and the lip that was reddening beneath her teeth. "Was my banishment worth it?" she finally repeated, scratching behind her ear. "I mean…on one hand I was ripped away from the only life I knew. On the other hand it gave me a new one. But 'Riah, the village and everything…that is your life. It wasn't mine. Do you really want to give up your family and your home…everything? Because that's what I lost. I lost everything. I'm only lucky that I could come back."
"Well, that's what the palm reader is going to help me decide," Mariah replied.
Crystal's eyes narrowed. "You want a palm reader to decide for you who you potentially end up with?"
"It sounds crazy when you say it like that—"
"Because it is. If you don't want to marry Ryu, then don't. I don't want to marry your brother and I don't plan on that happening." She absentmindedly rubbed at her arm and then rested her hand on her shoulder. "Look," she sighed, "I think you need to take more time than just going to a palm reader to decide something like this. I mean…Ray may not even be the right guy for you in the end." Her voice and her expression softened as she continued, "You know what it's like at the village to go against them. You know. Do you want to risk that?"
A defiant look appeared in Mariah's eye. She lifted her chin and said firmly, "I have to see. I have to know what the future holds. I have to give it a try. I just have to."
a/n - So this one was a bit more Mariah centered to show her shifting views of the village and their traditions. What did you think? Part two will bring in the action and some good and not so good drunken antics. Thanks so much for being patient with me between updates, please read and review.
