Chapter three
"So you're the one making all that noise?" Anna said bitterly.
Hao only smiled at her and stepped aside so she could see the black sports car parked on the street. "Bran new, only had it five months." He moved closer to her, causing her to step back, "Sorry about the noise but I saw some kids playing on the street, so I thought I'd scare them a little."
Anna looked at the car, but seemed very unimpressed. "Why are you here?"
"Ah, to the point as usual," Hao smiled. That smile of his, always the same cocky grin full of confidence, "I'm here to see Yoh."
"He's not here," Anna snapped. She was about to close the door on Hao but he put his foot in the way.
"Well then I'll just stay and wait for him then, I'm sure you won't mind." Hao pushed his way in smiling broadly. He was drenched from the rain, dripping water all over the floor. He took off his coat and shoes.
Anna watched him intently. He looked up at her noticing her eyes on him. "So where is Yoh?" he asked.
"He's gone to see Manta for a while. He will be leaving on a business trip for three months, and Yoh wanted to see him before he left. He should be back by supper."
Hao nodded his head, "I noticed the motorcycle is gone, he didn't take that did he?"
"Yes he did."
"What a dip shit! He'll spin out in this weather."
Anna chose to ignore his last comment, going back to cleaning her paintbrush.
Hao sniffed the air, "It smells like paint in here."
"I just painted the door so don't touch it, with this wet weather it will be a long time before it will dry," she turned off the tap and faced Hao, who was standing there looking at her. His keen brown eyes met hers, and held them.
From the first time she met Hao, she had noticed how much he resembled Yoh. But yet, was completely different. He and Yoh were like a coin made out of the same metal yet had completely different sides.
Out of all Hao's features his eyes were the most distant from Yoh's. Hao's eyes were filled with something different. A fire that burned with an intensity greater then Yoh's and a focus that could never be matched or broken. Hao was never one who took crap from anyone. He did things his way and never cared who didn't like it. Why when she had tried to slap him he grabbed her arm, and for the first time in her life, a flash of complete fear had ran threw her body, like her blood had been frozen. Back then Hao was filled with anger and the need for power.
Anna had always hated to admit it but he had changed over the past years. A different motive was in his eyes; his laugh was not as arrogant, his smile not as deceiving. Even the way he carried himself was different. She knew that Hao was aware that he had changed, but out of everyone he would be the first to deny it.
"What are you looking at?" Hao suddenly blurted out, "Is my fly undone," he looked down at his pants. This gave Anna time to recover, and put her sour face back on.
"I was just wondering why you are wanting to speak with Yoh," she snapped hoping that he had not realized how long she had been looking at him.
Hao eyed her curiously, "Well, I was reading the newspaper the other day and saw that some family is looking for someone to teach their son how to use a katana. They are paying very well so I thought I would let Yoh know. If he got the job he would be doing something he liked and making a shit load of money at the same time," Hao rambled this off quickly, as if he was embarrassed of wanting to help his brother.
"That's very kind of you. Yoh will probably want to hear the news straight from you, he hasn't see you in a very long time."
Hao turned away and walked over to the kitchen and sat down. His eyes were down concentrating on a grain of rice that had been left from breakfast. He flicked it with his finger, sending it flying.
Anna walked over to the window. She watched the rainfall; it was raining so badly outside that it looked like a solid wall of water. "Yoh will try and make it home."
Hao's eyes shot up, "I'm sure he will," his voice sounded reassuring, but Anna's quick glance towards his direction told him that she had caught the undertone. But said nothing.
She sat down across from him. Her arms folded across her chest with that same expression she always wore. They sat there for sometime with only the rain. Hao tapped his finger on the table; he couldn't take it anymore the silence was so deafening that it was hurting his ears. He looked over at her; Anna was still looking at him. It frustrated him not knowing what she was thinking. With most people he could read them like a book. But with Anna, she had always been a challenge.
"So six years now," he blurted out, feeling almost rude breaking the silence. He was surprised when Anna only responded with a nod. Hao felt strange, almost awkward if that was even possible for him, but this was the first time they had ever been alone together. A wave of relief flooded over him when Anna started opened her mouth to speak. But again it was made uncomfortable for him when she again said nothing.
Anna's outward expression betrayed any indication that she too was feeling uncomfortable. Any other time they had spoken to one another, (which was rare but it did happen) their conversations had always been brisk, but now suddenly she found it strained. She quickly glanced at the clock and dread fell on her when she saw that it was not even five yet.
"Do you want to watch some television?" she asked. Those words sounded so strange coming out of her mouth. Asking Hao if he wanted to watch T.V. She was surprised but very relived when he nodded his head.
The two sat there watching some corny game show, where you had to run through different obstacle courses, and to win you hand to try and not fall and smash your face.
Hao cracked a smile as the man on T.V fell and hit the water in a very painful belly flop; he looked over at her still laughing lightly. Anna gave Hao a sidelong glance, he had a very different sort of smile then he once did. It lit up his lean, still-boyish face with a peculiar kind of arrogance: features and smile that were different from Yoh's, from other men's. Hao was tall, stood proud and was very strongly built. His hair was thick and dark, his young lips curved soft and full. While Yoh, she made the comparison swiftly, was shorter, skinny and stooped. He had always stood before her helpless, a kind of humility and wonderment in his attitude. And Hao now smiled on her appraisingly with the assurance of one for whom a woman holds neither mystery nor illusion.
Anna shook her head, why was she comparing Yoh and Hao? She was Yoh's wife- she knew- but also she knew that the man sitting there was quite different from Yoh.
Anna glanced at the door when she heard a noise outside, but it was only the wind.
Hao sighed deeply, "He won't be coming home tonight."
Anna shook her head, "He always comes home when he says he will."
After watching T.V for a few hours, Anna was starting to get hungry. She walked over to the kitchen and began getting supper ready. She heard Hoa get up as well; a shiver ran threw her body as she felt his eyes on her back. When she turned around he was smiling at her. The same little twist of mockery and appraisal lingered in his smile. It made her flinch suddenly, and ask herself why she was pretending to expect Yoh- why there should be this instinct of defence to force her.
Neither spoke now. There was something strange, about this Hao and his quiet, unrelenting smile; but strangest of all was the familiarity: the Hao she had never seen or encountered, and yet had always known, always expected, always waited for. She kept her eyes on the table as she set the bowls and plates down, but his smile now seemed to exist apart from him, to merge and hover with the silence. He began to speak, but her mind missed the meaning of his words. Swiftly she was making comparisons again; his face so handsome and youthful. Swiftly, helplessly, feeling the imperceptible and relentless domination that thereby he was gaining over her, sensing sudden menace in this new more vital life, even if she felt drawn towards it.
"Why do you keep smiling at me like that!" she spat out at him.
Hao took a step towards her, "You think I haven't noticed you staring at me? Your eyes creeping towards my direction when you think I'm not looking?"
"Nonsense!" Anna shouted. She was afraid now. Afraid of his eyes so different from Yoh's- of his smile, of her own helplessness to deny it. Afraid of the storm, isolating her here alone with him. Just as she was about to speak again the lights fluttered and complete darkness filled the house.
"Powers out," Hao's voice spoke from out of the darkness.
Anna made her way towards the phone and picked it up, no dial tone could be heard. Now she couldn't know if Yoh was staying or not. Her eyes shot over towards Hao's direction as he lit his lighter, creating a soft ring of light in the kitchen.
"We have a generator in the back, I'll go start it up," Anna spoke quickly as she walked over to get her coat out of the closet, but just as she was about to open it a strong arm closed it again.
"I'll go, I already got wet once today," his voice was firm leaving no room for protest. Anna only nodded her head and handed him his jacket. She watched out the window as he ran behind the house, the rain pelting him relentlessly. After a few minutes the lights flickered back on but were much dimmer. The door flew open as Hao entered the house; the wind blew in the rain causing a large puddle to form on the floor. He closed the door and leaded up against it.
"Weather has gotten worse, snow is starting to fall."
Anna looked out the window suddenly, hearing the sound of an engine, but was disappointed when she watched and old car drive by.
"Not tonight- you might as well make up your mind to it. Driving a motorcycle in this weather- it would be suicide to try."
Her lips trembled suddenly in an effort to answer, to challenge the certainty in his voice, but she realized he was probably right. In this weather Yoh would probably not even try to take a bus home, if any were still running in this awful weather.
"It's to rough a night," he repeated. "Even for Yoh. Just relax a few minutes- stop worrying," Hao sounded concerned for her but in his tone there was a contradiction to his words. For it implied that she was not worrying- that her only concern was that it really might be Yoh at the door. And the feeling persisted, and slowly she began to ask, was he right? Was that why he smiled at her in such a way?
Hao was drenched, water dripped of his coat and hair, adding to the already large puddle that was on the floor. "Come, I'll get you some dry clothes. Yoh's will fit you," Anna led him down the hallway towards the bedroom. She slid the door open. Suddenly Anna pulled her hand away. "Damn, I forgot I painted the door, it's still wet." She looked down at the small brown smear of paint on her hand.
After rummaging through the closet she found some of Yoh's clothing and laid them out on the bed. Her eyes crept over to the window watching the rain and snow hitting the glass.
"Yoh wouldn't try," Hao suddenly answered her thoughts. "He knows you're safe."
"He told me he would drive slowly. Yoh has made it thought storms before on the motorcycle."
"A storm like this, it's snowing out. Just listen to it a second and ask yourself," his voice seemed softer, kindlier now. She met his smile a moment before she left the room to let him change.
Anna waited for him in the kitchen but he did not come. Five minutes, ten minutes. Anna stirred the vegetables vigorously wondering what he was doing. Finally her curiosity won her over and she walked to the door and knocked on it lightly.
"Come in," a voice replied from within.
Anna carefully slid the door open; Hao was standing there with his back facing her. Anna walked beside him and saw that he was looking at there wedding pictures.
In one Anna and Yoh stood together with happy smiles on their faces. The picture next to it Yoh and Hao stood side by side, Hao's arm around Yoh's shoulders, putting him in a playful neck hold. Each dressed in black suits, looking their best.
Hao looked up at her and met her eyes, and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face. But in his smile now, instead of the insolent appraisal that she feared, there seemed a kind of warmth and sympathy, causing her to wonder why but a moment ago she had feared that smile. It was as if the storm had lulled, as if she had suddenly found calm and shelter.
Then the thought hit her that perhaps it was not his smile that changed, but that she had changed.
"I remember the day like it was yesterday," Hao said softly picking up one of the pictures. "You were wearing the same perfume as you have on now. I remember smelling it when we danced at the reception."
His words left Anna without speech for a moment, but she managed to find her voice again, "You remember a little thing like that?"
Hao laughed a little, "I remember lots of things. Ren and Lyserg trying to figure out the stereo system for three hours, when the only problem was that it was unplugged, Horo getting drunk at the bachelor party, and singing along with every song that played at the bar. You know they had to turn off the music to get him to stop. And Yoh. How could I forget how nervous he was. He threw up before the wedding in a dumpster behind a restaurant."
Anna laughed lightly, Yoh had never told her that.
Suddenly she found herself face to face with Hao, he was staring at her intently, he lowered his, and raised it slowly to meet her gaze. "I also remember something else," he said in a voice so soft that Anna wouldn't have even recognized it if he hadn't been standing before her.
"What do you remember?"
"Thinking, that Yoh was the luckiest man on earth to have someone like you," Hao moved closer to her. His eyes were cool and calm. Hers were fanatic, fixed upon him as if to exclude all else. The light dimmed slightly, gathering the shadows round them. Before Anna could stop it his lips brushed lightly against hers.
"So you're the one making all that noise?" Anna said bitterly.
Hao only smiled at her and stepped aside so she could see the black sports car parked on the street. "Bran new, only had it five months." He moved closer to her, causing her to step back, "Sorry about the noise but I saw some kids playing on the street, so I thought I'd scare them a little."
Anna looked at the car, but seemed very unimpressed. "Why are you here?"
"Ah, to the point as usual," Hao smiled. That smile of his, always the same cocky grin full of confidence, "I'm here to see Yoh."
"He's not here," Anna snapped. She was about to close the door on Hao but he put his foot in the way.
"Well then I'll just stay and wait for him then, I'm sure you won't mind." Hao pushed his way in smiling broadly. He was drenched from the rain, dripping water all over the floor. He took off his coat and shoes.
Anna watched him intently. He looked up at her noticing her eyes on him. "So where is Yoh?" he asked.
"He's gone to see Manta for a while. He will be leaving on a business trip for three months, and Yoh wanted to see him before he left. He should be back by supper."
Hao nodded his head, "I noticed the motorcycle is gone, he didn't take that did he?"
"Yes he did."
"What a dip shit! He'll spin out in this weather."
Anna chose to ignore his last comment, going back to cleaning her paintbrush.
Hao sniffed the air, "It smells like paint in here."
"I just painted the door so don't touch it, with this wet weather it will be a long time before it will dry," she turned off the tap and faced Hao, who was standing there looking at her. His keen brown eyes met hers, and held them.
From the first time she met Hao, she had noticed how much he resembled Yoh. But yet, was completely different. He and Yoh were like a coin made out of the same metal yet had completely different sides.
Out of all Hao's features his eyes were the most distant from Yoh's. Hao's eyes were filled with something different. A fire that burned with an intensity greater then Yoh's and a focus that could never be matched or broken. Hao was never one who took crap from anyone. He did things his way and never cared who didn't like it. Why when she had tried to slap him he grabbed her arm, and for the first time in her life, a flash of complete fear had ran threw her body, like her blood had been frozen. Back then Hao was filled with anger and the need for power.
Anna had always hated to admit it but he had changed over the past years. A different motive was in his eyes; his laugh was not as arrogant, his smile not as deceiving. Even the way he carried himself was different. She knew that Hao was aware that he had changed, but out of everyone he would be the first to deny it.
"What are you looking at?" Hao suddenly blurted out, "Is my fly undone," he looked down at his pants. This gave Anna time to recover, and put her sour face back on.
"I was just wondering why you are wanting to speak with Yoh," she snapped hoping that he had not realized how long she had been looking at him.
Hao eyed her curiously, "Well, I was reading the newspaper the other day and saw that some family is looking for someone to teach their son how to use a katana. They are paying very well so I thought I would let Yoh know. If he got the job he would be doing something he liked and making a shit load of money at the same time," Hao rambled this off quickly, as if he was embarrassed of wanting to help his brother.
"That's very kind of you. Yoh will probably want to hear the news straight from you, he hasn't see you in a very long time."
Hao turned away and walked over to the kitchen and sat down. His eyes were down concentrating on a grain of rice that had been left from breakfast. He flicked it with his finger, sending it flying.
Anna walked over to the window. She watched the rainfall; it was raining so badly outside that it looked like a solid wall of water. "Yoh will try and make it home."
Hao's eyes shot up, "I'm sure he will," his voice sounded reassuring, but Anna's quick glance towards his direction told him that she had caught the undertone. But said nothing.
She sat down across from him. Her arms folded across her chest with that same expression she always wore. They sat there for sometime with only the rain. Hao tapped his finger on the table; he couldn't take it anymore the silence was so deafening that it was hurting his ears. He looked over at her; Anna was still looking at him. It frustrated him not knowing what she was thinking. With most people he could read them like a book. But with Anna, she had always been a challenge.
"So six years now," he blurted out, feeling almost rude breaking the silence. He was surprised when Anna only responded with a nod. Hao felt strange, almost awkward if that was even possible for him, but this was the first time they had ever been alone together. A wave of relief flooded over him when Anna started opened her mouth to speak. But again it was made uncomfortable for him when she again said nothing.
Anna's outward expression betrayed any indication that she too was feeling uncomfortable. Any other time they had spoken to one another, (which was rare but it did happen) their conversations had always been brisk, but now suddenly she found it strained. She quickly glanced at the clock and dread fell on her when she saw that it was not even five yet.
"Do you want to watch some television?" she asked. Those words sounded so strange coming out of her mouth. Asking Hao if he wanted to watch T.V. She was surprised but very relived when he nodded his head.
The two sat there watching some corny game show, where you had to run through different obstacle courses, and to win you hand to try and not fall and smash your face.
Hao cracked a smile as the man on T.V fell and hit the water in a very painful belly flop; he looked over at her still laughing lightly. Anna gave Hao a sidelong glance, he had a very different sort of smile then he once did. It lit up his lean, still-boyish face with a peculiar kind of arrogance: features and smile that were different from Yoh's, from other men's. Hao was tall, stood proud and was very strongly built. His hair was thick and dark, his young lips curved soft and full. While Yoh, she made the comparison swiftly, was shorter, skinny and stooped. He had always stood before her helpless, a kind of humility and wonderment in his attitude. And Hao now smiled on her appraisingly with the assurance of one for whom a woman holds neither mystery nor illusion.
Anna shook her head, why was she comparing Yoh and Hao? She was Yoh's wife- she knew- but also she knew that the man sitting there was quite different from Yoh.
Anna glanced at the door when she heard a noise outside, but it was only the wind.
Hao sighed deeply, "He won't be coming home tonight."
Anna shook her head, "He always comes home when he says he will."
After watching T.V for a few hours, Anna was starting to get hungry. She walked over to the kitchen and began getting supper ready. She heard Hoa get up as well; a shiver ran threw her body as she felt his eyes on her back. When she turned around he was smiling at her. The same little twist of mockery and appraisal lingered in his smile. It made her flinch suddenly, and ask herself why she was pretending to expect Yoh- why there should be this instinct of defence to force her.
Neither spoke now. There was something strange, about this Hao and his quiet, unrelenting smile; but strangest of all was the familiarity: the Hao she had never seen or encountered, and yet had always known, always expected, always waited for. She kept her eyes on the table as she set the bowls and plates down, but his smile now seemed to exist apart from him, to merge and hover with the silence. He began to speak, but her mind missed the meaning of his words. Swiftly she was making comparisons again; his face so handsome and youthful. Swiftly, helplessly, feeling the imperceptible and relentless domination that thereby he was gaining over her, sensing sudden menace in this new more vital life, even if she felt drawn towards it.
"Why do you keep smiling at me like that!" she spat out at him.
Hao took a step towards her, "You think I haven't noticed you staring at me? Your eyes creeping towards my direction when you think I'm not looking?"
"Nonsense!" Anna shouted. She was afraid now. Afraid of his eyes so different from Yoh's- of his smile, of her own helplessness to deny it. Afraid of the storm, isolating her here alone with him. Just as she was about to speak again the lights fluttered and complete darkness filled the house.
"Powers out," Hao's voice spoke from out of the darkness.
Anna made her way towards the phone and picked it up, no dial tone could be heard. Now she couldn't know if Yoh was staying or not. Her eyes shot over towards Hao's direction as he lit his lighter, creating a soft ring of light in the kitchen.
"We have a generator in the back, I'll go start it up," Anna spoke quickly as she walked over to get her coat out of the closet, but just as she was about to open it a strong arm closed it again.
"I'll go, I already got wet once today," his voice was firm leaving no room for protest. Anna only nodded her head and handed him his jacket. She watched out the window as he ran behind the house, the rain pelting him relentlessly. After a few minutes the lights flickered back on but were much dimmer. The door flew open as Hao entered the house; the wind blew in the rain causing a large puddle to form on the floor. He closed the door and leaded up against it.
"Weather has gotten worse, snow is starting to fall."
Anna looked out the window suddenly, hearing the sound of an engine, but was disappointed when she watched and old car drive by.
"Not tonight- you might as well make up your mind to it. Driving a motorcycle in this weather- it would be suicide to try."
Her lips trembled suddenly in an effort to answer, to challenge the certainty in his voice, but she realized he was probably right. In this weather Yoh would probably not even try to take a bus home, if any were still running in this awful weather.
"It's to rough a night," he repeated. "Even for Yoh. Just relax a few minutes- stop worrying," Hao sounded concerned for her but in his tone there was a contradiction to his words. For it implied that she was not worrying- that her only concern was that it really might be Yoh at the door. And the feeling persisted, and slowly she began to ask, was he right? Was that why he smiled at her in such a way?
Hao was drenched, water dripped of his coat and hair, adding to the already large puddle that was on the floor. "Come, I'll get you some dry clothes. Yoh's will fit you," Anna led him down the hallway towards the bedroom. She slid the door open. Suddenly Anna pulled her hand away. "Damn, I forgot I painted the door, it's still wet." She looked down at the small brown smear of paint on her hand.
After rummaging through the closet she found some of Yoh's clothing and laid them out on the bed. Her eyes crept over to the window watching the rain and snow hitting the glass.
"Yoh wouldn't try," Hao suddenly answered her thoughts. "He knows you're safe."
"He told me he would drive slowly. Yoh has made it thought storms before on the motorcycle."
"A storm like this, it's snowing out. Just listen to it a second and ask yourself," his voice seemed softer, kindlier now. She met his smile a moment before she left the room to let him change.
Anna waited for him in the kitchen but he did not come. Five minutes, ten minutes. Anna stirred the vegetables vigorously wondering what he was doing. Finally her curiosity won her over and she walked to the door and knocked on it lightly.
"Come in," a voice replied from within.
Anna carefully slid the door open; Hao was standing there with his back facing her. Anna walked beside him and saw that he was looking at there wedding pictures.
In one Anna and Yoh stood together with happy smiles on their faces. The picture next to it Yoh and Hao stood side by side, Hao's arm around Yoh's shoulders, putting him in a playful neck hold. Each dressed in black suits, looking their best.
Hao looked up at her and met her eyes, and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face. But in his smile now, instead of the insolent appraisal that she feared, there seemed a kind of warmth and sympathy, causing her to wonder why but a moment ago she had feared that smile. It was as if the storm had lulled, as if she had suddenly found calm and shelter.
Then the thought hit her that perhaps it was not his smile that changed, but that she had changed.
"I remember the day like it was yesterday," Hao said softly picking up one of the pictures. "You were wearing the same perfume as you have on now. I remember smelling it when we danced at the reception."
His words left Anna without speech for a moment, but she managed to find her voice again, "You remember a little thing like that?"
Hao laughed a little, "I remember lots of things. Ren and Lyserg trying to figure out the stereo system for three hours, when the only problem was that it was unplugged, Horo getting drunk at the bachelor party, and singing along with every song that played at the bar. You know they had to turn off the music to get him to stop. And Yoh. How could I forget how nervous he was. He threw up before the wedding in a dumpster behind a restaurant."
Anna laughed lightly, Yoh had never told her that.
Suddenly she found herself face to face with Hao, he was staring at her intently, he lowered his, and raised it slowly to meet her gaze. "I also remember something else," he said in a voice so soft that Anna wouldn't have even recognized it if he hadn't been standing before her.
"What do you remember?"
"Thinking, that Yoh was the luckiest man on earth to have someone like you," Hao moved closer to her. His eyes were cool and calm. Hers were fanatic, fixed upon him as if to exclude all else. The light dimmed slightly, gathering the shadows round them. Before Anna could stop it his lips brushed lightly against hers.