TEN REASONS
Chapter 9 - Why life is like a soap opera - Part I
The morning passed rapidly compared to the soft, light breeze. The Max party goers and I, excluding the birthday boy himself and Emily, were residing in a well earned nap, exhausted from the mornings activities. Water skiing, sailing (Steve received a really nasty bang when he forgot to duck underneath the sails 'boom bar' when we were changing direction), beach footy and beach volleyball. Max and Emily however were for the next three hours on a lunch and cruise tour boat which toured some kind of whales' breeding grounds, lucky sods. Yawning with the yearn to stay right where I am and drift right back to sleep, I reluctantly wriggled out of Ty's snug embrace remembering my promise to help Hilary set up.
"Help has arrived," I slurred sleepily as I entered the lounge.
"Great," she sings cheerily. "You can start hanging this up," the brunette informed pointing to a silver banner.
"Happy 22nd Birthday Max," I read monotonously out loud with slumber still present in my voice.
"Yeah the poor guy was sick with the flu last year so he didn't get to have a 21st party," she pitied sympathetically taking my statement as a question.
"Hey Hilsie, where'd ya want us to dump these?" Michael hollered with a whole lot of volume, trailed closely by the noisy Allan, Eddy and Steve all bearing helium gas bottles in their arms.
"There," she instructed, pointing to the vacant area on the wooden floor; wincing at the word dump and the noise, familiarly sounding like someone bumping into the wall with a gas bottle. Though un-characteristically leaving the comment and bump unnoticed she continued. "There's balloons on the coffee table if you want to start blowing them up," she hinted in hopes that this would prevent them from causing further chaos.
"Balloons?" Kai sighed obviously annoyed as he entered the room. I don't think the balloons however were the reason of annoyance in Kai's voice as he glanced at the walls, scouring for a dint. By the looks of it, the bang had woken the bluenette up.
"You know Max," Hilary sighed, glancing at Eddy who had managed to blow up a balloon inside out revealing a rather dull patchy pink balloon.
"Yeah, Technicolor hippie," he muttered, eyeing Eddy's balloon with an obvious death glare.
"Speaking of colour how about we get Cara to redecorate the unit with bright bold pinks to brighten the place up a bit instead of these bleak colours." Ty joked, entering the room not as grumpily or annoyed as Kai at being woken up; as he grabbed a teal coloured cushion and headed for the bin.
"Nah red, it's more masculine," Michael voiced in a knowing voice.
"How about Blue-ew," sung Steve rather highly.
"Mellow Yellow," debated Eddy in a cool rapper's tone.
"Hey what's wrong with Pink," I demand tugging at my hair, receiving an aggravated glower from Kai.
"Yellow Fella," Eddy bit back.
"Think Pink," I snap, clicking my fingers twice.
"Only you would say that, Mariah," an unrecognisable yet familiar voice spoke.
Kevin. Holy shit! Oh my god what the fuck is he doing here!
Kevin can't be here, he can't find me. Not now, I have Tyson. We're together. I can't lose Ty. I subconsciously clutch just above my breast as my heart, throbbing, threatens to break into two at the thought of just losing Ty. I can't let Kevin take me away from him, from my new life. I won't let him. Ty won't let him. Neither will Kai, Hilary, Aneki or any of the others. A new found courage wells in my throat, regaining my ability of speech.
"Kevin?" I voice. All, minus the American guys, froze already knowing my situation concerning a certain emerald locked man.
"Nah, the boogie man," the voice mocked sarcastically. It's him alright. Why in hell is he trying to be funny at a time like this? Is this some game to him? And I suppose I am the prize? My stomach sickens at the thought. How did my life just suddenly transform into a soap opera? No a nightmare.
"What are you doing here?" Tyson growled murderously as venom tripped from each word he released. The others froze gazing blankly as if watching a beyblade match and the opponent's beyblade vanished into thin air.
"I was invited," he speaks as it is as obvious as the sun will rise tomorrow yet taken back from Ty's words.
"Ray said you weren't coming," I state hastily as if looking for Ray's reassurance.
"I never said that." he pondered curiously, averting his gaze to the floor. His face strewed up, resembling a two year old trying to figure out one plus one, taking me by surprise. What does he mean by that? Did Ray lie to me? Or is Kevin lying to me? And if he did lie, why would Ray do that? And why isn't Kevin pissed at me? Ray told me he has been searching for me. Or was he lying about that too?
Kevin's POV
My calculating face appeared to have reflected on Mariah's, whose eyes were void, lost in her own inner thoughts and conflicts. It startled me to see her like this. I had never seen her looked so worried, hurt and lost before. Except for when Ray ran away and ditched us all those years ago. It puzzled me how my only female team mate from my childhood team constantly gave everything for him yet received nothing but pain in return. Hadn't she realised that he was the root of her misery. Though I suppose a root is hidden beneath the ground and he always concealed his true emotions and feelings. But then again he never knew how he crushed her heart. He had no knowledge of how she cried every night, those tears being the last thing she stored away her heart every night before her restless slumber.
Only I ever noticed. Lee was too wrapped up in his own frustration when Ray abandoned us. Gary did what he always did swallowing every once of emotion in comfort foods. I? I, was young, immature, I let loose my anger on others through my pranks, taunts and teasing. It satisfied me every time I made someone feel just remotely how I felt. I should have comforted her, but let's be blunt, I certainly lacked skills in that department. I still am deficient in those skills. When Lee died I couldn't even look her straight in the eye, they resembled his so much. I raised my head, my eyes connecting with hers. They still look like Lee's but softer, more feminie, though they bear the emotions of confusion and hurt within their amber pools. Mariah I never wanted to marry you nor force you into anything you didn't want. I think you know this though and you're not so upset at me but at Ray.
"Mariah, I think we need to talk."
Mariah's POV
I guide my eyes to Tyson and he nods understandingly, somehow realising I need to do this. Looking back to Kevin I nod once, unsurely. For some reason I know I have to do this. Woman's intuition.
"I'll be back in awhile," I inform solemnly departing, in silence, with Kevin. Tyson chucks me his mobile in case I run into trouble. Delaying our conversation I lead him down the steps, knowing with each step I took led me to knowing whether Ray was lying or not. I always admired Ray and by taking the stairs I felt I was defending his innocence and delaying the hearing. The thing about stairs though, is they end.
"Mariah? Why did you run away?" he questions, interrupting the silence. His eyes still glued to the sand as we made our way up the coastline.
I sighed deeply, I thought this was obvious. "I didn't want to marry you." I mouth softly.
"I know that," he sighs, "but I know that's not the main reason." He argues, staring directly in my eyes.
"Really?" I query incredulously.
"I know it was Ray," he illuminates.
"Care to elaborate?" I reply shaking my head in disbelief.
"I know as well as you that you didn't want to marry me and I think you had a fair idea that the feelings were mutual, but I also know that you no longer cared what the village thought of you and their ways, as long as you had Ray. Besides the worst they could do is disown you and you wouldn't have cared as long as Ray went with you. But he didn't want to go with you; he wanted to be with Meyong. I think the real reason is that you wanted to avoid him. That's why you ran away and you used me not wanting to marry you as an excuse. Am I right?"
Blood boiled inside me. Who did he think he was to assume my motives? He had no idea of how I felt; I never expressed my feelings with him, let alone one's on this magnitude.
"Listen Kevin I don't think you've heard the true story," I spit furiously. "Okay I loved him! I FUCKING LOVED HIM! Do you know how many years I spent dotting over him? How he broke my heart when he left! ABANDONED US! How he promised he'd make things right and never hurt me again! Well he broke it! Absolutely SMASHED that promise!"
Tears prickled my eyes. He had no idea how I felt and he had no right assuming my emotions and objectives. It's about time he figured out how I really felt. Oh I'll let him know all right. I'll tell him.
"When he was hospitalised by Bryan, he told me that he loved me and promised that he would make things right and never hurt me again! Years later, when Lee passed away it all changed, more specifically he changed. He took on Lee's role not only as future village leader but he kind of became Lee and started treating me as if I was his little sister not a girlfriend. Yeah I still clung onto him; he was all I had left with my family gone. I had you and Gary but I always told him how I felt, I relied on him. Reliable Ray. I was really close with him; I mean we were meant to be getting married. Then he changed, he forgot about me, left me, abandoned me, hurt me again! And he promised! All for her. All for Meyong. Everyone was against me. THE WHOLE FUCKING ENTIRE VILLAGE FOR GOD'S SAKE!" I pause collecting myself and attempting to dry my eyes.
"Then Ray helped me out. I didn't see it coming. I was blinded by my pain. I realised he did care for me still and I could rely on him but never would I have his love, only the love of a brother not a husband. I accepted my feelings and with his aid flew over here where he arranged with Tyson that I could live with him. And that's the story." I finished somewhat lamely, exhausted from my previous out bursts. Tears once again spilled from my eyes, splattering my cheeks.
"Ray helped you runaway?" he replied in utter disbelief.
"Yeah he paid for my ticket and arranged for me to stay at Ty's," I informed in a soft drawling voice, it being worn dry from my previous out burst.
"I didn't know." He stated bluntly. "I didn't know that Ray helped you run away. I thought…"
"You thought that I ran away because of him and blamed it on our engagement to cover it up," I interrupted.
"Yeah, I'm sorry," he apologised quietly.
"What for?" I pondered out loud wanting to hear why he thought I ran away because of Ray.
"For everything!' he blurts out, "I should have talked to you but I never was one for expressing my feelings through words," he informed in a state of regret. His voice almost willing a genie to pop up and turn back time.
"Yeah?" I press on.
"I always took my feelings out on others. I never meant to hurt you or make you feel bad. I never did want to marry you. You were always kind of like a big sister and I don't really like dating girls who are taller than me," he joked lightly. "You were always telling me to stay out of trouble and getting up me when I did. And Meyong? Well you could say she's a bitch. Takes after her mother." I nodded in agreement. "You know that before Lee died she was meant to marry him, right?" I nodded again pondering where this was leading. "And then Meyong was arranged to marry me. Put it this way, Jan and Meyong weren't to happy about this as Meyong was no longer engaged to the future village leader and you were now because Ray had been crowned the title.
"That bitch!" I protest. That's why Jan arranged all the marriage swapping.
"Bitches, as you'll see. When her husband died and my mum died from SARS she used this to her advantage. She bonded with Dad over their tragedy, manipulated dad's feelings and eventually they were married. I never got the chance to warn him, she was glued by his left hip. Finally I managed to shoo Jan away by setting her prize cow loose. I tried to warn him, show him my point of view but he blamed it on that I felt that he was forgetting Mum by marrying Jan and I was upset about it. Later on that night Dad brought it up with Jan and she grew more lies to dad's hypothesis, exclaiming I was worried about marrying Meyong as we were practically brother and sister now. So the next morning they marched off to the village leader stated their concerns and the marriage couples were swapped."
"But Ray wouldn't just fall for Meyong?" I stated sceptically.
"Like mother, like daughter. While Jan was brainwashing Dad, Meyong was brainwashing Ray. I'll beat ya she rather fancied bearing the title of village leader's wife. You said it yourself when Lee died Ray treated you more as a sister. I noticed that whenever Ray looked at you it hurt him. You reminded him of Lee, his deceased best friend. So when Meyong offered her 'sympathy' he latched onto her to suppress his grief towards Lee and became acquainted with her from then on." He finished.
We pressed on in peace. Dwelling on our new information. Suddenly he spoke again. "So if you didn't run away cause of Ray why did you?" he asked curiously.
"Well I didn't want to marry you and I guess I was fed up with the village. They were always telling me what to do. They had my entire life planned out. By the sounds of things they already had my biography written and wanted me to act it out. I guess when Ray rejected me I cracked and I realised I didn't want the village or anything to do with it a part of my life. I even can't stand Chinese food anymore." I end with a chuckle.
"What about you though? I heard you were 'hunting' me down" I queried.
"Nah, when you ran away it gave me the perfect excuse to leave. I've been touring South-east Asia 'hunting' for you." He joked and we both laughed. It was like we were ten again making jokes and laughing at each other. And to think ten days ago I absolutely despised him. My anger now has just vanished. Correction transferred to Jan and Meyong and the whole entire village.
"Hey, what I don't get it how Meyong could 'brainwash' Ray against me yet he still helped me out." I burst out confusingly. As if the very idea came to me in a rod of lightning.
"Me either."
"I'll weed it out of him tonight in passing," I planned.
"And Meyong is going to take this lying down?" He eyed me as if I was insane.
"She's not coming," I notify cheerily.
"Sweet! We can bring down the bitches and you can have Ray back!" he cheered.
"The last thing I want is to have Ray back!" I hissed.
"You don't want him back?" He remarked as if he was going to faint. Resembling the others shocked faces when I suggested sharing a room with Tyson.
"That's right!" I bit.
"You're over him?" he contemplated curiously yet still in his trance of disbelief.
"Yeah," I re-confirmed.
"In a week?" he contemplates, pausing before continuing. "You've met someone new? Haven't you?"