'I will not sit by anymore.. Hear me, oh great heavens!' Only to be smacked by a gust of wind as a reply, making him cover his eyes, still unaware of the damage he'd done. The taste of metal on his mouth before his curiosity got the better of him. Seeing the ground behind them, realizing it now that he included the boundaries between the other plots for different crops.
Elias forced himself to swallow twice from the embarrassment he had brought before arriving at a plain shed. Ready to face his father's fury, but instead was met with a gentle voice, "You okay? Don't overdo it."
Seeing his father not made about what he had done, Elias was relieved. "I'll be fine, Pa." While it was true that Elias damaged two bordering plots from the overflowing emotions earlier, yet it remains to be true that he had finished almost all of his father's quota for the day. "Eliam!" Yelled by someone whom both of them saw, slowly approaching the father and son, together with the other farmers like him.
"What thee hell- you done it already?" One of them that had missing upper front teeth said, while scratching those wet thinning hair beneath the woven hat. Causing Eliam to laugh, "My son's bound to become a great farmer!" The two raised a brow, looking at each other for a moment before one blurted out an insult. "You smud-brained.."
As the other, soon added, "It should be a great person instead, heh?" Laughing together, "Ja, bald-shats." Eliam seemed to grin otherwise from messing with them, while continuing to express his profound joy, "A fortune none of you have." Which did more of a good job at sealing their mouths.
It sounded like what a noble would say, so unbecoming of a farmer that they became mad at him. Spitting out gibberish insults, literally. Eliam had to take his son away, I had to express it in my own thoughts. "That's not fair at all, you should be the one doing it instead of your son!" My father looked back and flexed his right bicep to them, laughing so sarcastically, "Hohoho!"
The last thing I could make out of their yells, "Hey, don't walk away from us, you smud-boggliba!" Just for the rest to be muffled by the blowing wind. We were already far away from where they were, well.. What about the quota?
Mentioning that to my father, he was silent for a while. Picking up fallen branches on the way to Yulindol, I did the same. Both father and son arrived before a congregation, namely the Shuova church, where Eliam was approached by a wrinkled lip.
Kissing the silver ring on her finger, she thanked my father for his continuous efforts of sending firewood, "I should be the one to thank you, Gloria." She smiled upon hearing it, now turning her attention towards me, "Perhaps this is your son?" Though she didn't wait for my father to say, as she called out someone's name.
Behind Gloria was a girl about the same size as Elias, maybe also the same age. "I hope the both of you will get to know each other and uphold the same long tradition." When I saw her eyes, I was definitely sure about it.
'There is no way this girl is an orphan, what kind of ploy are they scheming?' So I waved my hand to her, smiling a little bit like a kid. 'That innocent act underneath those eyeballs.. to think that I would meet an aristocrat here.'
Eliam tried to inquire for her name, just as he had introduced mine, yet silence was given in response. The gentle pull on Gloria's clothes, scrunching her mouth slightly, "It seems like I have taken much of your time, please take care on your way home, Eliam." Confusing my father for a moment,
"O-Oh.." He eventually agreed as the two adults recited a common prayer, "Light of day, keep us safe." We left and went quietly straight back home. Greeted by the moment mother saw us, our home was mostly illuminated by a fireplace on the other side while two candles were situated on the dining table as Eliam tried to hide the events on the farm.
However, Eliam couldn't hold it for long when Manuella kept asking him what happened. So he sighed and simply told her exactly how she would want it, "Eli did EVERYTHING?" She said, not really impressed but more mad. "I'm gonn-" Manuella wanted to hit her husband on the head with a wooden board, but she quickly calmed down when Elias spoke.
Their son seemed okay, Elias looked okay, talked okay. But Manuella was disappointed, while Eliam silently tried to take a large serving of food before it got swatted away. Making him look at the surface of their table, definitely not at her angered gaze.
Feeling how smooth it was from sliding his right index finger, Eliam nodded without anyone saying a word to him. "Ma, I wanted to do it too, so don't blame Pa." As she sighed upon hearing it, what's done is already in the past. So Manuella allowed Eliam to eat, they truly had gotten old for these things.
Furthermore, it was time for Elias to take on the mantle of doing labor. Nonetheless, Manuella's concern remains the same in her head. Making her release a laugh, while wiping away the single tears on her eye.
Recounting a funny incident that happened during the care they gave to Elias when he was still months old. The couple reminisced, as they settled in for the evening, perhaps much greater than the days that have passed, Eliam found himself to tell most of it.
Kind of his way to say sorry for his actions, Manuella and Elias listened to the man's storytelling. Although Elias wanted to listen more to their stories, convinced that he'll wake up after releasing a yawn, that he'd just take a momentary nap.
Leaning his face close to a cold so comfortable, it didn't matter if it was soft or not, but a sheep's wool would have been great underneath his cheeks. In the midst of the crackling fire, the both of them knew it was already starting to get late, and right after glancing at Elias, quiet in his sleep.
No words, just a lip signal from Manuella, and Eliam already knew what to do. Moving their son gently to his straw bed, Manuella made sure that the fire would warm up the house till dawn. Seeing that Elias still had his clothes from earlier, Eliam slowly stripped it off before placing a sheep's wool underneath him. Assured, knowing that Elias wouldn't suffer from the cold after tucking him in.
He couldn't help but have his lip slide up, grateful for what he did. Suddenly remembering the words of the bald-bogs, "A great man, you will be." Using his large hand to sweep across Elias's head, he stood up and said, "Rest well, you deserve it." Before quietly leaving him to carry on his dreams.
Blowing off the candles with a puff, the small home fell into partial darkness as they all settled in for the night.
'Deeper and deeper in each breath that you take, you have to continue even if it's painful as if slamming your own body flat through layers of water. Your consciousness will inevitably achieve this state, only if you continue that is!" Says the man who wore clothes that seemed rigid. It feels like I know him from somewhere but couldn't really put my mind as to who it was due to the dark shroud that covered it.
Nevertheless, Elias recognized that voice, especially the words he mentioned, explaining the way of gathering Qi. In that same instance, someone raised a hand, saying, "S-Sir, what will happen when I do this and suck at remembering what you've said?" Although he was a little embarrassed, looking towards the few who sneered on his left and right, yet he steeled himself to ask while everyone's attention was focused on him.
A momentary delay before he answered, "Manners, I am not your master." continuing with what he said, "Never try what I've said in a half-assed way and if you are still unsure, then it will be too hard for you, even with a master." Making the one who questioned him to be upset after everyone had chuckled from the snub response.
Most of them were just there to make fun of those that try to ask more about a crazy person's nonsense. Regardless of the master's face being unrecognizable, Elias found himself raising his own right hand against his own wishes and saying the words he didn't utter himself, "Are you saying that everyone could become strong?"
"Strength is not just kicking ballsacks, but also mental and spiritual. Simply said, you would need to become someone that's hungry for it," which only made Elias laugh as his response became much more aggressive, "I know what my limitations are, I've witnessed it many times in my own life. Just look at me."