The Derelict Iris

🍁 A Beautiful Chimera 🍁

It's almost the end of the week, yet somehow it didn't feel so great like before, perhaps because of the ongoing season? Rainy season really ruins it sometimes. Even to Xian, as well, it felt a nuisance these days. It still felt like a dream to him, how in his teenage years he'd get drenched by rain for hours and twice in the season would get sick; sick enough to give his gege a major headache. Back then he had such an addiction but now he has just got advanced in terms of that. Presently, whenever it rained heavily, he just got drunk until he couldn't be sober anymore. Well, not really the best idea but still it's way better than lying sick, waiting in some lonesome chamber alone for someone non existent to take care of you. Even sickness doesn't feel like before anymore; no presence of genuine concern or those scoldings for not taking medicines. So his childhood days were really gone with no intention of returning huh? He missed them sometimes. He even missed someone saying,

"It's not good for your health to be drenched by rain; Xianxian."

The heavy rainy days reminded him of nothing more than him. Couldn't really say if it's the actual reason for him growing another addiction. Yeah, rain is nasty.

Xian closed the shop earlier today, as there's less customers due to the season. Even in normal time too, people just love to settle in their home by the early evening, leave about a soggy season like this. On the way, he brought two jars of alcohol, and some nuts to munch on with them. The rain was about to resume again if his prediction wasn't wrong enough, yet it unsurprisingly wasn't. It started just before he was about to reach his shelter.

He tsk- ed before tossing around his soaked outer rob and the things in his hand. He necessarily needed to take a bath, but he didn't feel like it. Instead he just dried himself with a piece of dry cloth. Winter had quite a sharp effect over this region of the country, hence the presence of fire maker inside the chamber was surely there. He lit the fire and cozily occupied some space with a letter in one hand and liquor and peanuts in the other. The letter did not arrive much long ago but just this morning. A sip of warmth slid down his throat before he started reading -

" Dear brother,

Hope you're doing well. We haven't heard from you for a long time now and that makes our heart clench sometimes worrying about the fact that you might have forgotten us which I realize is not true. Perhaps your work is the thing that isn't allowing you to meet us any sooner. Henceforth, writing this letter to you, visit us once if your time permits. Mianmian misses you a lot these days, and is slowly turning quite stubborn like you. Your grandpa's health also isn't turning any better, he often asks about when you'd return. Medicines have almost stopped working upon the improvement of his health. Even your brother Yuan visited us twice this month asking if we have any news or yours.
It's not only our request but the request of others as well for you to visit your hometown at least once. We would love to have you around us for a longer duration now.

-Yours Faithfully
Cheng Gege and Meng Jie "

Within this time Xian's throat was already warm enough from the numerous sips. He folded it neatly and kept beside him. Again an endless void amid his heart that he managed to suppress all this time, emerged like the unavoidable fate of one's. He should be happy that he has received a letter from his home, he should be happy that so many people miss him, yet what's with this empty feeling. Was he expecting something else or perhaps about someone else? Did his expectations fail him again? He couldn't say. The rain was sharper outside than before, it didn't have any possibility of stopping any sooner and so was the fire in front of Xian.

After a week, Xian took a long leave from the shop owner after three long years. That's right, he hasn't returned to his village for three years now. No wonder the others were so concerned about his whereabouts. He didn't really want to visit this time as well, if not Qiren grandpa wasn't that unwell. The reason for his unwillingness to visit the village was unknown to himself, he couldn't figure it out as well.