Allegro con fuoco

LXVIII

They stepped down after the swinging orange robe and the smiling face above it. 
"I think he's excited for the party." Brett whispered. 
"Yeah." Eddy grinned. "I didn't know monks were this extroverted? And had cell phones? And took buses?"
They found themselves a little outside of the busy city, with more greenery around than before. In fact, it looked like the jungle began just over there, at the end of the little road the monk was leading them down. They had left the high rise behind them a few bus stops ago, and here they were surrounded by simple, but pleasant houses in a long lane. 
"It's just over there." Ben pointed. "You'll see. Lee's wife Li is not only beautiful and sweet, but also the best cook you will ever meet."
"Li?" Eddy asked before he could check himself.
Suddenly Ben laughed again, his robe swinging up and down. 
"I know, right? Lee and Li. We had some laughs when they first met, you can imagine. You're going to see her family's farm today. They grow all sorts of vegetables."
"It's beautiful here." Brett said pleasantly, with just the right amount of appreciation in his voice. Eddy knew this tone, of course. This was Brett's confident, outgoing tone, reserved for people he didn't know well. It was the tone that meant Eddy would be able to happily stay in the background, while Brett would do most of the talking. 
Oh, how he loved that tone. 
"Thank you. Although I guess it's not my merit at all!" Ben laughed. 
Eddy laughed with him. He was seriously starting to like the happy monk with his sparkly eyes and great personality. How could someone be so merry, and so peaceful at the same time? 
Just as they were approaching a little stone gate to what seemed to be a small compound of houses Eddy's back pocket started to vibrate. 
"Oh. Shit!" he wrenched out his phone. "It's Todd."
His eyes opened wide in mock horror. 
"It's Todd. What the fuck am I going to tell him?"
Now it was Brett's turn to giggle, but there were nerves behind the laughter, Eddy could tell. 
"I have no idea."
"Fuck!"
Eddy slid his hand over the screen and took a deep breath. 
"Bro! Howsit?"
"Eddy boy! Real good. So... are you the prodigal or what? Not even a text for poor old Todd?"
"Sorry, Todd." Eddy grinned. "Too busy, you know. In fact, I'm about to walk into a party."
"A party? How have you managed to be invited to a party in a place you know no-one?"
Eddy nodded to himself as he tried to keep it together. Shit. What was he going to say to Todd? Would he be upset? In any normal situation Todd would absolutely have been his best man if he ever got married, no contest. Would he be... would he be mad they had done this thing without him? 
He took a split second decision. 
"Yeah. Um. We... yeah, we had a pretty special day. But I'll tell you everything when we're back because it costs a fortune to call from here. We made some friends, here, and they're throwing us a party. Apparently the lady is the best cook ever. And there's a monk involved."
"A monk? Wait, what?"
"I know, right? A monk who owns a cell phone. Go figure."
Todd was quiet for half a second. 
"Where would a monk even keep one?"
"See?" Eddy laughed. "That's what we're trying to find out! If I do I'll text you. Say hi to Ian, okay?"
"Alright. Later, man."

Eddy put his phone back in its place and looked at Brett somewhat hopelessly. 
"Did I handle that okay?"
"I think so." Brett nodded. "Probably best not to say over the phone."
"I feel like a terrible friend."
In front of them Ben the monk was sliding into the old stone archway, talking to someone he couldn't see from here, pointing back at them. They wouldn't have long, now. He needed to get his game face on, and quick.
"Don't say that, Eddy." Brett said to him in his normal, sweet tone. His 'just them' tone. "Just think how you would feel if the roles were reversed. You'd be happy for him, right?"
Eddy nodded, just as he saw Lee stepping out from the archway. 
"Yeah. I'd be sad to miss it though."
"Hello, hello!" Lee called, smiling broadly, stepping forward with his hands outstretched, stopping any more talking between them dead. "Come in, come in! Let's eat!"