Loving Him Is Red

Chapter 14

AFTER a long night, the day finally came when Pete will going to meet his grandparents again. His heart filled with overflowing emotions, there is nervousness, excitement and longing. He knew his lovely grandparents have many questions to ask about his whereabouts for the past three years and Pete is always ready to answer their questions.

He's been preparing his heart for this kind of situation, where he can finally see them again.

A small smile escaped from his lips as he recall his boyfriend --I mean his husband's face as they exchange goodbyes earlier. Vegas didn't let him sleep last night, he devour him until dawn that made Pete feel sore all over his body but unlike before this same feeling, he can smile it now.

It felt so good to feel loved by Vegas without fighting and misunderstandings between them.

On the other side of the deck, Maru is texting his boss updating about their trip. The man just shook his head cannot believe that his fierce and strict boss is stalking his own wife. That is Maru's secret mission in this trip, to update his crazy boss about Pete's doing.

There are times that Maru can say Pete is unlucky for having the love of Vegas but as he observed this year, Vegas really treasure his muse, the master is being so obssess to the extent that he is willing to take Pete's freedom. They can't blame their master for having that kind of love knowing that Vegas grew up in a toxic environment where violence and force are normal.

"Are you nervous muse?" Maru asked as he seated beside the pretty man

Pete smiled at him before bringing his eyes in the beautiful blue ocean.

"I'm not nervous more on excited, at last I can see my grandparents again, to hug them and to feel their warm again, but also there is fear in me that keeping me in the dark, what if they're mad at me for leaving them? what if they're in a bad state right now?"

Maru sighed and mess Pete's hair.

"That is normal to feel, no matter what we do even if it is right or wrong there will always be fear in our heart, maybe when human was created, God already put a space of fear in our life and let human use their brains on what to do with that fear, whether we will endulged with it, endure it or overcome it. Fear is a twin brother of happiness...."

"And we can't deny the truth that not all people laid on their grave knowing what happiness feels like, there are unfortunate people that spend their whole life living in fear and ignorant in happiness"

Pete cannot help but to stare at his guard slash friend. Those words came from Maru seems so deep and heavy that he can't grasp whether he is saying it for him or for himself.

Despite of being with Maru for a years now, he can say that he still don't know who really Maru is. Who he was before he came in Summetikul village.

"We still have three hours before we reach the island, please rest muse" Maru bow his head before leaving Pete alone.

Instead of resting, Pete entertained
himself with the boardgame, playing with his nannies Ploy and Donna. He kept on laughing because Donna is still in the first row as she keeps landing on snakes.

They're playing snakes and ladders. There are also other boardgames in this yatch just like chess that is now played by Maru and Kant.

It's almost four in the afternoon when they reached the island dock. Pete can feel it. The familiarity of this place. The warmth it brings and the serenity it exude. The cold fresh wind that blowing his face seems welcoming him and his feet is being embrace by the sands beneath him, like it recognized him.

The island looks a bit different right now, from the small bamboo houses before are now turned into a modern style with a touch of cement but still some part are made of bamboo. They began to take the road to his old house where probably his grandparents are still living right now. As soon as they passes the houses there is amazement in his heart for the changes he witness in the place but what confused him is that, he notice this one thing from the start as they take this road.

THERE IS NO ONE AROUND.

No children that are playing outside the house, since it is already four and the sun is already at his journey to rest, the neighborhood should be noisy at this hour. No adults outside talking and cleaning their yard.

Don't tell me, even in cleanliness they also change?

Knowing that his co-islanders are very fond in cleaning, but now it looks like the people are still sleeping or just inside their house watching TV.

Also he noticed earlier that the island already had electricity and internet that really makes him happy. It made him relief that for the last three years this island, lived happily.

"Nanny Ploy why is it so silent here?" he asked out of wondered because the silence is getting worst as they continued their walk.

"Maybe they're inside their houses or in their work"

After a minutes of walking he cane now see his old home. The home that he left during his college days and the additional 3 years of without coming back. Series of tears fell in his eyes. His feet are now nailed in the ground as he endulge in his mix emotions, their is certain emotion in his heart that choking him to death.

The house where he was born is remain standing despite of the years that has passed, it look so old but beautiful. It looks exactly like it was before, only added by some decorations.

The landscape is filled with colorful flowers and the bountiful garden beside the house.

Blue orchids are everywhere, so free to live, free to breath and free to grow whatever they wanted.

His knees weakened, his balance lost and let his knees to fold without stopping his to flow. He is crying out of joy for his heart is very happy that the thing he wanted for so long is really happening. It feels like a dream, a dream that he wanted to stay. Every drop of his tears in the ground is such a fulfilment, it gives him assurance that this is real. That he is really here in the island to see his grandparents again.

The five people behind Pete are also shedding their tears, seeing the muse crying, they can't just help but also to cry and to feel grateful that master Vegas came in his senses for letting Pete go home.

Pete gathered himself and wiped his tears to make himself presentable again. He walked to the door and reached the knobs but still doubting whether to open it or not. After a battle of an angel and the devil in his mind. Finally, he opened the door but what he saw as he open the door makes his eyes widened, It was not a slowmotion but a fastforward, Everything took him by surprised to the point that he can't breathe properly.

What is this?

Why is this happening?

Confusion

Doubt

Guilt

He felt worst.

Grandma, Grandpa, I'm so sorry

I don't deserve you

L.N.B