YOUR EYES

†CHAPTER ONE†

•Childish Gambino – It Feels Like Summer

It was a hot Summer's day in the city of Johannesburg.

At a small shopping centre called Chinatown Bruma, north of the city in Bruma was where it was - there was one shop that sold Black hair products, makeup and other accessories just like most shops in the shopping centre did. It was owned by a Taiwanese woman in her late 50s, Jao Cheng- Khan. The shop was normally busy on most days but that day it was the total opposite, it was boiling hot all over city and Jao Cheng- Khan was not in her best moods too, her shop Jao Khan Beauty was very slow that day. She was not happy that there was less customers coming in and the shopping centre itself was awfully quiet which was understandable, since it was too hot. People were out and about with family, others working just like her in that heat or just loitering around which was a pretty common thing to see in South Africa generally. Though those people were trying to survive the heat.
Though the nearby mall, East Gate Mall was hosting a Spring to Summer Fiesta and it was jam packed.

“Parker, Parker!” Jao called out to her son who was in the storage room.

A tall muscular-like figure came out from the storage room, rushing towards her. His skin was as smooth as her own skin, his Asian eyes made slightly bigger by his 3:00 scaled lenses he got from Spec-Savers and his hair very dark black and volumetric from the coconut milk and rose water essence shampoo and conditioner he used.
He seemed tired and flushed from the hotness as his skin had turned slightly tanned as if he were a Filipino.

“Ma! You called for me... Again!” He said as was breathing heavily.

“Yes I did and you can't complain about it now. I'm your mother and watch your tone, I don't care whether you're now twenty-eight that means nothing!” She reprimanded him.

“I'm sorry mother and I'm not twenty-eight yet, I'm twenty-seven.” He corrected her.

“Oh, just go repack the perfume stalls and don't bother correcting me with anything!” She waved him off as she slowly got irritated by him, which made him laugh and he went back to the storage room.

There came in her brother-in-law, Li Luang- Soo. He had a Rocco Mamas paperback  which brought a smile on Jao's plump face.

“Li Luang! It's like you knew I was dying of hunger right now, and you brought my favourite.” She said in excitement.

Li Luang smiled,“You very well I know your style. Plus I couldn't miss a day without seeing you. Where's Parker? I thought he would here helping you for today.”

“He is here, still inside the storage room gathering the perfumes I told him to restock on the perfume aisle. Let me call him for you.” she turned her face, making it face the storage room. “Parker, your Uncle Li Luang is here!”

Parker who was now carrying the big perfume box sighed in annoyance, he wasn't really fond his uncle coming around to visit his mother. Yes, his father had died over 20 years ago but it still didn't make it any easier when it looked like they were two teen-agers falling in love. It totally wasn't cool at all. He made his way out of the storage room and put on a facade of a smile.

“Oh, Uncle. Didn't expect you coming over on such-a-hot-day!” He emphasized with sarcasm.

Li Luang laughed it off, “Your mother would kill me if I didn't come with her lunch, you wouldn't mind joining us do you?”

“I'd pass, not a fan of Rocco Mamas unfortunately.” Parker said and he went straight to the perfume aisle.

“Don't mind Parker, he still hasn't made peace with the fact that I'm re-marrying and that person is you.” Jao sighed.