Duty Calls | QingYu

end.

Who would have thought receiving a piece of paper would change a lot of things for a pair of friends.

Growing up doing things together, it was almost unthinkable for us to be without the other. I first met Wang Qing when my family moved in next door from the province. I was around 12 at that time, a quiet boy who preferred to stay at home. But Wang Qing had somehow coaxed the younger me to come out and play with him. He managed to open my heart and burrowed deep inside. Ever since, we were inseparable. We did a lot of our firsts together. It's hard to imagine that tomorrow, I have to do things alone. There's no more reason to go to his house anymore. Just the thought of being alone makes me want to throw up. 

H received the letter when we got back from a 1-on-1 basketball game and stayed in his house. It was just us like always.

We got into his room and pushed each other around jokingly. Qing thought it would be funny to wrapped his arms around me and pressed his naked chest to mine. He was sweaty, so was I but the feeling of someone else's sweat was still disgusting. 

"You stink Qing." I pushed my best friend when my nose got a whiff of his sweaty body. 

"It's not like I'm the only one who stinks. You smell pretty bad too." Wang Qing snorted and pressed his sweaty body to me, making me squirm away in disgust. I don't really understand why he thinks its funny to rub his sweat on me.

At 183 cm, I am no short man but Wang Qing towered over me by his 194 cm. It's frustrating that he gets to be stronger and taller when we're about the same age.

"Ey! Ey! Who's the master here? I am! You lost so be a nice servant." I smiled, enjoying the sweet taste of victory. At the last minute of our game, I managed to sneak in a 2-pointer at the last second naming me the winner and he, the loser. 

My victory and his frown at the prospect of being my slave for the day made me forget of his closeness. We were sweaty and tired but we didn't care anymore. They were still enjoying the adrenaline from the game.

He rarely lost in a game but the gods were in my favor that day and I won fair and square. Wang Qing was a sore loser only when we play together. He has this competitive spirit when its just the two of us.

We were horsing around as usual when his mother passed an envelop to him. Wang Qing and I didn't think much of the letter thinking it was some useless junk mail. Only when I got myself comfortable on his bed did he check who it was from.

I watched as his hands shook as he opened the mail and read the whole thing. He stood stiffly while I at up straight on his bed, fearing something happened.

My best friend looked up, crumpling the paper with his large hand, frustrated at the timing. He was angry and sad at the same time. I asked what was wrong but he would not answer me. Qing simply asked me to leave as he lied about not feeling well. It made me angry that he refused to tell, stomping all the way home. As I was living next door, it wasn't far.

Only when I got home did I find out why he was so upset. I found out  that it was his mandatory enlistment service notice. He would be leaving for training in a month's time. My parents got the news from his mother, who expressed her worry.

No letter came for me that day or the next and the day after that.

It never crossed my mind until that moment that we will be separating. Throughout the years, his constant presence had made me forge that we won't always be together.

"Congratulations." I forced out with an unconvincing smile when he visited me in my house a week after he received the letter.

"There's nothing to be happy about. It's just an enlistment letter "  Wang Qing snorted.