SIXTEEN- BJYX

4. Polaroid.

...the cranky Old man that he was turning into.

And as he could no longer work, he would stay home and with the hand of nature that he had, would be in the garden the whole day.

His temper grew with his age and I loved to tease him because of it.

As we got off the car, I mimicked him shouting at one of the gardeners to bring back the flower pots.
He turned and saw us. Xing Ge must have come come already before picking me up from school.

"A-Xing. Change quick and lend me a hand. These people won't understand what I'm trying to say."

'New faces gets ordered the most.' I laughed internally.

Turning to me, Grandpa pointed the shovel at me and angrily said,
"Young lady, your rabbits. Look at the mess they did to my flowers."

"What did you do to them?" I cried in horror as I rushed towards him.

"What would it do? I'm telling you they spoiled my flowers and you are asking me what I did." He scolded.

When I went near him, the flower bed was all in a mess. No wonder he was so mad.

"Where did you keep them?" I asked timidly.
"Here." Another voice said calmly.

By the time, Dad had also reached my side.
We were both fond of rabbits. Hearing that something happened to them, it was natural for us both to be worried.

"Acutally I..." Xing Ge started and all attention turned towards him.
He laughed nervously as he rubbed his neck with his hand and face turning red.

"I- I arriv-ed and wanted to see them. Seing they were so cute... i wanted to touch them...but um.. he bit me so..., i threw it on the ground and left the door open..."

I laughed loudly. Imagining him playing around with a bunny and getting bitten by it. I clutched my stomach and sat on the floor.

"So that was the reason there was a bandaid on your finger." Uncle Hai said.
We actually had forgotten that ge was home.

After inheriting the 'Lans Corporation' from Grandpa 5 years ago, he was a busy man having hardly time to spare. It was so rare to see hjmhone early.

"Uncle Hai" I ran to him happily. He was the one who was the easiest to talk to, so gentle and heart warming and totally the opposite of Dad.

"Brother where did you keep them?" Dad asked again.
He led us to an old box where we kept them.

"You need to make a bigger one. This one is too small." He said.

Dad nodded picking up a rabbit and with his solemn expression played with it.

"Dad!" I called taking a picture of him holding the rabbit as he look towards the camera.

The whole family hanging out leisurely like this, playing in the backyard, in the dirt, it brought a smile to my face.

I rushed to get the Polaroid from my study table.
The saying 'Take a picture, it lasts longer' always inspired me to do it when everyone was being silly and goofy. And a rare oppurtunity like this one, I wouldn't let it easily pass by.

The Polaroid Uncle Hai gave me for my 11th birthday was still in good use.
It had been sometime since it appeared again.

I smiled looking at the pictures in my hand. There was one where Dad was being surrounded by the bunnies as he held three in his hands. There was also one which showed dirt ON uncle Hai's face as he emerged from behind a box. He looked so silly.
The third one was a picture of Grandpa in his silly apron and boots furrowing his brows, with his hands akimbo as he looked straight at the camera. The fourth one was a picture I made Uncle Hai to take as I pretended to water Xing Ge with the can, dirt and a big smile sprawled on our faces.

Uncle Hai was calling XingGe to the kitchen as I volunteered myself for Ge's place as he would be tired.
But my service seemed to have scared Uncle as he briskly walked to the door saying it was okay. They were the only ones gifted for the kitchen.

I pouted as I watched him disappear. Xing Ge came and parted me on the back. "Our house is still in good shape. No need to renovate it so soon."
And he laughed as he ran inside leaving me speechless.

At dinner, Dad quietly slipped the eggplant off my plate that Grandpa had placed in mine.
I had an eternal hatred for eggplant but despite knowing the fact, he always insisted that j eat it saying it was for my health, which I found was really lame.

Dad would always eat mine when Grandpa was not looking... like tonight.

'Thank you Dad' I mouthed, before I heard a grunt. Grandpa was watching at me disapprovingly.

Uh..oh.. caught. Again.

"Hahaha...Xing Ge how long are you staying?" I asked trying to divert Grandpa's attention but all of them looked at me weirdly.

"I just said I was staying for a month?" He looked at me confused.
I choked.

Uncle Hai, sensing where it was going diverted the attention "A-Xing, you're saying that Zan Jin is teaching you as well?"

"Ah yes... He is really gifted, literature and music, and so young at that."
...and the conversation turned the course.