Sunken Fish - Chapter 64
Benny glanced at him suspiciously: "How could we possibly be their first customer? It's almost two in the afternoon." Needless to say, he was starving, and he rummaged through his backpack for a Snickers bar.
“Most likely,” Walter replied. “I don’t think they’re lying.”
Mr. Marseille asked, "Why not?"
"The people of Lanna are honest by nature."
“It’s karma,” Heidi said. “If you buy their stuff, they get good luck, and you get a reward.”
Vera thought for a moment, then gave her "lucky money" to a young woman. She bought a small jade frog. What did the frog represent? Was it an astrological symbol? What could a green, warty animal represent? Waiting all day to eat a fly? She laughed. It was a reminder to be more patient when things didn't go as planned.
Good heavens, if she knew what would happen tomorrow, she should have bought a dozen.
We watched the girls' jump rope competition and the boys' three-legged race. The younger children ran backwards, and cheers were being shouted over the loudspeaker. The three winning students went on stage to receive certificates, and twenty boys and girls, all with eyeliner and red lipstick, lined up to sing "Baby Love."
My friends arrived at the market, where a huge vat of oil was frying dough, and baskets were piled high with various vegetables. Gambling was taking place in a corner, surrounded by men with red eyes.
A man was spinning a giant foam die, and the men stared at him, then bet more money, eagerly hoping their luck would turn around in the next round.
I floated and hovered in the air, watching my friends walk into the market.
Ominous sign (2)
Rupert walked away on his own, probably not hearing his father call out, "Meet at the dock in an hour."
Marlene went to buy some snacks, thinking Esme and Beryl might like them. Esme held the puppy and fed her some roast meat. Beryl was looking at a gem seller; he smashed a brick against a blue glass, but the brick shattered. Beryl happily pulled out fifty dollars and bought it. That evening, Marlene might exclaim in amazement that it was a "real sapphire."
Vera's kind face and jeweled fingers made her a sought-after figure in the market. Vendors called out to her, "Lucky money!" Heidi looked at the herbs for treating various bites: "Squeak—" she told those who didn't understand her that she wanted insecticide. She circled her fingers around her arm, "Squeak—" the stall owner finally understood. Heidi then demonstrated jumping two fingers onto her leg, "Hiss—" she wanted medicine for snake bites. Ah, yes.
Benny stood in the most inconspicuous way a foreigner could do (in fact, it was impossible), sketching the cook and his jar. A group of people surrounded him, scrutinizing what he was drawing and occasionally offering words of admiration.
Mr. Massey, wearing headphones and seemingly oblivious to the hustle and bustle of the market, listened to a CD by Steve Ray Vaughn. Mrs. Massey, meanwhile, filmed with a portable video camera, holding a digital microphone in one hand to capture the sound.
Wendy and Wyatt discovered a path leading to a bamboo grove. Wendy hadn't recovered from Wyatt's rejection; a lingering sadness filled her heart, but she pretended everything was fine, chatting and joking with him. When tears stung her eyes, she pretended her eyelashes were stuck to her eyelids and rubbed them. He lifted her face to see if he could help shoo away the intruder. She wrapped her arms around him, and he instinctively did what she wanted. He kissed her.
Without hesitation, she blurted out the forbidden words: "I love you."
Wyatt believed her. He continued kissing Wendy, covering her mouth to prevent her from uttering any sound related to those words. He longed for her to say them, yet feared she would actually say them. He liked Wendy; she was funny most of the time, except when she analyzed everything he said. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. They had two more weeks to continue their trip and solidify their relationship.
Unaware that a group of monks were watching them, the two foreigners, oblivious, chuckled softly and leaned against the tree, pressing against each other. Finally, the monks burst into laughter.
Wendy and Wyatt blushed immediately, and they continued along the path into the woods. It was dark and cool there. There were some blackened circles on the ground. Then they saw a group of people in the distance, one of whom was poking at charcoal.
It was an impromptu barbecue picnic, the food consisting of a whole, hairy pig's leg and trotters. Two men stood there, one with a yoke around his neck, each end of a rope dangling a dangling car battery. Wendy and Wyatt smiled as they walked past them, and the two men looked somewhat embarrassed, averting their gaze.
Wendy and Wyatt didn't recognize them; they were the boat's helmsmen, "Black Spot" and "Old Hand." It was these two who had led them across Lake Bodhi. For most tourists, the people of Lanna Kingdom are difficult to spot.
But after tomorrow, my friends will know everything about everyone.