‘You’re late.’

Nuan squinted against the sun and watched as Pavi got out of the car, a squeaky old Datsun model. Pavi proceeded to deftly roll the two luggage beside Nuan and open the trunk of the chocolate car to put it in. Nuan frowned and stared at the car. The model had been discontinued almost fifty years ago.

‘Get in.’

Nuan looked at his father. It had been seven years since he had seen him and it didn’t look like Pavi had changed much over the time.

Well, things always seemed to stay the same at home. They kept practicing years of culture and tradition, refusing any change that seemed intrusive and threatening to their comfort. They still wore their traditional clothes over modern cheap import. It still took a bazillion years to get to the airport and they never used any modern gadgets or innovations...you know what, there were hardly anything modern at the Headquarter Village. Nuan was sure. They still used a landline phone, at this age.

But Pavi, on the hand, thought different. Pavi saw his son really has changed a lot in just seven years. He had grown considerably taller, but he didn’t look lanky. Neither built heavy nor thin, he looked leaner and sleek in modern clothing, a black button-up dress shirt and slim black trousers. And he kept his long hair in a low ponytail that stopped just at the beginning of this thighs. He didn’t look like a member of the Resistors, save the peculiar long hair that all soisidais sported as their pledge of loyalty to their Gama. The soisidais always kept their hair at a length below their waist and were allowed to cut their hair only once a hair. Pavi preferred to keep his hair incased in long neat convenient braid.

Creak.

The door shrieked with its hinges and Maya could hear her mother leaped up at the sound. She ran out at the doorway and looked expectantly at her daughter, who looked back critically at her mother’s state. Her hair escaped in wild streaks and her white traditional sarong-like wraparound was all wrinkled at the end from kneeling onto it too long.

‘What did you say to him?’ She asked in a whisper tone.

Maya sighed at the question and kicked off her shoes at the entrance.

‘What do you mean?’ She asked back and walked to the kitchen. Her mother followed and watched as Maya poured herself a glass of water.

‘Did he scold you?’ She stopped a moment, ‘...perhaps beat you?’

Maya frowned at her from behind the steel glass,

‘No. It was okay, nothing big. He just talked about Father.’

‘What?’

‘Yeah’

‘Wha…what did he talk about?’

‘Just…general stuffs like…’ Maya thought for a while, ‘Like how he was a good person.’

Her mother listened to her blankly, then a shy smile lit up her mother’s face and she muttered a bashful, ‘oh’, suppressing the smile. Maya slightly smiled along,

‘Ma.’

The smile went back away,

‘Hm?’

‘I’ll do it. The marriage.’

Her mother stared at her, she looked like she was still registering what she heard. She nodded slowly and Maya decided to continue talking,

‘But you have to answer ne this one question.’

Silence.

‘…what?’

Maya looked at her mother, ‘Does the Gama…beat you?’

Her mother looked at her with shocked eyes, and she fervently shook her head,

‘What non..nonsense! He could never do that!’ She half laughed and looked away.

‘Then why does he call for you so much?’

Silence hung heavy in the air, and her mother’s lips stammered as if she wasn’t quite sure of what to say, trying to find an answer.

‘Ma.’ Maya pressed for an answer, setting the glass down near the sink.

‘Look, he’s just concerned…about us.’

‘What? Why?’

Maya had never felt more confused. If anything, that guy was the complete opposite of ‘concerned’. He possibly, no, most definitely thought of them as irritating pests that he would flick off if given the generous chance, and if the surrounding circumstances were very much different and they weren’t tied by blood.

Her mother didn’t answer, and she had made it clear that she didn’t want to answer so Maya decided that it was better if she didn’t force it out. She sighed and took her mother’s hand in hers,

‘Ma. I agreed with the Gama. As you wanted.’

Her mother smiled weakly and looked up into Maya’s eyes. She reached out and tucked a hair behind Maya’s ears,

‘Maya,’ She said softly, ‘Let’s just do what he says and…keep out of trouble, okay?’

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Nuan glared at the ancient radio, it was playing some flute tune with it shrilly speakers. In the background, the porcelain tea cups clinked with resonance as the maid poured out the tea out on the low floor table. He quickly stole a look towards the Gama who sat cross-legged in front of Pavi, he thought the Gama couldn’t look any more fiercer and intimidating than he did seven years ago, but apparently he was wrong. The Gama looked like, to put it simply, a white tiger. Large, with a heavy aura surrounding him and no sign of emotions.

Nuan bowed in obeisance as soon as he caught the Gama’s eyes who looked at him, slightly turning his head towards,

‘My apologies.’ His voice was deep, ‘Ehan informed that he shall be late. It appears that he has unexpected matters to attend to.’

Nuan nodded and spoke, ‘I understand, Sire.’

Nuan had changed to his traditional black attire for the formal meeting with the Gama and his Gamasha, Ehan. He tried to recollect Ehan, but only managed to remember a young, silent excelling boy who simply stared at him, maybe a little too much but they never talked. Even during the big ceremony.

No, not marriage. The big ceremony where he became a “devotee” for the succeeding Gamasha.

Was he looking down on me? Nuan sat straight and stared at the teacup in front of him, the design mimicked a sea wave. I guess we are all just drops in the ocean. Even myself. The door slid open behind him and Nuan sat up even straighter, he looked to his right and saw a pair walking towards near the table. The legs stopped in front of the table and Nuan didn’t look up.

‘My deepest apologies.’ The voice was low and slightly rough,

The Gama motioned him to sit and Ehan sat down in front of Nuan. He wore something similar to Nuan but more embroidered in Gold and it was white fabric whereas Nuan wore black. Ehan nodded at the attendant as she poured him his tea and Nuan took the chance to scrutinize him.

Ehan looked strikingly put together, that hostile allure of his father can be seen and he looked sharp but not unkind. He looked like a critical man with clean cropped hair, and his traditional long shirt, that extended to the front and back with slits on the side, fitted him quite snug. In terms of physical appearance, he wasn’t bad, he had normal proportionate broad built and it was also quite evident that he was built. Nuan sighed to his teacup and sipped, he passed the standard test. He looked up and found Ehan staring at him, Ah, I remember that vexing stare.

‘I think it’s best if we begin your training period as soon as possible.’ The Gama turned slightly to his side, towards his son, ‘Twenty-five is a fitting age.’

Ehan nodded once and the Gama continued,

‘We shall begin by entrusting certain responsibilities of our management to you both. I believe, your education abroad, the one you had asked for persistently is put to good use in guiding the future Gama and the Resistors towards a more remarkable future.’ The Gama laughed but Nuan could not overlook the lingering threat that was directed at him.

The Gama continued his discussion with Pavi, they were preparing Ehan for the succession. The both of them had to go through a training period before Ehan presumed the real responsibilities of the Gama. He would lose his name then, and become solely the Gama; leader of their people and managed their power over the underground market. The responsibilities mainly were supervising certain workings of their people stretched out over the country, the monetary transactions, managing inside sources, smuggle reports, and international import control. It was a responsibility for the Gama to maintain a stronghold of their original purpose: to preserve their cultural qualities and keep the Politicals from gaining power.

The meeting finished up almost an hour and a half later.

‘Pavi, look into the training preparations and inform the treasury for the monthly evaluation report. Have it delivered to my room by the evening.’ The Gama stood up and the three of them followed the suit.

Nuan looked in front of him. He was a good few inches taller than Ehan who still stared straight at him. Okay, Nuan looked up the ceiling, getting a little creepy.

‘Nuan, Ehan, training begins tomorrow.’

With that, the Gama left the meeting room and Pavi followed him, leaving the two to do as they wished.

‘Erm.’

Nuan stopped near the door and looked at behind him. Ehan stood straight, a little too straight and his face red as a bride’s mark on her forehead. Nuan raised and folded his arms across his chest. The fabric of his top rubbed harshly his skin and he coukd feel the jetlag coming from the back of his head. One more minute and he would stop functioning. Ehan remained silent.

What’s his deal?

‘Look, if you’re not gonna say anything, I’m leaving.’ Nuan jerked a thumb behind him.

‘What?’ Ehan blankly stared at him. Then he frowned and shifted his body slightly, he continued softly, ‘I don’t think you should be using that kind of a tone to me.’

‘Excuse me?’ It was Nuan’s turn to frown. It was bad enough that he had to run to an ‘official’ meeting right after his 7hr flight. Now this son of a bitch was teaching him how to talk to him like newly wed husband. Am I a soisidai or a consort?

‘A soisidai is supposed to take a casual tone with his Gama.’

Nuan shook his head in disbelief, ‘Whatever the rulebook says. I got it.’

‘I don’t…’ His eyebrows scrunched up, but Ehan looked more threatening than confused, ‘…quite understand.’

Nuan sighed and bowed his head slightly, ‘Let’s talk properly tomorrow…Sire.’

I’m going to spend everyday with this man? Nuan groaned silently as he walked off. He really needed hefty lunch and a nap.

‘Tell me my schedule.’

Hideo grabbed his flask from the end of his desk and took a swig of strong black coffee. Ah, He sighed, I really needed that.

‘Schedule.’ He reminded his secretary, taking a small sandwich wrapped in clingfoil.

‘You have a campaign tour from tomorrow around the city and 5 other states. A Volunteer Crusade with the Elderly Association against Drug Abuse today at 12.’

Hideo was stuffing his face with the sandwich. His secretary stared at him, he looked far from the atrractive reliable politician advertised in Billboards.

And he was getting married.

‘Oh!’ The secretary jumpd, he was a small bespectacled man, ‘The President called to give message.’

‘Umhm’ Hideo nodded, his cheeks stretched out like a chipmunk.

‘The Resistors have given a go to the marriage alliance. The lady will meet you as per a date set by their Leader.’

Hideo choked on his dry sandwich and he took a long gulp from his flask.

He swallowed and looked at his secretary,

‘She agreed to it?!’