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 Posted: Sun May 19, 2013 11:00 pm
Now, it wasn't every day that the weather was so lovely in the spring time! The ground wasn't wet, but the air was clear and refreshing! It was quite crisp, in fact, and with every twist and turn that Isha made while stretching, he sucked in more of that sweet clean air!
Or, atleast somewhat clean air. Being at a petting zoo with his youngest sibling, the air wasn't so pleasant at times. With animal turds and such everywhere.. It was infact kinda gross. But atleast his little brother was having fun!
There Enlai went, hopping around from animal to animal, scooping up a duckling, or a bunny every now and then, and then putting it down just as quickly. Then there was Isha, who gave the taller animal's little pats on the head as he went about, not giving too much mind. It was like he was babysitting, without really babysitting. Just something fun to do while school was still kinda iffy for them.
"Jie Jie!" His little brother called out to him, his arms around a rather happy looking calf. "It's a cow! A baby one! Isn't it cute? Oh it's so cute! And barely any taller than I am!"
Isha's eyes went over to gaze at the little thing and his brother, grinning. It was rather adorable how excited he was about seeing a rather common creature. He supposed that back where he was from, there weren't too many farm animals.. But he had no right to Assume anything, as he wasn't from there, nor had he ever visited.
"It is! It's called a calf!"
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Posted: Sun May 26, 2013 11:02 pm
Orin was teetering between childhood and adolescence, but at twelve years of age, he loved cows every bit as much now as when he first discovered them. He made no effort to dampen his passion, and his father did nothing but enable him. They were out at the petting zoo today—one of his father's rare days off. They were devoted to Orin; they always were.
It was a nice day—cool, and cloudy, but still pleasant enough to want to be outside. Such was fantastic for Dresden; Orin's father was of phenomenally pale complexion, thanks to a lack of proper pigmentation. Looking at him it might have been hard to identify his genetic situation; in addition to the layer of sunscreen applied this morning, beneath that he'd painted himself with a hefty coat of concealer to fit in. He didn't look to be quite as old a man as he should for having a boy Orin's age, though if he was really just young or if that was another nod to his genetics, it was difficult to say. His shoulder-length hair was dyed black and required almost daily maintenance, and not just because Orin like to play with it. His father had been giving him a piggyback—and although Orin was big enough that it was starting to be quite a cumbersome task—they had both been laughing.
Once Orin spotted the cow, that was it, though. It was what he'd wanted, all along—why they'd come here. He scrambled down from his father, offered a quick wave, and then trotted over to the animal while his father lingered a bit away.
Dresden did not have the affinity for animals that his son had, so he was content to watch.
Not a shy boy in the slightest, Orin made his way over, smiling at Enlai as he lightly pet the calf. "Hi!" he greeted, and jumped right into conversation. He had noticed the boy's enthusiasm so instead of assuming the excitement wasn't from novelty but passion and asked, "Do you like cows?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:59 am
"Moooo Moooooooooooooooo.." Enlai began to speak to the cow, pretending that he was understood by the creature. The little baby cow's eyes grew wide at his sounds, and began to make sounds back, stomping it's little feet in place. With a squeal, Enlai continue to make mooing sounds at the baby who, in return, nuzzled him more and more, seemingly thrilled with him as well!
The sound of someone else approaching reached Isha first, who turned to smile at the little black haired boy. He looked so adorable, with that little smile of his! He wondered vaguely if he attended the same school that Enlai would attend sometime soon, once his English improved.
"Hello, little one!" Isha gave the kid a little bow, though it was unsure if he was being addressed, or if Enlai was! Either way, Enlai turned his head from the little calf, who began to nibble on his hair, to the boy, his smile as wide as the other's!
"Yes! I do like cows! They are.. Very cute and.. eeh.. Very happy things!" He was quite used to stumbling over his words, as translating the words in his head took longer than it took him to actually let words out. He was working on that though!
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Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 9:59 pm
Giddy from the sight of such an affectionate cow, Orin was just beaming. Isha's little bow amused him, though he was quick to mimic it. "Hello, Big One!" he greeted. "Or whatever your name is! I'm Orin," he introduced, promptly directing his attention to Enlai. He laughed, jovial as ever, and nodded enthusiastically. "They are very cute and very happy things! They're my favorite." He didn't seem to notice any slowness in Enlai's speech, so the concept that he might not be a native speaker. If he had thought of such, he might also have thought to slow his speech a bit, but Orin had a hard time slowing anything down—especially when he was excited. "When I grow up I want to have a whole farm full of them! Or maybe just one or two, and they can sleep in my bed with me. I'll have to have a big house, you know, but no problem!"
He was going to be rich and have maids and cows all over the place!
…Or not. It was a nice fantasy that Orin liked to indulge in, though his father had very plainly explained that it was unrealistic and not to get his hopes up. It didn't really stop Orin; he was going to stay as optimistic as ever.
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Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 10:50 pm
Both Enlai and Isha began to laugh as Orin copied them. It wasn't often when people immediately adapted to their peculiarity when out and about, though it was more than welcomed!
"Hello Orin! I am Isha, and this is my little brother Enlai! It's a pleasure to meet you." It didn't seem like Isha would be able to hold his attention for long, but that was just fine with him. It was important for his little brother to make friends, seeing as he never left the house these days. The weather wasn't apt for sailing, so he figured it would be best to just stay indoors, plotting out his next trip. He stepped back to let the kids talk some more.
"But.. What about your.. Um.." He struggled with trying to find out the word "wife" going over and over about it in his head, but didn't get it. Enlai, though as determined as he was, certainly got frustrated if things things ended up going wrong.
"The person your daddy is married to. What if you get one like her, and then she wants to be where the cow is in place?" That made sense, right? "We have farm back in China, full of chickens and ducks, but no cows. I want a cow too!"
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 4:18 pm
Orin smiled to Isha, waving to let him know that it was a pleasure to meet him, too—even if he was more interested in Enlai. It wasn't that he meant to be, just that even though Orin was social, it was difficult to pay attention to anyone when there was a cow involved! And Enlai seemed more excited about the cow, so him being closer to Orin's age range was just a plus.
For a moment he seemed perplexed at whatever it was Enlai was trying to say, though at the end of it all, he just smiled. "Oh, my dad's not married to anyone. But if I got married? And she didn't want to live with me and the cows?" He thought for a moment, and then in all seriousness replied, "Then I guess we couldn’t stay married."
A second passed; he couldn't keep a straight face for long before he was grinning. "No, I'm just kidding! I guess I would really like to marry a girl who does want a bunch of cows, but if not I guess we could figure something else out. I dunno! You're from China? I've never been there." Which wasn't surprising, since he wasn't even out of middle school. "What's it like?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2013 11:30 am
The kid was just so cute... Seriously, the kid was just utterly adorable, and was just so eager to talk to Enlai that Isha couldn't bring himself to interrupt the two again. Instead, he stood back, watching them with a careful eye. Not that Enlai really ever needed help when he was with other children, besides translating. He could easily defend himself from bullies and others almost twice his size! Luckily, he was a sweetheart, and didn't go around threatening the other kids. Isha wasn't sure what he would do if his little brother grew up to be cruel.. He wondered briefly if Orin's father was around somewhere near by. Though It was a little sad when he said that his father wasn't married, it still sounded like Orin was growing up just fine. Certainly his father would be an honorable man.
Really..? Orin wouldn't marry someone who wasn't into cows? If Enlai understood correctly, it made the whole situation very sad. What if the person loved him a whole lot! Just cuz they didn't want to sleep with a cow, he wouldn't love them either? He frowned at such a thing, giving the little calf a squeeze, as if to comfort himself. Maybe he shouldn't have brought it up. The whole idea of mothers and fathers and lovers and marriage upset him at times, though for reasons he couldn't quite remember anymore.
As Orin changed his mind, Enlai's smile returned, nodding as he listened to the boy continue to talk. He had a nice air about him, like he was a good kid or something, someone that was entirely trustworthy, not like he really knew who to trust or not.
"Mhm! Mommy and Daddy Adopted me when Mama and Baba passed away.. But I'm really happy here! China is nice, but it was really... nothing there where I lived. I like it here! Fun things and fun peoples, yes! Maybe one day, you can go to China. We have really yummy food there. Food here is nice too!"
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 8:36 am
"Ooh," Orin cooed, nodding. He didn't mention that at the mention of 'Baba' he first imagined a large sheep; all that talk of mothers passing away and being adopted made him figure it was a little too serious to make such a comment. "Well, I do like food," he said instead, smiling still. "And I'm glad you like it here, too! I like it here, myself, but I haven't really done a lot of travelling. So I mean, here's my favorite, obviously."
Not that he hadn't spent enough time on the internet or watching television to have places he'd like to visit. He just couldn't imagine anything better than coming home.
Unless there was a cow there, in which case it would have been paradise.
"—You said you were adopted?" he asked, and had Enlai not seemed so bubbly about it, he might not have asked. "That's kind of neat. I mean, the circumstances sound awful!" He was entirely empathetic, though he had no intention of imagining himself in the same situation. He hadn't a mother to lose, but losing his father? It would have crushed his heart. "But—your brother over there seems nice! Do you have any more siblings? I'm an only child. I'd like a brother or sister, but."
He left it at that; he wasn't old enough to understand the financial struggles of raising one child, but he was old enough to know that he was jealous of families with at least two children. Friends were nice, but a brother? Oh, what he wouldn't have given…
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 11:46 pm
Some of the words the other kid spoke seemed to blur together, but Enlai managed to keep up, nodding. A place you've always been at would be your favorite clearly made sense! It's what you're used to!
"Yes, and my mommy and daddy love me alot, and love my brothers and sisters alot too, so I'm super happy! And big brother IS very nice! He did bring me here to see the animals! I love cows, yes, but I think sheep are fluffier." Despite saying this, his arms did not leave the animal, in fact, his grip tightened around it, and he gave the cafe a little whispered "I love you sooo much!".
"You want to have a brother or sister? You can be my brother! And then, if you are my brother, then you can be my sister's brother too! and then you'd have brothers and sisters! We can do that, right Isha?"
As heartwarming as the little one's enthusiasm was, it was just not possible. Surely the little boy's father would not approve of him suddenly being accepted into a new family, right? Isha gave his brother a small pat on the head, before crouching down a bit to met the boys face to face.
"Well, I don't think his father would be all to happy if he were to suddenly come home with us, right? Though you could certainly pretend to be brothers." This did not sit well with the little grey-haired boy, who finally let go of the animal, crossing his arms out infront of him.
"His daddy can come home with us too. He'll be second daddy for us!"
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Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 6:58 pm
For a short moment, Orin stared at the boy in front of him, and then he laughed. It was good-natured, of course—nothing spiteful—but he was quickly holding his hands up. "No, no, that's okay! I mean, I don't think my dad would go for it. He's doing a good job by himself!"
Besides—he wasn't sure adoption was that easy, and while he would have loved a brother, he understood that realistically he wasn't going to have one. Which wasn't so bad; he wasn't complaining. "But I mean, we could definitely be friends! I could always use more of those! And I'm sure dad would be a lot happier if I was bringing home friends than if I was trying to bring home siblings!"
He lightly brushed his hand down the calf's neck, smiling before glancing over his shoulder at his father.
It was obvious that the man was a bit distracted; he had been keeping an eye on Orin, though as his son was in no discernible trouble he was hastily slathering on a quick layer of sunblock. Orin glanced at him, waved (his father saw him and promptly waved back), and then smiled and looked back towards his conversation partner. "I should probably be getting back to him in a minute. Do you go to school around here?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 7:33 pm
"Awww... Alrighty then. We can stay friends!" It wasn't too surprising that the other little boy had responded with a no. It seemed to be the most common answer when he asked others to become part of his family. Enlai had thought that if they were part of the family, they could live and play and be with each other all of the time! But friends always ended up having to go home.
"I'd love to see your house! And you can come see mine too! Brother!!" He watched as his brother walked away, then turned back to Orin, thinking for a moment.
"I do not go to school. Not yet. But soon, Soon I will go to Knightside! And then, maybe make alot more friends! Do you go to Knightside?
Isha just smiled, shaking his head, knowing full well what the younger of the two wanted. He opened his wallet, pulling out what seemed to be a business card, and headed right over to the boy's father.
"Excuse me," He started out, smiling politely. Isha wanted to leave the best possible impression, so that Enlai and the other child could meet up again. "It looks like my little brother, and your son are getting along very well! I'd love to arrange another outing or something with the two of them, but our current time is being cut short. If you'd be so kind to hold onto this number, so that we could get in contact once again, I'm sure the children would be most grateful!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:43 am
"I do go to Knightside!" Orin exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'll see you there! We can hang out. I'm one of the older kids, so as long as you hang out with me, you'll be cool." He grinned, watching as Enlai made his way over to his father. A part of him wanted to trot over and properly eavesdrop, but he knew he didn't have a lot of time with this cow, so he really wanted to make it count.
Orin's father glanced up in surprise; he hadn't even been aware that anyone was approaching him. "Oh—yeah," he said, flashing a quick, sheepish smile. "Dresden," he introduced, holding out a hand to shake; he seemed a bit flustered but was trying to hold himself together.
With his other hand, he was fumbling to withdraw a pen from the backpack he had slung over one arm and, obviously skilled at multitasking held the card to his shoulder with his ring and pinky finger and scribbled his phone number using only his index, middle and thumb.
He did so with his right hand still extended, never missing a beat. "I'll just—the same to you, in case you want to call or figure something out." He finished, then tore the card in two pieces. He quickly pocketed the half with Enlai's number and presented the half with his own.
Judging by the skill and speed at which he wrote, while still extending a hand to shake, it was probably clear that he was used to doing such; working in the food industry for so long had given him a multitude of skills.
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 7:12 pm
"Isha, it's a pleasure." The man's dexterity was astonishing, and Isha could only grin and shake the other's hand as he continued maneuvering. He quickly moved his hand away though, and tried to offer his help. As soon as he did though, it seemed that the man was finished and offered him back the card. How impressive!
"Well, thank you so much! I'm sure they'll be atleast passing each other in the school halls, so if they would want to get together again, they'll let us know." It must be hard, raising a little boy on his own, but this man seemed to have everything together. With a father like this, he was certain that little Orin would grow up to be a proper young man. Within the moment it took him to put the card into his wallet, his phone began to buzz like crazy.
"Excuse me one moment, thank you." Isha turned away from the man, listening and giving the occasional sound of confirmation. Soon enough, he closed the phone, giving the man a slight bow.
"I apologize, but my little brother and I will have to leave now. Hehe... We kinda.. Wandered away from them, and they want us back where they are. I hope we can get together soon, and this time not so briefly!"
Enlai, however, had not quite yet taken notice to his brother and Dresden talking. Instead, he hung onto every word that Orin said, getting more and more excited about going to to school for the first time in the US.
"So I can be cool too? Ooh, that's wonderful! We'll be the best of friends, and I'll bring you a snack every day, so that we can eat lunch together too!" As excited as he was, when he turned around to see his brother waving for him to come on, he sobered up pretty quickly. "It looks like I have to go.. But I had fun!"
His arms came around to hug Orin and the cow at the same time, laughing a little when the little calf licked the side of his head, leaving a long sticky wet mark.
"Haha!! It will miss me! I'll miss you too, little cow! And you too, Orin! See you at school!" Enlai leaned in once more, hugging Orin without the cow between them, pulling away to run off to his brother. Hand in hand, they waved good bye, then went on to meet their parents.. Where ever they were.
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 12:52 pm
Orin seemed just thrilled by the whole event; he was going to be in a good mood for a while. Meeting new people just ignited his spirits, and it showed. "Bye!" he waved. "Can't wait to see you again, take care!"
Dresden offered a slight wave and smile to the two, though still seemed a bit shy. His son was extroverted enough for the both of them.
Though goodbyes were always a little bit sad, at least Orin could count on seeing the boy again; a familiar face was always exciting. This cow, however, he might not see again.
Now without anyone to share it with, he was free to pet it and admire it as much as he pleased.
His father had to drag him away a short time later.
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