Tell Me Again, My Love

"How could you do this to me? I called and called and called. I even sent thousands of messages to you but you ignored me~" Mika wailed.

"Sorry," it was all Ryn could say. She was at the fault this time so it was better to just listen meekly and accepting the accuse.

"Were you sick? Are you sick?" Mika gasped. It was a reasonable reason for Ryn to ignore her calls and messages. Ryn must be sick and too weak to even move and speak.

"I am not sick, Mika. I"m just... well... I fell asleep and forgot to recharge my phone," Ryn explained slowly.

"What?"

"Yeah, I fell asleep. I guess I was exhausted to notice my phone has no juice."

Mika sputtered something but it was too low and quick for Ryn to understand. But Ryn did not ask. She just closed her eyes and listened.

"I can"t believe you did not come to my place when you return. You know we can take care of you," Mika cried.

"I don"t want to disturb both of you," Ryn replied.

"No. You won"t disturb us at all. I love having you around."

"Hmm..." Ryn was too sleepy to even argue about it. She listened, well, letting the words floating around as she planned what to eat next.

She just had steaks for brunch. Was it too much if she ate more steaks for dinner? She had a box of cereal so maybe she could have a bowl of it as a snack while catching up with her study.

Her eyes getting heavier and heavier and soon enough she fell asleep despite the voice coming from her phone. Mika, unaware of Ryn already fallen asleep, kept on persuading Ryn to stay at her place. They could spend the time together and even had a pyjama party every single night! Won"t it be better than being alone in that house with no one watching over Ryn? What if something bad happened?

Then, Mika frowned. Something smelled fishy. "h.e.l.lo, Ryn? Ryn? Are you there? Catherine?"

No answer but a soft snore which was too soft to be caught by the phone.

"Ryn, are you there?"

Only snore replying her question. Mika frowned before she remembered Ryn told her how exhausted she was earlier. She sighed heavily and disconnected the call. 

She would call later when her best friend had enough sleep.

The phone was left lying on the floor as Ryn enjoying her sleep.

*~*~*

Harry reached for his phone and looked. There was a lot of messages coming from his friends but none came from her. 

He sighed and replied messages from his friends.

No, he does not have the mood to go out now.

No, he does not want to play a game this evening.

Yes, he has finished his a.s.signment.

No, he is not sick.

No, his little sister is off-limit.

One after another question he answered half-heartedly while waiting for the one message that truly matter.

But it did not come.

He sighed. Was he being too weak waiting for her "remembering" his existence? He did not want her to find him annoying, hence no longer bombarding her with phone calls and messages. But just waiting here was so miserable! He felt like crazy, having no more mood to do anything. He even lost his appet.i.te!

It had only been days but his energy was slipping away.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Mia stormed into his room and demanded with her small hands on her hips.

"Don"t you know how to knock first?" he murmured without looking at her.

"Get up. How long are you going to lock yourself in your room? Father is still unaware of this but once he knows..." her words trailed off, containing warning.

He snorted and turned around backing her, dismissing her presence.

"Henry Si, are you alright? Do you still have the fever?" Mia"s expression softened. Maybe her big brother was still unwell but too ashamed to confess. Being a man and the eldest really gave Harry quite a huge ego. Not to mention with the handsome face inheriting from the parents" good gene, no wonder Harry always wanted to show his good side to everyone. Never once he willing to say he is weak or unable to do anything.

"Just go away," he mumbled against the blanket, waving his hands at without looking.

Ignoring his signal, she pulled the blanket off him and touched his forehead. Nope. He did not have a fever. He did not seem to have cold too.

"Go away."

She frowned, looking at her brother"s lying body worriedly. If he was not sick, why would he look so dejected and weak? He even skipped his breakfast! The only thing he took was drink and it was forced by leaving it in his room. The snack was still untouched.

"Are you really alright, Harry?"

"I"m alright. I just need time alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Hmm..."

No longer able to persuade him, Mia turned around and stormed out of the room. She needed to find someone who could push Harry to get out of the room. It was not healthy just lying on the bed for days!

"Mummy~"

"Yes, my darling?"

"Harry still refuses to get out. The porridge and snacks are still uneaten."

Mrs Si paused from her knitting and looked at her daughter. "What did he say?"

Mia took the work her mom was doing and checked on it, "Mom, it"s crook again."

Her mother who was heading toward her son"s room turned around and looked at her work, frowning.

"It"s just a slight one," she waved her hand.

"But isn"t this your present to dad and you want him to bring this everywhere?"

Her mother just learned how to knit and the one teaching her was Mia, her daughter. Despite looking so chic and very modern, Mia was actually good in knitting. She even joined the knitting club.

Today, her mother decided that she too would knit and as Mr Si"s birthday would be next month, it would be the best time to start. For the beginning, instead of doing something simple and small, Mrs Si decided to make a colourful sweater.

Mia was having a huge headache. Her mother was not good on staying focus on long period and easy to get bored too. And knitting a sweater would take a long hour and concentration. 

Mia only wish was for her father to receive a complete sweater on the day of his birthday, not just b.a.l.l.s of yarn.

"Mom, you have to do this part again," without thinking, Mia began to take off the crook side.

Luckily for her, Mrs Si"s attention was turned toward her son. After she shrugged off the crook side, she headed toward her son"s room.

"Henry."

Harry"s ears twitched when he heard his mother"s voice. He groaned under his breath.

Then, taking a deep breath, he pushed the blanket off him and sat up with his feet on the floor. "Yes, mother?"

"You"re not going out today?" she asked, sitting on the sofa in his room.

"I don"t feel like it."

"What about your food? Aren"t you hungry?"

"I"m not."

She tapped her finger at the tray of food and then approached her son. Without another word, her hand reached for his left ear and started to twist it mercilessly.

"Aww... mother!" He tried to push her hand away but she refused to let it go. In fact, she used another hand to twitch another ear. "Mom!"

Mia lifted up her head when she heard the scream. No doubt big brother"s ears were being pulled and twisted by mother. She shook her head and continued helping untying her mother"s work. Then, she put it aside for her own knitting project. She planned to knit a scarf for the boy she has a crush on.

Hmm... she needed more yarn b.a.l.l.s for it just in case mother ruined her sweater.

She chose a dark green yarn ball for the scarf and started to knit it while waiting for his mother to return. Once she started, she ignored everything else.

Moving on to what was happening in Harry"s room...

Mrs Si had finally let her son"s ears go. She sat back on the sofa and crossed her arms.

"Are you going to act childish until your father returns from his project?"

"I am not acting childish. I just need time for myself."

"Time for yourself?" she scoffed. "Time for yourself or just sulking? From what I"m seeing, you"re just acting childish. Not going out. Not eating your meals. Staying in your room."

"Mother, please."

She looked at him silently. Her eyes narrowed. "Are you mooning over a girl?"

His face turned red immediately. He quickly lied back on the bed and pulled the blanket to cover himself, trying to hide himself.

Ahh... her innocent son was in love. Now she understood what was going on.