The smell of toasted bread and frozen lightly salted b.u.t.ter laid next to a plate of piping hot scrambled eggs still giving off a gentle steam was wafting in the air. Half a cup of high grade espresso coffee had been drunk already amidst the reading the report that had been sent straight from parliament conference room. One name which offended his eyes appeared out of the conference transcript… forget it, Alexey needn’t pay it any attention for he was capable of controlling this game.
Just one more day… and a certain someone was going to go absolutely raving mad… though it was not going to be him.
RRR…RRR
The BlackBerry phone belonging to him emitted a ringing noise. He simply glanced over from the corners of his eyes and threw it to Viktar who was attending nearby. “Pick it up instead, tell him that I'm not talking.”
The taciturn person gave a nod.
“h.e.l.lo.”
“I want to talk to Alexey.” The other end of the call began the conversation in a bristly tone.
“His Excellency is in the middle of having his breakfast and does not wish to talk to anyone.”
“That definitely must not include me.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but his order includes you as well.”
The other end of the call made a frustrated noise.
“When will you let me leave this place? I’m almost dying of boredom here.”
“I believe His Excellency has informed Leof already, that you’re free to go anywhere you want, except out of this country.”
“I need to see a doctor.”
“If you mean a psychiatrist then talk to Leof for now, he knows how to calm you down.”
“Leof isn’t a doctor.”
“Sir Alexey is also not a doctor. Exactly what business do you have?”
“Didn't you say there was work for me to do?”
“You already received your payment in advance so enjoy it to your heart’s content… work can be done later.”
“Viktar, don’t you act sarcastic with me.”
“I have no need to be considerate of your feelings, plus what I said is simply the truth.”
“I’m bored! You confined me here with Leof, I’m bored, bored, bored, do you understand?”
“You have a car, feel free to go wherever you wish…”
“That car is my father’s.”
“Oh yeah I forgot, that's true, you actually don't own anything at all… but that won’t be your father’s car any longer, tomorrow it will be turned over to the state.”
“You guys played dirty, my father had nothing to do with this.”
“You’re the one who played dirty first… as for your father, he's being sued for corruption with evidence that binds him so tightly from escaping, don’t group the two together.”
“You filthy mafiya.”
“Please refrain from calling us that, and besides… this land originally belonged to us, it's just that Kazakhstan cannot be governed with only 'white' alone… you used to understand this well Ethan… don’t pretend to be more of an idiot than you already are.”
“You! Viktar!!!”
“Enjoy the pay and prepare yourself… tomorrow I guarantee you'll be going out to take a breath of fresh air.”
“Take your money back.”
“Then wherever will you get the money to pay back your debt from…?” The tone of his voice sounded almost concerned, when in actuality it was mocking. “The five hundred thousand euro you received as payment will erase the three hundred and twenty thousand euro debt that you owe to those Italian mafiosos. You’ll still have over a hundred thousand euros remaining… not much, but it will help to prolong your life for a little while more, perhaps you might even get to return to the fashion industry with a pair of clean hands.”
“A shoddy amatuer photographer won’t be able to help me!!!”
“Think of it this way… you can't poke your head out of that rank apartment of yours without this lump of money… in this dire hour, it would seem as if that amatuer photographer has the upper hand…”
The phone at the end of the call shook wildly with resentment.
“Prepare yourself in a befitting manner of a professional too… though it might be considered your past now.
Viktar concluded with a soft-spoken voice and disconnected the call.
…
“…Quiet down already… I’m reading the newspaper.” Leof spoke up from one corner of the room in the large and s.p.a.cious extravagant colonial-style penthouse… a luxurious jail per se.
The man in question continued to pound the victorian-style table in front of him with his fists, hands and fingers swollen with bitterness. His eyes were flush red with blood vessels that seemed on the verge of rupturing.
“A life with no alternate path is cruel like they say… albeit you were the one who subjected yourself to this.” Leof said wearily.
“What are trying to say!?”
Leof looked at the swollen and bruised hands, then smiled with the corners of his mouth… mockingly.
Ethan was so livid that he nearly vomited blood.
…
Amidst the gloomy atmosphere strained with tension, suddenly the door of the dining room burst open along with the beaming smile of top detective Kindaichi Phachara who was cradling in his arms a white rabbit with brown splotches. “Look what I found in the garden.”
Alexey paused from taking a sip of his coffee, sending me a sidelong glance. “What nonsense are you up to so early this morning?”
“How is this nonsense?” I voiced my protestations. I had found little Paesa (naming him right from the get-go) early this morning while I was taking a walk and exploring the giraffe farm; a result of the hottie waking me up at five-forty AM, telling me to get ready since I was going to be taking photos of the Altai mountains from a helicopter today. But honestly, what preparations did I need to make…? Taking a shower, eating breakfast, and preparing my camera, that was it. Thus, I killed my time by going out and admiring the garden.
“Where did you get it from?”
“At the end of garden over thereeeeee.” I added quite of a lot of E’s because this guy’s house was gigantic, roughly around one and a half acres with the rear of the house situated right at the foot of the mountains. “It’s docile too, so I named it Paesa.”
(TN: Paesa means plain broth.)
“Give it to the cook then.”
The cook? “This guy belongs to the cook?”
Alexey had an expression of disregard. “It's so you can eat rabbit stew and roasted rabbit legs tonight of course.”
Hah!? No way, that’s cruel. You savage! “Who the h.e.l.l eats rabbits!?!”
The hottie made a face which implied I was some kind of monster from a different planet. “Everyone in this country eats rabbits.”
“Thailand is a Buddhist country, we don’t eat rabbits.”
“And what country are you in right now? Viktar, go give it to the cook.”
In the end, Viktar wound up seizing little Paesa from my arms. I saw it look it me with woeful eyes… no… you won't end up dead in my bowl of stew right? But if you do and turn into a ghost, please don’t come haunt me, go haunt that hottie instead since he’s the one who proposed this savage idea in the first place.
“Mucking about all morning, have you made preparations?”
“I’m all ready to go.” As ready as I can ever be. I had even called P’Pun in Thailand and bragged about getting to ride a helicopter.
“How?”
I said I was ready, but why was he asking ‘How’ hm?
Unknown as to where Jessica had appeared out from, I was startled when her hand landed abruptly on my shoulder, followed by the hushed whispering in my ear. “What preparations have you made already?”
The pressure accompanying her heavy palm made me sense something was off. Alexey’s piercing gaze was fixed firmly on me, and not in the affectionate way either…
Did I make some sort of mistake?
“Where are you going to take photographs?” The question was coupled with an intimidating frigid voice.
“Uh… the Altai mountains, which spot in particular I’m not sure.”
“Who’s driving the car?”
“Viktar.”
“And does Viktar know that he’s going with you?” Faced with this question, I was beginning to sweat.
“The route in order to get there, have you studied it?”
“Uh… don’t know.”
“What’s the weather condition like?”
“I can’t read the weather forecast in the newspaper.”
I decided to beat around the bush… however, it was a severe mistake for I was promptly retorted back.
“The website Yahoo Weather is in English, you can definitely read that.”
Hmph… talk about quick thinking.
“Where is the helicopter waiting?”
“…”
“And have you ever rode on one before?”
I shook my head.
“How do you take photographs from a helicopter? What equipment do you need to prepare? What do you need to do?”
“…” I became entirely mute.
“So how is this considered being prepared!” The reprimanding voice lashed out like a strike of lightning in the center of the room. “I gave you over two days' time to get ready but in the end you haven’t done anything at all have you?”
Cornered to the point where I was at a loss at how to reply, my face was flush with mortification, ashamed that I had failed to reach his expectations. Not to mention, I didn't even realize that I had failed at first. “I…”
“Thirty minutes. If everything isn’t sorted by then, the car is sending you back to the airport!”
My heart dropped to the floor. Quickly rushing off, my hands and legs were jittery as I went to see Viktar who was in the middle of handing little Paesa over to the cook to be slaughtered. Viktar looked at me and smiled.
“I did remind you before you went running around catching rabbits earlier.”
Yeah… I know alright, no need to rub it in.
My hands were ice cold… yet I was sweating like a dam in my body had been breached. My heart was beating so erratically that my chest ached…
‘Only a loser dreams of being a professional while never thinking to make an effort with their own ability… remember these words well.’
He had warned me a long time ago, not to a.s.sume that he was going lift even a finger for me. A person who does nothing is only met with broken and failed dreams… these weren’t words of intimidation, rather, Alexey was speaking the truth… following through with it in his actions no less.
I had a lot of places I dreamed of visiting, wanting to take photos over here and over there… indeed, even though he sought these places out for me, it was ultimately my duty to see it through till the end.
Thus, since my good-for-nothing self ran around mucking about all morning, I had to take responsibility of the aftermath. I tried to compose myself as I negotiated for ways to get to the destination; Viktar being my translator. Initially, I had begged Viktar to drive us there but the man refused.
“No thanks, I’m not familiar with the route.”
Although I was a little annoyed… Viktar couldn't be blamed for refusing my abrupt request.
Working as a team was… easier… faster… and more convenient… so convenient that I barely needed to think about anything at all, not having to try too hard…
However… this place taught me something different. A single person carried all the responsibilities… it was both exhausting and stressful. I didn’t see why it was necessary for me to bear everything by myself…
I secretly wondered, since we were seeing each other… shouldn't I be eligible to request a little bit of help here and there?
Speaking bluntly, this theory may be applicable to other people but it has been proven that it did not work with Alexey, because in the very second he says to ‘go do work’, he would not be lenient at all. Making the tiniest mistake was also unacceptable as his first reaction would be to use his disdainful gaze to stare me down like I was worthless trash; something I had been subjected to several times already and it hurt every time.
My throat was parched with stress from having attempted to gather all the necessary information within the designated thirty minutes… I knew Alexey was capable of using a pen to scribble in the center of my pa.s.sport book and put me on a plane back to Bangkok with the excuse of my visa having expired. Furthermore, I had a feeling that this was just one of the many things Alexey would do to me if everything was not sorted out properly within the thirty minutes…
The car, check…
The route, check…
The destination, check…
What I was going to take photos of… check, maybe…
Taking photos from a helicopter… this, I was still unsure about. Nevertheless, I managed to obtain a few tidbits from the internet. I needed earplugs or earm.u.f.fs to block out the loudness of the helicopter, set the ISO Speed of the camera higher, prepare a spare camera with a 17mm Tamron lens, and other things of the sort. This was all new knowledge to me.
But the real problem was… I had never ridden on a helicopter before, was it going to be scary?
“Why don’t you go ask His Excellency?” Viktar suggested just like that. Uh… but he was the one who shooed me away to make preparations in the first place. If I went back to ask that hottie, was he going to bite my neck off?
Seeing my reluctance, the dot dot guy urged me forward. “There’s eight minutes remaining, if you ask, His Excellency will give you an answer. If you don’t, go ahead and meet your fate on your own.”
Hence, forced to lug all of my belongings with me, I dashed back to the dining room just in time to see the hottie finish reading his newspaper. “What do you want?”
“I… I’m ready… bu… but…” Panting breathlessly, I only noticed now that the hottie was dressed similar to a soldier, wearing form-fitting navy blue trousers, shoes which resembled actual hiking shoes, not to mention a military jacket. In comparison, what was I wearing…? Upon bending down to inspect myself, I felt this had to be another mistake again.
“Go change your clothes, your shoes too.”
The final thing I forgot was… the clothes on my body which were in utter disarray. Skinny jeans and Onitsuka Tiger shoes… these were definitely unsuitable for taking photos on a helicopter.
“This too.”
A large hand reached out towards me. I closed my eyes tight, antic.i.p.ating being smacked in the head. But what the hottie took in his hand were the tresses of hair covering my face and eyes.
“The wind’s strong, you won't be able to take any photos with hair poking your eyes, take care of it.”
Then, do you know what this hottie did…? He produced a rubber band out of who knows where and took this opportunity to tie my bangs into a water fountain like a shih tzu dog! Proceeding to nod his head in approval at his work.
Viktar, who entered into the room just as the hottie finished creating the masterpiece on my head, burst into a roar of laughter before quickly snapping his mouth shut. As for Jessica who had come back from the toilet, she cracked up laughing until her stomach turned stiff.
Alexey had a deadpan face. As for Viktar, his face suggested that he desperately wanted to laugh out loud.
“Come on, go change your clothes.”
Changing clothes was no big deal, but this shih tzu water fountain hair-do, I really have no idea what to do with this.
The sound of the helicopter propeller blared so deafeningly that I could hardly hear anything at all, even if we were shouting at the top of our lungs. Biting cold gusts of wind collided against my shuddering body. I tried to stand up, but each and every time, the high speed wind would bash directly against the center of my body to the point where my legs could not hold out. Alexey propped up my body, agreeing to offer up his left arm for me to grab onto, nails digging so hard into his skin that it bled a little.
However, freezing gusts of wind were not the only brutal thing I had to confront from the wide open door two hundred feet above ground. The adrenaline in my body was pulsating violently, my hands shaking to the point where I could not hold up my camera.
I was scared…
So high up that I felt light-headed…
What to do… I was shaking all over.
I had tried to line up my eye with the camera’s viewfinder, but my hand and body was shaking so uncontrollably that it failed to act accordingly. It felt like my soul had left my body. My eyes peered downwards, brain responding that the scene before me was absolutely captivating while heart protesting that I was freakishly high up… I wondered if I was going to fall. Lifting up the camera again… this time, my brain asked what kind of photo I was going to take… my mind was blank, no different than the rotund clouds over there.
“You okay?”
I shook my head vigorously and collapsed onto the vibrating floor of the helicopter again, this time, nearly dragging Alexey along with me in the fall.
“I can’t take photos… I’m scared, Alexey, can we land first… it’s so scary.” Quivering voice almost in tears.
The hottie shifted around so I could sit leaning against him, then shut the door. The cold gusts of wind which collided against my body till it became deprived of all sensation thus ended it torment. I only realized now that both of my hands were damp with sweat, even though my body was ice cold.
I faced those pair of eyes, well aware that I had disappointed him. “Sorry… I really couldn't take the photos.”
I had expected to be scolded until my ears turned numb, but was mistaken. Strong large hands pulled the camera out of my hands and returned it back into its camera bag. He grabbed my hands to rub them gently, as if to transmit his warmth to me.
“Calm down, take deep breaths…”
I obeyed… and not long, the heart that was beating erratically to the point of losing control gradually relaxed. Staring at the two hands which held onto mine, I felt speechlessly grateful.
“Close your eyes.”
I obeyed again… sensing a warm hand brush a strand of hair from my forehead, before transitioning to rub my head gently.
“Observe from me… and bear it in mind, understood Petch?”
I nodded despite eyes still closed. Beneath these warm hands… I felt safe.
“Ready?”
I nodded again and slowly opened my eyes. My hand was about to reach for the camera, however, it was caught in his grip first.
“No need to take photos yet, your duty is to learn from me.”
I had never seen Alexey acting like this before. Even though his words were short and terse, eyes sharp and piercing… it was apparent to me that this hottie was trying his hardest to be as patient as possible in his explanations, whether it was about preparations for getting on a helicopter, ways to communicate with the pilot, simple hand gestures to use when communicating with the pilot and his team, how to choose the appropriate time or even what angles to take photos from. I therefore learnt how exceptionally minuscule my preparations were in comparison to the practical execution. Moreover, I also learnt… that my experience was extremely lacking, even a hobbyist like this hottie was several leagues more knowledgeable than me.
Until I could adapt to being on a helicopter, over an hour had pa.s.sed. Nevertheless, Alexey’s lecture had produced one fruitful outcome… I did manage to ama.s.s a number of gorgeous shots of this national park. I was captivated by the surface of the lake which sparkled dazzlingly, just like the stars in the skies which twinkled even under the sun. A lush verdant green forest stretched out as far as the eye can see, cut against the indigo horizon of the sky with fluffy soft white clouds drifting languidly. It felt like I was floating high above the indigo colored sky.
“It’s so beautiful.” I murmured absentmindedly in my reverie.
But in the very next second, I was shrieking as the engine began to shake violently, eventually hitting something which caused my body to float up. I cried out loud, heart dropping to the floor as I dove at the hottie, eyes shut tight. “The helicopter’s gonna fall!” My hands seized the hottie firmly, clinging as if stuck with superglue.
“Ridiculous!” Despite the rebuke, he still gently patted my ears and tail. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“No!!! I wanna get down!”
“Go then.”
“Hua… you’re shooing me?” Mouth quick-witted despite a trembling body… this was me. “The helicopter is still in the air, you want to trick me into falling to my own death?”
“If you've recovered the let go already, go report me to the police if you want!”
“No way.” Burrowing my head into his chest as if to a.s.sert my position as the female lead of a soap opera no less. “Tell the pilot to land the helicopter first, do you think I want to hug you that badly?” The floor of the helicopter was still vibrating.
“We’re here already, on the ground, open your eyes you monkey.”
Really…? No way, no way. The helicopter’s propeller was still emitting noise.
“Hey Petch, let me tell you something, it will definitely interest you.”
“What?”
“Viktar is an avid lover of roasted rabbit legs, he’s even capable of severing ties with his family and friends if they so much as steal a piece from his plate.”
“And what does this have to do with the helicopter not landing?” It sounded suspicious.
“It already landed since that collision earlier… you’re the one who’s not willing to believe me.”
My eyes widened. Really!? Then… then… I yanked open the door thick bulky door of the vehicle, seeing the green gra.s.sy floor. Hey, it’s true, we were already on the ground. I stepped off the helicopter gingerly, then something dawned on me.
“So where’s Paesa?”
Alexey inspected the wound on his arm that had been gripped so tightly by me that it bled, answering with irritated voice: “By now… all of its four legs should be cooked through.”
“No!!! You savage, you barbarian hottie!”
I yelled angrily at the hottie before dashing into the grand and extravagant giraffe farm, my tiny heart battered and bruised yet again. That hottie dared to give Viktar permission to slaughter Paesa, my endearing cute little rabbit. This year is the year of the rabbit you know. If someone eats rabbit, they will have bad luck for the entire year, It's true!
…
…
…
By the time I reached the kitchen, a silver tray comprised of delicious roasted rabbit legs was already laid out in the dining room, complete with several other dishes. I inhaled the appetizing smell of garlic, curry powder, and a variety of other spices, mouth watering immediately.
“Viktar, confess, you’ve already killed little Paesa right?”
Viktar stared at my face emotionlessly. Come on, at least make a dismayed expression, I’m accusing you of murder here. But what I received in return was a… dot dot gaze.
“Have you ever tasted it before? I’ll share you one.”
Hua… to even offer me a bribe!
Alexey, upon finished changing his clothes, came down to the dining room. Seeing me glare daggers at Viktar, he intervened to mediate the situation. “Come, if you’re hungry then eat, no need to be hangry.”
(TN: Hangry – Portmanteau of hungry and angry that describes being irritable due to hunger.)
Hence, I stuffed the roasted rabbit leg into my mouth… and discovered… that it was so delicious that I was almost in tears.
“Hey… Viktar.”
“…”
“Mind if I have another leg?”
“No.”
“Of course I can, I’m the one who caught it.”
I turned to ask the hottie for a.s.sistance in increasing my quota of roasted rabbit legs but he just sat there holding in his laughter, face black and red, not helping whatsoever. Thus, I pretended to act smooth, soliciting Viktar to get me a gla.s.s of wine and seizing this chance to nonchalantly serve myself another rabbit leg. By the time the gla.s.s of wine arrived, little Paesa had already been turned into a rabbit with only two legs remaining…
…My deepest condolences Paesa. In any case, rabbits were born to be food for humans anyways… rest in peace, Paesa.
P.s. Earlier when I said that people eating rabbits in the year of the rabbit will end up having bad luck for the entire year, can I take those words back please?