The weather was perfect that day. Sunday morning was like a heaven for all seven boys. They could sleep until the afternoon or play video games until dusk.
JiaJia and XinXin already wake up early to take care of their small yard where they grow a few vegetables and flowers. They love to spend their leisure time at the verandah while gazed at the plants they grew together like an old geezer.
"Yo! You're early"
JiaJia said in shock after he saw Xiang Xiang sitting on the veranda. Didn't know for how long he had been sitting there alone, staring blankly at their small garden.
"Can't sleep?"
JiaJia sat next to XiangXiang.
"Oh. XiangXiang? You're early"
XinXin who came with a cup of coffee was also surprised. Usually every morning was a battle to wake up the boys. But today, XiangXiang woke up earlier than him and JiaJia. There was only one possibility. He didn't sleep all night. XinXin gritted his teeth. Watching XiangXiang like that make he feel like the pain spread to his heart in a cruel way.
"Hmm..just can't sleep."
Said Xiang Xiang. His eyes just gaze somewhere blankly. Jia Jia and XinXin looked at each other. Today is the day. "His uncle death" XinXin nodded.
"Want some coffee? I'm good at this."
XinXin asked warmly. XiangXiang just nodded.
"Wait. Wait. Wait..."
XinXin turned his face on JiaJia. "Now what?"
"Could you upgrading your skills?"
JiaJia asked. He seemed to be looking for trouble. XinXin gave JiaJia a death glare.
"What?!"
XinXin open his eyes as big as he could.
"Hot chocolate...maybe"
JiaJia said with an innocent face.
"It's for the night"
XinXin flick JiaJia forehead as he walk away.
"Ahh..heartless"
JiaJia rubbed his forehead.
"Would you like to help me plant flowers?"
JiaJia asked. He wanted to distract XiangXiang from thinking about his uncle's death.
"What do you wanna grow?"
XiangXiang finally asked after he had been silent for a long time.
"sunflowers. In front of our veranda. It will be a nice view especially when we gather here and have tea..."
"Old geezer."
Said XiangXiang.
"What did you say. Old what..?"
JiaJia grabbed XiangXiang's head and pulled it to his chest.
"Only old geezer would do that... ahhh...let me go..."
XiangXiang smacked JiaJia hands that already wrapping his neck.
"Just answer yes or no"
JiaJia still strangled XiangXiang's neck.
"Okay. Okay."
XiangXiang gave up. Having a senior who was so pushy was really a headache. JiaJia let go of XiangXiang's neck. His face looked satisfied.
"When will we start?"
Ask XiangXiang start to show his interest.
"Hmmm...After our breakfast right here..."
Said JiaJia. He pat the table in front of them. He even rise his eye brow.
"Welcome to an old geezer world..."
JiaJia smile slyly.
"Urgh...annoying."
XiangXiang rubbed his forehead to his chin. Can't believe he has to eat his own words. His motherly senior is sometimes scary.
"Please move, it's hot"
XinXin comes with its special breakfast set. Toast with a sunnyside egg. JiaJia shifted a little more to make room for XinXin.
"Stop talking guys. Hurry up eat. The sun already rises. Its will be hot like hell if we're late."
Said XinXin as he look up to the sky.
"Hmm. Today we will make a flower bed around the verandah. I wanna grow some sunflowers here."
JiaJia said. He ate his sunnyside egg in just one bite. It was all gone.
"Hmm..Good idea. How about we also grow some hydrangea, rose, tulip..emmm. what else?"
XinXin bite his toast. Just one bite, his toast almost gone.
XiangXiang just watching silently both his senior talking about their hobby. They talked like they will stay there till their hair turn gray or getting bald.
"Hmmm...hmmm.. we also can grow some peach here. There. Over there is a perfect spot."
XinXin point the corner of their small garden.
"Are you intend to stay here forever?"
Ask XiangXiang. XinXin and JiaJia nodded. "Insane." XiangXiang looking at XinXin and JiaJia in a weird way. His face can't even hides it. But, at least he can forgot about his late uncle. About his pain. About his trauma. He was just a normal kid with an abnormal seniors here. Nothing else.
"You have to trust your brother about this. This whole house will be ours. Hahaha...."
JiaJia laugh arrogantly. XinXin also laugh. XiangXiang can't take it anymore. Both of his senior really beyond saved. He could only shake his head in disbelief.
Eight o'clock, the three of them struggling builds a flower bed beside the verandah. JiaJia also draw a blue print for their flower bed. Totally ambitious.
"Brother JiaJia. This rock is too heavy. I can't carry its"
XinXin and JiaJia look at XiangXiang who already exhausted near the watermelon size rock.
"Give it to us. Move aside."
JiaJia and XinXin tried to drags the rock. But it's just only moved an inch and both of them already lost all of their energy. The three of them sat exhausting near those watermelon rock. There more than ten rock, but lifting only one rock already make them half death.
"This is crazy.."
XinXin slapped JiaJia's butt. Started blaming all his friend's crazy ideas.
"YuanYuan!!!!"
Shouted XinXin. They need a strong helper.
"It's useless. He won't wake up just like that."
Said JiaJia.
"XiangXiang, you go and wake them all up to help us. Pinch their noses if they are still sleeping"
JiaJia pushes XiangXiang's butt to go wake up the others.
"But...what should I do if they are angry?"
XiangXiang start to make his puppy face.
"If they do, just tell me. I will punish them by carrying all this rocks around the house. Now go."
Said JiaJia bluntly. His face shown that he not even lie in his words. Totally mother like senior.
"Demon..." XiangXiang stand up and go to wake up his friends.
"YuanYuan...wake up. Brother JiaJia need your help."
XiangXiang shake YuanYuan who slept like a log. Not a single move from YuanYuan. XiangXiang turns to waking up Yaya.
"Yaya..."
Yaya move to give XiangXiang his back. "Haaa...." XiangXiang almost give up but he remember what JiaJia said. "Pinch their nose."
XiangXiang wanna pinch YuanYuan nose. But he still hesitated. He tried again but he couldn't dare.
"Let's me do it."
XiangXiang turns in shock. His soul almost jump out from his body. WenWen standing behind him. Closely. Only a few inches away from him. XiangXiang heart thumping like crazy. He swallowed his saliva. Trying his best to stay calm when WenWen beside him.
"Pinch Yaya nose if you wanna make it quick"
WenWen pinch Yaya nose as hard as he could. With Yaya he could do anything. He and Yaya already sworn brother after WenWen save Yaya from a crazy dog on the way home from school not long ago.
"Arghhhh... I can't breathe!!!"
Yaya scream as loud as he could. He sit like a robot yet still half asleep. He gaze at WenWen angrily. The other two also do the same. With Yaya high pitch scream, the entire universe will wakes up on the spot.
"Wake up guys. Brother JiaJia waiting for us on the yards. Better quick before he came."
Said WenWen while he slap all the three of them softly.
"Let's go."
WenWen push XiangXiang softly. XiangXiang just follow every WenWen word. Totally obedient.
"Are you okay?"
Asked WenWen while they walk together to the yard.
"Hmm..."
XiangXiang felt drowsy. He didn't sleep all night. He was scared to sleep even a wink. The nightmare about his uncle kept hunting him like a parasites.
Now, he felt warm and safe. And it made him start to feel drowsy. However, he didn't want to sleep alone.
At the verandah, XiangXiang sleep like a baby inside XinXin hammock while the others busying build their flower bed.
No body dared to utter a loud voice. Even the high-pitched prince could only swallow his scream when a cockroach climbed up his leg. The others only laughed at him in their stomachs as they rolled around on the ground.