Fheniz marched toward the man playing the atrocious flute tune, irritation written all over his young face. The way the man played, every note felt like an assault on the peaceful atmosphere Fheniz had sought. As he got closer, the man's way of holding himself, the roughness in his posture, even the audacity of playing such a cacophony—everything seemed oddly familiar.
"Wha'cha problem?!" the man barked without even looking up, his voice carrying a tone that could only belong to one person.
Fheniz stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing. "Uncle Burohagi?!" he exclaimed, disbelief and annoyance coloring his voice.
"HUH? WHO'S YA?" Burohagikun retorted, finally lifting his head. His expression was one of mild surprise, though it quickly morphed into a scowl as if he'd just woken up from a deep, unpleasant dream.
"YOU DON'T REMEMBER?! IT'S FHENIZ!" the boy shouted back, frustration bubbling over.
"Fheniz?" Burohagikun squinted, his face crinkling in thought. Suddenly, recognition dawned on him. "AHHHH, YEAH! YEAH! WRINGS THE WINGS! Wing-bing-ting-sing-ding-zing-ping-ring!" he sang out, his voice booming across the field.
"IT'S FHENIZ WRINGS WITH A 'W' YOU STUPID PUBIC HAIR BEARD MAN!" Fheniz shot back, his voice a mix of exasperation and amusement.
"HUH?! WHOM YA CALL PUBIC HAIR BEARD?!! SON OF A BRAT!" Burohagikun roared, his thick beard bristling as he leaped to his feet, trying to look menacing but failing miserably.
Fheniz couldn't help but laugh. "And sighs… you still didn't change your weird laugh, huh?"
"Nothing wrong with my laugh! If I laugh like others, I don't stand out. I ain't no normie, get that in ya brains, brat!" Burohagikun snapped, his face turning red.
"You are no normie. I agree with that. You are just abnormal," Fheniz replied, grinning mischievously.
"ABNORMAL?! I'MMA KICK YA ASS WITH THE SHOES I MADE MYSELF!" Burohagikun shouted, lifting his left leg and pointing to his oddly crafted shoes with a dramatic flair.
Fheniz blinked, genuinely surprised. "You made those yourself?"
"Got a problem?" Burohagikun challenged, puffing out his chest.
"No, no, these are amazing! Good for the first try at least," Fheniz replied, barely holding back laughter.
"It's no first try, I made many, and many," Burohagikun boasted, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of self-doubt.
"Ohhhhh, I see, then they're pretty bad, honestly," Fheniz said, leaning in with a cheeky grin.
"HUH??!! I'LL MAKE YOU RUN LIKE A RAT AHEAD A CAT, YA STINKING BRAT!" Burohagikun bellowed, flailing his arms wildly.
"THE SMELL YOU TALKING ABOUT IS COMING FROM YOU ITSELF!! YOU BAKAYARO SINCE BIRTH!" Fheniz shot back, taking a step forward, his fists clenched but a smirk on his lips.
"AHHH MAN, WHAT A RASCAL, WRETCH AND A WHIPPERSNAPPER! SPOILT MY PEACE!" Burohagikun groaned, dramatically throwing his hands into the air.
"HUH??!! WHAT A HYPOCRITE!! IT'S YOU WHO SPOILT MY PEACE!" Fheniz retorted, crossing his arms and glaring at Burohagikun.
"Ya got peace? Didn't look like it!" Burohagikun shot back, a smug smile spreading across his face.
"More peace than listening to that disaster you'd call music!" Fheniz countered, rolling his eyes.
Burohagikun laughed loudly, his odd, sing-song laugh echoing across the hills. "Wing-bing-ting-sing-ding-zing-ping-ring! Ain't my music better than the silence?"
"Only if better means worse!" Fheniz grinned, ready for more verbal sparring.
"Bah! Kids these days got no taste," Burohagikun scoffed, though he couldn't hide the twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
"You got no sense of what's good and what's not, old man," Fheniz quipped, shaking his head.
"Good, bad, who cares? As long as it's loud!" Burohagikun shrugged, as if that settled the matter.
"Loud doesn't mean good, geez-geezer!" Fheniz protested, waving his arms for emphasis.
"Loud means you can't ignore it! And that's all that matters!" Burohagikun argued back, pointing a finger at Fheniz.
"Well, you got that part right. No one could ignore the horror you're making!" Fheniz replied, grinning.
"Brat's got a mouth, huh? Good thing I'm not deaf yet!" Burohagikun laughed, genuinely enjoying the back-and-forth.
"You might be soon if you keep listening to your own playing," Fheniz teased, unable to resist another jab.
"HA! Then I won't have to listen to you yap on!" Burohagikun fired back, a broad grin on his face.
"Oh, you wish! I'd just write down everything and shove it in your face!" Fheniz shot back, smirking.
"I'd set it on fire before reading!" Burohagikun retorted, laughing loudly.
"I'd write it in flames then!" Fheniz countered, raising an eyebrow challengingly.
"Flaming words, eh? Now ya're talking! Wing-bing-ting-sing-ding-zing-ping-ring!" Burohagikun laughed, clearly enjoying the imagery.
"You're impossible!" Fheniz declared, throwing up his hands in mock despair.
"And proud of it!" Burohagikun shot back, puffing out his chest.
Eventually, their heated exchange began to lose steam, both of them starting to feel the effects of their intense verbal battle. They finally dropped onto the soft grass, sitting beside each other in silence, breathing heavily, but with smiles on their faces.
As they gazed at the spectacular view of the upside-down mountains and the countless rainbows stretching across the sky, a peaceful quiet settled between them. It was as if the world had paused, allowing them a brief respite from the chaos of daily life.
"Sighs, but what brings you here today, Uncle Burohagi?" Fheniz asked, his tone now much calmer, the irritation from before replaced with genuine curiosity.
Burohagikun reached into his jacket, pulling out his trusty smoking pipe. He filled it with the dried petals of some mysterious, potent flower and lit it up, taking a deep, satisfied puff. The scent of the smoke was sweet yet heady, filling the air around them with an almost hypnotic aroma.
"Nothing much, ya know kid! There ain't no way ya believe why I came here," Burohagikun replied, blowing out a thick plume of smoke that curled up toward the sky.
"What is it?" Fheniz asked, tilting his head, genuinely intrigued.
"The town's yap," Burohagikun replied with a shrug, as if that explained everything.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Fheniz asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"I was tired of the same boring shit happening every day, everywhere I went, everyone talking about that dead king and that country he ruled," Burohagikun said, his voice tinged with disdain as he took another puff from his pipe.
Fheniz's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey! Hey! Me too!!"
"Huh?" Burohagikun glanced at the boy, raising an eyebrow.
"I too was bored with all the yap about the Yahunyens!" Fheniz exclaimed, relief flooding his voice as he found a kindred spirit in his frustration.
"You too, huh?" Burohagikun mused, blowing another cloud of smoke.
"Yes! I first got to know all about this when I went to deliver the newspaper to Uncle Palket's house. He told me everything," Fheniz explained, his voice carrying a mix of irritation and understanding.
"I see," Burohagikun said, nodding slowly as if piecing together a puzzle.
"He told me that the Yahunyens in history were nothing but oppressors and tyrants who have only caused the world to go through great sufferings. And here people are glorifying that. Uncle Palket told me that every country, including Gerwanis, fought and never gave up to free their lands, yet the Yahunyens still rule the country of Mackenas. He told me, 'It's up to each generation to fight against such injustices. There are good people out there, people who stand up against tyranny and oppression.'"
"Tsk, cliché," Burohagikun scoffed, his expression turning sour.
"Huh? What do you mean cliché?" Fheniz asked, confusion washing over him.
"Majority of the things we know now," Burohagikun replied with a shrug, as if dismissing it all as common knowledge.
"I didn't get that yet," Fheniz admitted, his expression puzzled.
"Learn to fight, learn to be brave, find your goal, never give up, good and bad, the world is only filled with pain and suffering, the world is this, the world is that, blah blah blah," Burohagikun droned, waving his hand dismissively.
Fheniz looked at him, still puzzled. "Okay?"
"First of all, I ain't no man who likes history. Second… majority of the wisdom ya hear is nothing but words passed on for thousands of years. A common man just forgets to wonder that if they've been passed on for so long, they should be common sense by now, not something to be used for motivation. I agree none of them are wrong, and they should be passed on to kids like ya, but maybe, just once is enough. People are going to keep repeating the same words whenever ya feel demotivated in life. But honestly, it's just common sense. It ain't the fault of the people, it's ya's if ya'd feel demotivated. Common sense to be understood by a common man; the biggest motivation ya have in ya life is... ya life, more than enough motivation. Ya don't need quotes then. If ya need quotes, then here's one: 'Make ya own quote.' That's mah quote. Rest is common sense. If someone as young as ya can get what am saying, then the rest is common sense ya know," Burohagikun explained, his tone carrying a rough wisdom that seemed to come from a place of deep experience.
Fheniz listened intently, absorbing every word. "But don't you too forget to wonder about things that are common sense? Something that you needed to wonder about?"
Burohagikun smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Well, I too am a common man, ain't I? But I ain't no normie with normie thoughts," he continued, taking another drag from his pipe.
"I see, I see," Fheniz replied, nodding slowly, his mind racing as he tried to grasp the deeper meaning behind Burohagikun's words.
"Well, that's my ideology. Others can think whatever they want to," Burohagikun added with a shrug, as if to say he couldn't care less about what others thought.
"It ain't half bad," Fheniz mused, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"By the way, who's this Uncle Palket?" Burohagikun asked, his tone shifting back to curiosity.
"Another friend of mine like you," Fheniz replied, his voice softening as he spoke of the kind old man.
"Ya only got uncles as ya friends? Wing-bing-ting-sing-ding-zing-ping-ring!" Burohagikun teased, his odd laugh echoing through the hills.
Fheniz's smile faded slightly, his expression turning a little sad. "No, it's not like that."
"Then?" Burohagikun pressed, his tone becoming more serious.
"Actually, people keep their kids away from me and they don't allow me onto their lands. You know, where they grow flowers, fruits, and other plants," Fheniz explained, his voice tinged with sadness.
Burohagikun's expression darkened slightly. "Hmm. Why though?"
Fheniz took a deep breath, his eyes clouding over as he recalled painful memories. "It's a long story, but there's this common belief… People think that those who don't know their origins, like me, are curses. They believe we're hated by the Gods because we don't know who our parents are, have no relatives, and are possibly illegitimate children. That's why people call me Wrings… I chose that name for myself. Only a few know that I don't have parents, and that's why I never disclose it. I fear being discriminated against… If everyone knows, I might not even be able to sell newspapers or fix radios anymore. You know, those are the two things I earn from."
Fheniz paused, his voice trembling slightly as he continued, "They believe that if someone like me crosses their lands, it might anger the Gods, and the crops might die, ruining the hard work of the people. If any parents allow their kids to be friends with me, they think I might leave a curse that spoils the crops. And those crops… They're what run the economy of the country, and not just economy, they run billions of families. That's why not just in Venlores, but everywhere in Gerwanis, this practice is common."
Burohagikun listened in silence, his face growing more serious with each word. "That's… absolute nonsense," he muttered under his breath, anger simmering just beneath the surface.
"Yeah, but that's how it is," Fheniz replied with a shrug, though the pain in his eyes was clear.
"Where do ya live then?" Burohagikun asked, his voice softening.
"I stay near a barren land where no crops can grow. It's the only place where no one will come and ask me to leave," Fheniz explained, his voice flat and resigned.
Burohagikun's grip on his pipe tightened, his knuckles turning white. "That's just… wrong."
Fheniz nodded, his expression distant. "But one day… Mr. Palket saw me being mistreated by people. It was raining heavily, and I was only five years old… I was in a town far from here, a place I never go to anymore. I was pushed by a couple who knew I had no known origin, and I got hurt on my leg."
Fheniz's voice trembled as he recalled the painful memory. "That day… Mr. Palket offered me a hand and shelter under his umbrella. He had come to see the crops of an old friend in that town, but when he saw me… He helped me. He asked me what I was doing there and what had happened. I thought… I thought he would leave me too, like everyone else, but I told him the truth about everything."
Burohagikun remained silent, his gaze fixed on Fheniz, waiting for him to continue.
"Instead of leaving me alone for dead… He said, 'This is absolutely wrong! There's no such thing. Being a farmer for years, I very well know that crops die because of the irresponsibility of the farmer or some natural disaster, but not because the Gods are angry with a poor child.'"
A small, sad smile appeared on Fheniz's face as he continued. "For the first time… I felt a sense of relief. He brought me to this part of Venlores and gave me a place to stay. A small house made of stone, built on barren land where no one would disturb me. It's Mr. Palket's own property. People said he was a fool to invest in that land because only fertile lands are considered profitable properties in the country. But he didn't take it for growing crops. He took it for building a new home, because the view of the sea from there is even more fascinating than his current house."
Burohagikun took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that threatened to boil over. "That old man's got more sense than the whole damn town!"
Fheniz nodded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "He's… He's the only one who's ever been kind to me."
"Ya deserve better than this, kid," Burohagikun muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "People are idiots. Superstitions and nonsense—none of it means anything."
"Yeah," Fheniz replied, his voice small but filled with a quiet strength. "But it's not all bad… I have a place to stay, and I have you and Uncle Palket."
Burohagikun reached out and ruffled Fheniz's hair, his rough hand surprisingly gentle. "Damn right ya do. And don't let anyone tell ya otherwise."
Fheniz smiled, a genuine, warm smile that reached his eyes. "Thanks, Uncle Burohagi."
"Bah, don't get all sappy on me, brat," Burohagikun grumbled, though his eyes softened as he spoke.
They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the peaceful view of the mountains and rainbows. Despite the hardships and the pain, there was a quiet strength in their bond, a sense of belonging that neither of them had found anywhere else.
"Wing-bing-ting-sing-ding-zing-ping-ring," Burohagikun sang softly, his odd laugh echoing through the hills once more.
Fheniz chuckled, leaning back on the grass and looking up at the sky. "Life's strange, huh?"
"Strange and beautiful, and that's why the biggest motivation ya have in ya life is... ya life." Burohagikun replied, taking another drag from his pipe.
"Yeah… my life," Fheniz murmured, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of the sun wash over him.
And in that moment, sitting side by side, they found a sense of peace that neither of them had known they were searching for.
Fheniz and Burohagikun spent the entire day lounging in the serene fields, talking about everything and nothing, their conversation flowing like the gentle breeze that rustled the grass around them. Fheniz, who had always been a curious soul, found himself staring up at the vast expanse of the sky, his mind wandering. As the sun dropped, a question rose.
He turned to Burohagikun, who was lazily puffing on his pipe, and asked a question that had been nagging at him for a while. "Uncle Burohagi, do you call me 'Wrings the Wings' just for teasing purposes, or do you have any other meaning behind it?"
Burohagikun glanced at Fheniz, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "Interesting question ya got. Well, both actually."
"So, then what is it?" Fheniz pressed, intrigued.
Burohagikun took a long drag from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of sweet-smelling smoke before he replied. "I don't call ya 'Wrings the Wings' just because the word 'wings' rhymes with ya self-chosen surname or just to tease ya. Nah, when ya said, 'it'll seem like I'm even above something that has no end,' I remember that clear as day, when ya first came to my shop. Ya are a person who would want to rise above such a thing that has no end at all—like this sky, beyond the sky, beyond the cosmos. The word 'wings' is a term to define that rising. And I believe ya are such a person who'd help others rise alongside ya, because ya are their 'Wings,' and so I call ya 'Wrings the Wings.'"
Fheniz's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow. I never wondered too much about that. But coincidentally, I like the cosmos, and you're right. I want to go beyond the sky to find how the stars came to be, what secrets are out there. One reason might be the Gods, but even the Gods would have a source of their existence. I wanna know what that is."
Burohagikun nodded, a knowing smile on his lips. "Quite a dream ya got there."
"Thanks," Fheniz replied, feeling a sense of pride swelling in his chest.
"And this is how everything is connected to everything," Burohagikun added, his tone cryptic.
Fheniz blinked, momentarily confused. "What ya mean? Hey, wait, I started speaking like you, hahahaha," he laughed, realizing he had picked up Burohagikun's speech pattern.
Burohagikun chuckled along with him. "Even infinity has an end, so this sky has an end where you want to reach to—that's ya dream. And remember what I told ya?"
"What?" Fheniz asked, leaning in, curiosity etched on his face.
"BRAT, DON'T YA REMEMBER?! SERIOUSLY?!" Burohagikun bellowed, feigning exasperation.
"Whoa, sorry for not remembering, but ya—uh, I mean, you spoke a lot, and it's been a long time since that day," Fheniz stammered, a sheepish grin on his face.
"HUH?! SIGHS," Burohagikun exaggerated his sigh, shaking his head. "In simple words, ya want to reach the end of the sky, which is infinity, that's ya dream. So, even if infinity has an end, what's the one thing that doesn't have an end?"
"What?" Fheniz asked, leaning in closer, intrigued.
"SIGHS. People's dreams," Burohagikun replied, his voice carrying a weight of wisdom.
"Oh yeah! Correct! Now I remember. So, the sky has an end, but not my dream. But reaching the end of the sky is my dream. It means I can keep going beyond the goals!" Fheniz exclaimed, his eyes shining with newfound realization.
"Correct are ya! But for now, ya going home, not beyond goals," Burohagikun teased, a sly grin on his face.
"Ugh, you ruined my dream," Fheniz groaned, flopping back onto the grass in mock despair.
"Huh?! Ya have ya dream even now. Ya didn't even start... How can I ruin it?!" Burohagikun retorted, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"Not that dream! The dream I was imagining right now, after I find what is at the end of the sky. You ruined it by saying, 'now ya going home,'" Fheniz pouted, crossing his arms like a child denied his favorite toy.
"Ya were daydreaming, aye? Wing-bing-ting-sing-ding-zing-ping-ring!" Burohagikun laughed, his voice echoing across the hills.
"Well, it's almost night though. You're right. I need to go home because my home is far away from here, and I have come walking," Fheniz admitted, sitting up and looking at the darkening sky.
"No worries. I'll drop ya on mah donkey," Burohagikun offered, his voice casual as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
"Whaaat?! On ya—I mean, your donkey?!" Fheniz exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yeah?! Why not?! It has a cart at the back. I call it the 'Ass-Kart'! Wing-bing-ting-sing-ding-zing-ping-ring!" Burohagikun announced proudly, his grin stretching from ear to ear.
Fheniz let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, that way. Sure, thanks."
"No need for that, kid. I'll see ya home too," Burohagikun said, clapping a hand on Fheniz's shoulder.
"Sure! Sure! Though it's messed up," Fheniz replied, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"I never expected it to be clean either! Wing-bing-ting-sing-ding-zing-ping-ring!" Burohagikun laughed, his laughter contagious.
With that, they both stood up, brushing off the grass from their clothes. The sun had almost completely set, the sky now a deep indigo dotted with the first stars of the night. They walked together toward where Burohagikun had tied his donkey to a tree.
As they reached the spot, Fheniz looked at the old man beside him and couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude. Burohagikun might be rough around the edges, with a strange way of speaking and an even stranger laugh, but he was also someone who saw the potential in Fheniz, someone who gave him a sense of belonging in a world that often felt hostile.
They climbed onto the cart, the old donkey giving a soft bray in protest before starting its slow, steady walk back toward the town. The cart creaked as it moved, the wheels turning over the uneven ground, but to Fheniz, it was the sound of home.
As they traveled, the conversation picked up again, filled with more banter, jokes, and the occasional profound insight that Burohagikun would throw in without warning. Fheniz soaked it all up, feeling the warmth of the moment settle deep within him.
Finally, as they approached Fheniz's little stone house on the barren land, Burohagikun slowed the donkey to a stop. "Here we are, kid. Safe and sound," he said, clapping Fheniz on the back.
"Thanks, Uncle Burohagi. For everything," Fheniz replied, his voice sincere.
"Bah, don't get all mushy on me now. Go on, get inside. And remember, ya are wings, kid. Use yaself," Burohagikun said, a soft smile on his face.
Fheniz nodded, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I will."
With a final wave, Fheniz hopped off the cart and jogged up to his house, the door creaking as he pushed it open. He turned back once more to see Burohagikun waving at him before the old man urged the donkey onward, the cart creaking as it slowly disappeared into the night.
As Fheniz stepped inside, he couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions—gratitude, hope, and an odd sense of fulfillment. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.
The night was silent, the only sound being the faint rustle of the wind outside. Fheniz sat on his small bed, staring out the window at the vast sky filled with stars. He was feeling determined and encouraged by his own life.
He lay back, closing his eyes, a smile on his lips as he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the cosmos and the endless possibilities that awaited him.