Isra and Niran stared at one another. Isra shaking her head. Finally, she walked out of the party to get fresh air. She didn't want to hear anymore of their words.
"You two are in love enough to live together, you are practically married." yelled his grandpa.
"No, no, no, grandpa, we are not planning to get married. We-" said Niran.
"But why?...she's perfect for you Niran...you two will make beautiful children."
"Grandpa, stop this nonsense. Is that all you think about?!" yelled Niran.
"How dare you raise your voice at me?! Your retard father gave me only one grandson...I yearn for another grandchild."
"Well, that's not going to happen!"
Grandpa held onto his heart and pretended to have a difficult time breathing.
"Grandpa..."
"My only grandson.... won't give me a great grandchild! Everyone know that!! Thats all I ask for before I leave this world. I can...I can feel my heart shattering right now." he said so loudly that everyone around listened on.
Niran didn't think his grandpa would create such a scene. He knew his grandpa was only acting, he's tried this trick on him ever since he had his first girlfriend in high school. Niran played along with him.
"Lets take this outside please." said Niran as he led his "helpless" grandpa outside.
While outside, Isra was standing on the stairs as more people made their way up. She looks around to see if Dao would show up. Dao saw Isra first, she walked behind Isra. Dao had an evil look on her face.
"Isra?"
Isra turned around to find her sister.
"Dao! I'm so glad to see you!!"
Isra walked up to Dao. She couldn't be any happier.
"What are you doing here?" asked Dao. "You ran off with that Niran guy didn't you? I saw you with him the whole night"
"No."
"Oh stop lying. You two were lovers, you eloped with him didn't you?!"
"Don't accuse me of something I did not do. I have been through too much crap the past few weeks, don't you start too. I am taking you back."
"You came to take me back? But what's the need for that? I'm getting married. I'll be having my own family now"
Dao flashes her ring finger at Isra.
"I was never happy at that darn house with you and my parents. You all never cared for me."
Isra had enough of her words. She slapped Dao.
"Don't ever say that! Why are you the most heartless person!! You only see those outside, never the love we give you!"
"Really?!! You gave me love? Well, I don't want it! I don't want anything from you! When you ran away, I took that opportunity and ran away from mom and dad as well. By now, they probably stopped looking for me but you...they will never stop looking for you."
Isra had tears coming down her cheeks.
"...I never thought you'd think of such stupid things..."
"I'm not like you."
"I know, I should have never tried so hard to bring you all the happiness that you'll never notice. Whatever you say, you are coming home with me today! Now!"
Dao rolled her eyes.
"I was born to be with the wrong sister. I won't go back but you...you go back, tell mom and dad that I will be most happy if they forgot about me."
Dao left into the party while Isra watched her leave. Isra covered her face so no one would see her cry. Niran walked outside with his grandpa who was clinging onto Niran's arm and still holding onto his chest. They stopped when they came to Isra. Isra looked up at Niran with a face full of tears. Grandpa was surprised to see her crying, he stood up straight and breath normally again.
"My daughter-in-law...why are you crying?"
Isra looked at him then turned around to ran away from them. Niran watched her leave, he was clueless as to what happened. Grandpa smacks him on the back of his head.
"Owe! I thought you were sick just now. You're still strong enough to hit me?"
"Go after my daughter-in-law. Didn't you see she was crying?"
Isra ran off to the side of a river not far from the party. The moonlight was the only source of light. She held onto the cold bars that separated the river from the people. Isra cried her eyes out. Thinking about Dao and her parents.
"Mom, Dad...that promise...I don't want to give up on it...but Dao, she's making me lose faith in reuniting us all."
Niran found her after searching for a while. He walked up behind her and heard her cry. Isra turned around to look at him. She wiped her tears.
"Stars are bright and they don't cry. Its a shame to cry in front of them."
Niran walked up to her and stared into her crying eyes.
"What happened back there?"
"Dao, I met Dao."
"And..."said an anxious Niran.
"She's mad at me." said Isra in a sad tone. "Am I a bad sister?"
"...I wouldn't know."
"Well, she hates me."
"I don't think she means it."
"You don't know Dao....."
Isra turns her back to Niran and walked to the cold bars to stare out at the river.
"All these years, everything I did was for her. My parents had just the two of us...I loved my sister the most, still I feel like I don't love her enough...now, she won't even care about our parents too...what is she thinking?."
"Why give them love when all they do is ignore it?"
Niran walks to her side.
"Sounds to me like your sister doesn't deserve all that she gets from you. Your working hard for nothing."
"You wouldn't understand me...you're the only child right?"
"True. I wouldn't understand about loving a younger or older sibling....Thank God he only made me."
"Thats all you think about anyway, yourself."
"Well, of course, I put myself first."
"Thats why you have no love for others. Everyone doesn't like staying with you long because you think like that."
"Love...money......they are all the same...in the end you can't bring them with you."
"But you should at least have it in this lifetime."
"I stopped believing in such things ever since my father abandoned my mother. I wanted to earn money for myself so I ask none from my father...and girls, they come and go..."
"I might not know much about love either but I think it carries both pain and happiness. Thats something you should accept."
Niran looked at Isra as the moonlight hits her silk like face. She looked gorgeous he thought. Isra's stomach cried. She was hungry, at the party she didn't eat anything. Niran gave her a smile. Isra gave him a frown.
"There goes your stomach again. Lets go get something to eat."
They walked through the lively town once again until they found a good food stall along the the river side. They sat across from each other. The waiter takes their order.
"I want a bottle of beer please, for beverage." said Isra.
Niran looked at Isra all confused.
"Beer?"
"Yes...then...uh give me..."
She picked out her order from the menu.
"Thats all. Thank you." said Isra as she handed the menu back.
Niran gave the menu to the waiter.
"I'll just order whatever she is having."
They had their dinner. The time was around midnight and Isra had about five bottles of beer already. Niran was beginning to worry. Everyone around the stall disappeared for the night. They were the only customers left.
"You have enough yet?" asked Niran while Isra continued to drink.
Isra set her bottle down.
"No...I'm still awake...I don't know, to be a good sister or a bad sister? It seems like the bad one...Bad always wins, right?....I don't want to be good anymore."
"Your just saying that because your drunk now."
"I'm serious. And I am not drunk yet. I told you, I'm still awake."
"Being awake and drunk are two different things. You can't even tell them apart.
"You know....hey its chilly here..." shivered Isra.
"We are by the river."
Isra gave him a grin.
"What?"
"I know something thats warm...give me your hands...hurry."
Niran leaned over with his hands out. Isra took his hands and placed his palms on her rosy cheeks.
"My cheeks, their so warm, cool nah?" she smiled.
Her smile made her eyes squint.
"Ever tried kissing like this? With your hands on your girlfriend's cheeks like this?" she asked him.
Niran stared at her, speechless. Isra was trying to make out Niran's face as she stared into him.
"I was pretty close to doing that one day. You know?" she told him.
"You want to give it a try again?"
Isra nodded.
"My first kiss...will be stolen by you though."
Niran smiled at her words. She closed her eyes. He held onto her cheeks more tightly and came closer to her face until their lips touched. The warmth of their breath, the fullness of her lips against his. Their lips departed and he stared into her face. He wanted to kiss her again but thought this would be taking advantage of her since now she was so out of it. Niran looked at her closed eyes, her face between his hands.
"At the end of the night, something of yours was mine." whispered Niran, smiling.
Her first kiss belonged to him.