Chapter 6: Playing as a Girl.

After Five years.

....

"Is she outside?" Mei with hands on her hips questioned housekeeper Li. "And what about Ri?"

"Young Miss took him with her to play today."

Di was heading to her new friends she made recently, she was holding Ri with her hand and took him to introduce to this group of friends.

.....

Few girls were playing games in vacant space present nearby village with some people overseeing the safety of village children, the noble family paid spatial attention to their children's safety. They saw two children coming towards them, a girl with a small ponytail decorated with pink butterfly, pink shoes and a white attire, while other child was completely covered with black clothes and bandages. On bandages there were pink butterflies were drawn, and the shoes were matching pink with the girl.

A girl named Ning enthusiastically waved her hands and shouted, "Yayy, Di, here, we will start! You late!" The other girls also repeated, "You late, Run!"

"I brought one more to play with." Di pulled Ri forward.

The girls saw Ri with his attire, and said, "Ri will play with us?"

Di was now with full of proud and said, "He listens to me, only."

"So, Ri is a boy. He will leave us eventually." An eight-year-old girl, Leer, the leader of the group said, "They tease us and won't play with us." Leer pointed towards boys playing at some distance with wooden swords and balls of wool.

Di picked her nose and folded her hands said, "He doesn't speak, and do what I say and play, Humph."

"Really?" All girls shouted with excitement, now they had someone who can play troublesome characters in their games. Leer was still doubtful of Ri playing with them and not with his age group of boys.

"Stop, look she said he don't speak. How will he perform rolls?" Leer pointed to Ri.

Until now Ri was silent and now, he finally spoke through his mask, "I can speak, um…"

Di grabbed Leer's hand and with swinging sweetly said, "He don't speak properly like meee." She further said, "So, won't speak often."

"Won't he leave if he gets bored, like those other guys?" Leer seriously asked to Di and looked towards other girls.

The other girls thought like Leer, the boys didn't play with them and avoided playing with them, so they eagerly looked forward for Di's answer.

"He will listen to me, whatever I tell him to play, he will play." Di felt her all energy sucked out in those sentences. Then she made a pouting face with annoyance on her nose. "I said. He won't leave, he listens to me, he never says no to me."

All girls got excited, now they were able to dump all villainous characters in their play to the new member.

Leer was the eldest in the group, she had some questions regarding to Ri, she slowly grabbed away Di, while all other girls were making preparation for the play. They all were now looking for the things required for a play.

"What about his appearance? Is he okay? Can't he remove cloth around his face?" Leer vomited all the questions she had in her stomach.

"Ehm, ah, only grandpa and mother can remove them, I can't tell him to remove, I will be punished by mother if I remove that." Di's face turned fearful. "Other things are okay!"

"Eldest sister Leer, it's ready, come!" Leer looked at the group and waved at the shouting group and said, "Okay, then I will not oppose, let's play."

...…

The people who were oversensing the children had their eyes on Ri, but they saw him playing with girls and those eye-catching pink butterflies on his bandages with pink shoes same as that of Di. They all confirmed that he was a girl.

The boys playing nearby also assumed Ri to be a girl.

...…..

Leer came to the group of girls prepared to play, she ordered all the girls to come closer and form a circle. Di looked at Ri and signed him to come join the group. All were now having their small meeting.

"If you all want him to play with us every day don't tell others that he is a boy."

Ning curiously asked, "Why? Lying is not good!"

"Look, Ning, if you say to others that he is boy, then he will be teased for playing with us and he won't be coming back to play with us, right?" Leer explained.

All girls agreed as they earlier brought their brothers forcefully into this group to play and then the other boys teased their brothers, and they were then recruited by the group of boys.

Now all gazes were fixed on Di and Ri, then Leer said, "Will he be okay with this, to be in a girl's group?" she then hesitated and said, "We will call him "Sister Ri". Will he accept that?"

Di put her hands on her chest and said, "Hehe, he will accept." She looked at Ri smiling and swinging his hand, "You will accept it, right Ri?"

Ri looked at Di and nodded at her. He then turned toward Leer and said, "I am okay with this."

Di and other girls all burst into laughter and were happy. It was unbelievable for Leer that Ri agreed to being called girl. <Leer: Don't boys hate to be called girl or girlish? And he agreed this as Di requested him. Really, follows what says. If does she says it is quite convenient, my own brother won't listen me at extent.> She had a sly smile.

The group started playing and as a non-spoken agreement between the girls, Ri was going to be villainous character in their plays.

...…

"Where is Ri? I didn't find him inside." Ji Er was looking around the house and asked guard Li.

"Ri has gone with little miss to the playground, since morning both are there." Gurd Li with smile replied. 

"After they arrive, tell Di to bring Ri to my backyard." Ji was stroking his white beard with serious look.

Li lowered his head and nodded, then Ji Er returned to the backyard where he has planted new saps of various trees and flowers, it was his new hobby.

...…

It was noon already; Mei had her meeting with the managers of silk shops and returned from Rai city. She was wiping the sweat on her forehead repeatedly; the heat was rising. As she arrived at the gate, she at once ordered guard Li to bring children back to home. She muttered to herself, "This girl is sure going to get her skin blackened."

...….