Mai

The sunset on the horizon draped the sky in an orange hue. The birds navigated through the air, forming an intricate line woven from their unified effort. Their melodic song echoed into the distance while they flew.

The marketplace below, however, buzzed with energy. A cacophony of shouts, haggling and laughter filled the air, with faces searching different stores, filled with exotic fruits, glistening meat and handcrafted ware. The scent of grilling spices mingled with the sweet perfume of blooming flowers, creating a heady aroma.

Somewhere in between, an old woman stood, locked in a verbal duel with a nearby vendor. Her voice, though low, filled with the weight of countless experiences, tried to bargain with the man.

The tough-looking man, wearing an aura of defiance, refused the woman. His voice, deep and rumbling, drowned the plea of the woman as her voice, barely a whisper, bounced harmlessly off the wall of the man's defiance.

He crossed his arms, seemingly unperturbed by the woman as he stood his ground.

"Give me that in 20 ron," the woman said as she exuded the aura of an expert buyer.

The man hardening his gaze replied, "Take it for 30 ron… or nothing," his tone, resolute, giving no feeling of backing down.

"But everyone is selling at 23 ron. You are the only one selling at a higher price," the woman reasoned with a frown etched on her face.

"There's been a recent increase in the cost of my materials. I can't afford to sell it lower," the man said, his gaze scanning the familiar woman in front of him.

The woman was a regular who came to the man's store. Despite knowing his reputation, she had always come to buy his rich and fresh vegetables. However, the man was like a high-rise tower that didn't know how to yield.

"Look, give me for 26 and I'll buy... I am already paying you 3 more than the current price. Or… I'll be leaving right now," the woman declared, her gaze searching the man for any sign of approval.

The man with a heavy voice spoke, "Then, I hope you may find the same freshness and taste in other stores,"

Caught between the taste and the price, the woman found herself in a dilemma. A delicious war raged within the woman. Her gaze lingered on the vibrant display of vegetables, a symphony of colours promising culinary delights. But the memory of the man's price echoed in her mind. She searched her memories, desperately trying to recall another vendor who could match this quality, but each recollection ended in a frustrating dead end.

"Argh…" the woman gave out a low growl before accepting the man's condition.

"Fine, give me,"

The corner of the man's mouth turned into a victory smile as he started to pack the items. With expert precision, he packed all the items and gave them to the woman.

"Next time, it'll not be like this. I'll definitely leave and not buy from you," the woman proclaimed, her voice weak yet determined as she leaned forward to grab the grocery bag.

The man smirked, "I've lost count after hundredth, the number of times you said the same line,"

The gaze of the woman shined as anger flickered in her eyes before she left the store. The man waved his hand outside his store, showing his farewell gratitude before in a loud voice he shouted, "Come again,"

The woman navigated the terrain of the marketplace, each thud of her foot, brimming with anger as she cursed the man in her mind. However, another feeling enveloped her in its embrace as she thought about the taste she'd get to savour from the various dishes.

After exiting the busy market, her footsteps came to a halt after her gaze landed on a certain someone.

A figure materialised in her vision, a familiar figure, walking from the other side of the road. Her gaze locked onto the face of the figure as a gentle smile stretched across her face.

A young woman, seemingly in her late twenties, dressed in formal attire, was walking on the other side of the road. Her black dress accentuated her slender waist as her shadow danced on the pavement. Her hair like sun-kissed orange billowed behind her back. A phone was on her one hand, beside her ear, while a brown envelope was on the other. She gracefully passed through the roads as onlookers stared at her.

The old woman, seeing the woman, called out to her, "Mai! Mai!" her voice low and strained, struggling to get past the cacophony of noises surrounding her.

The young woman, engrossed in her phone call, barely registered the sound.

Then, a flicker of movement across the street snagged her attention as she glanced at the other side of the road, only to find someone unexpected. Her eyes widened as a wave of joy washed over her, reflected in her wide smile that stretched across her face.

"I found your mother," she enthusiastically said, her voice brimming with gentle tenderness, into her phone.

However, a voice echoed through her phone "WHAT?"

Mai hurriedly crossed the roads, each step echoed with the warmth spreading across her chest as she reached the old woman.

"How are you, aunty?" Mai inquired in a voice laced with concern, her gaze scanning the old woman's face, searching for any signs of fatigue or illness.

"Getting old as always… after my son rarely comes home to check up on me. You tell me, how have you been, dear?" The old woman replied.

"I am doing good… but I'm sorry to hear that Taijou rarely shows up at home. I should knock some sense into him or make him quit his work. He should focus on you more than any work," Mai apologetically said while her voice took a sharper edge in between as she cursed the man in her mind.

The old woman, sensing the familiarity between the younger version of Mai and her current self, curved her lips into a gentle smile as she added something in her mind.

'Still the Mai I know'

She knew that Mai was the childhood friend of her son. They both went to the same junior high school up till high school and always studied and played together. But her son always prioritised his work rather than his family which made his mother mad at him. But, Mai always came to apologise in his place. She always took care of Taijou in his mother's place.

Mai's gaze rested on the old woman's face before she added, "In fact, I was talking with him on the phone while I was going to his office but–,"

"Is he still listening? I'd like to have a word with him," the old woman asked as her voice dripped with unspoken rage beneath the cold smile on her face.

Mai, sensing the cold detachment in the old woman's voice, flinched. She knew how angry Taijou's mother had always got when he did not come home for several days.

"I-I guess he is," she croaked as her gaze fell upon her phone in her hand.

She stepped forward with an air of nervousness as she handed over her phone.

"Wait! Wait! Mai!" the voice inside the phone shouted, a desperate plea to stop the surging footsteps.

However, before his words reached Mai, a voice echoed in the tense atmosphere.

"Hello, son, how are you doing?" the old woman spoke, her voice laced with the unspoken fury of countless days as her gaze shined, imagining the man behind the phone.