Like a typical morning, the girl carried a tin bowl filled with dirty dish-washing water and after stepping a few feet away from her home, she threw the water onto the dirt ground. But this morning, as the last water drop left the tin basin, she realized that the sound of water hitting the ground sounded different. She turned to look and saw that she did not splash water onto the ground but on a person instead—a slender and tall young man whom she had never seen in the course of her life. She gasped and tried hard to put on a smile. “I’m so sorry, brother. I didn’t see you. I didn’t mean to splash water onto you,” she said apologetically.
“YOU!” the young man shouted furiously as he wiped water away from his eyes. However, before he found his next word, he was awe-struck by the beauty of the young maiden.
While the young man stared at the girl and was lost in his fantasy, the girl too gazed at him. She noticed that he possessed pale skin, well built facial features that constructed a handsome face, and short black hair that were combed neatly so that each hair strand curved into a half-crescent moon-shaped. Unlike her who was still dressed in traditional garments, his attire was very much like the middle class Hmong family that her mother came from. He wore a clean white dress-shirt and a pair of black trousers. His right shoulder carried a black duffel bag while his left hand held tightly onto a white plastic bag that perhaps, contained his lunch.
When the young man began to smile oddly at her, the girl took her right hand and waved it in front of his face. But, he did not blink nor saw her hand. “Brother, brother!” she called. Still, the young man continued on smiling. “BROTHER!” The girl shouted, snapping the young man out of his daydream.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
“Yes, I’m alright,” he answered embarrassingly.
“I’m sorry to have splashed water on you. I really didn’t see you earlier.”
“It’s alright. I’m glad you splashed water at me.”
“What?”
“Oh…nothing! My name is Koob Hmoov Tsheej. May I know your name, sister?”
“Your name is very nice. Mine is not beautiful. It is not worth mentioning.”
“Someone so beautiful like a freshly bloomed blossom during a gleaming morning hour, how can you not have a name worth mentioning? Knowing your beautiful name will make my heart flutter even more,” he said with a smile mesmerized by her.
The girl nodded. “Brother, do you think it is worthwhile to use a person’s external beauty to judge the extent of their character and to lose your heart to that person so quickly without knowing their inside beauty?”
The young man chuckled. “I don’t see why not. The elders often say that a beautiful maiden is worth going to war for. And seeing how beautiful you are, I wouldn’t mind going to war to get a chance to be with you,” he answered banally.
“Really?” she remarked with a smile that showed annoyance. “Wait here for me. I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”
The young lady hastily walked inside her house and came out with another basin of water.
“What is this?” Koob Hmoov asked perplexedly.
Without answering, the girl transferred all her energy onto the basin and flung the basin of water at the young man. He was bathed from head to toe. “I hate men who only like me because they think I’m pretty! And this time, I’m not sorry for splashing water at you either! You deserved it!” the girl exclaimed angrily. She then dashed inside her house.
“Wait!” Koob Hmoov yelled after. “What’s the meaning of this? At least tell me your name!”
The girl did not care and she was gone. Irritated by being drenched, Koob Hmoov heatedly wiped the water off his face and clothes. He then repositioned the duffel bag on his right shoulder and was about to walk away when a young lad of about 15 jumped out and began to laugh mockingly at him. “What’s so funny?” Koob Hmoov asked in a serious and irritated tone.
“You are so pathetic!” he replied and laughed on. The boy was not yet as tall as Koob Hmoov but he had a mature and attractive face. His hair was pitch dark and short, and he too wore a traditional outfit for white Hmong men: a plain black shirt and pant, and a red sash waistband.
“You! Stop laughing at me!” Koob Hmoov demanded.
The young lad disregarded Koob Hmoov’s remark and continued to express his joy loudly and scornfully.
“If you don’t stop laughing, I…I will...” Koob Hmoov said and looked at the ground for rocks. He then picked up a few. “I will throw these rocks at you right now!”
“Alright…alright…don’t get angry, friend,” said the lad.
“Who’s your friend?”
“You, of course,” the lad answered and wrapped his right arm around Koob Hmoov’s shoulder.
“Since when have I become your friend?” Koob Hmoov questioned and took the lad’s arm off his shoulder.
“As of right now,” the boy responded and rewrapped his arm around Koob Hmoov’s shoulder.
“And why would I befriend someone like you?” Koob Hmoov asked annoyingly, removing the boy’s arm once more.
“Because I can tell that you really like the girl earlier. Am I right?”
“So what?”
“So…you don’t wish that she becomes your girlfriend?”
Koob Hmoov stared at the lad, knowing that he guiltily desired that so he nodded timidly.
“Well, you’ve found the right person, my friend. I am the only person who can help you win her heart.”
“Really?” Koob Hmoov answered joyfully. But he soon became suspicious. “Who are you and why are you so confident?”
“The name’s Pheej Yaj and I am...well, I’m a boy who lives in this village so I know everything and everyone.”
“How much are you demanding for this job?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Koob Hmoov questioned and chuckled. “No one helps another purely because they want to. Tell me your price?”
“I really mean it. Nothing. If you are not satisfied, let’s just say that I’m doing it to receive good fortune.”
“Fortune?” Koob Hmoov said and thought for a second. He then decided to go along. “So, tell me about her and what your plan is?”
“Her surname is Yaj. Aren’t you lucky?” Pheej remarked and padded Koob Hmoov on the shoulder. “Her name is Kaus Zuag, and as you have seen, she is beautiful and swift like a hummingbird—the desire and dream of many young men. Unfortunately, no one has been able to capture her heart.”
“So how am I going to be different?”
“You, my friend, don’t need to worry about it. I’ll prepare everything for you and you just need to follow along. Do we have a deal?” Pheej asked and extended his right hand out.
“Deal!” Koob Hmoov answered, and locked his right hand with Pheej’s right hand to seal a promise.
***
Twilight befell the mountains—dropping the day’s temperature and creating cool breezes that swirled through the village. Twinkling stars appeared with the disappearance of the sun, and cicada chirps echoed in the nearby forest. A blazing fire lit brilliantly inside the thatched home—giving light to Kaus Zuag as she prepared rice inside a pot on a tripod. Once she finished preparing the meal, she set the food onto a small dining bamboo table.
“Yawg…Yawg, come eat rice!” Kaus Zuag called.
“Okay, granddaughter,” Yawg replied, lying on a bamboo-mattress bed. He pulled a thin striped-blanket to the side, got off the bamboo-mattress bed, and came to sit on a small wooden stool next to the dining table. “Where is Pheej?”
“I don’t know, Yawg. Maybe he is still out catching game birds in the forest.”
Just then, the front door creaked opened and a young lad stepped inside. “I’m home Yawg! I’m home Kaus Zuag!” the lad called as he laid his gun against the house wall.
“Pheej, where have you been all day?” Kaus Zuag asked. “Don’t you know that Yawg and I are worried?”
“I know. But it’s so boring staying home. I was just wondering and exploring the forest,” Pheej answered. “Look, I caught some birds, Kaus Zuag!” The boy said excitedly and presented a stick of three dead birds to his sister.
“Next time, return before dark,” Kaus Zuag remarked as she accepted the birds from her brother and put the birds inside a bowl on the kitchen counter.
“Listen to your older sister, grandson. She’s only trying to help you grow up to become a good man like your late father,” Yawg commented.
“Yes…Yawg. I will try not to wonder off too much next time.”
“Alright, let’s not say anything more. Come children…let’s eat before the food turns cold.”
***
The next morning before even a single sun ray was detected, Koob Hmoov heard loud bangs and calls from his front door. But feely deeply drowsy, Koob Hmoov ignored the clatter and fell right back into his dream. It was not until the noise became unbearable and irritating to his ears that he woke up and slowly got off bed. With both eyes closed and still half-asleep, he gradually walked toward the front door—bumping into furniture as he moved along. When he approached the door, he untied a wire string and popped open the door. He yawned and tried hard to open his eyes. As he did so, he saw a person standing at the door who looked a lot like the lad who befriended him the day before. “What are you doing here so early in the morning?” Koob Hmoov asked tiredly. “The sun isn’t even up yet?”
“Why are you not awake yet at this hour? I’m here to tell you about the first step to winning Kaus Zuag’s heart. Aren’t you interested in that?” Pheej asked.
“Oh, really?” Koob Hmoov answered excitedly, his sleepiness suddenly vanished away. “Wait here a minute while I wash up and dress.”
Koob Hmoov frantically zoomed through the house, washed his face, and got dressed. “Okay, I’m ready,” he said with a bright smile a few minutes later. “Where do we start?”
“Okay, here’s what we’ll do,” Pheej told as he put his left arm around Koob Hmoov’s shoulder. He lowered both of their heads and whispered into Koob Hmoov’s right ear. “Every morning after the roosters’ crow, Kaus Zuag will go to fetch water from the stream in the woods. This morning is no exception. We’ll follow closely behind her. When there is a chance, I will snatch her water buckets away. You will then show up and offer your water buckets to her. After filling the buckets with water, you can impress her by helping her carry the water buckets back. With this plan, you will definitely look like a dashing hero and win her heart. Got it?”
“Sounds good to me,” Koob Hmoov answered smilingly, his heart raced at the thought of getting to meet the maiden again.
Author: TT Vang
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