Page 10 of Orange Town
I asked him excitedly, “Can this vehicle fly?”
He looked at me with some pity in his eyes. Then he sighed and shook his head. “Grab onto your seats.”
He pushed a button, then a metal protruded from the sides of my seat like a seatbelt but only on my lower part. Though it looked metal, it was soft against my stomach. This felt like a carnival ride.
I felt the drag when we moved forward from zero to what felt like 300 miles per hour in the blink of an eye. Scarier than a carnival ride, for sure. It felt like we’ll be lifting off to space!
I was screaming at the top of my voice. After some time, I heard Roqs laughing his ass off beside me.
I calmed myself, breathing huge gulps of breath. The surrounding air, I'm surprised to find, is breathable. Around us, everything is a blur. Long lines of different hues of orange. Like I’m in a time space warp on a spaceship. These people had technology but I don’t understand why everything is almost backwards? The houses, the way of living, even this junk of a metal. I would imagine that things will be more advanced. More technologically advanced with all the comforts of home. Yet, people are taking baths drawn up by other people. I took a shower in the river! The same way Zirc does. The toilet is purely to relieve oneself. That one I’m grateful for because there was a toilet bowl. So at least, you know, when they poop, they don’t do it in their other form or just go to the bushes.
I wanted to laugh but I’m irked by the man beside me.
“Are you finished now?,” I shouted.
He brought his laughter to chuckles. “You never cease to amaze me. No wonder Zirc held onto you.” He was about to add something but stopped. And just shook his head again. I wanted to tell him it’s okay. I drew people to me to tell their stories and life problems. They said I emit a kind of aura that people find soothing. In no time, they confide in me. That’s why most of my ex’s end up as friends. I’m the perfect friend to any man I meet.
“Ah, little one,” he dropped his head comically to his console. I noticed he doesn’t have a seat belt. In fact, at the current speed we’re at, you can safely move around. Nothing is jarring. It’s smoother than an airplane ride. Maybe the belt is only for beginners because the jarring sensation, like you left your soul at the starting point, only happened at the start.
“I worry about the environment you grew up in.” He was fiddling again on the gauges in front of him. When he looked at me, he was not concerned about looking straight ahead. He even tilted his body towards me, his right knee bent a little. The seats are actually spacious, complete with leather cover and a tinge of fur. You won’t notice it unless you see it up close. It’s all midnight black. The fur is greyish. Once I saw the fur, I couldn't unsee it.
“What kind of technology does your planet have? Do you not know how to take a shower? And drinking water from a well instead of drinking it from a faucet. Is Zirc living a nomad life again? Like a primitive?” I can see from his eyes that he has many questions in his eyes. And he is trying to control himself.
First things first. “You have showers?” I shouted into his face. “Zirc just dumped me and himself in the river or any body of water on our way here.”
He looked amused.
I am not amused. “But we took a bath in the Blue Village, or is it Tribe? But someone had to draw manual water into it.”
“Ah,” he nodded. “That’s a prime service. Only for ZIrc would the tribal leaders put on that kind of show.”
“A show?” What the hell is he talking about?
“Yes. There are showers in any of those houses you passed by. But you were in the tribal leaders’ house. It is widely known that if they are fond of you, they will give you the best service. Including, you know, that kind of service.” He winked at me. He laughed uproariously when I shied away from him, and I bet my cheeks were flaming red. But I felt guilty about Ist. Even though I did not know how to feel about him. Did he betray Zirc or not? It wasn’t clear to me what he was fighting for.
“Nothing to be shy about. I also had the privilege of having that kind of service. They have many servants in the house who are wishing their guests will take them in. Unfortunately, I can understand how you can easily mistake that kind of service which is very traditional. Well, not traditional like the Purple Tribe. You see, the Blue Tribe used to rule this planet ages ago. But being proud of their history, they still keep some of those traditions. Including the famous Blue Tribe bath. You should feel privileged.”
“Who rules this planet now?”
“Zirc did not tell you?”
I shook my head.
“What were the two of you doing? Of course, frucking all the time?,” he looked amazed and annoyed at the same time. I was itching to know how close he is to Zirc.
“Yes, I can just imagine the two of you doing that. Zirc can be persuasive.”
Ah, how to explain it was something the other aliens did to my body that reacted strongly with Zirc.
“I can smell him on you even though you’ve dunked yourself in the water.” There was a touch of bitterness in his voice.
“Are you – “
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Is he –“ I can’t ask directly. I’m not normally shy about these things. But I don’t want to breach any improper etiquette. Talk about cultural boundaries.
Thankfully, Rows seemed to know what I’m about to ask. He smirked. “That beast did not tell you about me, huh? Not once?”
