While Ler Kymcog watched her husband worriedly from the background, Enbo waved Bunny over impatiently, saying "Come on, come on, you should be the one to invite them to dinner seeing as it was you who scared them away in the first place." Bunny scampered past his father with a happy yell, but he didn't go far on his own feet before Enbo picked him up and bounced up onto his shoulders. At first, Bunny cried out in surprise, but he quickly began chuckling away to himself.
Father and son reached the village square. Just as they were approaching Gela and Sangdan's house, Bunny began squirming on his father's shoulders, so Enbo put him down on the ground.
Warm, red fire light glowed out from the cracks around the edge of the newly repaired front door. Enbo raised a hand to knock, but before he did, he realised that not only his son, but his wife too was standing right behind him; actually, they looked like they were hiding. Enbo's heart melted into warm goo. He smiled at his two loved ones, then turned and knocked twice on the door.
Sangdan came to answer. Crackling in the hearth, the fire sounded like happy laughter. Its dark-red light bathed Enbo's bald head, as well as his wide face and his mannish body.
He had been planning on saying something, but no words came to him, only a gulp, as he tried to swallow his nerves. Sangdan's shock was clear on her face. So was her fear. Enbo swallowed again, and continued not speaking.
But a couple of seconds passed, and suddenly Sangdan's face was no longer shocked and scared, but surprised and delighted. She leaned through the doorway and called in to Gela:
"Gela, our neighbours are here to visit us!"
These words were immediately followed by a kiss, on Enbo's face. Before Enbo could come back to his senses, Sangdan's kisses had already landed on each of the faces outside, in order. Enbo was a little embarrassed, a feeling he displayed by wiping away a kiss mark that couldn't really be said to exist. Anyway, by that point, Sangdan was already planting her final kiss on little Bunny. She bent down, her lips quivery, until she could reach the tiny boy's pallid little face. As those lips were just about to make contact with Bunny's forehead, the little boy smiled nervously and shied away. Sangdan tried again, but again she kissed air.
Er Chiang pulled Sangdan back and said:
"Forget about it eh, Sangdan, the child's scared."
Meanwhile, Bunny was smiling because he'd caught sight of Gela coming out through the door. Poor Sangdan's face was once more covered with fear.
"Scared? What's he scared of? Is he scared of … me?" Sangdan asked, her voice faltering.
As her question faded back into silence, her body suddenly looked lighter, and moreover decidedly wobbly. Enbo and his family just froze where they were, then they saw Sangdan like that, apparently losing their powers of reaction. So it was left to Gela to come forward and hold her up with his shoulder.
"Ah-ma, don't be scared, no one has any reason to be scared of us, so you don't need to worry about it," Gela said to his mother.
That boy Gela was getting very close to having a full, adult man's voice; it was deep and husky, and it even had a latent edge of anger and savagery about it.
This voice had a strong comforting effect on Sangdan; hearing it now, her face went back to normal, and she said:
"Son, hurry and invite our guests to sit down inside."
Gela looked coolly and directly into Enbo's eyes, and said:
"Ah-ma, our house is small and shabby; no one wants to sit in it. Our house is only fit for people like us to have somewhere to live."
Enbo chose this moment to approach Gela, whom he looked upon with eyes clouded by two fires: rage, and shame.
"Gela. Sangdan. You've come back, and I, and my whole family, are very happy that you have. Actually, we were scared that you wouldn't come back, and that we'd never know where you'd gone. What happened before was all my fault, and I'm here with my family now to apologise."
Now that he'd said what he came to say, Enbo was like a man taking a heavy load down from his shoulders. He exhaled deeply, the look in his eyes softened, he reached out a hand to stroke Gela's head, and he said:
"Child, you and your mother must have suffered much on the road. I'm here to apologise."
Enbo bowed deeply, and behind him his family bowed just as deep. When they rose again, Gela's anger had vanished. Now he stood there at a loss, not knowing what he should say or do. His eyes were a little red, as if he were about to cry.
This impasse was surmounted by Bunny and his timid smile as he padded over to Gela, and said to him:
"Big brother Gela."
Gela the wild child was finally overcome; hot tears sprung from his eyes as he pulled Bunny into a tight hug. But when he tried to kiss Bunny, the little boy pulled away:
"No, the doctor at the commune hospital said, no one's allowed to kiss me."
"Bunny, did the doctor cure your sickness?" Gela asked.
"The doctor said, I don't have a sickness, it's just that my health isn't good, and people in Ji village don't pay attention to their hygiene, and that if they kiss me they might infect me with a virus."
"Bunny, how come you haven't grown taller?"
"They say my health condition is poor and I can grow taller when I become stronger."
"Well, get taller as fast as you can, ok? When you're tall you don't need to be scared of getting into fights."
"I don't fight. If I did, I'd get tired, and being tired is bad for my health."
Gela puffed out his chest, and said:
"Ok, I'll help you fight."
Bunny laughed, causing a shallow flush of red to spread over his white face.
Jamcan Gonbo straightened his back, and coughed:
"Ahem. I would say it's time to invite our guests to come eat with us."
"Yes, yes," Enbo came to life, as if he'd suddenly realised what was going on.
"Gela, and you Sangdan, my family has cooked some food, please honour us by coming to dine at our table!"
Bunny was already pulling Gela out into the square.
