𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ||

ᴛᴇɴ

I bid farewell to my mother, saying, "See you later, Mum! Take care of Peanut there," as I pointed to the adorable sleeping kitten on the sofa. She crossed her arms and inquired, "Hey, it's early; where are you going?" I replied enthusiastically, "Mr. Han is going to teach me real kung fu," which left her looking puzzled. "That maintenance man?" she asked skeptically.

I leaned in and kissed her cheeks affectionately, assuring her, "Mom, this is China, everyone knows kung fu," but she grabbed my arms with concern. "What did I teach you about fighting?" she asked, to which I responded with a proud smile, "Mom, kung fu is not about fighting, it's about making peace," before hurrying out of the house.

As I skated towards a major roadway, I glanced at the address Mr. Han had given me last Friday. I arrived at the location and nodded kindly to a bystander before proceeding to Mr. Han's house, turning a corner to meet him.

Upon entering, I was captivated by the lovely interior and exterior of Mr. Han's home. However, my steps came to an abrupt halt when I noticed an old car positioned inside the living room. Perplexed, I wondered, "Why does Mr. Han have a car in the living room?"

"Mr. Han, I'm here! Where are you?" I called out, and a voice from outside responded, "Here in the backyard." Eagerly, I made my way to the backyard, where I found Mr. Han carving a hole in a wooden pole placed in the middle of the courtyard. "That's an amazing car, Mr. Han!" I exclaimed, dropping my skates and jacket on the ground.

"Pick up your jacket," Mr. Han instructed, leaving me dumbfounded. Lazily, I picked up my jacket, but he quickly told me to hang it up. Obliging, I hung it on a nearby hook. "Take it down," he commanded, and I complied. "Put it on," Mr. Han demanded, his irritation becoming evident. "Mr. Han, what is all this about?" I questioned, but he simply repeated, "Put it on." Reluctantly, I wore the jacket as instructed.

"Take it off!"

"Wait a minute-"

"Take it off!"

Time passed, and I found myself still following the same repetitive routine. Mr. Han sat on a chair near the entrance, fanning himself while observing my "training." Frustration began to build within me, and my attention shifted towards the car in the living room. "Mr. Han, why do you have a car in the living room?"

"No street parking," he calmly replied, taking a sip of his tea and gesturing for me to continue. Annoyed, I muttered to myself, "This isn't even kung fu."

As I walked through the apartment door, the door to our neighbor's apartment opened silently. Mom called out to me from the hallway, and I made my way towards her. "Hey! So how did it go? What did you learn?" she exclaimed, turning to face me.

"Nothing," I replied, feeling defeated, and hung my jacket on the coat rack before walking away. Collapsing onto the sofa, I noticed Peanut, the kitten, sitting there. She turned to me and purred, rubbing against my legs. I reached down to pet her gently and asked, "How's your day, Peanut?" She meowed in response, her purrs filling the room.