One Fateful Night (ON GOING)

Chapter 34

“Is this really necessary?” Gulf inquires for the nth time on that day in a small voice, as he watches Jom arranging her make-up kit in their dressing table inside the room.

Mew sighs adjusting his own bathrobe. “Get used to it,” he remarks also watching her sister.

It happens all the time, so Mew is used to his sister getting all fussy when there’s an event, which happens every year as Jom is required to be around in every founding anniversary, it’s a family law. But Gulf clearly isn’t.

The younger can’t seem to wrap his head about getting all dolled up just for this event, when all he can think about is what will happen later, the people’s reaction and here she is, his sister-in-law forcing them to get their make-up done. Gulf didn’t see such materials on his wedding day, not to mention how his mom literally forced him to put a tint of lipstick on.

But his sister-in-law is excited. He can tell that much by seeing how Jom is basically skipping and humming as she lays her things on the table.

“C’mere, giant. You first.”

Mew sighs again, too done to argue as he sits like good boy in the chair prepared by his own sister. Gulf, on the other hand, sits on the foot of the bed as he silently observes the siblings, now bickering, because the older keeps on reminding—complaining—to have his make-up light.

Gulf can only smile from the sideline. He can see how close the two are, even in their playful bickers.

Nothing has really changed much after Mew’s short make over, as the older is naturally good-looking. But Gulf can’t seem to stop his eyes from following the older’s movements inside the room through the mirror. Jabs of brushes on his face long forgotten as he simply watches.

“Get out now, Phi!” Jom yells again, stopping in her masterpiece in the making, as Mew keeps on stalling inside the room doing this and that.

Gulf can only chuckle. He has heard such line for the 5th time already after Mew walks out from the walk-in closet looking all godly. But the older retorts almost the same reasoning.

“I just need to wear my watch, woman.” 

“You’ve been selecting but not spraying perfume for the last two minutes! You’ve been choosing and wearing that stupid watch for the last five minutes! I swear to god, Phi. You can have your wife all to yourself later, just go out!” Jom rants, finally done of his older brother’s petty excuses just to stay in the room.

Gulf suddenly feels flustered by those words, his cheeks acting up again. He caught every word well. And here he thought that he has been looking for only a minute. He has seen all of it, which means he has been boring his eyes to the older for that entire time.  And she refers him Mew’s ‘wife’. He can never get used to this, can he?

“Why can’t I stay?”

Jom glares at his older brother as she whips her hands on her hips.

Mew can only sigh dejectedly as he turns to leave the room, against his will. He just wants to see Gulf as soon as possible. As much as he hates getting makeovers like this, he can’t help the anticipation in the pit of Gulf, how would Gulf look like. Gulf is already beautiful so he is just curious.

When the door closed with a faint thud, Jom finally lets out her cackles. “Wow, that even sounds sad,” she remarks referring to the sound.

Gulf feels weird with how he understands her. But maybe it’s because of Mew’s slumped shoulder and dejected back vanished as the door closed.