Updated: Jan 15 2007 by Yiling
What are those? Wondered Xiang Xiang. He waited for Damien Kor-kor to explain. Suddenly, laughter erupted from the table. It gave Xiang Xiang a fright. Luckily Papa was carrying him. Xiang Xiang looked down at the table where the kor-kors and jie-jies were huddled around. He couldn?t understand why grownups made so much noise ? especially when many of them gather together. And recently they seem to like to gather together a lot.
Papa looked at him, pointed at his chest and asked big juicy tits? Oh. Finally Xiang Xiang understood. He lifted up his shirt and looked down. But he couldn?t see much cos he couldn?t really bend down. Hmm ?
The grownups at the table laughed again. They were holding little glasses filled with chocolate milk. Xiang Xiang also wanted to drink chocolate milk. And those little glasses were his size. But none of the grownups offered him a sip. And Papa forgot to remind them that Xiang Xiang loved chocolate milk.
Papa and Mamee had been bringing him to many such gatherings recently ? full of grownups but very few children of his age. It was quite boring. Most of the time, the grownups would swarm around him and tried to grab him. He didn?t like that at all. They didn?t know how to carry him gently; they were quite rough and would jerk him at the armpits or pull his hands. It could be rather painful. And he didn?t like their smells. Some of them smelled funny. Most of the times, he would run away from them. But they were big and he was small and it was very tiring running away from them all the time. And there were so many of them to run away from. So he would rather cling onto Papa.
But tonight, not many grownups bothered him. They were busy playing cards or drinking grape juice from big bottles or watching TV. Occasionally one or two grownups would try to tempt him with sweets and chocolates. How na?ve! They thought that he would let them carry him just because they gave him sweets? Ha. Ha. Grownups could be quite silly. So he taunted them and tried to tire them out by running about and making them follow him. Xiang Xiang was feeling quite energized.
Mamee told him earlier that they were going to Auntie Betty?s house. He liked Auntie Betty?s house very much. There were many many plants. And many candles too. Are they celebrating his birthday? Xiang Xiang loved to look at the lights. He wanted to touch them but Papa said they were ?hot-hot?. So he blew at them and sang birthday song to himself, over and over again. Xiang Xiang loved birthdays.
There were a lot of food at Auntie Betty?s house too. Xiang Xiang loved the big turkey and the sausages. He kept running back to the table to Mamee for more. Maybe Mamee would let him try the curry. But the best thing about Auntie Betty?s house was the furniture. The furniture was Xiang Xiang?s height and all the grownups had to sit down on the floor. For once, Xiang Xiang didn?t feel so small. And there was a big white ball that was quite fun to play with.
Later on, Auntie Betty and her daughter put a lot of presents in the centre of the room. (Xiang Xiang like Auntie Betty?s daughter best. She was the only one who didn?t make a lot of loud scary noises and didn?t bother him much). Xiang Xiang was very very excited. He loved presents! But then all the grownups started to crowd around and make a lot of noise. He wanted to play with the presents but now he was a bit frightened. Ming Kor-kor said that each grownup would draw lots and choose their present. When it was Papa?s turn, Papa asked Xiang Xiang to choose for him. But Xiang Xiang was quite scared cos the grownups were now standing around him and were all staring down at him. Xiang Xiang wished he could bury his face on Papa?s chest and Papa would carry him away. But Papa insisted he choose a present. So he chose the one with his favorite wrapper.
Later on, Ming kor-kor also gave Auntie Betty a present and all the grownups clapped and made even more noise. Xiang Xiang couldn?t understand why the grownups were so excited over a photo in a photo-frame. And the back of the photoframe was dirty ? it had so many markings.
Xiang Xiang was quite sad to leave Auntie Betty?s house. But Mamee was tired and Papa had to work tom. And no one remembered he still hadn?t had that chocolate milk ?