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“Greed is your god.” And he almost laughed at you. As he bent to kiss your chapped lips, you could smell him; dark chocolate and musk. Things he ought not to smell of, for you knew he duped a man of wealth, again.
When he broke away from the kiss, he stepped back to extravagantly display the plastic bag he had been holding behind his back.
“I hope you didn’t cook anything yet, cause we are having this.” He smiled, shedding your attention towards the scar on the left corner of his lips; a smile that spoke a thousand words. The untold story about how he engaged in a fistfight with his friend for mere bucks they stole together. The tale of how he might have gone an extra length just to steal that food package from that Chinese restaurant opposite the station. The anecdote of how he spent all the money he had from gambling on getting that silk scarf, which now rested on the headrest of the old plastic chair.
Handing on the food packet to your hands, he took off his shirt, throwing it on the corner of the room. Taking long quick strides into the small bathroom, he mumbled how he disliked night time baths in this breezy weather, especially since you both didn’t own a water heater. “Don’t you think we need to get a water heater?” he called out from the bathroom, almost letting out a high pitched shriek as he poured ice-cold water on himself.
You didn’t reply, too busy rummaging through the bag. Chicken noodles, sandwich, few other side dishes here and there and dessert. You started estimating its price. It costed more than your one day salary, and it dreaded you more knowing that Kunhang had stolen it.
“Ya! Are you even there?” he called out from the bathroom when he didn’t hear your response. You hmmed as an answer, indicating you were still there.
You had always known Kunhang as a petty thief, always wanting more than he deserved. He envied the rich men whose houses lined the exclusive streets, where his mother had worked as a maid. Thus he grew up with a strong urge to live in the world of money, and dance as the riches rained on him. Unfortunately, he was far away from that dream, still struggling, still thirsty, still greedy.
Your heartfelt heavy as you glanced at the silk scarf he had got for you this evening. Scolding him was the first thing you did when he handed them to you, his eyes full of love. How could your conscious allow you to wear that pretty scarf, which before being stolen by him adored the neck of some affluent lady? He had scoffed at your taunting remark, mentioning how this was neither stolen nor brought from the money got from pickpocketing men. “I went to the casino, tried my hands at cards.” he had told you, which led you to scold him more. But it wasn’t like he paid any heed to your words.
You caressed the smooth material between your thumb and index finger. Soft, smooth, luxurious, something you didn’t own rightfully. Yet, it was in your hand.
You were still engrossed at the piece of cloth when Kunhang exited from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. Hurriedly dressing up in a pair of shirt and trousers, he returned to you.
“You haven’t taken out the food yet?” he asked you, walking up to the dining table, one of its legs broken that you had to replace a wooden stick for support. He took out the food items, commenting about the mouth-watering taste the noodles of that restaurant had.
“Why don’t we stop this?” you spoke, staring down at the cemented floor of your rented apartment.
“Stop what?” He asked you.
“Running behind money Kunhang.” you turned to face him again, as you grasped the golden scarf tightly in your hands.
His smiles curved up. Rubbing his temples, he asked, “you aren’t still over that? I told you, I brought it with hard-earned money. Not technically hard-earned- but I did spend the whole day at the casino to win some bucks.”
It wasn’t the first time you quarrelled with him regarding his destructive habit. He was blind to money. Making it. Spending it. He didn’t care about anything else as long as his needs are satisfied. No, it was never easy to satisfy his greed.
“There is more in this world than money and riches and-
"I know” he engulfed you in a hug, whispering how you shouldn’t care about such trivial things right now.
“I don’t want you to land yourself in trouble.” you expressed your concern. “Casino or not. Theft or not. I don’t want you to please me with such things. I don’t want them. This scarf. That food. Random gifts that you bring for me.” he was silent, still embracing you.
“You deserve better,” he whispered in your ears. “It is your birthday after all.”
Sometimes you wonder why he was like that. Perhaps some questions never had an answer.
But they did. And it was only you who never knew them; for Hendery wasn’t craving for all the riches and gold of this world.
He was greedy for you.