Morning came.
The rain whispered against the eaves, each drop falling like time murmuring softly to itself.
I woke up to the scent of something warm and rich.
In the kitchen, Grandma stood with her back to me,
wearing that old faded apron she's had for years.
She held a wooden spoon, stirring the pot gently—
so gently it felt like she was speaking to whoever lived inside the soup.
"Grandma…" I called.
She turned around, her eyes curving into a smile,
wrinkles blooming like flowers across her face.
"Oh my, Yu Sheng, you're awake! Come, come!
Grandma made your favorite curry chicken today, boneless, just how you like it~"
She lifted the lid.
Steam rushed out, carrying the fragrance of curry and the scent of rain from outside.
The two smells tangled together, soft and familiar, warming the small kitchen.
"You got home so late last night, you must be tired,"
she said as she ladled rice into a bowl.
"You still can't sleep well in a new bed, can you? Look at you, all sleepy-eyed."
Her voice was teasing but gentle,
and then she added, "It's all right, take your time.
If something's bothering you, tell Grandma, don't keep it all inside."
Before I could answer, she had already scooped another spoonful of curry into my bowl.
"Eat more, hm? You've gotten so thin—what have you been eating these years?
My poor boy… if your mother lets me see this, I'll have to scold her for not feeding you properly!"
I smiled and lowered my head.
Her voice—nagging yet tender—wrapped around me like a blanket in the rain.
Just then, Grandpa came out from the living room.
He was holding an old radio, tapping it with his fingers.
"This darn thing worked fine yesterday. Must've gotten water inside from the rain.
Ah, this damp air in Luosang, even radios can't take it."
He looked up and his face lit up.
"Well, look who's here! Yu Sheng! Sleep well? Haha, it's been years, I've missed you, kid."
He grinned ear to ear, scratching his head.
"Your room's all cleaned up—Grandma and I didn't move a thing.
It's a bit old now, so we thought maybe you'd want to pick out something new at the market later.
You can decorate it however you like!"
Grandma chimed in right away, her eyes bright.
"Yes, yes! Tell Grandma what you want, I'll take you shopping!
Or if you'd rather wander on your own, I'll draw you a map."
Grandpa chuckled. "That old map? It's useless now.
The town's changed so much."
He rummaged through the cabinet and unfolded a yellowed, creased map on the table.
"See here—lots of new stores popped up. Looks modern, sure,
but some of the old houses stayed, because the families couldn't bear to tear them down.
Old and new mixed together… gives the place its charm.
Your grandma and I don't go far anymore.
We just stroll around the market, buy vegetables, cook, listen to the radio.
It's a quiet life, but it's enough.
Just a pity—we don't have the legs to go exploring like before."
Grandma nodded beside him. "That's right.
But if you want to go wandering, Grandpa and I can get you what you need!"
Before I could stop them, the two of them were already bustling around.
Grandpa looked for pens, Grandma searched for bags.
"Here, this one's waterproof!"
"And the pencil's sharpened—nice and smooth to write with!"
"And take this notebook too! Draw what you see when you come back, okay?"
Leaning against the doorframe, I watched them move about the kitchen,
their voices overlapping, the air filled with the smell of curry,
the sound of rain, and that familiar, aching warmth I'd almost forgotten.
Outside, the rain was still falling—
but somehow, it didn't sound lonely anymore.