Kris was the only human survivor of the ship that sunk few days ago. He was lucky to be alive but at the same time unlucky because he was all alone in a deserted island from nowhere with a chicken. He didn’t have anything else besides a chicken. Every morning, he always awakened by the chicken pecking his feet, which irritated him the most.

 

He made a hat out of palm trees, and stocked foods he found along the shore. The hat served as his little abode. He wouldn’t let the chicken inside since he hated the fat flightless bird and for the main reason that the fat bird always eating his stocked foods leaving nothing for him.

 

Days had passed but he was still in that damned island. If he couldn’t get away from the island in a matter of time, he’d go insane and soon would die young. He was afraid that if he died, no one would see his remains. He has only one life to live and if he died, he wants a proper burial for his cadaver. He cursed himself for knowing nothing about survival. He couldn’t even make a fire. It was the most difficult part for him.

 

“Come on,” he said to himself as he was desperately making fire. It was the traditional way of making fire where your tool was just a bunch of sticks.

 

It took him an hour or two before a small light sparked, and soon became a fire.

 

“Ha Ha!” he exclaimed in exhilaration.

 

After trying for forever, he finally did it. A warm fire he was longing for so long. He would  no longer feel the cold at night.

 

The dusk was coming, it was the perfect time for fishing. He saw the chicken near the hat looking straight at the fire. He didn’t mind the chicken perhaps it was just fascinated by the hot flame.

                                             

He carried the spear that he used many times in catching fishes in the sea, and went into the sea. But due to obfuscated light, he couldn’t see much.

 

A sudden heat blazed from his back, clinching him by a vast light. He turned his back and gasped by the conflagration that he was seeing. His hat was burning. His home was now a holocaust.

                                                                                                          

He ran within hailing distance, but couldn’t get any closer for it was too hot. He couldn’t withstand the heat so he went back in algid water.

 

“My hat!” he screamed at no one. How on earth did it happen? He was just hundred meters away. How could it happen in very snappy time?

 

Then he spotted the chicken, it has burnt stick on its bill. The chicken was gazing at the burning hat, tilting its head.

 

“That goes without saying,” he murmured. He had enough of the misery that the chicken gave him. He would settle it sooner.

 

The day after, he planned to kill the chicken. The chicken was not aware of Kris’ killing intention. He set trap for the obnoxious chicken. When everything was perfectly set, he looked for his spear and readied himself.

 

After half an hour, he caught the fat bird.          

 

“I’m sorry, but I had to end your life to maintain my mental stability,” he cackled while holding the chicken on its neck.

 

He was about to stab the chicken but hampered by the incoming boat at the sea. He let go the chicken swiftly, and went to the shore and began waving and shouting for help. The chicken was startled and run away from its captor.

 

“Hey! hey! I’m here!” he shouted at top of his lungs.

 

When the boat was at close quarters, he dashed into the water forthwith.

 

“Oh my god! Thank goodness! Please help me!” he begged the boatman.

 

“That’s why I’m here, hop on!” the boatman ordered. He did as he was told.

 

The boatman turned the boat and started rowing. “How long you’ve been here?” he asked.

“About  weeks? I dunno. It’s like I can track the time here anyway.” he replied bluntly. But out of curiosity he asked the boatman. “How did you know that there’s someone here?” as for his knowledge, the island was deserted and no one bothered to come here.

                                                                                       

“Oh, didn’t you make the fire last night? I saw it from afar. So I thought about checking it,” he explained.

 

Kris was shocked. He didn’t make the fire, in fact it was the fat bird’s fault. Maybe the fat bird wasn’t a damn nuisance after all. Because of that fat bird, he was saved.

 

“Wait! Go back!” he ordered.

 

“Why?” the boatman exclaimed.

 

“I forgot something! It’s very important! Please!” he pleaded. The boatman had no choice but to turn back the boat.

 

When the boat was near the coast, Kris jumped off and ran through the woods where he last saw the fat bird. He found the chicken in just a minute, the chicken tried to run but he immediately caught it in its feathery tail.

 

“Goccha!” The chicken resisted but Kris kept his grip on still. “As an act of gratitude, you will be my pet from this day onwards.”

                         

“Chic-Kei,” He named hi pet Chic-Kei. And they left the island for good.

 

 

-

 

 People from his neighbourhood welcomed him wholeheartedly. They asked him about what happened countless of time, and he told them what happened countless of time too.

 

He never let his neighbour see his chicken, he was afraid that they would think that he left his sanity in the island. So he kept Chic-Kei hidden in his room, where no one would bother to go inside.

 

Adjustment days were over. He needed to find a stable job that will keep the people and animal in his house alive. He proposed his idea one night.

 

“Kyungsoo, I’m going to the city tomorrow. I need to find a job,” he told Kyungsoo.

 

Kyungsoo was his housekeeper/maid. He hired the small guy to take care of his inherited house since he was a busy man, before.

 

“Well, that sounds great,” he replied with lack of enthusiasm.

 

He stared at the small guy, and the small guy stared back. “What?!” he asked. Kyungsoo’s huge eyes distracted Kris from speaking. Those eyes. Those rare huge eyes. Is that even normal for a person? he thought.

 

“Nothing, you seem low.” he commented. But the small guy just shrugged.

 

“I thought about cooking roasted chicken tonight but the store runs out of stock,” he said in monotonous tone.

 

“Is that all? Is that why you’re upset?” he inquired. “Yeah,” Kyungsoo murmured.

 

“I’ll buy you tomorrow,”

 

-

 

Kris left early in the morning leaving Kyungsoo alone inside the house. Kyungsoo was used to be alone in the huge house. He would always clean every corner of the house except for his master’s bedroom. Kris wouldn’t let him in since he got back. Curiosity aroused, he went to look for the room’s spare key. A little peek couldn’t kill, he thought.

 

Kyungsoo with spare key, opened the room and went inside. Nothing peculiar in the room since the last time he saw it. But a coop beside the closet gained his attention. He went closer and astounded by the animal inside the coop.

 

“Oh Kris! I’m so touch!” he said in delectation.

 

-

 

Kris went back home at dusk. He didn’t forget the chicken that Kyungsoo wanted. He was sure that Kyungsoo would be delighted. He knocked and Kyungsoo greeted him such enjoyment. He wondered why.

 

“Oh Kris, let’s eat!” Kyungsoo said playfully. Again, his rare huge eyes distracted him.

 

“But---okay fine,” Kyungsoo led him in the dinning table and Kris took his seat. What’s the matter of this guy?

 

“I cooked roasted chicken!” Kyungsoo took his seat also while clapping his small hands.

 

“What?! I thought the store runs out? I even bought you a chicken,” he said. He raised the chicken inside its bag.

 

“Oh Yeah, but this one comes from your room! The one from the coop,” he blunted. Kris dropped the bag. His eyes snapped open.

 

“What?!” You killed Chic-Kei?!!” he exasperated.

 

“Who?” Kyungsoo asked without understanding the situation.

 

“You killed my chicken!” but instead of shouting at the small guy, he just bawled.

 

-

 

Days passed since the night of Chic-Kei’s death but Kris still cried in his sleep. He blamed himself for leaving Chic-Kei in that stupid coop. His saviour was gone.

 

Kyungsoo: Yup, he cuddles himself in his bed and dare not to talk with anyone ever since. *sighs* Oh readers, I didn’t mean to kill his chicken right? I asked for his forgiveness, but he said it was okay. Like hell!

 I’m tired of his desolation, so I left. Oh don’t worry! We’re still friends. I called him from time to time. Every time I visit and cook for him, he would always say ‘anything, except for chicken, chicken is not my style’. So chicken is not his style. I always felt a pang of guilt for killing Chick-Kei. I’m sorry Chic-Kei.

 

* * *