Chuchip shook the tears away until they retreated to the pit of his stomach.

Ashkii laughed, “I plan on promising myself, too, soon. Maka… she’s pretty and so tough, especially for a woman. I like that. I will make my offering a day after your ceremony. I say it now—we should be neighbors! Never too far from each other.”

Chuchip nodded. “Yes, I would like that. Never go too far?”
“Never too far.” Ashkii promised.

There was a comfortable blanket of silence that fell over the two of them. The sun looked like a stale radish as it rose into the sky.

“If you were a woman, Chuchip, I’d marry you.”

The silence fell again. Chuchip turned to his dearest friend, suddenly angered. He shoved him. This time, not so playfully. Ashkii was a strong man, but this shove had knocked him almost off the narrow cliff.

“Chuchip! What’s gotten into you?” He asked, his eyebrows sewn together—the slightest shadow of fear in his eyes.

“Take it back!”
“What?”
“I said, take it back.”

Ashkii did as his friend demanded.