Day 63: Goats and Wolves

Unlike last time, Gabu and Mei arrived at Theatre Day on time. Today, it was taking place on the edge of the foothills of the mountain. The play, Gabu explained, would move from place to place so that the scenery was different in each scene.

As people arrived, Takkan directed the “wolves” to stand on the rocky foothills, which symbolised Baku Baku Valley, and the “goats” (including Jess, confusingly) to stand in the flat, grassy meadow beyond them. Takkan himself joined the wolves, since he was still playing Giro. Greta and Frank, the only two soloists other than Jess and Gon, would be playing Mei’s grandmother and Bari respectively.

Gabu and Mei were the only ones present today who wouldn’t be singing. They watched from the side, where the audience would be, with the wolves to their left and the goats to their right.

Takkan, perched on the highest rock, directed the performers in a deep, commanding voice. He was already getting into character as the leader of the wolves, Mei surmised. “Gabu and Mei have just admitted their friendship to their pack and herd. Begin in 1, 2, 3, 4.”

The moment Takkan finished counting, the choir began singing the melody, no one singing any lyrics yet. A few seconds later, Greta sang the opening verse.

Goats and Wolves (title song from Rent)

Grandma:
How could you become friends with wolves
When wolves want nothing more
Than to eat us goats, Mei?

Family, friends, your mother too
If not for wolves
They’d be here today

Wolves!

Bari:
I knew you weren’t that bright
And you’re too polite
But I would never expect this from you

No wolf I’ve met would ever forget
The simple fact that
GOATS ARE YOUR FOOD!

Mei: But he’s really a nice guy
Gabu: Well he does have a nice thigh

Goats:
How could you ever be
Why would you ever be
How did you ever be
Friends with wolves?

Those wolves are cheats and liars
If you think he’s your friend
It won’t be long before you’ll be no more use

Given time, he will learn all our secrets
From your needless, heedless
Treacherous truce

Mei: We’ll be together ‘til the end
Gabu: I like him more as a friend

Wolves:
How could you ever be
Why would you ever be
How did you ever be
Friends with goats?

How could you disrespect your pack
When for all these years we’ve had your back
And now you betray

All of nature’s laws you infract
With your weird, confusing, evil act of
Befriending prey

Mei: I won’t rebuff him
Gabu: But I...

Goats/Wolves:
How could you ever be
Why would you ever be
How did you ever be
Friends with wolves/goats?

Mei: The night of the storm we met, two friends in the dark
Gabu: Day after day we met ‘til a bond we had forged
Mei: No truer a friend I’ve ever met
Both: No greater comfort have I found

Mei/Gabu:
I’ll never turn against my friend
No matter what you do
Or what you may say

Our friendship runs too deep
Is too complete
To ever wither and fray

Friends!

How can we exist in a world where
Family, friends have not a care
For what’s in our hearts

All:
How do we all stay together
When the cruel, uncaring hand of fate
Has torn us apart

Wolves:
Any threat to the pack
We all must attack

Goats:
Keep the herd safe and strong
And you won’t go wrong

Goats/Wolves:
When rules they flout
You kick them out

How could you ever be
Why would you ever be
How did you ever be
Goats: Friends with wolves
Wolves: Friends with goats
Friends with those
We naturally oppose
Wolves aren’t friends with goats
You can’t be friends with wolves/goats

The sound of so many animals singing at the same time was overwhelming. As Takkan directed them to repeat the song again and again, they attracted the attention of numerous animals who clustered in the trees near where Gabu and Mei were standing. The animals less adept at climbing trees remained hidden behind them, wanting to avoid the attention of the nearby wolf should his gaze turn their way. The squirrels and birds in the trees were more bold, chattering discontentedly about the noise the performers were making. In a rare quiet moment, Mei distinctly heard the phrase “wolf-lovers” from one loudmouthed squirrel. He did his best to ignore them.

After the fifth repeat, while Takkan was giving out feedback, a woodpecker swooped out from the trees and over Mei’s head, singing in a mocking voice, “You can’t be friends with wolves! You can’t be friends with wolves!” Gabu growled up at them, baring his fangs, but the bird only laughed and flew back to the trees.

“Ignore them,” Gabu said gruffly. “They’re only jealous.” Mei wasn’t sure what the woodpecker and the other animals were feeling, but he was quite certain it wasn’t jealously.

Takkan ended the meeting early. Perhaps he wasn’t used to having to sing along with everyone else so much. Mei was so distracted thinking about the woodpecker—and watching out for more overhead swoops that thankfully did not come—that he didn’t pay much attention to what Takkan said as he dismissed the group. In fact, Mei almost didn’t notice when Jess and Gon walked over to them.

“What did you think, Mei?” Jess asked.

“It was great,” Mei said. “It’s a shame you two didn’t have more lines, though.”

Gon laughed. “We’ve got plenty of lines in other songs. Jess and I were thinking of staying here tonight. If you want, Gabu, you can come with us tomorrow to hunt some more deer.”

“You’re welcome to stay in our cave if you’d like,” Gabu said. “As for the deer...” He looked to Mei. Mei wondered why Gabu thought it necessary to defer to him about what he ate, but not who slept in their cave.

“I’m fine with you going to hunt. I’ll be at Philosophy Day tomorrow anyway.”

Jess and Gon accompanied them back to Moonrise Hill, opting to sleep on the far side of the hill rather than in the cave. Mei got the impression that they didn’t yet trust themselves to sleep in the same cave as a goat, lest they get hungry in the night. They did come into the cave to talk until nightfall, however.

“So, funny story,” Gabu said. “We were talking to some people yesterday, and one of them asked us...” Gabu hesitated, not sure if Mei would be comfortable with him sharing what had happened.

“Asked us if we were planning to get married,” Mei finished for him.

“I see,” Jess said. “And what did you say?”

“We said we hadn’t talked about it, but we were going to,” Mei said. “Talk about it, I mean.”

“It hadn’t even occurred to us until then,” Gabu said. “Have you two thought about it?”

“Thought about it?” Gon said. “We already did it.”

“Really?” Mei said, just as Gabu said, “Huh?”

“Oh, yes,” Jess said, “we’ve been married since long before I met you two. We did it in secret. Most of our pack still doesn’t know, except for family.”

“Why keep it from them?” Gabu asked.

Jess and Gon exchanged a look. “It’s not the done thing. Not in our pack, at least,” Gon said. “‘What’s the point of marrying if you’re not going to have pups,’ they would have said.”

“And worse,” Jess added.

“But you wanted to do it anyway?” Mei asked.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t we?” Gon said. Mei didn’t have an answer for that.

“Do you think we should?” Gabu asked.

“Hmm,” Gon said. “You’ve been together for what, about a year? Most pairs would have done it by now. Of course,” he said with a smirk, “most pairs would have ‘done it’ and had pups running around by now, and you don’t have that problem.” For some reason, he looked at Mei in particular when he said that.

Jess glanced disapprovingly at Gon—at his husband, as Mei should think of him now. “Ignore him. Just do what feels natural, and you won’t regret it.”

“Thanks,” Mei said. “We’re trying to.”