Mate by chao Planoy

Chapter 3

“Why do you look so tired?”

My mom asked when I slept on a big sofa in the middle of the house around 1 o’clock. I returned home to pack more clean clothes to sleep at the condo again. My tiredness caused my mom some suspicious.

“Did you really sleep at the condo? Why do you look so tired? Did you do something bad?”

“If it wasn't for Leonardo Decaprio, I would never do this for any man”. I replied to my mom who woke me up after I took a nap for 10 minutes...Thank you mom.

“Why do you look so tired?”

“I saw a ghost last night. I couldn't sleep”.

“We never made merit after we bought this condo”.

“Do we need to do that when we bought a condo? But don't worry, ghost can't hurt me. I'll go pack some clothes”.

“ah?” My mom looked at me questionably. I sorted of preparing for that.

“My school schedule is out and I have a morning class every day. I don't want to commute every day. I come home to talk to you about this. By the way do you see Somkit?”

“Maybe he is in front of your dad's office. Did you see your dad yet since your home?”

“No, not me excuse me then”.

Since I let my condo, I thought a lot about my old friend from school. There were curiosity and worry mix together. It was quite certain that she ran away from home. Bit why did she leave? What driven her, who had only 420 bath in her wallet, came to Bangkok where the cost of living so high that one mean would cost morethan a hundred bath.

Before I went to my room, I stop by my dad's office. I did not have enough time to talk to my dad's close aid first.

“Hello, uncle Somkit”.

“Hello Gen”.

Uncle Somkit was my dad's close aid. He was a 40-year-old man with a lot of experience. He was an influence guy, especially in a grey area. I wouldn't describe in that area because my dad never wanted me to involve in that.

“I have some favor to ask you but please don't tell dad”.

When I said this, the stern-face man looked worry.

“It is nothing serious. I just want some help. I wanted him to know something. I don't want him to know everything”.

“What is it about?”

“I have a friend since elementary school. I wanted to know something about her. I think you can help me quite easily”.

This wasn't a difficult thing for uncle Somkit. He did something a lot more difficult and more challenging that this. If my dad did not have him as his aid, dad wouldn't have today.

“You want me to find information about your friend?”

“Yes”.

“What do you wanted to know?”

“Anything...anything at all. Is it too much trouble for you?”

“Tell me her name, her address. I'll give you something in a week”.

“Thank you”.

That was one thing in a check box. Next was gather all the clothes I did not want and took it to my condo. I saw Aoey wore an old worn out clothes and made a mental note to make sure I gave her my clothes. She should get rid of those old clothes. I bought so many clothes and many of them I only wore it once because I did not want people to see me in the same clothes twice. I can give that to her.

I felt guilty seeing her wearing those worn out shirt. I packed and headed back to my condo where I left quite early this morning. When I arrived, I was shocked to see a letter left on a coffee table in front of a sofa. The messy handwriting on the paper made me squinted my eyes trying to read them....

“Thank you for letting me spent a night. I'll get in touch with you later. Happy to see you Gen”.

after I read that short message, I felt so week and tired. I threw my Versace luggage, which I stuff my old clothes in for her, on the floor What was wrong with her? She taught she could just show up whenever she wanted and leave whenever she wanted.

She didn't have much money with her, to begin with.

I canceled my plan to spend one more night here and left my luggage at the condo. It should be good that she left. I did not have to worry or take care of other people. But I wasn't sure why I felt a bit odd, kinda....

worry....

I looked at myself in a mirror in my car wondering if I was really worried about other people. I knew myself well enough that I was a self-centered person. I never thought about other people. Even my mom was tired of me being so self-centered. I ignored my brother. And now I worried about that sweet-eyes.

No, it was not me. I should be myself. My old self. I did not care about her. It was not my business.

I started the car and drove out. I listened to music while driving and also looked around on the sidewalk till the car stop at a traffic light. I looked at the street and spotted a stray dog. It's body was so tin like a skeleton. It walked around tiredly and slump down on the side of the street, no one care about him.

Where was she going to sleep tonight? Was she going to sleep like that dog on the street?

I cringed in my stomach. I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I saw the street light and quickly took out my phone. I googled something quickly by typing in...

“Where can I sleep without spending money?”

Google can tell you anything. I stumbled on a famous webpage with the very same question I asked. The answer was for sure.... .

Temple....

I felt scared thinking about sleeping in a temple. No, I wasn't scared of ghosts. It was more awkward being a girl sleeping in a temple. I had headache thinking about the news on the tv that the bad monk did something to a girl. I was such a sinful person but I couldn't help it. Her looked was not normal.

She just did not realize how good-looking she was...

Temple....temple...there were so many temples in Bangkok. Let me think if it was me, where would I go? She did not have enough money to get in a the taxi. She did not know the way well enough to get on a bus. The only possible thing to to do was walk.

When I realized that she would walk, I went back to my condo. I asked myself which way would I walk. I, who never talked to the security guy or receptionist, now smiled widely amd tried to ask them a question. It seemed to work, people always responded to that nicely.

“Where is the nearest temple around here?”

“It is....”

I got the answered and followed the direction. I never realized there was a temple around here. I actually never knew the name of the road. My mom got this condo because somebody couldn't pay back their debt. So my mom took the room and gave it to me. I rarely came here, but now I thought I should comw here often.

I turned the car into soi 11, which was 4 streets down the road. I arrived at a small local temple. I wasn't sure if I could find this on Google maps. It was so quiet and deserted.

Even ghost wouldn't live here.

I parked the car and got out, walking around to look for her. I wasn't sure I would find the sweet-eyes here but I have to try. I couldn't think of another place she would go to.

or....she would sleep in the front of Seven-eleven

How could I think of my friend like that?

I looked around the temple. People looked at me curiously. People did not know what I thought under my sunglasses. I did not like when people looked at me. Not so many people like to be watched.

I walked around for 10 minutes and felt so disappointed. Aoey wasn't here. Most of the time, I was right about so many things, including exams. But if she wasn't here where would she be?

“Gen”

A cleared sound voice called my name while i was deflated. I floated up when I saw her drinking milk and eating a piece of bread. She looked so surprised.

“Aoey”

“Why are you here, Gen?”

I was a genius. I was smart, beautiful and such a genius. I had to give myself a kiss when I arrived home.

“Aoey, why do you leave?”

I spooked coldly and took my sunglasses off. I looked at her fiercely.

“Are you f*****g out of your mind? You just left a note!”

“No, I hate saying goodbye”.

“Dont you hate sleeping in a temple?”

“Who told you I'm going to sleep here?”

“Aren't you?”

“....”

“You're not smart, Aoey. Not smart and it's very annoying. You could be proud but don't make other people worry”. I grabbed her wrist and dragged her back to the car. But she fought back.

“Don't touch me!”

I blinked with surprised. Aoey looked as surprised as me. She folded her arms on her chest and turned back to me. She looked at the snacks and milk on the floor and changed the subject.

“Look! It's all on the floor, my first meal of the day”.

“If you're hungry, you have to eat rice, not snack”.

I tried not to talk about how she rejected me but focused on her first meal.

“It fills me up too”.

“Aoey!”

She spooked after I yelled at her. Then, I felt sorry to yell that loud.

“I'm sorry to be upset. Aoey, I'm so worried about youm Let's go home. I will never let you sleep in the temple and you couldn't say no”. I said before she could say anything. “Please, go back with me”.

“....”

“Do what I said!”

Aoey stunned and nodded when I was harsh to her.

“Ok”.

Finally, she followed me to the car. We grabbed her bag and got in the car. It was dead silence when we drove home. I knew it was me who was in a bad mood.

“How do you know I'm at the Temple?”

“Guess”.

“You're good, is there anything you don't know?”

I did not know myself. That's what I didn't know. Why I had to look for a long-lost friend since elementary school. Why I had to beg her to come home with me? I did not know and did not understand.

Oh! That was frustrated.

“I don't know why you run away from home”.

Silence... nothing came out of the sweet-eyes. There was something she hide and she wouldn't tell me about it. But it was ok, I already got uncle Somkit to find out. I would know soon.

“But it's ok, it's not as important as where you will sleep tonight”. I sighed “You sleep with me from now on”.

“What?”

“l...I'm moving to the condo now. My class schedule has moved to the morning. My mom's house is a bit too far from my university. I don't like sleeping alone in the condo”.

“Are you afraid of ghosts?”

“Yes”.

This wasn't me. I wasn't sure why I had to lie...

“How could I stay for free?”

“I never said you can stay for free. I thought you'll looking for a job?”

“Yes, but it won't be enough for your rent, water and electrical bills”.

Now I was annoyed by her!

“More than money, you have to clean, takecare of my stuff, and find me some food...can you cook?”

The sweet-eyes started to nod in an agreement. Her to bun shook when she nodded and that made me smile.

“That's good. If you're useful, that isn't a problem”.

“I'll stay with you until I can rent my own place then. I'll pay rent and be useful”

“Ok, it's a deal”.

“Deal!”

Finally....