Chapter 5
The Real Fiancée
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[Special Note: Dr. Thanwa]
As exhausting as work can be, it doesn't compare to having to please others. One is my dearly beloved mother, and the other is my girlfriend. What's a man in the middle like me to do?
Since that day, I haven't spoken to or seen Aiye at all. She's been avoiding me and has disappeared from my life. That is, until last Friday evening, when I drove back to my parents' house.
My parents' house is located in the heart of Bangkok. I've lived there since I was a kid, before I went abroad to further my studies. Since coming back, I've been staying at a condo near the hospital or in the doctors’ quarters instead.
As for the daughter of my mother's friend, what was her name again? What did she look like? I couldn’t even remember! I wasn't interested. I only helped her that time when she fell into the pool at my fifteenth birthday party. That little girl had the audacity to announce in front of everyone that she would be my bride to repay the kindness of saving her life, even though she was only seven years old at the time.
I was a young man, and having a chubby little child confess her love for me in front of my friends was incredibly embarrassing. Who would ever fall for that?!
That's why I went to study abroad. After graduating, I started working in Nonthaburi district. When I realised that she’d be grown up now, the thought that she might find me and hassle me to marry her, made me flee to work overseas for two whole years. It was only three or four months ago that I returned to work at the same place.
My family is considered quite well-off. We run a business importing medical equipment. Dad said that if I don't take over, he will sell the company to a friend to continue running it. Then, he'll retire and stay at home tending to his garden like a typical elderly person.
"Thanwa is here!” my mother exclaimed when she saw me walking into the living room where they were both relaxing. She rushed to give me a hug. “I'm glad you finally came home. Your father and I have missed you so much,"
"I missed you both, too, but work has been hectic. There will be position changes during this period as well. As the department head, I'm even busier than ever," I replied before we all sat down on the dark brown Victorian-style sofa.
"Busy with work or busy with girls, I wonder," my father teased before folding the newspaper and placing it on the coffee table.
"There's no business with girls, really. Who would like a doctor like me? Girls like attentive lovers, and I'm certainly not that kind of person," I responded. “I’m simply too busy.”
"With your handsome face, anyone who doesn't show interest in you must be blind, I tell you," my mother insisted.
"Never mind that, dear,” my father interjected, cutting off the conversation between my mother and me. “Thanwa, do you want to go take a shower first? After you're done, we can have dinner together. Today, when your mother found out you'd be coming home to stay the night, she went all out with the preparations."
"That sounds good. I'm feeling quite sticky, too. Had several tough cases today," I said, excusing myself.
* * *
The next morning, I found a bowl of shrimp rice porridge with large shrimps, waiting for me on the dining table, emanating a delightful aroma. Steam wafted gently above the table. Beside it were clear condiment cups for seasoning the porridge to one's liking.
"Mum, this smells amazing. It's been so long since I had your homemade rice porridge. It reminds me of when I was a kid and you always made me eat shrimp porridge in the morning before going to school," I said.
"If it smells good, then eat plenty. After you're done, come visit Aiye with me," my mother said.
"I can't refuse, can I?" I asked, feeling exasperated.
"Thanwa, what's wrong with Aiye, huh?"
"Mum, I just don't know her, and I don't intend to follow through with what a child said. Besides, I pity my future children who might be born as piglets" I replied.
"Son! ‘Piglets’?! What do you mean by that, Thanwa?"
"Well, when she was a kid, that girl was as fat as a pig. If I marry her, our children would probably be the just like her. I’d feel sorry for them, you know. They'd surely get teased by their friends."
That’s what I remember about your friend's daughter. I'm not wrong!
“Thanwa, you've got it all wrong. Not only is Aiye not fat at all, she's also very beautiful. She's even the star of the Faculty of Pharmacy. If Aiye is considered as fat as a pig, then there must be no beautiful women left in all of Bangkok," my mother said, somewhat scolding me.
"What?! That fat pig is beautiful? Mum, you don't have to try to trick me. I promised already that I would go visit your Aiye, and I will keep my word," I responded.
After that, I glumly ate the rice porridge. I was thinking about Aiye and wondering how much of a misunderstanding I might have had. Conflictingly, I didn't want to visit my so-called fiancée, whom I had known since my teenage years, knowing that the chubby girl would one day become my bride.
* * *
I stood in Aiye’s bedroom. The face that appeared before my eyes made me ask in excitement, "Mum, is this your Aiye, my supposed fiancée?" I turned my head from the obviously thin figure, but the familiar facial features remained in my mind, making my heart tremble uncontrollably.
“Yes, that's right. This is Aiye, or Aiyaret. She was in a car accident at the entrance of the hospital where you work. She's been in a coma for several months now," my mother said.
“Auntie Ladda, I'm sorry for not visiting her at all. I'm truly useless," I apologized, turning to bow to Aunt Laddy, my mother's dear friend.
“I don't blame you at all, Thanwa. I know you must be busy with work. But if Aiye knew that you came to visit her, she would be so happy and would quickly recover to bring me joy," Aunt Ladda said, her voice trembling before she raised a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
"Auntie Ladda, Mum, I had no idea, I promise that from now on, I will take care of and treat Aiye myself. And I may be able to find a way to help her recover soon," I said.
"Really, Thanwa? What happened? Why are you..." my mother started to ask.
"Mum, please forget about the past and what I’ve said. I'll be a new person. I feel truly guilty for neglecting Aiye for so many years.” I turned to Aiye’s mother. “Aunt Ladda, I want to get to know Aiye better. Do you have any photo albums from when she was young up until now? And can I borrow them for a bit? I might be able to help her regain consciousness.
"Yes, I do. Thanwa, wait a moment. I'll go get them for you," Aunt Ladda replied.
"Thank you."
My dear Aiye, I found you. I found your body. Wait for me, okay? It won't be long before we can be together.
[End Special Note: Thanwa]
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