A Sulawesi Romance

Chapter 17

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

For those who might not know him, he is Great Sapol Assawamunkong who played the role of Inspector in the BL series "Manner of Death"

Mr. Siwat's POV

I was unhappy to see Berkah leave my employment. He was a very efficient and hardworking staff. However, I had to accept the fact that his parents needed him and therefore he had to go back to them. I hoped that he had trained Gun sufficiently for Gun to be able to carry out his tasks and responsibilities without messing up.

Speaking of Gun, I decided to check up on him. He might be doing the inventory in the Supplies Room. This was the time of the day when Berkah would be doing it so I assumed that that was what Gun would be doing right now.

I was disappointed to see the Supplies Room empty. Where was he?

Maybe he was replenishing the drinks and snacks in the vending machine at the lobby. I walked towards the lobby.

From afar, through the large double glass sliding doors at the entrance of the lobby I noticed some kind of commotion going on in the street just at the end of the staircase of the lobby.

Wait, that's my son Mark down there! And there's Berkah and Gun! Why are they being surrounded by police officers? Who is that man trying to pull Gun away from Berkah? What the hell is going on out there?

I quickly made my way out of the lobby and down the stairs into the street.

I immediately recognized one of the police officers. He was my good friend Sapol.

When Sapol saw me approaching, he immediately bowed to me in greeting.

"Is there anything I can help you out with here?" I asked him.

"Dad!" my son Mark immediately called out to me upon seeing me. "Gun is being taken away by his stepfather!"

"Is he your employee?" Sapol asked me.

"Yes, he is," I replied. "He is my newly employed General Assistant. Has he done anything unlawful?"

"Well, it appears that he has run away from home and his father has come to claim him back," Sapol explained to me.

"Stepfather! Not father!" Gun corrected Sapol.

"How old are you really, Gun?" I asked, my heart sinking and feeling resigned to the fact that he might indeed have to go back home with his stepfather. If he was below eighteen both he and myself were in deep trouble.

"His stepfather says that he is only seventeen," Sapol supplied the information to me.

I noticed my son Mark facepalming in disappointment.

But then ... ... ...

"That's not true!" Gun protested. "I'm twenty three years old!"

Mark stared at Gun in shock.

"That can't be true!" Mark protested. "You can't be older than me! I refuse to believe it!"

"Let's not get sidetracked," I admonished my son. 

Then I turned to Sapol my police officer friend. "If Gun can show you proof that he is above seventeen, will you respect his decision not to go with his stepfather?"

Suddenly the stepfather spoke up in a loud voice.

"It doesn't matter how old or young he is! He is coming home with me! His mother has been very worried over his disappearance and has asked me to track him down and bring him home with me. I have gone through a lot of difficulties and obstacles trying to trace his whereabouts. He has to come home with me!"

"I don't want to go home with you!" Gun yelled back. "You don't treat me like your own son! And I understand that you can't do that because you're only two years older than I am!"

I stared at the 'stepfather'. Indeed, he looked too young to be a father figure to Gun. I could do much better being a father to Gun. Wait what am I thinking. How can I be a father to Gun unless Mark ... wait ... my thoughts are getting ridiculous ... go back to the present situation ...

"Can I see your government issued ID please?" Sapol was asking Gun.

Gun pulled out his wallet from his pocket and took out his ID and handed it to Sapol.

I noticed Mark taking a quick peek at it, his eyebrows meeting in a frown.

While Gun was handing his ID over to Sapol, I overheard Mark whispering to Gun, "Age doesn't matter. I am as mature minded as anyone older than me."

After studying Gun's ID, Sapol turned to Gun's stepfather.

"Mr. Tipa, I'm afraid we cannot force your stepson to go home with you. He is of legal age to choose what he wants to do with his life. As long as he is not doing anything unlawful we cannot arrest him. On the contrary, if you insist on creating a public disturbance in front of this resort, we will have to arrest you."

Mr. Tipa brandished his index finger at Sapol's face.

"You are a corrupt officer! You're only doing this because his employer is your friend! You are probably on his payroll so that he can be allowed to get away with doing illegal things!"

With those words, Mr. Tipa turned and walked away.

We all breathed a sigh of relief.

I saw Berkah give Gun a tight hug before getting inside the taxicab that was waiting for him.

Then I saw my son Mark taking Gun's hand and pulling him towards his chest to give him a reassuring hug.

Suddenly Gun started sobbing in great relief that all the stressful commotion was finally over.

I thanked Sapol for doing a great job and he bowed his goodbye to me.

Before I turned to go back up the stairs towards the lobby, I told myself that I should be more observant towards my son. He seems to have taken a great liking to our new General Assistant.