Priceless - A PeteKao Love Story

Chapter 10 - Closure

"Why are we here, Kao?" Pete asked suspiciously. He did not have a good feeling about this.

Before Kao could answer, a frail-looking woman opened the door. She saw Kao, smiled brightly, and pulled him into a warm hug.

Kao turned around and introduced the man next to him. "This is Pete, P'. I had told you....he is the one..."

The woman didn't let Kao complete the sentence. She rushed to enclose Pete in her arms as she let out loud sobs. He could hear thank you and God bless you in between her wails. She then pulled him inside the single-room shack, where on a worn bed on the floor lay a small girl around 10 years old.

Pete had always considered communication one of his biggest strengths. He was articulate and eloquent with his vocal expressions. He was armed with the ability to use the right words in the right tone at the right time. But standing in that makeshift house with the mother and child bowing down to him in tears, the words got stuck in the depths of his throat. He mumbled a few syllables and walked out with Kao following him.

He didn't slow down or stop till he reached the car. He wasn't even sure he was walking the right way, he just walked. Once on the main road, he turned around and pulled Kao by the arm.

"What is that you are trying to prove? That you used the money you took for a good purpose. To feel good about yourself? To prove that you are not a jerk? Mmmm?" Pete hissed between his panting breaths.

"No, Pete, no..."

"That's Mr. Vihokratana to you."

"Sorry, Mr. Vihokratana. Please listen to me, it is not that. Your mother told me about your fiancé, what happened on the day of the accident. I just wanted to tell you, to show you that something good came out of it. The breakup with your fiancé set a chain of events that ultimately saved the life of a young girl. They could do her heart surgery with the money you gave me. I know that this is not going to lessen your pain, but I was hoping that knowing that a life was saved because of what happened would give you some sort of closure. I was hoping that seeing her would help you move on."

It could be the afternoon sun, but Kao thought he saw Pete's eyes glistening.

Pete turned and walked towards his car, and got in, without so much as a word to Kao.

Kao stood there watching the cars till they mingled into the chaotic Bangkok traffic. He wished Pete would be able to get the closure needed. He wished he would see Pete happy one day, even if it was from afar. He had a strange feeling in the pit of the stomach, that shot right up to his heart. He wondered if he would get a chance to see Pete ever again.

Pete stared out of the car into oblivion. He felt that his heart would burst. It was an alien feeling, he had never felt anything like this before. It scared him. It overwhelmed him. It pierced every inch of his being. He looked back at the forlorn figure of Kao standing by the road and wondered if he would cross paths with the man ever again.

Like Coelho says, when you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. The two hearts yearned so much to see the other again, that they called out to that undying spirit of the universe.

They met again after two weeks, on Pete's birthday.