Guardian Angel

Lukas's Story

Lukas laughed and opened the beer cans he was carrying. The Fantastic Four, Phana, and Kit actually couldn't wait to hear what Luke had to say, but didn't dare go ahead and ask.

Lukas called Phana Thursday morning and said that he had found Beam's whereabouts. "So, boys, you can stop looking for Beam now. He's somewhere safe and he's doing fine. He just needs time to think and reorganize his will," Luke said calmly after taking a sip of the beer in the can.

“Uum, Phi, we lost our friend too,” Park interrupted in a dubious tone. "Forth Jaturapoom."

Luke looked at Park with furrowed brows. "Jaturapoom, hm? The youngest? Poom?"

Everyone in front of him was shocked, hearing Lukas say Forth's name the same way Beam said it. Poom.

"Why do you call it Poom?" asked Lam confused. "No one mentions Forth in that name, except for his grandmother and Beam."

Lukas laughed. "I know. That means Forth really loves Beam, that he let Beam call him by that name."

"How do you know Forth so much, Phi? What's your relationship with him?" Max asked curiously.

"You remember, Pha, what happened to me after my parents died when I was 15?" Luke asked Phana.

"Yes, Phi. You chose to go to boarding school in New York instead of staying in Thailand with us. My father was sad because of that. He felt guilty because he felt that your father trusted his best friend more than his own family to take care of you," replied Phana.

"Not because of that really. My father and his best friend had promised each other since they were little to take care of each other and the most important thing is, his best friend once saved my father's life when he had an accident and needed a lot of blood."

"Err, Phi, I don't understand how your story relates to Forth," Kit said timidly. He knows Lukas as one of Phana's cousins, but is  little afraid of him because of his mysterious attitude and work.

Lukas smiled and nodded. "Wait a minute, boy. When my parents died in a plane crash, my father left a message for his best friend that he was leaving me to him. His best friend asked me to choose whether I wanted to follow him or join the Kongthanin family--Phana's father, whose my mother's younger brother. I chose to follow my father's best friend. it's because I'm not very close to my uncle Thanit Kongthanin and I think I'm worried he will force me to become a doctor too, like the other Kongthanin. I know, all families with the name Kongthanin are doctors."

Everyone around Lukas laughed and looked at Phana. Phana also laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, that's true."

Lukas continues his story. "I went with my dad's best friend and he sent me to New York, one of the best high schools with his eldest son, whose became my best friend like brother to me, Torn Theraapat Jamorhnoom."

"Phi Torn?" The Fantastic Four asked in unison. "Forth's eldest brother?"

"Yes. My father's best friend is Gary Jamorhnoom. He adopted me and I know all of Jamorhnoon like I know the palm of my hand."

"Why didn't I ever know about this, Phi," Phana muttered. "Did my mom and dad know?"

"Of course, Pha. Uncle Thanit is friends with Gary Jamorhnoom too, though not as close as Gary is to my father."

"Huh, the world is so small," Kit muttered, shaking his head.

Lukas laughed. "Speaking of Forth, don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. I've known him since childhood and he's the most stubborn and persistent Jamorhnoom I know. He'll find a way to be with Beam."

Everyone in front of Luke nodded in relief.

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