Whispered Wishes: The Magic of Childhood Dreams

5

It had been an exhausting day, following the same monotonous routine he had been stuck in for months. Toptap longed for his home and the familiar comforts he used to enjoy. In the past, he would visit his family at least two or three times a month, but now he could only manage a visit once every two months. The demands of work were taking a toll on his personal life, leaving him feeling like a robot, simply going through the motions of waking up, going to the office, coming back, and sleeping.

There was no excitement or entertainment in his life anymore. He missed his parents and the small cozy city. He thought of his cousins. He doesn't know where P'Mew is and Saint...even though he moved to Bangkok after marriage, Toptap was yet to meet him, but his work put his personal stuff on hold. Unfortunately, work consumed so much of his time that he couldn't even find a spare moment to meet up with Saint. Toptap yearned for a simple life, but his mother insisted that he study hard and leave town to earn a substantial income. Her motto was for him to become rich, or even better, filthy rich. While he understood that his mother only wanted the best for him, there were times when she failed to see how her pursuit of wealth was hurting him.

However, Toptap obediently followed his mother's wishes, despite feeling exhausted and drained. He sluggishly made his way towards the elevator, barely able to muster the energy to press the button, when suddenly he heard someone screaming.

"Hold that lift... please! Hey you... there!" The voice was loud and desperate. Toptap managed to hold the elevator door open, and a man quickly rushed in.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" The man exclaimed with relief. Toptap simply nodded in response. As he glanced at the young man standing beside him, he noticed the guy had pressed the button for the 24th floor.

Toptap glanced up at the man towering over him, realizing that the guy was a couple of inches taller. With a friendly smile, the man introduced himself, "Sawàtdee kʰráp." Toptap couldn't help but notice the scent of coffee wafting from him but he folded his palms and greeted him. "I am Mike...I don't think I've seen you around. Are you from here?" Toptap replied with a simple "No."

"Well, I'm actually the proud owner of a café in Banglamphu called Brewtiful. Get it? Brew as in coffee brew and tiful as in beautiful - Brewtiful," Mike chuckled, clearly amused by his own innovative brain. Toptap, however, wasn't in the mood for conversation. He was dead tired and just wanted some peace and quiet. Yet, Mike continued to ramble on about his café, sharing all the details without Toptap asking or showing much interest. Toptap couldn't understand why this man was divulging so much information to a stranger. But being the polite person he was, Toptap simply nodded along, unable to bring himself to interrupt or ask Mike to stop.

"So, what's your name, P? Are you older than me? You look older than me, or else why would you be wearing a tie? And which floor are you on? Oh, the 25th floor! That means you're above me, not literally... but, you know," Mike giggled mischievously, as if he had just cracked the most hilarious joke in the world.

As the elevator reached the 19th floor, Toptap pressed the button to stop it, eager to make his escape. "Excuse me, I have to go. See you later," he blurted out, not waiting for a response, and hastily rushed out of the elevator. Taking a deep breath, he finally felt a sense of relief, knowing he could walk the rest of the floors in peace.

However, just as he reached his apartment door, someone unexpectedly pounced on him from behind, causing him to jump in surprise. "P'Mew!"

"Surpriseeee!"

"What are you doing in Bangkok?"

"Can we go in first? I'm starving!"