Ephemeral: Love, Pleasure and Hidden Pains

Thirteen

"Happy Birthday to you, Brian~ Happy Birthday to you~," relatives loudly sing the song, Brian eyes looking into their ugly smiling faces, all faking their gratefulness that he is just turning 15 years old. His growth was starting to sprout, his face matured but it showed no emotion. The boxes of gifts and birthday cake, chocolate, his favourite was left untouched. He knew that they came here for the engagement with the Millionaire family, their faces full of fakeness. He almost chuckled at the obvious act of interest, totally a blood sucker.

Anita, his half sister, who is 9 years old, almost 10 in a few months, standing tall beside him, eyes shining with the same calculated manipulation. The reason why she's still alive despite their mother cheating, "Where's Pa?," she suddenly asked. Now that Brian scans the room, there's no present from his father. He knitted his brows, it was strange to see the lack of his father at his own party.

"He must take an important call," Brian slowly said, his eyes then moving to scan the present of his uncle. More like, his not blood related uncle. The illegitimate son of his grandfather, from a woman he truly loved. Brian sighs, that man usually makes stupid plans and decisions, "Where's uncle Chaiya?"

Just as he asked, he saw his father walk fast from the balcony and called for his bodyguard to follow. The other guest was too preoccupied with his grandfather and his new young wife to notice a group of people leaving the venue. Before his father fully stepped out the ballroom, he stopped and he whispered to his bodyguard's ear. The man immediately looked around the room, at last his eyes landed on Brian. He walked to him with confidence, "Khun Arthit ordered you to follow, Khun Brian," he bowed to the smaller master.

Anita chuckled,"Well, I have to go now, being pretty and vulnerable, like father said,'' she left Brian to follow the bodyguard into the parking lot.

As he steps into the car, he sees his father's composure earlier crumble, he taps his phone in hurry and calls a bunch of highest rank of chief police in the police department. The corrupted bunch picks up after one rings, "I need the area secure. Nothing comes in and out. Make sure no one investigates the parameter," he heard his father say and cursed at the end of the phone call. He remained silent, knowing perfectly how his father would react to an interruption.

As the phone call ended, he lay his head on the headboard and arm covering his eyes, he sighs and groans, "Brian, I bring you with me to show you the type of people that would fall into the pit of hell for doing something rashly," his father speak in riddle. "And he is in dire need of an angel to save his ass," his father black eyes look into his blue eyes, which resembles his dead mother. "Listen son. If you want to overthrow an empire or for a simple revenge. Hell, even if you wanted to have fun. Make sure no mouth, no ears, no eyes, no hands and no feets is in your way," he advised, looking straight ahead. "Make sure there are no holes in your plans," his father added, the wrinkle in his head was doubled for each second the car passed through the dark trails, it was in the middle of a palm oil farm. It belongs to his bastard uncle.

The car stopped at the worn out warehouse, the only light illuminating the outside was a full moonshine. His father got out of the car immediately after his bodyguard opened the door, Brian side door was also opened, and his bodyguard waited for him to walk out of it. His father grimaced at the wet soil staining his leather shoes, it totally destroyed the custom made shoes and the end of his slack. Brian looks at his feet, also the same, it is almost buried in soil, unlike his father, he looks rather impressed.

The walk into the warehouse, which is powered with only a few dim light bulbs. Around the dimly lit light, the people inside were laughing and drinking alcohol, like an idiot. They are having fun, not knowing what they'll eventually face. He noticed his uncle in the crowd immediately, he was standing on the table, throwing away a bunch of money. They look pathetic.