The next day, we are going on a trip to the province where I distinctly remember the land owned by Net's grandparents. The journey is long, and I’m grateful my family is accompanying me to that place.
I’m nervous that I might face disappointment there too, discovering it doesn’t exist like the places I previously visited. This will be the last time I ask for my parents' support, and after this, I will stop searching for him.
But my heart tells me not to forget the person I deeply love. I’m conflicted because I know deep down I don’t want to let him go, even though whatever happened between us made me happy. However, it hurts whenever I think it might all be a big illusion or hallucination.
It’s still difficult to balance what my heart and mind say against the unfolding truth, which shows the real situation.
While on the journey, I prayed that I would finally see him, that I would find him there. Somehow, I’m still not giving up on finding him, especially on being with him again because the last thing I remember is he's waiting for me so we could be together again.
I can’t help but cry at what I fear—what if I find out he isn’t real or accept that he is, but he’s with someone else? I’m thinking of all sorts of things, which is why I’m already crying without certainty of finding him in that place.
When we arrived, the vibes were the same—the fresh breeze, the beautiful tall trees in the forest, and the sounds of animals living around it.
I closed my eyes while thinking about the events that happened here, and I felt so happy because, of all the places I visited, this seemed to be real. The place was real, not exactly like in my memories (the details of the house), but the place itself was just right and exactly the same.
We were surprised when a person came out of a house and asked us who we were, saying we were trespassing because they didn’t know us and it was private property.
I couldn’t recognize who he was, but I didn’t lose hope and asked if he knew Net Siraphop Manithikhun.
“Why are you looking for him?” he asked curiously. Feeling hopeful, I said I wanted to see him. He shook his head, and I knelt and pleaded that I really wanted to talk to him.
Another man came out and asked who we were and what we were doing there.
“I’m looking for Net, and I’m his wife,” I said, my voice trembling.
He shook his head and said he would take us inside and introduce us to their aunt. He led us to a large, old-style house made of wooden planks. The man knocked and said, “Auntie, you have visitors.”
A moment later, the door opened, and an elderly woman, probably in her early 90s, appeared.
“Auntie, you have visitors,” said the man who accompanied us.
She looked at each of us, and when she looked at me, I felt nervous as she scanned me from head to toe.
“Come in,” she said.
She invited us inside and asked us to sit while she also sat in a chair near me. She instructed her household helper to make tea for us, and they promptly followed.
“What do you need from me? To be honest, I don’t know you. Please don’t take my question the wrong way,” the elderly woman said.
“Our child is looking for someone and wants to find them here,” my father said.
Before the elderly woman could answer, her helper served the tea to each of us.
“Who is it?” she asked while sipping her tea.
