I won't be blinded by the light

Chapter 8

"Mama, you gave me too many plates." Rain looks in confusion at the stack of dishes his mother has just handed him. "Isn't it just the four of us having lunch?"

"Your aunt called a few minutes ago, she and your cousin are coming for lunch," his mother tells him. She gives him an almost pitying look.

No, no, no, this is Rain's definition of a nightmare. As if Rain wasn't nervous enough about today. Why did his aunt have to choose today to visit? Rain wants to message P'Phayu and tell him not to come, but it's too late. P'Phayu is always punctual, which means he will already be on his way.

Just as he finishes setting the table the doorbell rings. Rain goes to answer the door on leaden feet knowing this will be his aunt, it's too early to be P'Phayu.

"Oh, back from Korea?" His aunt says as if his parents wouldn't have told her that.

"Yes aunt, Prim." Rain answers and gives her a polite wai.

"Did you flunk out of the Korean university?" She asks.

"Mom, I told you Rain transferred to the same Thai university I am going to." Rain's cousin says with a sigh. Rain adores his cousin to be honest. The only reason he doesn't hang out with Pav more is because it means he would have to put up with his aunt.

"Well, the Thai program is probably easier." Aunt Prim says. "It won't be like the medical program you are taking."

Rain meets his cousin's eyes, and Pav rolls his eyes and gives him a "fighting" fist pump behind his mother's back. Rain has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

"Who else are we waiting on?" Rain's aunt Prim has noticed the extra place setting at the table. "It's not that Sky is it?"

Rain clenches his fist at this, he can take his aunt talking about him, but not about his friends. That's the reason he had wanted to call and tell P'Phayu not to come today. He's afraid if the woman is rude to the senior Rain won't be able to stay polite. He doesn't want to upset his parents by being rude to his aunt, but the woman makes it so hard sometimes.

"It's Rain's senior who has been tutoring him," Rain's father tells his sister as he comes into the room.

"Why is he coming?" Aunt Prim asks.

"Because we invited him, Prim. Phayu is a good kid, he and Rain have become extremely close." Rain's father says. Rain's father is the baby of the family, and like Rain he is always polite to his sister. He had told Rain once that it was Prim that had raised him, when their parents had been too busy starting their business. So, Rain's father feels like he owes her for that.

Rain hears the motorcycle when it pulls up in front of the house and quickly excuses himself while his aunt is distracted with his father.

For a minute Rain wonders how much trouble he would get into with his parents if he hopped on the back of P'Phayu's bike and begged the senior to take him anywhere but here. Instead, he leans into the senior as soon as he gets off the bike and pouts up at him. "P'Phayu, my aunt is here."

"Is that a bad thing?" P'Phayu asks, putting an arm around his shoulder.

"I, well, she just isn't the most pleasant person, but she's my father's sister," Rain tells him.

"Do you want to put off telling your family for another time?" P'Phayu asks.

Rain considers and then says, "No, I mean we are going to be together, right? We will have to see her for family functions anyway. I just don't want her to say something rude to you."