Sun & Sea - Book 2

Sun & Sea - Trapped

Now that Arthit knew Talay's true colours, it was very difficult to act as if nothing had happened. Kao was very skilled at acting as if nothing happened, but he wasn't living in that house. He was glad he had told no one else about what he had seen, even though he was sure Nubdao would have been relieved to know that Mimi was safe.

The next day was the worst, because Arthit had to adapt really fast. He tried to remember how he was usually acting around Talay, but somehow he couldn't remember. Was it why Talay had been distant from him from time to time? So maybe he had a right to be distant too? If he invoked that he was hurt? He could play the sulking boyfriend – even though they didn't even have such a status. Wow, such a relief, how bad it may have hurt if they had been in a relationship, just to find out such a betrayal!

"Could you pass me the salad?" Talay asked, seated at the same table as the whole family.

"Yes, sure," Arthit replied with a slightly high-pitched voice, a bit false, looking at him with a discreet frown.

Somehow Talay could sense that something was amiss, but he couldn't state what. So he just took the bowl. Maybe Arthit had had a bad day? Was he painful from his wounds? He would tell him if he felt like it.

Arthit had cooked as usual, and Talay was washing the dishes as usual. And, like they had begun to get used to, Talay passed the tableware to Arthit so he would dry it. The only unusual thing was that Arthit wasn't as talkative as he used to be.

"Is... Something wrong?" Tried Talay.

Arthit clenched his teeth. The nerve he had, asking this. Besides, had he been so bad at hiding his true feelings? He'd tried to act as usual for the whole meal.

"It's nothing," Arthit answered. "Just some trouble at work," he said out of habit, as he would say not to worry his mother. Ah. He wasn't working anymore because of the fire and his wounds... "I resumed work today, I thought I could, but my arm is still sore," he winced, passing his hand in his hair.

"Should I... Massage it?" Talay offered, instantly putting down the plate he was washing and stretching a hand towards him. Arthit couldn't help but step backwards to avoid the touch. The touch from the guy who had ransomed his brother for his debt. The thought of it disgusted him.

Talay dropped his hand and resumed washing the plates and bowls.

"Ahah. Sorry, my hand was full of washing-up liquid, it's normal that you don't want to be touched by it..." Talay's tone was playful, but he looked hurt.

"Ah, it's just that I don't think pressing it would be a good idea," Arthit tried to save the situation. And they finished to wash and dry the dishes in an awkward silence.

The following day, Arthit was torn between trying to go back to work and leaving M alone in Talay's house. He solved his problem by taking M with him, with the excuse to have her meet his working colleagues, now that she had time outside from work.

M was enchanted by P'Vii, and it was mutual. So, Arthit had wondered about what to do with his mother once she would have gotten bored, but she wouldn't. She wasn't someone to stay and do nothing, and with Arthit gone they had still a lot to be done at the convenience store.

Around noon, Kao messaged Arthit: they were officially invited to his aunt's guesthouse in Lampang.

"Yes!" Arthit said outloud, with a small jump and clenching his fist. Mhok looked at him with a haughty stance. Maybe it was time to tell him about it, and his mother, too...

"P'Vii, can I talk to P'Mhok for a minute, please?"

She nodded in agreement.

"P'Mhok, Mama, can I talk to you?" They looked at each other, pointing themselves. "Yes, you two, come," said Arthit, taking their wrists and taking them to the back of the store.

"So, I've been thinking that we have exceeded Talay's generosity. Besides, it's only temporary, until his father comes back. I was talking to Kao, and he told me he had an aunt running a guesthouse on the riverside who was looking for some company. I think the situation here is too unstable for us to stay, it would be nicer if we moved away until things settle down. As for Nong Fah, I'm working on it, I'm negociating a refund schedule with the debt collectors," he shamelessly lied.

"Mhok, I know you have a car, will you take them there? It's in Lampang." Mhok had begun to nod, but his jaw fell open. So far!

"Does Nubdao know about it?" He asked.

"Not yet, she doesn't, and Mek neither," Arthit answered. "But I will call them. Also, since Kao's aunt welcomes us, the sooner we leave, the better. Could you take them when Nong Dao and Mek come out of school?" He added, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Mhok understood that it was an important matter. Even though Arthit wouldn't tell more, this would be enough. "I'll take them", he simply said. "P'Vii?" He asked, turning towards her.

"Hmm, sure," she approved. They both remembered what had happened on their car park and hoped it wouldn't happen again.

That evening, when his siblings and mother were safely in the car with Mhok and Kao, after waving them goodbye, Arthit went to the end of the garden again. Talay hadn't come home yet, and judging by those past days, he had a couple of hours ahead of him. But he would be a fool to believe that no one would guard Nong Fah.

After waiting for a while, carefully examining the surroundings and seeing no one, Arthit finally decided to climb the wall next to the door with bars. There were enough grips, he was just not used to the task. He fell heavily on the floor, with a noise that sounded so huge he thought he would have woken up everyone and they would all come to rush at him. He crawled under a big fern, his heart pounding, but no one came. Was Nong Fah still there? The lack of security worried him. Maybe Talay had seen them? Or understood from his behaviour that he knew?

He approached the door, running from one tree to another.

"And they said they would tell me if..." He pressed himself against the trunk. A man and a woman were casually walking and talking together. Was this a residential house? This would make things more complicated, even though the building he had seen Nong Fah in was a bit further from the big house.

Now that he had approached, he could see the guards. They made no move to hide, they were standing in very visible locations to prevent anyone with ill intentions to think about coming in. Were there hidden guards, too? Arthit looked on the roof, scrutinized the greenery, but couldn't see anything else than what he had already seen.

He began to think about the way he could take to remain out of view while approaching the building Nong Fah was taken hostage in. He was finally able to touch its wall, and walked the length of it towards the door, on alert. He peeked through the door and saw nothing. Nothing was to be heard either. Maybe Nong Fah had been told not to make any noise.

Of course the door was locked. Arthit had come with a rock he had found behind the building and hit the padlock until it broke, still worried that the noise would alert anyone. It all seemed too easy.

But finally the lock gave in.

"Nong Fah! Nong Fah are you okay?" Arthit asked, rushing inside to meet his little brother, hugging him tight, checking every single part of his small body to make sure that he hadn't been harmed.

"I'm ok, P'Arthit," Saifah said with his clear little voice. "But I miss Mama..."

Arthit closed his eyes, trying to hold the tears in while hugging him tight, then held Nong Fah a armspan away to look at him. He caressed his hair with relief. The sound of footsteps in his back made him jump up and turn back to face the newcomer.

"Have you come here to repay your debt?" Said a tall bulky man entering the room. He was wearing a tank top revealing his muscled arms, as a warning not to mess up with him.

He took a few steps in, and the four other men accompanying him fanned out behind him, blocking the only exit of the room. Mimi fled outside between his legs.