"so I wait for you like a lonely house
till you will see me again and live in me.
Till then my windows ache."
― Pablo Neruda
“Here’s the Rambutan that you requested, Khun Ling..I’ve picked Longan on the way as well so you could taste it.”
Ling lifted her gaze from the laptop in front of her and saw her Farm Manager with a bunch of vibrant red Rambutan and Longan. She nodded gratefully at the man and closed her laptop. She was simply keeping an eye on the pending litigation of their other clients and the progress of the cases, so it's not of much importance. She peeled a Rambutan that Jun brought, and the juice was definitely as sweet as they said.
“Is this the N18 variety that we import from Malaysia?” She asked and even peeled one more. Jun nodded, pleased to learn that the tree was already able to bear fruit. Compared to other varieties, this specific variety of Rambutan is large in size, somewhat ovate in shape, and is far superior to the existing varieties in terms of flavor, which is why she really sought out its seedlings from Malaysia where it originated from.
“Hmm.. the Lychee that we planted would take another year to bear fruit, right?” She asked her Manager who again, gave her a nod.
“The Farm will have a busy season once we induce fruition in the trees, boss.”
After observing the harvesting process in the nearby hills, they returned to the storage building to have their lunch, where Jun's wife had prepared grilled chicken with Som Tam, or Thai Papaya salad. It’s a mixture of crunchy strips of unripe papaya with fresh chilies, garlic, savory dried shrimp, roasted peanuts, long beans, and tomatoes. She smiles secretly as she sees how Orm, who is usually a picky eater, enjoys the food so much that she adorably asks for a second helping. Now, it’s already late in the afternoon, and Ling wanted to drive back before sunset. There’s no lamp light to guide her way out of the farm, and the only thing she can rely on is the light from the vehicle.
"Yes, we would be." She agreed and asked her manager again, "P'Jun, about our road? Can you estimate the cost if we paved it?”
Jun looked at her boss, wondering about the sudden inquiry but he didn’t dare to voice it out. Maybe, her Boss just wanted to have an efficient farm to market road since paving the way will surely be beneficial for all of them. "I can take a look at it, Khun Ling. But where is Madam.?"
The manager asked while glancing around, and Ling let out a loud sigh.She didn't have any close friends because all her attention were either divided into study or work so when she brought this farm, she was glad to have someone that she could talk to. Though Jun doesn't know the whole details of it all nor knows who she was talking about.
The girl had been eerily silent ever since they went to the hills. The silence she had is different, and even after the years that have passed, Ling is familiar with everything about Orm Kornnaphat. If Orm were mad at you like she is at her, she would ignore you as if you were invisible, but the heiress has those sad, gloomy eyes that she carries earlier that made her wonder what was going on. There’s almost no spirit in her movement at all, and the only time the woman perked up was when she heard that there would be Som Tam served.
"She’s at the back, getting changed." she explained then added an instruction, “P’ Jun, please pack the fruits and put them in my car. I'll hand it over to the President."
