"Why do you look so tired?"
My mom asked when she saw me asleep on the big couch in the middle of the house around 1 in the afternoon. I had come home to pack more clean clothes and then planned to head back to the condo. My tiredness must have made my mom suspicious.
"Did you really sleep at the condo? Why do you look so tired? Did you do something wrong?"
"If it weren't for Leonardo DiCaprio, I would never do anything bad for any man," I joked, responding to my mom, who had woken me up after a quick 10-minute nap.
"Why do you look so tired?" she pressed again.
"I saw a ghost last night. I couldn't sleep."
"We never made merit after buying that condo," she said, frowning slightly.
"Do we need to do that when we buy a condo? But don't worry, the ghost can't hurt me. I'll go pack some clothes."
"Oh?"
My mom gave me a questioning look. I had anticipated this.
"My school schedule is out, and I have classes in the morning. I don't want to travel every day. I'm coming home to talk to you about it. By the way, have you seen Somkit?"
"Maybe he's in front of your dad's office. Have you seen your dad yet?"
"No, not yet. I'll go then."
Since I'd rented the condo, I had been thinking a lot about my old friend from school—Aoey. There was both curiosity and concern swirling in my mind. I was pretty sure she had run away from home, but why? She only had 420 baht in her wallet when she arrived in Bangkok, where the cost of living was high. Even a pair of stockings could cost more than 100 baht. Before heading to my room, I stopped by my dad's office. I didn't have enough time to talk to my dad, but I wanted to speak to his closest aide, Uncle Somkit.
"Hello, Uncle Somkit."
"Hello, Gen," he greeted me warmly.
Uncle Somkit was a 40-year-old man with a lot of experience. He was influential, especially in certain "gray areas." He never talked about those areas because my dad never wanted me involved.
"I have to ask you a favor, but please don't tell Dad."
When I said this, his usually stern face showed some worry.
"It's nothing serious. I just need a little help. I want you to know something, but I don't want Dad to know everything."
"What is it about?"
"I have a friend from primary school. I want to know something about her. I think you can help me with this quite easily."
It was true—this wasn't difficult for Uncle Somkit. He had handled much more challenging tasks for my dad.
"Do you want me to look up information about your friend?"
"Yeah."
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything... anything at all. Is that too much trouble for you?"
"Tell me her name and address. I'll have something for you in a week."
"Thank you."
That was one task checked off my list. Next, I gathered all the clothes I didn't want and planned to bring them to my condo. Aoey had been wearing old, worn-out clothes, and I felt guilty seeing her like that. I had a lot of clothes I didn't wear more than once, and I could give them to her. I packed up quickly and headed back to my condo, where I had left earlier that morning.
When I arrived, I was surprised to see a letter left on the coffee table in front of the couch. The messy handwriting made me squint to read it.
("Thank you for letting me spend the night. I'll contact you later. I'm happy to see you, Gen.")
After reading the short message, I felt weak and tired. I threw my Versace luggage, packed with clothes for her, onto the floor. What was wrong with her? Did she think she could come and go as she pleased? She didn't have much money with her, and now she was just... gone.
I canceled my plan to spend another night there, leaving my luggage behind. It should have been a relief that she left—I didn't have to worry about taking care of anyone else—but I felt weird, a little... worried.
I looked at myself in the car mirror, wondering if I was truly concerned about her. I knew I was self-centered. Even my mom was tired of my selfishness. But now, I was worried about Aoey, about those soft eyes. Was this really me? I should be acting like my old self, not caring about anyone else.
I started the car, turning on some music and glancing around at the people on the sidewalk. At a traffic light, I noticed a stray dog, its body as thin as a skeleton. The poor creature walked slowly, eventually collapsing on the side of the street. No one paid attention to it.
Where was Aoey going to sleep tonight? Was she like that dog, wandering the streets? A sharp pain hit my stomach, and my heart clenched. I quickly pulled out my phone and Googled, "Where can I sleep without spending money?"
Google, of course, had an answer. It pointed to a common solution: temples.
Temples... the idea of her sleeping in a temple made me uneasy. Not because of ghosts, but because I couldn't shake the discomfort of a girl staying in a temple. The thought of bad monks doing something terrible crept into my mind, and I couldn't bear it.
There were many temples in Bangkok. If it were me, where would I go? Without money for a taxi or knowledge of the bus routes, she would probably walk. As soon as I realized this, I headed back to the condo and asked the security guard where the nearest temple was.
I followed his directions to a small, local temple down Soi 11. It was quiet and deserted, almost too eerie for comfort. Even a ghost wouldn't live here.
I parked the car and got out, searching for her. I didn't think I would find her here, but I had to try. As I walked, people glanced at me curiously, unaware of my thoughts behind my sunglasses.
After ten minutes of searching, I was starting to feel disappointed. But then I heard a familiar voice.
"Gen."
I turned and saw her sitting there, drinking milk and eating a piece of bread. She looked as surprised as I was.
"Hey."
"Why are you here, Gen?"
I grinned, feeling both relief and triumph. I was smart, beautiful, and a genius.
"Aoey, why did you leave?" I asked coldly, pulling off my sunglasses.
"I... I hate saying goodbye."
"Don't you hate sleeping in a temple?"
"Who told you I was going to sleep here?" she replied, confused.
I shook my head in frustration.
"You're not smart, Aoey. Don't make people worry about you."
I reached for her wrist to drag her back to the car, but she resisted.
"Don't touch me!"
Surprised, I blinked. She looked just as shocked by her own reaction. She turned her back to me, folding her arms across her chest.
"Look!" she said, pointing to her spilled snacks and milk. "It's all on the floor. My first meal of the day."
"If you're hungry, you should eat rice, not snacks," I said, trying to refocus on her needs.
"That fills my stomach," she replied.
I sighed, feeling guilty for yelling.
"I'm sorry, Aoey. I'm just worried about you. Let's go home. I'll never let you sleep in a temple. You can't say no."
She looked up at me, startled.
"Please, come back with me," I pleaded.
Finally, she nodded, agreeing to follow me back to the car. We drove in silence, the tension still lingering.
"How did you know I was in the temple?" she asked after a while.
"I guessed," I said simply.
We sat quietly, and I thought about everything. I didn't know why I was doing all of this for a long-lost friend. I didn't understand why I cared so much.
"I don't know why you ran away from home," I said, breaking the silence. She remained quiet, her soft eyes hiding something.
"But it's okay. That's not as important as where you'll sleep tonight," I added.
"You'll sleep with me from now on."
"What?" she asked, shocked.
"I'm moving into the condo. My class schedule changed, and my mom's house is too far. I don't like sleeping alone in the condo."
"Are you afraid of ghosts?" she teased.
"Yeah," I lied, unsure why I did.
"How could I stay for free?" she asked.
"I never said you could. You'll find a job and contribute."
"That won't cover rent, water, and electricity," she protested.
I frowned.
"More than money, you'll clean, take care of things, and find me food. Can you cook?"
She nodded, her top bun bobbing as she did, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Okay. If you're helpful, that's good enough."
"I'll stay with you until I can rent my own place," she promised.
"Deal," I said, finally feeling at ease.
Let me
