"How much money can you earn selling a novel?"
I proposed the self-publishing novel project to my mother, who was an
investor. She looked surprised and laughed. I know, she could easily give me money, but I had to ask questions and everything, to make it harder.
"Quite. Don't you have savings?"
"Yes, but I don't want my friend to know that I'm an investor. Money is
always a delicate topic."
She once said that she doesn't want to lose a friend because of money.
"Don't do it then if she's so worried about it."
I thought she was playing hard to get. I knew I didn't like begging. It was exhausting..
"If you called your friend who owns a publishing house and gave her
money. I will remember it until the day I die."
My mom looked at me with surprise. She gave me a kind smile. I never asked my mom for anything. She knew I had a big ego. But if I begged her so much, that meant it was a big problem for me. She nodded at the end.
"Ok, you begged for that. How did you meet this friend? I don't see that you have many friends. Do I know her?"
"My childhood friend. I don't think you can remember it. I just wanted tohelp her and I can see that she will make money. It may be little money for you, but it's big for a girl."
"I know. Are you someone's daddy long leg?"
"This is what great people do."
"If my friend finds out that I was behind her success, she will be very
pleased and will appreciate me. If he were a man, he would kneel in front ofme, but if she were a girl, she would transform into a man and devote herself to me."
"Your life is complicated."
It was even worse than a bad novel. In the end, I made a business deal with my mom. We chatted for a while and I had to leave. I walked towards my car but Somkit ran after me and gave me a big smile.
"Gen."
"Yeah?"
"I have something about the girl you asked me about."
"The girl I asked about?"
I looked at him having forgotten that, then I realized what he was talking about.
"Ah... Yes, what's the update, please?"
I was excited to find out more about the girl I had been living with for two weeks. Although we talked, we slept next to each other, I hardly knew anything about her. She still didn't talk much about herself. Finally I would find out what was wrong with her.
"It has a tough history."
I was watching my friend, who was trying to heat up some pork meatballs and was bragging about how good they were. I looked at her... for a long, long... long time. I looked at her all over her body.
"Your friend had a sexual problem with her stepfather."
That was the reason she ran away. She didn't dare ask me or if she asked, I didn't know if she would tell me. We weren't that close.
"Aoey."
I called. She turned and gave me a sweet smile under those glasses I asked her to wear to hide her eyes.
"Yeah?"
"How is Teacher Salee?"
"It's fine as always."
She looked at the microwave, showing no emotion. I thought it was strange, so I walked towards her and stood next to her.
"Oh?"
