I was a busybody...I sat across from Teacher Salee, Aoey's mother, who left
a message on the novel's web board. She was the same strict teacher I had
known, but much older and with wrinkles on her face. I promised not to let
myself be seen as the old me so...
"You are now a beautiful adult woman, Genlong."
"Thank you."
She was used to compliments like that. I sat up straight and tried to be
elegant while chatting with my elementary school teacher.
"How are you? Are you still teaching?"
Do they live in the same house? I didn't really care much about that. Where
she lived I didn't care at all, whether in a cave or a pond. Humans are social
animals, I had to present a proper introduction. So, I got straight to the
point.
"I saw your message on the writer's web board, so I contacted you. I think
you might miss Aoey,"
I said and took a sip of water.
"I'm meeting you today to tell you that Aoey is fine."
"I'm glad to know she's okay, and relieved to know she's with you."
Worry was written all over her face and also that she was scared. My
curiosity was at its peak.
"Are you OK? You seemed so worried."
"I'm worried. But after knowing that she is with you, I feel better now. Is
your father still a police officer?"
"Yes, he will retire in 3 years."
"That's good... it's possible..."
Professor Salee seemed worried and dismissed.
"Forget it."
"Why don't you tell me what happened?"
I saw some hesitation in her eyes, but she finally put it all together. What I
learned next crushed me a lot. I would prefer not to know anything about
that.
"My husband disappeared."
I was surprised when I thought of Aoey's stepfather. I felt chills down my
spine. I couldn't breathe and I felt like I was about to pass out. I took a sip
of water and controlled myself not to be shaken.
"Really?"
I want your dad's help. He must have many contacts. Maybe he can help. I
reported a missing person to the police, but I got nowhere. Nobody helps
me at all.
"How long has he been missing?"
"Many months. I have not been able to contact him. I think he must be
involved with some mafia."
My heart was beating so hard. I was worried that she might see something
wrong in me. But come on, it was almost impossible for that to come back
to me.
"Why do you think there are mafias involved? What happened?"
"Several days ago, a group of men raided my house looking for something.
They took the CPU out of my computer, right in front of me. I didn't get any
explanation."
"Your husband asks for this," one of the men told me."
Teacher Salee looked shocked. I guess those were my dad's people who
tried to look for evidence, since he believed the girl in those photos was me.
My dad took action. Aoey's stepfather disappeared like a file on that
computer.
"I don't know what happened."
Teacher Salee buried her face in her two palms and cried.
"My husband may have visited Aoey,"
She said.
"Why would your husband visit Aoey?"
I crossed my arms and leaned back. I looked the woman straight in the eyes.
She paused and looked away from me.
"They are father and daughter."
"Isn't he her stepfather?"
"Did Aoey tell you that?"
Teacher Salee asked me curiously. She tried to test my knowledge.
"Yes, Aoey said that he is her stepfather. He is the reason she left."
"How much did she tell you?"
I smiled. I knew she was my teacher, but I lost a little respect
for her since I realized how much she was obsessed with her husband.
"She said you love him more than her."
"Don't say that, Gen."
I was angry because she gave me orders. I tried to control myself and be
aware that she was my teacher and a mother I loved. I told her I'm sorry..
"I'm sorry, I wasn't nice. I just don't understand why you care about other
people more than your daughter. Oh I'm sorry. She is adopted. She's not as
important as someone you slept with."
"This is a second warning for you. Don't say that."
I was upset because I would have to be polite to her.
"Teacher, Aoey was treated badly. Do you really think she flirted with him?
Why don't you take her side?"
"This is our family matter."
"This is child abuse. It's not just a family matter. If I reported it to the
police, everyone would know how much you love your husband but not
your daughter."
Teacher Salee stood up angrily. She couldn't stand me anymore. I stood up
and crossed my arms too. Why would I respect an adult who didn't deserve
it?
"Sorry then. Forget what I asked you. I'll take care of that myself."
"Yeah."
The woman was about to leave when I called her.
"Master,"
I said with my cold controlled voice.
"Yeah?"
"We spent time talking for almost an hour but you talked about Aoey for
only two minutes. Do you love your daughter?"
I didn't get any response from Teacher Salee. She heard my question and
walked away from it, leaving me there upset. She hung on the guy because
she had never had a husband before... I didn't tell anyone that I went to see
Teacher Salee. I felt bad about Aoey's stepfather disappearing and how my
dad sent someone to bring the computer to his house. If I told anyone, it
would only bring danger to me. I didn't think Aoey should know about this
either. The sweet eyes were happy with the comments on her novel and her
work while I worked on an assignment from my teacher. Aoey dreamed that
this novel would tell the world about her lovelife. She expected to make a
lot of money from it.
"If I can win a million, I'll buy a house."
Aoey looked at me briefly while working on her computer.
"You can be my interior designer. Must be beautiful."
"Will you leave me here alone?
I laughed, but she smiled widely at me.
"No, you will design the house in which we will live together. I hope you
don't charge too much because it's our house."
I looked at her adoringly and shook my head.
"If we really live together, I won't charge you a cent. You don't have to save
money. I can only ask my mom for the money."
"No, it has to be something I work for. That's the value. You will design the
house because that's what you do. Our house will be very nice. I will pay
money and you will work for me. That is great. Do you think a million baht
was enough?"
"A million won't be enough,"
I said.
"Land in Bangkok is expensive."
"How about a house in the interior of the country? Somewhere remote,
away from people. Not too expensive. Just us in the backcountry, running a
farm."
"I really couldn't imagine running a farm.."
"You can actually live with your mom, Teacher Salee."
I immediately saw a sign of resistance. I wanted to slap myself for that.
"You do not want to be with me? Why do you want me to be with mom?"
"I'm just making a suggestion. Don't be so serious."
"I don't want to hear you talk about my mom again. I told you that I only
have you in my life. Only you."
"Let's be serious Aoey..."
My voice was serious. I thought about what my mom said earlier.
"How many old women have you seen living together?"
"That what?"
"Someday you might find the right man and marry him. You may not love
me like you do today. That could happen to me too. I told you I never liked
girls. If it weren't you, I wouldn't do it..."
The soft eyes jumped to me and hugged me. She seemed so scared of what I
was saying. She knew what I was trying to say.
"I never felt that way with anyone. I thought you felt the same way too."
"Yes, I'm sorry."
"We love each other. That's all that matters."
Aoey started hugging me and pushed me to the ground.
"Do you think there will be a man who can make you feel like I do?"
"Aoey, we're talking.."
Now I was attacked by her kisses all over my face. She bit my ear playfully.
"How did we end up here?"
"I want you to know that you can only do this with me."
"I love you and I let you control everything. Who would let you do this, if it
weren't me."
"You need someone like me. Someone who follows you but also pushes you
at the same time."
I closed my eyes and let her play with my body. I floated away with her
seduction. I really liked that she acted like that and I loved controlling, but I
also loved that she took control at some point. Ummm.... but I lost that
time. Happiness... today it was with you, the next day it would fly away.
That was the truth of life. Happiness and unhappiness come and go all the
time. That's how the world works. If you are very happy, unhappiness also
wants to visit you. At that moment... I was the happiest woman in the world.
I was beautiful, so hot you would be jealous, I was rich, intelligent and in
love. I was happy like never before. Then I forgot everything in this world.
I had Aoey every day of my life. Sometimes we would fight over something
so trivial but we would fix it and it would always end up on the couch, in
the bed or sometimes in the kitchen... I'll skip the details. I always dreamed
of the happiness that people had in a television drama. The joy in life. Now
I had it, even if it was with a woman. It was strange that I never felt alone
with her...
I was wondering if I was a lesbian. But I dressed like a woman and I never
admired another woman's body. I never thought other women were
beautiful. But I never thought that other men were handsome either. That
was strange... I was never hungry for love, but I felt empty. Some say they
needed love because they lacked love in childhood. Some men claimed that
they had many wives because they did not have another growing up. I had a
great childhood but I felt empty until Aoey arrived.... A small woman who
looked at me with obsession. I loved her head on over heels..
"The room is so quiet. Can you turn on the TV, Gen?"
Aoey asked in her sweet kitty voice as she got dressed for school. I grabbed
a controller and turned it on, looking for something fun. But it was too early
so there was only news and children's programs on television.I chose the
same news channel. The TV anchors were talking inside the house,
criticizing news and people on the news. A presenter changed the topic from
the economy to an interesting news story.
A teacher filed a request for an investigation into the disappearance of her
husband several weeks ago. He was found dead inside a large cement tank.
I was surprised to see Teacher Salee's face on TV.
"What happened Gen?"
I fell to the ground when I saw the woman on the news. Teacher Salee was
now crying in front of the media. The television described her story. Aoey
helped me up from the ground, but she immediately turned to the TV when
she heard her mother's name.
"That's mom. Why is she there?"
"Someone is dead."
I said with a trembling voice.
"What?"
"Your father....father."
Her eyes were fierce once she heard that. I noticed the shock in her eyes but
mixed with deep satisfaction. The soft eyes asked me with her cold but calm
voice.
"As?"
That's what shook me. I felt a cold hand squeeze my heart and stopped all
the blood flowing through it. I was afraid and felt guilty at the same time.
"Dead in a cement tank."
The light went off immediately when I finished that sentence as if someone
had turned off the switch. They just sucked the soul out of my life.
"Gen!
