Memories Look At Me_MingKit

Memories Look At Me(5)

He collapsed into my arms. As it was still raining hard with lots of lightning and thunder, I carried him inside first. He didn't come to his senses. I had no time to waste at home. I rushed him to a nearby hospital right away. To my relief, he regained his consciousness in the emergency room. He got treated for cuts and scrapes but had to be hospitalized for more check-ups. 

 "I want to go back...Mingkwan...I hate being in the hospital," he pleaded, sitting on the bed. 

I knelt down on one knee before him, giving him an upward look. "The doctor said you need to stay here for a couple of days. Khun Kit, let's be patient." 

"I told you I hate hospitals! Now I am okay!" he shouted, glaring at me. His face was as pale as a ghost, his lips chapped. "You don't have the right to do this!" He was about to pull out the IV needle out of his hand.  

I furrowed my brow and snatched his wrist away not to pull out the needle.

"I am your employer. I have responsibilities for your safety and well-being. I don't want to be blamed later by P'Pha for not taking good care of you," I said looking into his eyes. The pupils of his eyes dilated when I said the words "employer" and "P'Pha."  

My 'threat' seemed to work on him. He lay on his side, his back turning to me. 

"You can go now. You have to take care of your puppies, not me," he said coldly.  

 "...Khun, I will leave them to Haily and come back soon." I sighed, watching over him keep facing the wall.

"It's up to you as you are my boss," he said in a tremulous, whispery tone.  He pulled the bedsheet up to his ears.  

"...I will bring you extra clothes, too." I'd like to soothe him but no idea occurred to me. I looked down at him for a while then I turned to the door. 

"Khun Mingkwan," he called me when I turned the doorknob. "I am sorry for bothering you last night...And I think you'd better find another carpenter," he continued, "We haven't made any contract yet." 

I didn't talk back to him. I just got out of there.

**

I put the car key into the ignition, gripping the steering wheel with my left hand. I could do nothing other than that because I was totally lost in my thoughts. I leaned back in the driver's seat after all.

"Did he name his son after...me...?...No way...He's never called me by Ming...Did he just like the name, Ming ...? Was that only a coincidence...?" 

I kept talking to myself, rubbing my fingers across the forehead. I couldn't figure out any answers by myself. 

I called Yo. <Hey, Ai'Ming!> he answered the phone on the second ring.

"How have you been," I asked half-heartedly.

He seemed to catch something weird from my voice. <e-eh...Ai'Ming, are you okay...? Is something wrong?>

"His name was Ming."

<....Who, whose name....?> I could feel Yo bewildered.  

"Khun Kit's son." I faintly heard him swallow saliva. 

"Did he name his son after me...?" It was a fairly straightforward question.

<...You can ask him yourself.> Yo avoided a direct answer.