At a young age of eighteen, New was living the life of a teenage boy diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. With his life hanging by a thread, he realized that it was too short to be spent on memories that will only result in melancholy, and so he chose...
After what seemed like hours of driving, we finally reached Chiang Rai, a neighboring city of Chiang Mai. It looked partially same as Chiang Mai, only that there seemed to be less people living there. Not most of the city has been industrialized, so it seemed like a well preserved province. As we entered the city, we were greeted by the rich amount of greeneries and hills. I thought Chiang Mai had very fresh air, but Chiang Rai's breeze was something too. It suddenly made me feel all the fatigue I had been keeping in both the mind and body.
Tawan continued driving until we reached a twisty road uphill. It was a lot easier for us as we rode a motorcycle going up, but if we used a different mode of transportation, the travel would've been more challenging. We stopped in front of the entrance to a place named Doi Mae Salong.
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The place looked very pleasing to me as it was very different from where I stayed. People were walking on feet rather than driving cars, and there were no skyscrapers present in the area. In fact, only a few buildings such as restaurants could be seen in Doi Mae Salong.
"This place is breathtaking.", I said as I finally had a better view of the whole place.
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I was greeted by nothing but large areas of healthy trees and perfectly preserved hills. The air felt more crisp, free of dirt from the pollution coming from cars and factories that were not present in Doi Mae Salong. My heart was pounding, not because it felt scary to be on top of a mountain, but because of the sight that was lying before me.
"Take your time admiring the view, I'll be right back.", Tawan said. I barely paid any attention to what he said as I was too amazed at what my eyes were seeing.
I walked along the place and saw the public market where the people were happily conversing as they bargained through the goods. Fresh vegetables are lain neatly on the ground, to which I think were just picked from the farms down the hill. I'm amazed at how simple the people were living there, and how different they seem to me.
"Don't wander off alone, you might get lost."
I turned around and saw Tawan holding a box of what I thought was cake.
"Where did you go? You're missing the wonderful view!", I said, all smiles.
"I went out to buy a cake. There were no other shops selling cake here so I just got one from the local bakeshop.", Tawan replied as he raised the box of cake.
I smiled at the thought of him buying the cake. I suppose he knows me well now.
"Let's go now, we might get late for the reservation."
He grabbed my hand and guided me as we walked out of the magnificent view of the hills. After a five minute ride, we reached a small inn. Tawan talked to the receptionist while I was busy scanning the interiors of the place. It resembled the traditional temples in Thailand and gave off a very homey feel. After they were done talking, another hotel staff escorted and lead us to one of the rooms in the inn.
When the staff opened the room, it revealed a room big enough for the both of us to sleep comfortably. But what made it extraordinary was the view from outside the room. There's an open space that extends to outside the room and there sits a table and chair for two, with a set of meals that looked very scrumptious.
"Go on, the food won't eat itself.", Tawan whispered in my ears.
I tried to stop myself from getting amazed every now and then because I felt like I was looking stupid in front of Tawan, but I just couldn't. It was the first time I had seen a view that beautiful.
"When did you plan all this?", I asked as we sat on the chair, completely perplexed.
"Last night."
"I thought you slept early last night."
"I didn't. Eat now or the food will get cold."
We ate quietly while the sun illuminated the wonderful view beneath us. We didn't mind talking to each other as we were both busy trying to take in the aesthetics of Doi Mae Salong.
By the time we finished eating, there were still plenty of the food remaining.
"This is such a beautiful place Tawan."
"It is.", Tawan replied as he looked at my face. My heart beat fast and my face turned red that I couldn't maintain my eye contact with him. I was too flustered to say a word.
"I'm curious."
"About what?"
"About the reason why you brought me here."
Tawan stood up from his chair and walked towards me, reaching out his hand. I grabbed it and stood right beside him, and we both turned to look at the view before us.
"You said we both suffer right? Well I think it's true. But both of us have been suffering alone for so long, and it's getting exhausting."
Tawan turned his face to me and I did the same. Our faces were only inches apart, and the deafening silence made me hear my own heartbeat pounding. The sun was still shining towards us, giving me a clear view of Tawan's face. Just like Doi Mae Salong, his features were a breathtaking sight to look at.
"Do you want to share the weight of the world with me?"
