Altered: Win and Team

Enlistment

Win

It's already August. Nong is already well adjusted in our household. My brothers gained a new brother and my mother gained a new son. A favorite for that matter.

He's her new baby. She would cook food or make dessert that Nong likes. Maae would even steal him away from me whenever she goes to town.

They'd come back with more food or things that they both adore. I'm worried now about Pho's bank statement next month.

We were even starting to get jealous of Nong except P'Wan.

"I refuse to succumbed to such childishness.", he once replied to us when View and I invited him to play a prank on Nong.

We did the prank without Phi chai but got a major backlash. Nong slept in the guest room and took me a whole week to drag him back into my room.

I swore I would never pull a prank on him again. Talking or thinking about it is total taboo.

I choose to enjoy my mornings waking up beside him and my nights sleeping beside him.

"You should move in to my unit when we get back to the dorm or I should move in to yours. It's more cost efficient if we live together in one room.", I suggested to Nong.

It would help us save for our future if he agrees. I'm thinking of opening a joint account with him. Maybe, after I finish graduate school. I can focus by then in earning for us.

"I'll sleep in your room from time to time. I'd like to keep my room, still. Okay?", he draws a line and went back to his game.

I wondered how our married life would be when it's hard to make decisions together even as boyfriends. He seldom agrees with me and only does so when I knock some sense into him or force him to do so - with his slight consent of course.

I'm not that barbaric enough to force someone or anyone for that matter. I just find ways to make things happen my way.

Just like his enlistment notice. We had to argue first that it's better to be mailed than to be picked up all the way from his home town which is on the other side of Thailand. I even had to ask help from Maae before he could agree that mail service is more sensible.

"Let's sleep early, Nong na. We have to get back to Bangkok tomorrow before the conscription date.", I invited him to bed.

As he had his enlistment, I have my conscription. I've turned twenty-one already in time to report for duty.

The enlistment and conscription are conducted every first week of April. Nong should have enlisted three months ago, but it got delayed due to a health break out which is still on going but manageable enough for life to continue. Human beings are resilient enough to survive.

The government had set a date to replenish its ranks this first week of August.

In the art of war, your best defense and offense are your people. People are needed to make a system work.

Just like in business, you need manpower to keep the business going. You just need to remember to be socially responsible for your people.

Anybody can say that they can go on alone, but in reality - no man is an island. No matter how introverted you are, you need a community to function. To keep your sanity.

It is mandatory in our country to enlist and serve in the armed forces. I have nothing against it or in any organization in particular, except about the hazing practice.

Sure, it builds bonds but there's always a fine line that gets crossed in where there is no point of return.

The only prayer that I have is when it's Nong's turn, he'd get it easy during the lottery draw or get disqualified on the physical and mental examination. I know it's sinister to think about the latter.