I couldn’t sleep a wink last night. I keep tossing and turning around my bed until the sun rises. This always happen to me every time I have a heavy and serious problem. The heavy burden is finally taking a toll on me, I guess, since I’ve been carrying it for almost six months now.
When I come out from my room, I spot my mom cooking in the kitchen while my dad is helping her. I smile at the sight. Nothing change between them at all. Their love towards each other is still strong even though they’re getting older day by day.
I just stand at the kitchen entrance and didn’t let my presence known to them as I’m enjoying watching their moment. Dad keeps on throwing some lame jokes and lame pick up lines to my mother while she would giggle every now and then and hit his shoulder in a playful manner. They’re literally acting like a teenager that has just got into a relationship with each other.
Even though we already have a lot of problems in our household, they still act like everything is okay — everything is fine. My mother once said, “Learn how to live with the pain, accept what is destined for you and just because you have a lot on your plate doesn’t mean you should act affected.” So I believe her. Though her speech was a bit long, it has only one meaning — smile through the pain. Emotions literally has a very big influence towards people that’s why people that let their negative emotions control them tend to make stupid mistakes.
“Son, are you okay?” I come back from my senses when my dad calls out my name.
I didn’t notice that I have been staring into space for a little while now. I smile and shake my head and look at the time. Oh my gosh! It’s already 7:25! If my dad didn’t snap me out of my trance, I would have been standing here for an hour!
I immediately scurry to the dining table and wait for my mom to serve the dish she had reheated. “I didn’t notice the time at all. You’re loving moments distracted me. So it was definitely your fault,” I joke, blaming my parents.
My dad grins widely at my joke while mom rolls her eyes at me playfully. “You’re just envious. For all I know, you’ve been single since birth. Huh! If I were you, I would find myself a beautiful lady before I’m the only one single and bitter left in this world,” my father says while hugging my mom though he’s sitting in a wheelchair.
My mom giggles at what my dad said. Says the one who always turned shy when my mom is around back in their generation!
I raise a brow. “Oh, yeah? Are you referring to yourself, dad?” I mock him and my mom giggles even more.
“Hey!”
“Ok, that’s enough, you two. Alwin, honey, eat now or you’ll be late for your class.” Mom turns to glare at my dad. “And you too, stop making fun of your son’s boring life. It’s his decision of choosing the boring path.” Dad laughs loudly while I gasp.
Wow! Really?! I thought she is defending me! But it turns out, she’s also making fun of me!
“Mom!” I whine loudly, “How dare you!” I exclaim.
“What? Did I say something wrong?” She asks me innocently while batting her eyelashes.
“I hate you both,” I say in a tiny voice though it’s just a joke and they know it.
“You love us,” Mom rolls her eyes again. If she keeps doing that, her eyeballs might get stuck at the back of her head someday, I swear.
“Are you really my parents? Why do you keep making fun of me? Is that how parenting in your generation works?” I taunt them but my mom keeps her cool and doesn’t seem fazed one bit.
“Oh, yeah? I could ask the same thing to you. Are you really our child or the doctor made a mistake and gave us the wrong child? Oh my gosh!” She gasps dramatically and pretends to cry while clinging at the counter top and clutching her heart. My dad claps his hand proudly at her and looks at me with a ‘you lose’ expression.
“Why are you so mean to me?!” I exclaim and pout my lips like a child. Mom stops her dramatic acting and shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly.
“You know you couldn’t beat your mom when it comes to verbal fight. She’s very good at it so stop trying you’ll only look like a fool,” Dad says and goes to the sofa to watch a show from the television.
Mom stares at my dad’s retreating back with heart eyes that I almost gag at their cheesiness. “Eww...”
Mom giggles again before turning her back at me. I wish this happy banter between our family would never end.
~
I run like a cheetah through the school’s hallway to make it on time for my first class. Our small banter took too long that I forgot about the time. When it comes to my family, I would always forgot time. Maybe, it’s because family is more important.
When I come inside the classroom, the professor is still not around so I heave a sigh. Thank goodness, I still made it on time. I walk to my seat beside Sean and immediately take out my biology notebook to study since Mr. Chaiya has not yet arrive. Sean tries to talk to me but I didn’t acknowledge him so he pouts like a duck and makes a conversation with his other seatmate instead. He’s really talkative in class and can’t keep his mouth shut when the professor is not around.
Minutes has passed by until Mr. Chaiya finally come inside with a boy trailing behind him. The noisy classroom turns silent as everyone is curious of whom the boy is.
“Sorry, class. I got held back at the admin’s office because the old Kraisee paid a visit to check how the school is doing this past few months. I was the one summoned to attend to his needs in terms of his possible questions about the school, that’s why...”
Wait... Old Kraisee sounds familiar... Aha! Old Kraisee is the owner of this school. He built this school since 1987. He’s also the owner of the Kraisee Group of Company. They manage, produce and import organic fabrics all over Thailand, Korea and Japan. They’re product has been proven tested and trusted that’s why their business keep on expanding every year. I only saw the old Kraisee’s father once and not the man itself as he never shows his face on any newspaper, magazines, or any social medias. I’ve heard some people say that the old man is very handsome especially on his younger days.
Mr. Chaiya keeps going on and on about his whereabouts for the past minutes.
Though, truth be told, we are not really interested in listening to his rants about that. We only want to know who the hell is that boy that has been standing awkwardly beside him for god knows how long. If I were that boy, I would probably just go out of this hell called classroom and straight to the admin’s office to change my classroom so I won’t be suffering any longer.
After what feels like eternity, he finally introduces the boy. “This is Lucas Kittibun. He’s a transfer student from Iowa, USA. He just arrived here yesterday but didn’t go to class immediately as he still needs to take care of his school papers at the admin’s office but now, it’s all good. So welcome your new classmate,” Mr. Chaiya says the last sentence firmly.
Kittibun? Is he related to the owner of the restaurant ‘Rose’s Special’? Or they just coincidentally have the same surname? Whatever!
“Mr. Kittibun, please take a seat anywhere you like.”
Lucas guy roams his eyes around the room to search for a vacant seat. Unfortunately, his eyes land on the seat beside me because it’s the only vacant seat available in the room. He marches towards me and sits down comfortably on his seat next to mine.
Throughout the class, I didn’t look at him once as I’m so busy listening to the professor’s discussion about the Earth formation. I really want to ace all the subjects this year so that my PGA would rise a little bit and I can easily find a decent job to an enormous company with high salary. That’s my bucket list number two because bucket list number one is to finish my study in college though it’s okay if the second one would go first as I need plenty of money.
I flinch when someone elbows me lightly. I turn to my right and look at Lucas with a questioning look. He smiles brightly at me and extends his hand for a handshake. I stare at his hand like it’s some kind of a disease before accepting it. I quickly take my hand back afterwards so that the professor won’t notice us or else he’ll get the wrong idea and send us to detention right away in which case, I don’t want to happen. I flinch again when someone from my left elbows me but this time, it is very strong that I almost squeal. I turn to glare at Sean who just looks at me innocently.
“What the hell, Sean?!” I whisper shout at him and he looks at me with his eyes full of malice. He just wriggles his eyebrows playfully at me instead of answering my question.
He and Paulo really suits each other very much because they’re both idiotic and an issue maker at the same time. I should just put them on a blind date someday. Paulo would probably praise me if I do that.