My Moon, Chapter 3 pg 20
My Moon, Chapter 3 pg 20
Klaijai led Dad by the hand to sit at the dining table. Phii Jeab walked over with a pot of rice and stood beside him. She scooped hot, steaming rice onto a plate for him before turning to answer Dad.
“Yes.”
“Jeab… you’re so stingy.”
Normally, Dad wouldn’t say something like this, and combined with the slightly sulky tone he used, it made both him and Phii Jeab burst out laughing.
“If you keep teasing me, I’ll keep KhunKlai all to myself, you know.”
“What, I don’t even get to negotiate with you, Jeab?”
Klaijai smiled amusedly as he listened to the conversation between Dad and Phii Jeab. He reached out to scoop some braised egg onto Dad’s plate before serving himself. Just as Klaijai was about to take a bite of rice, he paused and looked up at Dad. He noticed Dad staring at the braised egg on his plate. But a few moments later, Dad turned and smiled at him.
“Both of us remember well that… braised eggs were also a favorite of the person up in the sky.”
Last week, Dad had taken the braised eggs Jeab made to offer to the monks.
“Tomorrow, Klaijai will wake up and make some of my own braised eggs to offer to the monks.”
“That’s great… because for Mom, no one could make braised eggs as delicious as her Klaijai.”
Klaijai nodded firmly before lowering his head to continue eating. Dad scooped a large, peeled salted baked shrimp onto his plate. Besides braised eggs, shrimp was another of Klaijai’s favorites.
“Eat a lot, okay, son?”
“Thank you, Dad.”
The atmosphere at the dinner table this evening was filled with smiles and laughter. Even though our family only has a few members, the love and care we share with each other make us feel overwhelmingly full.
The last braised egg—Dad gave it to Klaijai.
“Thank you, Dad.”
“Eat a lot, okay, son?”
“Yes,” he replied before continuing to eat. But Klaijai felt like Dad still hadn’t taken his eyes off him. When he looked up, he saw those same eyes truly watching him.
“Is something bothering you lately, Klaijai?”
Dad knew him just as well as Phii Jeab did. Both of them could always sense when something was hidden in his heart. Every time Klaijai fell into sadness or grief, Dad and Phii Jeab always knew.
“…”
“If you’re feeling down… come back home, Klai.
Everyone is always waiting for KhunKlai.”
And it was still those two who pulled him out of the dark spiral.
Yes… everyone was ready to stand by Klai no matter what happened.
Klai nodded in acknowledgment before saying, “Thank you, Dad, Phii Jeab.”
Dad smiled and finally looked away from him, but now it was Klai who couldn’t take his eyes off his father. Klai watched his source of strength eating dinner. Coming home this time didn’t make the wounds in his heart heal quickly or erase the traces of sorrow.
But coming home this time made Klai realize that… besides time, family was another thing that could heal the wounds in his heart.
“I’ll come home often, okay?”
And he truly tried to keep his word. After that visit, Klai came home much more frequently. Even if some weeks were packed with work, Klai still chose to go home. He even brought his work with him, thinking that at the very least, he could recharge his strength at home before returning to fight again.
Dad and everyone seemed so happy to see him every week. Dad drove to pick him up every Friday evening and drove him back to the university on Monday mornings, just like always. Klai’s life followed this routine until the final exams period.
Today was the last day of exams before the semester break of his first year. Klai always felt grateful to himself for enduring and staying strong through the tough times. But the people he should thank the most were his family and friends who stood by him, like Kant, Som, and Cake.
However, his two close friends would no longer be studying in the same faculty as him. Cake and Som had decided to switch faculties because they couldn’t handle the current faculty and major.
“Klai… I’m sorry.”
“We’re sorry too for leaving you to study alone.”
“You don’t need to apologize… Cake and Som, you guys didn’t do anything wrong,” Klai, walking in the middle, ruffled the heads of his two close friends. “You guys made the right choice.”
“…”
“If it’s too much, you don’t have to force it… but you have to choose your new faculty carefully, okay?”
“This time, I’m sure this faculty will work out.”
“Good.”
“If you still don’t have new friends when the semester starts… call us, Klai. We’ll come eat with you.”
Klai laughed before saying, “Don’t worry about me… how old is me now? You’re worrying like I’m a kid.”
“I don’t care if you’re a kid or not… but if anyone messes with you again, call and tell me right away.”
The small person laughed softly, then nodded in acknowledgment. Klai wasn’t one to tattle since childhood, so this response was for his friend’s peace of mind. “I’ll call to snitch super-fast later.”
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