Me After You ✔

EPILOGUE 02: A letter from Arthit ✔

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Dear Officer Ittikorn,

Hi

In the blink of an eye, four years has passed.

Lifting my pen, I have come to a realization that I have no idea what to say.

I have been performing well academically, and am currently enrolled in a Master's Degree Programs.

The reason why I'm writing this letter, is because Officer Lawan had told me, that in order for Kongpob to leave Lampang for South Korea whilst he was still on parole, I would have to furnish some form of documentary evidence in order to prove that both P' Kongpob and I possess optimistic and motivated attitudes. I'm not sure whether this letter is sufficient to constitute the required documentary proof.

I didn't manage to catch you when I returned to Lampang to pick Kongpob up on the day of his release from prison. I understand from Officer Lawan that you happened to be in Bangkok that day for work meetings.

On the topic of welcoming Kongpob home from prison, a minor incident occurred on the day of his release. When Kongpob emerged from the prison compound, he was completed empty-handed; he didn't have a single cent or item on him, other than the clothes which he was wearing at that point in time. I was extremely nervous then, as I was worried that the clothes which I purchased for him wouldn't fit him properly, but the clothes surprisingly fit him like a glove. I suggested burning his prison uniform in order for him to be rid of his bad luck, but Kongpob gently refused my suggestion.

He said, that he would never ever burn or destroy, any other clothes in the future.

He even told me, that even if we were to burn his prison uniform, we would never be able to burn, or truly eradicate, what he had done, and where he had been.

I told him, that that's fine.

Although two months has passed since Kongpob 's release from prison, I can still recall and visualize every single detail about that very day. It is as though Kongpob had just been released from prison only yesterday; and yet, I have already received multiple calls from Officer Lawan urging me to submit documentary evidence in relation to Kongpob. Since the documentary evidence would, in any event, be submitted to you for your review, and must showcase both normalcy, and a positive, motivated attitude (on both P' Kong's and my part), I thought it would be easiest to write you a letter.

You've continuously written to me since we parted several years ago. And, Officer Ittikorn, although I have never told you so, I am, in actuality, extremely grateful for your letters – because you never ever failed to include updates about Kongpob and his life in prison in your letters. I was always concerned that Kongpob would be selective when writing to me, and report only good news (whilst omitting the bad) in order to ease my worries. It was only when I received your letters that I could rest assured.

The reason why I never ever replied your letters prior to this, was simply because, I didn't want to speak to you.

I knew that you were helping Yok and his friends, and I found myself unable to accept the injustice of it all – why weren't you able to stop Jay earlier? And why, after all that has come to pass, did you decide to help Yok and his friends receive a lighter punishment?

Why? Just why?

Yok and his friends have been afforded fresh opportunities and chances to reform time and again – but, what about the pain, the suffering, and the horror that Kongpob and I went through?

Four years ago, on the night I was trampled, crushed, and bullied, I experienced, for the first time in my life, intense hatred. I hated that city. I hated every single person that was born in that city – including you, including my mother who had no choice but to live and work in another city, including me (the me who was tirelessly strove to mature and grow into a stronger person, and yet, constantly failed at every turn), and including my opponents who, despite being the same age as me, were scarier than adults, as they were inexplicably granted the protection, and the right, to undertake actions that hurt, and injured, others.