Red Strings

Chapter Eight

The corners of Satang's lips turned up in a small smile as Winny's calm reassurance began to sink in.

***

The air hung thick with unspoken tension as Satang sat at the table, surrounded by Winny's family. Despite their warm welcomes, a knot of anxiety tightened in his stomach. Force, radiating a comforting energy, greeted Satang and Off with a genuine smile, and Satang returned it with a nervous chuckle. Prem, ever the observant one, noticed Satang's unease and inquired about his 

grandmother's health.

"She's fine now, thank you for asking," Satang replied, his voice a touch too high-pitched. The others exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued. Winny, his gaze fixed on Prem, questioned, 

"Why do you know about it, phi?"

"Ah, right, I forgot to mention," Prem said, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Boun is Satang's brother. Boun was out for a few days, and when he returned to work, he told me about his grandma being sick. I went to visit her, and I saw Satang there."

Winny's brow furrowed, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "But how can I not know about it?" he muttered, the words barely audible. Prem shrugged, nonchalantly resuming his meal. Satang, sensing the brewing storm, quickly interjected, "I'll talk about it later," his voice laced with a hint of desperation.

The tension in the room intensified. Force and Book exchanged a knowing look, their eyes lingering on Winny's simmering frustration. Even Off, usually quiet and reserved, seemed to be captivated by the unfolding drama.

"But you don't look like Boun," Prem blurted out, his words seemingly innocent but hitting a nerve. Satang chuckled nervously, the sound strained and hollow.

"Oh, that's because we're not actually siblings," he explained, his voice barely a whisper. The room fell silent, everyone's eyes fixed on him.

"We both lived in an orphanage and were adopted by our grandma," Satang continued, his voice trembling slightly. Force and Book exchanged another look, their expressions unreadable. Off, his eyes wide with surprise, blurted out, "You're an orphan too?"

Satang nodded, a frown creasing his forehead. "What do you mean, 'too', phi?"

Force, sensing the need for clarification, stepped in. "Off, Prem, and Winny were also adopted by us," he said, the words hanging in the air like a bombshell. Satang's eyes widened in shock. "You didn't find it strange? They call us 'phi' instead of 'dad'? That's because they were adopted. But the difference is, these three are all real siblings."

Satang, still reeling from the revelation, looked at Winny, then at Prem and Off, his mind struggling to process the information. "But you all look alike, and you both look so young," he stammered, his voice laced with confusion.

"Oh, haha," Book chuckled, his voice light and carefree. "We adopted them when we were 22 and 23. We wanted to have kids, but we're not like other couples, so we decided to adopt."

Satang, still struggling to grasp the complexities of their family dynamic, could only manage a weak, "That's nice, phi. I didn't know about that." He glanced at Winny, hoping for some kind of explanation, but Winny only stared back, his expression unreadable.

"But even though we were just adopted, P'Book and P'Force love us dearly," Off said, his voice filled with genuine affection.

Book, his eyes twinkling with warmth, responded, "Of course. If I hadn't adopted you, my life would be so sad." He laughed, the sound light and carefree, but a flicker of sadness crossed his eyes.