SOTUS: The Adult Years

The Best Man (Kong)

Year 2565, February 20 7:37AM (PST), San Francisco

"Good morning, Mr. Kong," the doorman greeted me as I stepped in my apartment building. I took off my earbuds and wiped my face with my towel still feeling a bit winded from my morning run. "Good morning, Tim!" I greeted back.

I pressed the UP button and waited for the elevator to come. Suddenly I felt someone's presence next to me. "Just finished your morning run?" the person asked.

It is P'Ken, a Thai-American who works as a senior analyst at the consultancy firm I currently work for. "Yes, P'Ken. You too?"

"Nah, I swam in the pool at the gym," he answered smiling at me.

"Ahh, I see." I nodded. "I'm not a big fan of water sports."

"Oh really?" he asked in bewilderment. "I just thought since you are close to the beach you would all be crazy about the water."

"You're stereotyping again, P'Ken," I laughed. Just then the elevator arrived and since he is on a different set of floors I bid him goodbye. "See you at the office then."

"See you," he grinned at me. I smiled back and waved at him before the elevator doors have closed. P'Ken has done so much for me over the past few years. I felt like a fish out of a bowl when I arrived  in California a couple of years ago. And, P'Ken made sure I fit right in at university and at the company.

Once I reached my apartment, I check for any messages since my family and friends normally call during the wee hours of the morning without taking the time difference in consideration. I only had one, and it was from my best friend M and his girlfriend May.

"Ai'Kong! Please call us when you received this message, OK? We got news for you!" they said together on the answering machine.

I checked my mobile phone which I leave at the dining table before going for a run and figured it is almost 10PM in Bangkok. I decided to make a video call to M before taking a shower. He answered right away.

"Kong!" he said enthusiastically. It was a bit dark and I saw him fumbling to turn on the lights. He looked as if he was in bed. "Hold on, I will wake May up!" He nudged the person sleeping next to him. Lucky enough, they were both dressed.

"Kong!" May grinned and waved at me. "We miss you!"

I laughed at them. Starting my day with hearing from your friends and family felt wonderful. "I miss you guys too! What's up?"

"Are you coming home for Songkran?" M inquired. I haven't gone home for two years ago since I decided to take up my masters and accepted an internship afterwards. My parents have been begging me to come for a visit but since I was too busy, they are the ones who normally flew in. The internship is going very well however that they invited me to take a permanent position in the analytics department.

"You need to come home. May and I are getting married and I want you to be my best man." M announced.

"Wow, congratulations! I am happy for you both!!! But are you sure? May might change her mind if he sees me again," I teased. On our freshmen year, May confessed her feelings to me, but I liked, I mean loved someone else at that time.

"Hey, hey, that's all in the past!" May squealed in her defense.

"So can you come? I will buy your ticket for you. We'll have it in April. May does not want to show too much," M explained.

"Too much what?" I asked.

"Well, Mr. Kongpope, apart from becoming our best man, we are happy to tell you that you are going to be an uncle as well!" May shared her news excitedly.

"Really? Double congratulations then!" I said. I looked at the clock and it is almost 8AM. "Listen, I need to prepare for work. I'll check with my boss later today. But I will do my best to have those days off."

"OK! Let me know as soon as you can. We'll buy your ticket home because the gang misses you so much!" M answered back. "Bye! See you soon!" I hear May's voice over the phone.

While showering, I tried my best to remember my friends. M works in construction with his father along with another friend of ours, Oak. May is taking her master's degree and is about to join our faculty as an instructor. Tew is taking up law in Australia. Dee works as an engineer for a manufacturing company. I lost touch with Wad but I heard he started a sports shop of his own. May's friend Maprang works for an IT company. And May's other friend, Praepaelin is now a model and an actress. It has been almost 2 years since I have seen most of them.

But another set of memories came along with reminiscing about my friends. A feeling of bittersweet and yearning came along with it. Kongpope! The voice from my head shouted angrily. Kongpope! The tone now became challenging. Then came a voice sweet as honey as if slowly caressing my body. Kong...

I looked at the mirror and saw his eyes first. Staring as if challenging me. His nose. Then came his lips. He looked at me as if a bit disgruntled, but then his lips curving up and turned into a smile. A smile I would never, ever forget. But after blinking, I just saw my own reflection smiling back at me as if I was a joke. After all this time, my inner voice sneered.

Always. I answered back. Always.