Prompt by thughao: I've been thinking about this one for a little but what if Tian's parents find out where Tian is and Tulsa follows after them and they see Tian teaching/playing with the kids in field. You can decide what they do after that.
Any parent would worry if their child ran away from home, right? Any parent will do anything just to find their child, right? Well, that is what Mr. Teerayut, and his wife are doing, finding any means to get Tian back. Tul had watched over them for Tian, knowing his friend still worries and loves his parents despite the strained relationship he has with them.
Tul felt nervous when Teerayut involved one of his colleagues to find Tian. Since he knew where that little troublemaker is, he knows it won't be long until they find that guy. Living in the mountains will surely make Tian's mother to insult the people and the place there once they find Tian. Teerayut even made Tul call over Tian's phone multiple times but he knew it won't be answered since Tian probably turned his phone off and the signal there is not so good.
Tul wanted to reassure them but he knows that even if he said, Tian is in good hands and that he is happy, those words will only go to deaf ears. Especially with Tian's mother. But Tul has feeling that Mr. Teerayut will actually listen, he used to be part of the Natural Resources Ministry. He'll definitely be proud and happy for Tian.
"Where could that boy be? His heart transplant is still fresh! What if he doesn't have any money for food and shelter? Why would he do this?" Lalita said.
"Everything that Tian does, he thinks it through, Auntie. He definitely has a good reason of going off on his own. He's an adult." Tul tried to reason out.
"But he is still my baby! What if someone tried to rob him? Or even killed him?" Tul sighed. No matter what he says, this woman is never going to listen. No wonder why the male in this house finds ways to be away from her nagging.
"Honey, why don't you go and rest for tonight, we'll handle it here for now." Teerayut said.
Lalita sighed deeply before nodding and going to their room to sleep. Tul still kept ringing Tian's phone but it was still unavailable. He really wishes that Tian doesn't go to the city center in Chiang Mai. Or else this phone will definitely be able to track him since they made Tul connect his phone to their tracking system to find Tian.
"You know where he is right?" Teerayut said. Tul knows that it wasn't a question, more like he knew for a fact that Tul knew.
"I don't, Uncle." Tul lied.
"Tul, you have been with Tian longer than any of us. You're the only person he talks to about everything. I know he told you where he was going or else you wouldn't have been trying to reason out with my wife this whole time." Teerayut said.
"I..." Tul sighed, he knows he can't hide anything from an Ex-Secretary of the Natural Resources Ministry.
"Just tell me... Is he alright?" Teerayut asked.
Tul sighed once more, walked towards the door to make sure the mother isn't out there eavesdropping. When he sees no one and saw the couple's bedroom door is opened a little, he knew the wife is in there. He came back inside, closed the door and locked it.
"He's doing very good, actually. Last time I saw him, he's so happy, so contended with what he only has now. The long time I've known him, he was never happy. Yeah, he joked around a lot, got drunk and played casino with us, but true happiness never was shown in his eyes. Being where he is now, I saw for the first time the light in his eyes, the passion and the ultimate happiness. But there are some things he is still carrying on his shoulder." Tul said.
"Just knowing he is happy makes me happy and contended. Thank you, Tul." Teerayut said softly.
"I promise you, if you saw him where he is now and what he is doing with his life, you'd be proud of him." Tul said. Teerayut smiled at that.
"What has he told you?" he asked.
Tul chuckled. "A bunch of stuff, but he talked about mostly were the children he's teaching, the villagers that became a family to him, the rangers that protects them. He happily talks about them; he looks so proud to have them in his life now. If he wasn't going abroad soon with me, he'll probably stay there forever." Tul said.
"So, he does plan to go back here?" Teerayut asked.
"Yeah, he does. He still needs to finish his studies and I doubt the guy protecting him would want him to stop studying, just for the sake of the kids." Tul said.
"Guy? What guy is protecting him? And you said rangers." Teerayut asked.
"He didn't specifically tell me the name of the guy, but he calls Chief." Tul said.
Teerayut had a feeling, he knows who the guy is. And if he is right, Tian is probably at Pha Pun Dao. A rural place. It may not seem to be safe for the boy but if Tian found true happiness there, then he has no objection to it. His wife on the other hand, will probably force their child to leave the place. Tian's sister though, may have known also that Tian left the house, she is always up late in the night, she probably has seen him but did not say anything.
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A few weeks passed and unfortunately, they did find Tian's location and his wife was there when it was informed. Now they are going there with the car and Tul in the front sit. Lalita was relieved that she will finally see and get her son back home but Tul was praying that Tian doesn't actually show up anywhere and Teerayut was readying his words to convince his wife to leave Tian alone.
One of the rangers, showed them where Tian is, the ranger had a face of worry. And Tul knew, the guy didn't want to point where Tian is but has no choice. When they arrived at a field, they stayed shaded from the sun, was beneath the trees and was watching Tian play with kids. They were flying a kite and saw happy the boy's face was. His smile was so wide, it made Tul and Teerayut smile. They saw him run as the Chief was lifting the kite up but was keeping an eye on Tian.
Lalita was about to stop him but Teerayut held his wife back with a stern look to not interfere. She glared at him to let her be but Teerayut was set to let his son be happy. He pulled her towards the dark parts of the trees while Tul tagged along with the ranger.
"Let Tian be. Can't you see he's happy?" Teerayut said.
"But running can cause him to collapse! He is still sick!" Lalita said.
"If I may, Ma'am. There is a doctor here that checks on Khun Tian's health most of the time." The ranger said.
"Still, he needs to go home! He doesn't belong here! He belongs with us!" Lalita said.
"Lalita! Can't you see the happiness and liveliness in Tian's eyes? He was a stranger in the house back then, his were always just so distant!" Teerayut reasoned out.
"It's not safe for him to be here! I'm going right up there and taking him back!" Lalita was about to walk when Tul went in front of her.
"Auntie, he is not a child anymore! Stop treating him like one! In all the years I've known my best friend, he only was living his life, but he was never alive to begin with. Now, he has the second chance to actually feel things and look at him now. Look at the light in his eyes while he plays with the kids here! Look at the happiness he is showing here, it is more visible than when he was with us. Being rich doesn't make someone happy and that is what my best is feeling! So please, Auntie. Let him be! Let him do the things he wants to do here." Tul pleaded.
Lalita was flabbergasted with Tul's outburst towards her. He knew the boy since he and Tian were small, out of everyone, Lalita knew how close the two are. Acted like real siblings than with Tian's sister.
"Lalita, remember this, if you take him away from here. He will go back to being a dead live person." Teerayut warned.
Lalita wanted to get Tian back home but the fact two of the people in his life is stopping her, made her rethink what she would do. Lalita walked towards the where the field was and watched as Tian expressed so much emotion within him that they never saw when he was still back in Bangkok.
"Okay, what is the formula for the gravitational acceleration?" Tian asked as they still fly their kites up.
"g equals nine-point eighty-one m, s two." The kids answered.
"That's good! Now do any of you remember how to solve it?" Tian grinned.
"Uh..." The kids couldn't answer. They just looked at each other then laughed. Tian laughed as well.
"Alright, I'll teach you how to solve equations like that tomorrow." Tian said.
Lalita, along with Teerayut and Tul, watched the scene unfold in front of them. The parents were proud and Tul smiled at his friend. Teerayut and Tul were afraid that Lalita will still take Tian so they followed her but saw that she was only watching him from a far. Lalita sighed.
"You two win. I'll let Tian be. But I can't promise that if he comes back, I will let him leave the house again. If he comes back home, then he can't go back here." Lalita said.
Teerayut and Tul nodded but looked at each other and had a silent conversation with it, agreeing that they'll find a way to bring Tian back in the village if he wants to.
And just as they turned around and told the ranger to never mention them being there. Tian looked at the forest as he sees the back of three people. He wanted to check it out, but the kids tackled him all of sudden, causing all of them to hit the ground laughing.
Phupha helped Tian up as the kids teased them. Tian and Phupha just shook their heads as Nam, Yod, Rang, and Longtae were giving them a teasing smile. They both looked at each other and started tickling the kids, some got to escape but Ayi and Khaoneung were captured by the two. They kept tickling until the two kids started tearing up from laughing so they stopped. But they did start to carry them. Tian carried Ayi and Phupha carried Khaoneung. The two kids didn't complain, instead they were more comfortable to ride the back of the teacher and chief. Meejoo, Kalae, and Inta wanted to be carried as well so, Tian carried Meejoo on one warm while steadying Ayi on his back while Phupha carried Inta on his other arm and they both held Kalae's hands. Since he was a big kid, they lifted him up from time to time.
Nam, Yod, Rang, and Longtae were widely grinning at the scene. And as they went back to the village, the adults cooed at the sight of their children having fun with their second parents. Tian noticed a car driving away but unfortunately couldn't recognize the vehicle. Maybe it's for the best.