Chapter 17: Tum's announcement.
Arthit was scrolling to his phone when suddenly, a call, rang.
He picked it up and of course. He was happy to hear the voice of the other side.
"Sawatdee, P'Tum!" Arthit said, smilingly. "Nong Arthit! How are you?"
"Still the same, Phi." Arthit chuckled, "The only thing changed was being a parent."
"That's true. Oh right i haven't met your daughter yet." Tum reminded him.
Arthit again chuckled, "Yeah right. Anyways how about you? Are you still whipped by your wife?"
"Me? Whipped? Huh, May i just remind you that, i am the man of the house!" Tum proudly said.
"Oh yeah right." Arthit snorted. "Oh, right. P'Tum, why did you suddenly call?" He asked, teasingly.
"I am calling you, because for our annual gathering, for 0062 and 0602." Tum announced.
Arthit was shock, his mind went blank. "Arthit. You still there?" Tum asked as he didn't get any response from Arthit.
"Well....i-" Arthit couldn't think of anything to reply, "Come on Arthit. If you couldn't leave your daughter at home, you could just bring her. You know, i also love to see her again." Tum said, as he assumed that Arthit was hesitating of leaving Mint, all alone to the house.
"Well....P'Tum. I can't really go for now because...."
"Come on, Arthit. Don't ruin the fun." Tum commented. "Well....." Arthit thought for a moment. "Fine... I will go." He finally agreed. His senior jumped in happiness and thanked him over and over again. "Then, see you next Sunday then."
The call was cut off immediately after that.
It was a Sunday morning, and there is no work to do. For Arthit, this day was important as he, could spend all the rest of the day with his beloved daughter.
Mint was playing outside in the front yard. The front yard was fill with greed grasses in to the side of the pathway and, of course, trees and bushes.
Arthit was just sitting into the stairs on his terrace and just monitoring Mint who was busy, running around and playing.
He was smiling ear to ear when he saw his daughter, having fun.
But then, all of a sudden, Mint tripped over at a rock and fallen in to the ground. Mint cried loudly. She had a cut on her knee on to the left side and the blood was flowing.
Arthit rushed over to his daughter and checked on her.
"Papa...." Mint cried out. Arthit first looked at her wound. He shook his head first before he entered their house. He was rushing to get the First aid kit.
After a while, Arthit rushed out to the front yard, and kneeled. "Sweetheart, don't cry okay? Papa will handle this." He coaxed his daughter first.
He then, wiped the blood, from Mint's wound and after that, he grabbed a cotton ball and damped it to the alcohol.
He gently, rubbed the alcohol around her wound and Mint was still hissing in pain.
"Papa....it was swelling." She informed his papa.
"It's okay, papa's here." He tried to coax her.
Mint nodded her head and tried to be behave herself and listen to her papa.
Arthit then, put the betadine to her wound and finished everything by, putting the bandage to her knee.
Arthit then, picked Mint up mint and also, grabbed the first aid kit and went inside the house.
Mint just, buried her head to the crook of Arthit's neck.
The father-daughter entered the house. Arthit put the kit to the coffee table and caressed Mint's back. "Are you okay now? It was not swelling anymore, right?" He asked.
"Papa is a good." Mint said and smiled. Mint yawned causing Arthit to look at her and chuckle, "Sleepy?" He asked and mint nodded.
"Alright, alright. Let's go take a nap." He said and made their way upstairs, to Mint's bedroom.
He laid Mint down to her bed and tucked her in. As always, she still hugging her stuffed toy, Simba.
Arthit's face fromed a smile. "Sleep well." He said, and kissed Mint's forehead.
Before Arthit knew it. His daughter was already in her dreamland. He silently, gone out of her room and went downstairs to the living room.
He just sat at the sofa, quietly and sighted. He rubbed his temples and closes his eyes for a minute.
"I am going to meet him again, right?" Arthit asked as he remembered Tum's announcement.
For the past 5 years, Kongpob didn't joined the annual gathering, but he knew, that he would attend this one, as Kongpob is here in Thailand.
"Great, I have to meet him, everytime!" Arthit whispered to himself and groaned.
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The next Sunday came like a flash. Lucky for Arthit that he dont need to do any overtime anymore.
"Are you ready mint?" Arthit asked.
He asked Knot and Tee to look after Mint while he was attending the annual gathering. And of course, the couple said yes to him.
Mint understood that Arthit was attending something and, of course it doesn't include Kids like her.
"Let's go!" Mint said excitedly. Arthit chuckled and pick Mint up.
Arthit opened the car door and placed Mint into her seat. He buckled her up and smiled at her.
After that, he also did the same and drove off immediately.
Mint at the backseat was happy, bobbing her head in the song from the radio while Arthit couldn't feel at ease.
"Chill out, Arthit it would be okay."
They finally arrived at the couple's house and Mint excitedly jumped off the car.
Arthit didn't bother to get out as the couple was already outside, waiting for them.
"Be good, okay?" Arthit asked and Mint nodded.
"Go ahead now, Arthit." Knot said and Arthit nod his head. "Bye!" He said and the couple waved their hands.
"Bye papa!" Mint said and Arthit drove off, with a smile plastered on his face.
Knot then, pick Mint up and carried her inside the house.
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Arthit finally arrived at the said location that Tum said.
He jumped off his car and entered the restaurant. He was greeted by Tum and his wife, Fon. He was also greeted by Ple and other students.
"Arthit!" Tum called out, happily. Arthit then, went to the table were Tum and others were seated.
"Sawatdee, P'Arthit." Ple greeted. He just simply gave her a small smile and seated next to Tum.
"Arthit, how are you?" Fon asked. Arthit was about to answer, but then he was cutter off by a voice.
"Sorry, i am late. I have to finish something up." Said the owner of the voice.
Arthit then looked up to see the owner of the voice. And yup, it is the one and only Kongpob.
"Aw, Kongpob. It was nice to see you again. How are you?" Ple asked.
Kongpob then, seated next to Arthit, as it is the only vacant seat for the mean time. "I am good, Phi. How about you?" He asked back.
"Well, quite stressed. Being a stay at home mom, was a stressful job." Ple said.
"I get you, Ple." Fon said, pouting her lips. Arthit on the another, chuckled.
"We get you Arthit, it was just half of your burden." Fon said, rolling her eyes.
Everyone that knows Arthit from the university days, knew that he was a single parent, but none of them, met the kid as the last time that Tum and Fon saw Mint when she was just a year old, and technically, he hid the fact that it was his and Kongpob's child.
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30 minutes have passed, and the table was filled with laughter and chuckles. The table, wherein the student line 0062 and 0602 were all talking about random stuffs that came to their mind.
But then, the table, filled with silent when Arthit said, "Shia!"
Arthit looked up and saw that everyone was staring at him.
"Arthit are you okay?" Tum asked worriedly. "I am okay, Phi. It's just i spilled my juice to myself, accidentally." He said and stood up. "Excuse me."
Tum nod his head and everyone started talking again, as if nothing happened.
Arthit rushed to the bathroom and grabbed the wipes from the machine.
He lift up his shirt first, and wiped his shirt.
But then, his tracks were stopped when he saw his belly. There was a stitch beneath it and, the were still some trace of the stretch marks that he got, when he was carrying Mint for 9 whole months.
He touched his stitch and smiled sweetly. He then looked up to the mirror, but then, what he saw shocked him.
There was a figure showed into the mirror and his eyes widened. "Kongpob?" He muttered.
C H A P T E R |17
by: anonymouslylazy