"Would you like breakfast, young master?"
I turn to look at the maid, I tell her I'll be down soon she leaves.
We came back yesterday, dad arranged everything. My things had been packed; I came together with Ming, who complained all the way here.
P'Pha didn't say anything about me not going, just smiled and said to get well. I talked to him on the phone but he's quite. I don't like it.
Everyone understood us going home for a few days to rest, my gangs already called me and the teams sending me messages. Rome's sent me some of the missed materials.
I keep thinking back to P'Pha, something is defiantly up. I asked P'Kit and P'Beam they said its nothing to worry about, I even called P'Forth in case he knew something but he didn't. P'Bee thinks I'm over thinking things.
"What's going on dad"? I ask when I go down.
He looks up from reading the newspaper as I sit.
"Breakfast."
"Did you say anything to P'Pha?" I ask
"Yes, I was taking you home for a rest."
"Dad, you were weird when Pring came, and he was weird since the night before, and now he's not talking to me." I sigh
"Wayo..."
"Dad stop talking to me like I'm a child." I insist. "I know you all want to protect me but I'm not stupid."
My father gives me his full attention, putting his paper down. The breakfasts being set, we wait till were alone again.
"We knew Pring was involved, I allowed her to come."
"You were testing P'Pha?"
"I was curious, how you would deal with it." He tells me
"My angels dealt with it not me." I say
"It was interesting."
"There is, more? something you're not going to tell me?" I ask, but no answer comes. "I have to go back, I'm missing too much work." I say eating.
"You can go back next week; I talked to your professors."
"Why the hell are you here?" I ask as Ming walks in with a bag. He sits down to eat with us.
"Auntys here with Julie. I hate her I swear Yo." he's angry
"She really doesn't get the message." I sigh.
"Yo is P'Pha being weird?" He asks
"Yes why?"
"P'Kit's weird. We talk but he's distant." He turns to dad." Uncle did my parents do anything to him?"
"They didn't, I think your mother invited him to come stay." He smiles.
Ming sighs, and eats more.
"Yo! Where the hell have you been? Every ones been looking for you." Ming yells coming to stand next to me. "you're not answering your phone! No one know where you went..."
I quickly wipe my tears. I was feeling upset after talking to P'Pha last night and this morning so decided to go out. I ended up back at the drink stand I used to watch him play basketball from. We have been back for five days and our talks have only been a few words. I can't sleep and him being like this scares me. "Sorry, I forgot my phone."
He sits next to me. "why you sitting at this stand? You missing P'Pha?"
"There hiding something." I tell him
"I know. And the p's are all being weird." He's rubbing his hand.
"P'Bee knows something but she won't tell me." She started to say something but stopped.
"And mum says I have to go back while Julie is still there and grandfathers coming again." He tells me quietly.
"P'Pha, I don't know what's wrong with him. I tell him I miss him he won't say it, I told him I might stay longer he said that's okay, doesn't he care if I come back? Does he think I'm too much trouble?" I finish in a whisper, it's really upsetting.
"And P'Kit's all distant, keeps saying he's busy and won't talk to me long. But I called P'Kong and I heard P'Kit's voice, he said he was with his friends they were all drinking?" Ming looks sad. "I don't understand."
"I wish they would talk to us." I sigh, after a while. "I feel like running away."
"Okay let's do it."
"What?" I ask sniffling.
"Let's run away."
He grabs my hand, and we run.
We actually ran away, we left the cars and drivers, and jumped on a train. After we left we both realised neither has their phone and Ming forgot his wallet in his car when he came looking for me, only I have mine.
"They all think were kids, and us doing this won't make them change their minds."
"Were just going to see grandma, we are allowed to." Ming tells me.
"But..."
"You want everyone to treat you like a grown up to much and they won't for ages, we just have to get used to it."
"So, what should we do?" I ask
"Let's just be kids then."
When we arrive in Chaing Mai, it's getting dark and were both hungry. We decide to find a place to eat then go to Grandmother's, her house is a little way off and she may not feed us till after the lecture... so food first.
"Stop thinking Yo and eat! Well take the yelling and lecture after, its done now."
So, we order more food, a group come in looking around, they seem like their looking for someone. They show a picture, but people keep shaking their heads they don't know.
I shake my head after I see the picture, they move on. It was a little kid, I hope he's okay, and even though they were scary looking, they really looked worried.
We pay, and make our way out towards the main roads, but were walking through small allies, it's a maze and were lost. We can't even go back the way we came because we don't know where we are.
"Let's find a main road, get a taxi and get to grandmas." I tell Ming who agrees.
We try but wind up at a dead end, with crates thrown about, but we can hear traffic. I help Ming pile two crates on top of each other and look over the wall; it's a main road yaay.
Options, go around and find it, or jump over. Ming says jump, I say find a way around. Ming shows me his hurt hand and sad face till I agree to the fast but dangerous method.
When were deciding who goes first, I hear a whimper. I look around carefully, its dark but I don't see anything, I go towards where the noise came from. Did someone abandon an animal?
"Omg rat!" Ming yells
"Idiot. It's too big."
I look closely and it's a kid crouched, when we move the crate out of the way and light hits him, it's the kid from the picture. Shit.
"Shit Yo." Ming sighs. "This won't end well."
He's crying, his clothes are dirty and his hands been scrapped. "Come out kid, we'll help you." Ming starts, the kids stays hidden.
I move forward and slowly coax him out, he takes my extended hand, it's defiantly the kid from the picture.
"Did you get lost?" I ask, wiping his tears.
But he stays quiet, he's so small maybe 3 or 4, he looks scared.
"What's your name?" I try again. But he just looks at me. "Mine is Yo, that's Ming." I tell him smiling.
"I just want to help you get home to you mum and dad okay." I tell him.
"They took me away." he sniffles. I look at Ming, this could be bad.
"Do you know your dads or mum's number?" Ming asks.
"I know his number ..." He tells us.
"We should take him to the police station." I tell Ming
"No, I can't go there!" We both look at him, that was a strong reaction.
We hear talking, people coming our way, the kids whimpering. "There trying to get me." He whispers.
We quickly move, I get on the wall, and jump down, Ming's helping the boy sitting on the wall down to me when we hear shouting. "Hey give that kid here."
He quickly lowers him, then jumps over himself, he's nursing his left hand, as he stands next to me.
Someone looks over the wall and sees us, he's got a rough look, but unlike the ones looking for the kid, this guy didn't seem worried. "Stay right there." He glares at us.
I don't like the look of the guy, and the kid is shaking, clutching my leg as that guy starts getting on the wall.
I pick him up and we run.