“Be patient, Pie. This is just for awhile.”  Pie cooed herself. Inhale. Exhale. She took her breath while composing her burning resentment. Ten minutes ago, she just had a little quarrel with Kim. Do you want to know what was the cause? It was just a matter who will do the dishes after the dinner. You know already who won the fight. Of course that boastful, arrogant, annoying and cruel Kimhan Jittaleela would empower everything.

            “I shouldn’t help that tom from the beginning.” Pie complained to the forks and spoons. 

“If murdered someone wasn’t a crime, I have long ago use you Mr.Fork and Mrs.Spoon to dig and scoop Kim’s eyeballs like I used to eat ice – cream.” She  sneered to her cruel cunning idea. “Oh, this butter knife is much useful too.” Pie picked the item from its place. “I shall use you to diminish Kim’s super ugly smirk like I used to spread butter on bread.” Pie cackled along with her imagination.

            “Why do I have to do all of these? Did she think I am her maid?”

            “This is so UNFAIR!!!” Pie purposely piped her voice to the highest volume with the intention that it would reach to Kim’s hearing.  However, everything seemed impossible. Kim has long minutes ago gone to her room. Pie knew it well. Kim never liked her for who ever she is. All she has to do is, to endure everything until the end of hundred days.

            **************************************************************************************

Glancing to the clock, Pie noticed that the night was still young for them. Her eyes then caught the small white board hanging perfectly on the fridge. She just moved it right there yesterday. It is much noticable because they often took stuffs from the fridge. Tiptoeing to her targeted place, Pie scanned to the hanging board thoroughly. It is just day four and there are long days to go to end her suffering life with this tom.

            “Keep calm Pie. Don’t fret.” Pie talked to herself again. “You can do this Pie. Do this for the sake of half million dollar.” She cheered herself with the enermous happiness in later days.

            “What should I do now?”

            “Ugh, it’s better to go straight to the room.”

            **************************************************************************************

Pie’s room

The thought of going to bed straight away was distorted once Pie saw loads of shopping bags in her room. She surely had so much fun today with Kim’s mother. Mrs.Jittaleela bought a lot of stuffs for her. From clothes to handbags and to the shoes. Every single item Pie got for free.

She was about to check for her favorite blouse when her eyes laid on a white paper bag. It contained the shirt for Kim. Pie reluctantly reached out her hand to the bag and took out the baby blue shirt. Lifting it up to the air, for a clearer view, a thought came to poke her ming.  “Will Kim like this shirt?”

“What if it doesn’t suit Kim’s taste?” brooded Pie. She checked on the shirt again to her precise details. She found it cool enough but who knows what would that tom said about it.

“Wait? Why should I bother that much?” Pie knocked her own head, cursing herself for behaving such way. “I’ll just give this to her and left.” Pie rose up from the bed. With all her mighty heart, she stepped bravely to Kim’s room. Wish her all the best.

            ****************************************************************************************

The door of Kim’s room was ajar and  by the noise heard from inside, Pie knew that tom  hasn’t sleep yet. “Come in.” Before Pie could even raise up her hand to knock on the door, Kim was the first to voice out from inside. It was out of Pie’s expectation. How could Kim realize her presence?

Instead of entering the room by the approval made by Kim, Pie focused her eyes to all edges of the door’s frame, trying to figure out if Kim did put a CCTV anywhere.

“I count till three. If you didn’t enter this room. You shall never have the oppurtinity to step you feet here.” Goaded Kim from inside.

As if Kim’s words were like the biggest sentence of punishment to Pie, she quickly darted into the room. It seemed like a curse to Pie whenever she needs to confront Kim. Pie clumsily stumbled over her feet and .. THUD! She kissed the floor of Kim’s room. “Crap!” Pie cursed. Embarrassing herself  was a daily routine for her  in front of Kimhan Jittaleela these days.

“Again?” Kim snorted. “I think we shall go to the doctor’s and make a check up on you. There must be something wrong in any parts of you brain.” Kim said, not even bothered to look to Pie who in case needed  some help for her difficulties.

 “You need to do a check up on your balancing.” She added.

“Shut up if you don’t want to help.” Pie snipped. Fortunately Kim doesn’t even bother to look to her. She doesn’t know how she should hide her redden face if that tom came near to her for any circumstances.

“And I am not a car to do the balancing.” Pie murmured in her low voice. The only thing she has ever heard about balancing was when she often spent her time at Mike’s workshop. Pie didn’t understand that much about automobile but she often heard Mike and Gold discussed about balancing the cars.

 She rose back to her standing position, fixing her night shirt carefully before she picked up the shopping bag and headed to Kim’s direction who was actually watching the TV at the small leasure space in the spacious bedroom.

“What do you want from me?” Kim asked in her cold tone. The thing that Pie had never understand about Kim. That tom seemed to have various mood in various situtations. Once Kim could be so kind but a split seconds she could be so mean. Pie made her earlier conclusion that Kim is bipolar. Yes. Kim is bipolar.

“This is yours.” Pie put the paper bag to Kim’s laps, disturbing her focus on the TV.

“What is this?” Kim arched her brow as she uttered it to Pie. Not even bother to look what is inside, Kim beckoned  Pie to take it back.

“That’s from Mama.” Pie said. “Why don’t you just at least have a look at it?” Pie advocated Kim to check the item.

“I’ll just check on it later. Now, go away. I want to watch the show.” Kim beckoned her ‘powerful’ finger, directing Pie to move away from blocking her sight.

Annoyed and irritated with Kim, Pie stomped her feet rebelliously, made her way leaving the room.

Not even before Pie reached the door, Kim retracted her command, “Wait!” She said.

“Come back here. I’m not done yet.” Kim stressed on her words, commanding Pie to stop on her track.

            “What!” Pie spun on her heels, turning herself  just to find Kim already standing close to her.

            “Wh – what?” The closeness that they had made Pie shuddered. Kimhan’s menacing stare muted to voice out.

            “Did Mama tell anything to you?” Kim asked. Her eyes burrow deep into Pie’s, sending a chill sense of tremors to the petite girl.

            “Nothing..” Pie shook her head while trying to recall  if she did miss anything from her conversation with Mrs.Jittaleela this noon.

            “But..”

            “What?” Kim’s eyes widen in apprehension.

            “We bumped into your childhood best friend. She introduced herself as Fern.” Pie remembered exactly how Fern clicked on her tongue upon claiming that she has a strong connection with Kim in the past.

            “Fern?!” Kim repeated the name after Pie. “She’s back?” Kim mumbled in her last statement.

            “She is kinda weird.” Pie said. “Well, anything related to you is weird.” The petite girl gibed.

            “What did she do?” Kim seemed uneasy with it.

            “I’m not really sure but she seem so infuriated to know that we have engaged.” Pie shrugged. She  touched the ring on her finger. Kim had the same with her too.

            “Did she say anything any further?” Kim queried more from Pie.

Pie recalled the sequence of their encounter, “Oh..she said this is so unfair for her.” Pie added. She even depicted to Kim how exactly Fern had that hatred expression all over her face.

            “Why she said so Kim? I don’t understand.” Pie asked to that tom innocently without holding any suspicious  thought to it. Kim knew it, Pie is somehow was too naive to figure out things quickly just like this case.

            “It’s nothing. She often behave like that.” Kim fibbed whose later saw Pie nodded approvingly.

            “She scared me.” Pie blurted. Fern seemed to put a big barrier between them as soon as it came to her mind that Pie was engaged to Kim. She can sense that Fern was trying to declare a war sooner or later.

            “Don’t mind her.” Kim said. “Perhaps you can make friends with her. She is okay.” Kim suggested,  tossing off any thought that Pie had in her mind.

            “Maybe.” Pie shrugged uncertainly. She didn’t think Fern wants to be her friend anyway.

            “You shall leave now. I’m done.” Kim dictated once again to Pie.

“Wait! I have something to request from you.” Pie just remembered about her plan for this weekend. Her conversation with Hongyok saying that she will come back this weekend imprinted vividly in her mind.

“Name it.” Kim said, folding her arms with her bossy  gesture. She seemed to get ready with all possible requests that came out from Pie’s mouth.

“I want to visit my sister this weekend. Can I just go back to my place for awhile.” Pie queried nervously. She didn’t even know why she has to fear this tom that much but she thinks she need to ask Kim’s permission for it before anything unpredictable happens.

            “I thought it’s about money again.” Pie heard Kim sighed in relieved.

            “Can I?” Pie queried again. She didn’t even care if Kim wanted to gibe about her expenses or what not, all she needs is Kim’s agreement.

“I’m not that cruel to caged you here. You may go. Don’t forget to come back here.”  Kim said her permission out of Pie’s relief. It wasn’t that difficult to deal with Kim today even though they had a little quarrel just right after the dinner.

            “Come with me okay?” Pie tugged Kim’s hand eagerly, badgered that tom to come along.

            “Why should I?” Kim frowned like she was hit by terrible news.

            “Oh come on! What are you going to do if you stay at home? Rotting to boredom?” Pie joshed but it seemed like Kim didn’t buy it.

            “Okay. It’s not funny.” Pie drawled. Kim always made things became less important or funny or whatever when it comes to Pie who talked about it.

 “At least come with me and presume that you’re about to meet my family as my fiancee.” Pie didn’t even realize how she could say such way. “You haven’t meet my sister.” She murmured.

“No! I don’t want to.” Kim shrieked in terror which Pie found so exaggerating. “I won’t step my feet at such place.” She scorned. Pie got Kim’s point clearly. That tom didn’t want to be at such ‘low class’ people’s place.

“Urm..I assume it as yes.” Pie concluded absentmindedly, definitely ignoring Kim’s reaction. “Good night Kim. Thank you.” Without waiting any further to hear the  refusal of puzzled Kimhan Jittaleela, Pie was the one who immediately run herself out of the room.

            *************************************************************************************

The Weekend

Kim walked reluctantly along the narrow gravel street following Pie from the back. The thud of her footsteps crunching loudly expressing her rebellious gesture. The panorama that laid before her caught her by surprise. Slum area at the outskirt of town. That place was surely not the place of her choice. Children were running all over the place screaming. Old women, chewing betel leaves sat haunched, staring into empty space. Old men rolled their tobaccon while chatting to each other while young men stacked the bricks, repairing their almost collapse house. Kim eyes laid to a group of young ladies, they exchanged shy glances as they made a brief eye contact with that tom. Feeling eerie with those stares Kim ran her gaze quickly just to find their mothers sat on the steps of their verandah exchanging news and gossips. The view along the street was also unpleasant to Kim’s sight. Garbage cans overflowed here and there. Moving more further into the slum’s area, clothes lines seemed to stretch from everyway – from window to window and from one side of a pole to another. Her movement was quite restricted as Kim had to be careful as not to bumped into any of them. Today, Pie really scratched an unexpected history in her life. Never did she think she will be at this such disgusting place.

“Oh God! How could you live at this such terrible place?” Kim finally spoke up after her long silence. Pie glanced to her back, Kim did wander her eyes around in disgust as if the whole things around her were infected by obviously seen germs.

“I don’t know. What I am sure is I am still alive till now.” Pie said, felt amuse to see Kim’s various expression when that tom laid her eyes on each and every thing around her.

“Don’t act that way!” Pie’s statement made Kim gazed to the petite girl quizzically. “You might attract unwanted attention.” Pie chuckled, making that tom more confused.

It was out of their expectation when suddenly a group of children dashed out from the junction of the street, heading to their direction out of their surprise. The children were just playing and run after  another.

Just like what has Pie expected,  one of the girls in the group came to approach Kim. “Don’t touch me!” Kim shrieked as the little girl trying to come closer to her. The little girl seemed to admire Kim so much.

            “You look like a celebrity P!” The girl jumped her enermous joy and stifled her scream like a fan girl.

“Er.. whatever! Don’t touch me!” Pie found it was so funny when Kim tried hard as not to make the little girl comes near to her. At once, Kim made a brief eye contact with Pie, asking some help from that lady.

            “Bee, don’t disturb P’Kim.” Pie said to the girl causing the little one to stop her movement.  Kim quickly went to Pie, saving herself from the weird little girl.

“Is he your boyfriend P’Pie?” The little girl asked. “You’re so lucky.” The girl said dreamily.

“My boss. I’m working with P’Kim.” Kim heard Pie answered so to the little girl. The little girl named Bee was unware that Kim is actually a woman like Pie too.

“I s