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            “What are you doing here?” It’s Kim who asked again after their momentary staring to each other in startle.

            “Wait – wait.” Alice instantly waved her hands, gesturing Kim to stop talking.

After taking a brief breath, she looked up to Kim again. “Alright, now please help me to unlock the door and let’s get in.” She said.

            “Oh, okay.” Kim reluctantly nodded. “What’s wrong with it?” She averted her eyes to the hanging key that already stuck to the key hole.

            “I don’t know. It kinda stuck there.” Alice shrugged.

            “Let me have a look.” Kim stepped forward. After a few tries and struggles, they finally managed to unlock the door.

            “We need to apply some lubricant later on.” Kim said to her former sister in law whose later nodded back knowingly.

            “Let’s get in.” Alice gestured them to enter the house.

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            “It has been ages since we last met.” Kim started. “How are you Alice? How about Mom and Dad?” Kim face turned bright as she talked about the eldest. It was months ago since she brought Sushar to visit her other grandparents.

            “I’m good.” Alice said short while serving some drink for them. “Mom and Dad are fine too. They miss the little princess.” She diverted her gaze to the little girl who was just staring them in silent.

            “My niece is growing cute eh?” She joshed the little one by pinching her soft cheeks.

            “Aunty Alice is more beautiful too.” Little Sushar chuckled in return. The little girl willingly shifted her seat to her aunty’s lap and nestled safely in the young lady’s embrace.

            “You’re such a sweet talker, just like your Papa.” The little girl’s eloquence when she spoke always charmed the elder people. Sushar is indeed the sweetheart to anybody who knows her well.

            “So Alice, what are you doing here?” Kim asked the same thing again to the young lady. Alice’s presence at the house was something bizarre yet deep inside,  thousands thought raced in Kim’s mind.

            “I’m the owner of this house.” Alice said which later caught Kim to stared back to her, astonished.

            “What about the lady who stay here all this while?” Kim sputtered in reflex. “Do you know Aom Amm or where she is?” There’s a tone of desperation in her voice.

            “Aunty Alice, do you know where Mummy Aom Amm has gone to?” Now it’s the little girl who took her turn to ask the same question to her aunty too.

Alice stared to her only niece and then diverted her gaze back to Kim. The tremendous change in the young lady’s expression hinted Kim that she has something in her mind.

            “Do you know Aom Amm?” Alice surmised.

            “Yes.” Kim nodded ardently.

            “Mummy Aom Amm teaches at my school and Papa said, Mummy Aom Amm is going to be my new mother soon.” Little Sushar testified it to her aunty. It was out of their expectation when Alice frown in reaction to their surprise. The young lady shortly brought her palms to cover her face before she heaved a deep sigh in consequence.

            “Tell me you know where she is, Alice.” Kim gropped for Alice’s hand, pleading the young one for any information.

            “I don’t know.” Alice said.

            “I don’t believe it. I know you know where Aom Amm has been.” Kim recoiled. “I know you do know her more than who she is.” Kim  continued. Her inner mind was terrifyingly in mess. The questions that lingered and haunted her all day and night were now urging for answers.

            “Don’t you wonder how her face and everything could be that pretty close to you sister?” Kim arched her brow as she spit out her thought.

            “It is not suppose to be me to explain the stuffs for you and I have promised not to open up my mouth about this matter either.” Alice said in her calm tone neither get affected by Kim’s soft attack.

            “I beg to you.. Please Alice, tell  me where can I find Aom Amm.” Kim knelt down.

            “P’Kim, no!” Alice held Kim to rise up again.

            “Please Alice. If you don’t want to pity me, at least please have a mercy to your niece.” Kim pleaded again with her lowly heart. Alice was first tried to deny everything but as she stole a glance to her niece whose staring to her with her hopeful eyes, her hardened heart melt.

            “I can take you to a place.” The young lady finally blurted a glimpse of hope for both Kim and Sushar.

            “Oh thank you. Thank you so much.” Kim couldn’t describe how the happiness rushed to her soul like a powerful remedy at any instant. She will take her daughter to meet Aom Amm and by hook or by crook, she will settle everything with Aom Amm today.

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It was not a long journey when finally Alice pulled up her car in front of a familiar house. Kim who drove her own car also parked her car carefully at the side of the small alley of the neighbourhood. When the young lady stepped out from her car, Kim did the same too.

            “Do you want to take little Sushar to meet your parents first or you want to take something of yours before we go to the place?” Kim asked quizzically to Alice. They were at Manaying’s house.

            “Here is the place.” The young lady said. A faint smile stitched on her flawless face which later rose a sour suspicion in Kim. Her inner self is battling inside with conflicts.

Their arrival seemed to attract the attention of the owner of the house. From the corner of Kim’s eyes, she saw a pair of elderly man and woman came to approach them at the yard. The figures are yet so familiar to her.

            “Granddad! Grandmom!” Little Sushar’s eyes lit up when she recognised her grandparents coming. She rushed to get the elderly couple gaily.

            “Oh my little granddaughter! What takes you here?” Mr.Manaying was the one who came to carry the little girl in his arm. The old man exploded in joy when he saw his granddaughter.

            “Aunty Alice takes us here.” She told her grandfather. “We are looking for Mummy Aom Amm.” She said innocently.

Kim stared to her former parents in law, they both also held the same expression like Alice’s  when her daughter talked about Aom Amm. Seeing that just added another fear in herself. What is the plays and hidden story behind all of this? She has something in her mind, but  all her asumptions couldn’t be true as she doesn’t have a concrete alibi to support  them.

            “Kim, how are you?” It’s Mrs.Manaying who first greeted the tom who was completely froze to her feet.

            “P’Kim?” Alice tapped Kim on her shoulder as that tom seemed totally spacing out.

            “Oh, how are you Mom and Dad?” Kim snapped back to her reality. The greet slipped off  out of sudden.

            “Oh Kim.” Mrs.Jittaleela chuckled softly. “We are good and we hope you are fine too.” She said. Kim just flashed her faint smile to the eldest as her response. She was not good. No for now and not until she meet Aom Amm.

            “Come in, all of you. Let’s talk inside.” Mr.Manaying stated. Without much talking, all of them walked inside.

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            “Granddad miss you so much.” Mr.Manaying heaved little Sushar up to the air which  later caught the little girl cackled  joyously. Kim admitted that she didn’t take her daughter to visit the couple for a quite long time. She was so occupied with her work and private life or in other words was full with Aom Amm.

            “Fly me higher Granddad!” Little Sushar requested. The little girl seemed to forget her thought about Aom Amm for while  while the old Mr.Manaying seemed so glad to have a visit from her grandchild.

            “Sushar, you will make Granddad exhausted.” Kim reminded her daughter. “Come, sit here with me.” Kim called her daughter to take her seat next to her.

            “It’s fine Kim. Let me play with this little princess.” Mr.Manaying reassured it to Kim. From the old eyes of the man, Kim could see that he has been holding the misses for the little girl for too long.

Their conversation did not go any further when Mrs.Manaying came to the living room with some drink for them. Kim squirmed in her seat and alternately gazed to Alice who seemed didn’t bother with the delay they had. Where she could see Aom Amm actually? Did this young lady serious that she could meet Aom Amm here, in Manaying’s place?

            “You are at the right place, Kim.” Mrs.Manaying said as if she could read Kim’s mind. That tom returned her startled gaze to her former mother – in – law in surprised.

            “What is happening here, Mom? I don’t get it.” Kim  decided not to hide her true feeling.

            “Aom Amm is here. She is upstair.” Mrs.Manaying restated her saying. Even though Mr.Manaying was busy treating his little granddaughter, he at any instant often make eye contact with Kim and his wife. From the way he gazed to them, Kim knew the old man held a deep untold saying inside himself.

            “Let’s go P’Kim.” Alice took her role. She walked first, leading Kim to head the room where Aom Amm shut herself all these while.

            “I think she is asleep. Mom said she just took her medicine two hours ago.” Alice told Kim with her low voice as not to disturb the one in the room. “I’ll just leave you two alone here. Call us if you need help.” The young lady said and then, creaked open the door for Kim to get in.

            “Thank you, Alice.” Kim thank the young one whose later gone from her sight shortly.

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            Kim crept slowly into the dimly illuminated dull room. The air inside the close space  was stiffed with medicine’s smell. From afar, she saw a figure laying helplessly on the bed. As she got nearer, the figure became much clearer and she spotted Aom Amm. Alice is right, she is sleeping. The thick duvet covered up her tiny frame up to the chest. Staring to her sunken face, Kim could tell that there’s something wrong with her newfound  love life. At the same time, Kim felt relieved to know that Aom Amm is save in here. It is not that the fair lady went missing without living any trace.

             Slowly not to awake Aom Amm, Kim dragged a stool near to the bedside. What is really happening actually? Why Aom Amm is here, at Manaying’s place? It wa