“I’m sorry for my daughter.”  Kim said, breaking the still silence in the moving vehicle. From time to time, she kept stealing a glance to the woman who is sitting right next to her at the passanger’s seat. Her little daughter, Sushar  sleep soundly in her arms, her face was still wet with tears and more likely she felt asleep because she was so tired of long hours crying and now, the lady has to come home with them just because little Sushar .

            “Never mind. She must be missing her Mummy that much.” The lady replied. Kim can see that she fondles Sushar’s hair softly and somehow she seemed to pour all of her love in her touch.

            “Your daughter is so cute. What is her name again?” The lady asked out of Kim expectation.

            “Sushar.” Kim smiled on saying the name. “And she is the one and only child I have.” Kim brought her left hand to touch the soft cheek of her daughter.

            “Beautiful name for a beautiful little girl.” The lady said admiringly. Yes. No one would ever deny that Sushar is a beautiful little girl for her age.

            “Her mother must be beautiful too.” She added. Kim gazed to the lady with her startle face.

            “You can say so.” Kim smiled faintly and then redirected her focus on the road. Her thought flies to no direction. “If only if you know that you resemble Pie that much..” Her inner thought said.

            “Hey Sir, what is your name?” The lady’s voice broke Kim’s reverie.

            “I am Kimhan Jittaleela. Just call me Kim, no need to put that Sir though. I am not.” Kim chuckled as she saw the lady widen her eyes in a complete startle face.

            “Oh..No wonder your voice is so weird for a man.” The lady giggled awkwardly. Kim knew, the lady must been thinking that she is a guy.

            “It’s okay. I’m used to it.” Kim flashed her warm smile. The smile she has never shown to anyone for years.

            “What about you Miss?” Kim asked for the lady’s name.

            “My name is Aom Amm. You can call me Aom.” The lady smiled in return to Kim. Her smile struck Kim’s heart to the deepest – it is the same smile as Pie’s. Her lips curl into a perfectly beautiful curve and she has her eyes smiling too.

            “Aom?” Kim blurted the name in awkward pronounciation.

            “Yes! That’s my name.” Aom Amm chuckled.

            “You doesn’t sound like local people.” Kim said out of her curiosity. When Aom Amm speaks, the words that came out from turned to sound a bit weird. If you could hear it, you must think that she has something wrong with her tongue.

            “I was born here but I grown up in Australia.” Aom Amm told Kim. That tom nodded knowingly as her curiosity was answered.

            “Then, what are you doing here?” Kim started to feel comfortable with Aom Amm.

            “I decided to settle here and now I’m teaching at a private nursery.” Aom Amm said.

            “Oh, I see. It seems like you love kids.” Kim’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ as the infos come to her knowledge.

             "You can say so and you know Kim, you have such adorable daughter." Aom Amm smile upon saying her true compliment to Kim.

            “Where should I drop you Miss?” Kim decided to send this lady to her home first.

            “Mummy...” They heard little Sushar muttered in her sleep. It is like she knows she is going to separate from Aom Amm, the lady who resemble her mother’s face but she is not her mother.

            “I guess we should take this princess to your home first.” Aom Amm tightened her hug on Sushar. She even kissed her on her forehead which consumed Kim’s heart to her sudden sadness.

            “Is it okay with you?” Kim inquired worriedly. They have troubled Aom Amm too much for today.

            “Yes, it is fine with me. You can drop me home right after that.” Aom Amm nodded her agreement while her eyes never leave little Sushar who is sleeping in her arms.

            “Thank you.” Kim’s heart caving in and sorrow came to greet her heart.

*****

The Villa

Kim creaked open the door of her daughter’s room slowly as not to awake her. She is didn’t awake while she went away to send Aom Amm home earlier and now, the little girl still in her deep slumber. As she decided no disturb her daughter, Kim closed the door and heads to her room.

            “Pie? How are you today?”

            “Our daughter is growing up to be a smart girl.”

            “She claimed this one lady to be you.”

            “We met her at the hospital this morning.”

            “Her name is Aom Amm.”

            “And yes..Sushar is right.”

            “It is no doubt, she resembles you perfectly.”

            “Tell me what should I do, Pie?”

            “I hurt our daughter today. I hurt her feeling.”

            “Please show me what should I do...” Kim murmured softly to herself as tears welled up in her eyes.

***

Monday Morning

            “Good morning little Princess. Are you ready for today?” Kim greeted her daughter as she saw the little girl stepped slowly to the dining table. It is her routine to prepare the breakfast for them, with the apron which neatly covered her front body and specially made chef hat for her, Kim still looks good in that.

            “Morning Pa.” Little Sushar replied uninterestedly and took her seat at the table, grabbing her warm milk and sipped it slowly.

            “Somebody is not in her mood today?” Kim came close to her daughter and her hair gently. She didn’t get any response from her little one. Kim thinks she knew the reason for it.

            “Eat plenty dear. You need a lot of energy for today.” Kim patted her head gently and eat her breakfast as well. Little Sushar is being sulky. Sour expression written all over her face.

*****

On the way to The Private Nursery

            “Pa, you have gone into wrong direction.” Little Sushar wandered her eyes out of the window, observing the unfamiliar path they go through. It is not the usual road Kim use to send her to school.

            “No honey. This is the right path.” Kim confirmed it to Sushar with her meaningful smile.

            “Do you find a new short cut to reach my school?” Little Sushar asked confusingly.

            “Kind of.” Kim chuckled. Little do her daughter knows, they are heading to a different school.

*****

The Private Nursery

            “Pa, this is not my school.” Little Sushar furrowed her eyebrows and pouted her lips. Kim saw that the little one is so confused with the situation. No, her grumpy face showed that she is so mad with her Papa.

            “Take your bag dear. This is your new school.” Kim handed her daughter a pinky bag.

            “What?” Little Sushar stands rooted to the ground in surprise.

            “Yes sweetie. This place is going to be your new school.” Kim said and walks to her daughter’s side.

            “Come, let’s get in.” Kim offered her hand to the little one. Little Sushar takes it without hesitation.

            “Pa, why don’t you tell me earlier.” Little Sushar forced herself to walk into the place. Kim didn’t tell her that she is going to move to a new school.

            “Don’t you like this place?” Kim asked and scanned her little princess’s face carefully.

            “No! I want to meet my old friends and old teachers.” Sushar stomped her feet on the ground, showing her rebellious gesture. The little one’s reaction didn’t surprise Kim at all. It was her fault anyway for not telling the little girl about transferring school.

            “Are you sure, you are not going to like this place?” A soft voice greeted them from the back. Both Kim and Sushar divert their gaze to the owner of the voice. Once their eyes met with the person, Kim can’t stop smiling to her daughter while little Sushar’s jaw dropped slightly, in utmost surprise.

            “Mummy!” Little Sushar exclaimed excitedly and runs to Aom Amm’s direction.

            “Mummy.. Mummy.” The little girl purposely asked Aom Amm for a hug. With no hesitation, Aom Amm knelt down and welcome the little girl into her hug.

            “Sushar, Miss.Aom Amm is your teacher. Don’t call her Mummy. Call her teacher.” Kim came to their side. There’s some sort of happiness that she couldn’t explain just by looking to her daughter and the lady named Aom Amm.

            “No. This is my Mummy.” Sushar pursed her lower lips, totally dissatisfied with her Papa since yesterday. The reason for her for being so cold towards her Papa during the breakfast.

            “Okay. We can make a deal. You can call me Mummy after school, dear.” Aom Amm said out of Kim’s expectation. Little Sushar’s face turns bright upon hearing it. She gazed to her Papa with her victory stare.

            “So, is it okay if you transfer to this school?” Kim knelt down to her little daughter.

            “Yes. Really fine Papa. I love you.” Little Sushar kissed Kim all over her face. She is over excited. The idea of transferring school without her