Few months later…

Wanfahmai had finished her work for the day and she went into her office to take a rest before calling it a day. She was sitting on her office chair and swivelling around in her own thoughts when it began to dawn on her that something was amiss. She went into the hospital system to check on the patients that she had been treating for almost two years now. She looked up at the details and noticed some similarities. She did not want to jump to conclusion so she decided to verify her suspicions on her own. Fortunately for her, it was her day off the next day and she decided to make the trip. She drove all the way back to her hometown and drove pass to see the lake where her mother’s ashes were scattered. She did not have to step out of her car to notice further changes that had happened since she last visited.

What in the world is going on? So, this was what the construction was about? – as Wanfahmai thought to herself looking at the new factory that was build, before she went to visit the family restaurant that she used to work in.

“Wanfahmai? Is that you?”

“Yes… Khun pa…”

“Oh, my goodness… How have you been?”

“I’m doing well khun pa… How about you?”

“I’m doing okay too… Would you like anything to eat?”

“It’s okay khun pa…”

“I insist… It’s not like you are always here… Go take a seat… Let me prepare your favourite… Oh, wait… Is your favourite still the same?”

“Yes, it is khun pa…” before she took a seat at one of empty tables since the eating place was packed due to lunch hour.

The auntie had prepared for her, rice with omelette over the top, along with a canned drink and a glass filled with ice.

“I hope you’ll like it, Wanfahmai…”

“Of course, I will…” as she took the first bite and exclaimed how delicious it was.

“Eat well, Wanfahmai… You seem to have lost weight…”

“I always eat well though…”

“Then it must be because you’ve been working too hard?”

“How do you know, khun pa?”

“Aran sometimes would buy food from here… And he would update me about you…”

“He’s sooo nosy… Did he say anything bad about me?”

The auntie laughed as she said, “I was the one to ask him if he had seen you around… And no… He didn’t say anything bad about you at all… Instead, he told me that you helped to cure his mother…”

“I didn’t do anything of that sort… I was just assisting… It was khun May’s strong will that help to cure her…”

“My child, after all these years… You still can’t accept praises easily?”

“Urgh~ I don’t even like to hear it…” to which the auntie just shook her head at Wanfahmai’s response.

“By the way khun pa… There’s a new factory here in our province?”

“Oh yes… Actually, it’s not new… The factory was built after you left…”

“So, they’ve been there for ten years now?”

“Yes about there… They did so well that they extended their factory quite recently too… The people in our province are so happy…”

“Happy?”

“Yeah… Because they hire a lot of our town people… It’s good that the company is able to generate economy for the province… You know how there’s a lot of unemployment here, right?”

The auntie’s words made Wanfahmai wonder for a moment, while she was looking around the eatery, “Khun pa… I don’t see granny… Is she upstairs taking a rest? Is she in good health?”

The auntie that was sitting across her suddenly became solemn as Wanfahmai probed further, “Why khun pa? Are you alright?”

“Granny has passed away…”

“Huh?! When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“A few months back… I didn’t want to tell you because I know you are busy with work… And before you blame Aran, I told Aran not to tell you…”

“But why khun pa?”

“Granny passed away peacefully… It’s from old age…”

Wanfahmai was saddened by the news but the auntie was there to comfort her, even though she was the one who had just lost her mother, “My dear… Don’t be sad… Granny was so happy to see your picture on the health magazine… Aran showed us and you know what granny said about you? She said that she knew you’d make it… She always knew you’ll lead a purposeful life…”

“But still…”

“It’s okay Wanfahmai… Granny knows you love her… And I need you to know that she loves you too and she doesn’t want to see you sad because of her…”

“Khun pa… Should you need anything… Please tell me… Don’t keep it all to yourself…”

“Don’t worry, Wanfahmai… You should take good care of yourself too… And also, just park your car here… I’m sure you’d want to take a look around this place… I’ll help to keep a lookout for you, okay?” said the auntie before Wanfahmai took her leave. As she was walking, in the streets of her hometown, she began observing the