Jecht Manaying's P.O.V

I am Jecht and I am 45 years old this year. I have a family, which consists of my wife, my beautiful daughter, and myself. We're not rich and we're not poor; we're just living on the standard. I am currently a personal assistant of Mr. Steven Jitaleela, who owns a big import and export company in Bangkok. Everyone who hears the name will flinch. It's not that they fear of Sir Steven, but they just admire the name so much. 

I don't wish to be like him since I just want to be a normal man. However, I'm always grateful for whatever Sir Steven has done to me because I would have nothing if he hadn't decided to help me at that time. I'm not gonna spend my time here explaining you how or why he decided to help me, but I'm just here to share you something. 

I'm a man who loves his family. I would spend all my lifetime just to be with the family. My priority when I was single was different from when I was married. Being a single guy at my teenage time only meant to serve my parents who always brought up the rules and norms to me. I grew up with rules of the family along with me. I was always taught what was right and what was wrong, and I always tried my best to do what was right for me. Then when I was married, my priority changed again. I worked not just for my own survival, but for my wife's as well. I learned to adapt what was best fit to both of us. I lived as the hope of my wife, and I'm always proud to have her as a big part of my life. We held each other's hand from when we had nothing until we're this rich; it's impressive. Not every man can find his partner like that. I can. When my daughter was born, my priority changed again. As much as I love my wife so badly, there's always that big proportion of the heart left for my own daughter, Aom. My wife almost died just to give birth to our daughter and we were scared to try for another baby. We all worked harder just for the life of our glorious daughter to have a bright future since she's the biggest star in our universe. I would do anything just for the sake of her happiness. I would die immediately if she wanted me to. I love my daughter so much that I don't want her to do anything wrong. 

Since I'm a man who was brought up with rules, I always set rules to my own daughter as well. It's not that I want to be strict, but I just want her to be a good girl who is admired by all elders. Their admiration means a lot to parents in Thailand. We always hope for the best for kids. She grew up with rules the same as I did and turned out to be such a nice young lady who always knows what to do the right thing.

But not anymore.

Yes, the wonderful daughter of mine used to be a good girl who followed all the rules that I laid, promised me she would never disappoint me as a father. Yet, she did. 

It's so heart-breaking to me when I have to know all these things. I wish I didn't know. 

I started to doubt her feelings for my boss's daughter when my own daughter asked me where Tina had been. I tried to be normal and I hoped she didn't know about it. I know it's normal when a friend asks someone who might know about her friend where her friend has gone. I kept telling myself this all the time; but the more I tried to convince myself, the more I wondered. Who would make that anxious face when she has to ask about her friend; especially, when they just knew each other for a week or so? Who wouldn't eat anything just because her friend didn't go to school for a few days? Who would be lit up when she knew her friend was back? Who would accept a bottle of perfume with a ring inside as a gift from her female friend?

Ever since Tina came, I have never doubted my daughter's uality because I always knew she was that sweet girl who could make every guy fall for her. She can hardly walk on the street without making guys stop and stare at her. I always laugh at the idea since she always complains about it. And I can't believe that a sweet girl like my daughter is getting into some kind of a tomboy. I don't care who Tina is but I just know that she's a big obstacle to our family. What if they want to be together? Where's the pride and fame for my own family? What will people say about me?

I know Tina is a daughter of my boss, and I can't help but to feel mad toward him. He's just too nice, but I don't deserve it for now when his daughter ruins everything.

"Jecht? Are you fine?" Sir Steven asks me just as soon as we arrived in Singapore, in a hotel. 

"Yes, sir, I'm fine." I try to be polite.

"Hey, what's gotten into you? I told you not to be nice to me when we're not at work. It's rules!" 

"I'm sorry, Steven. I just forgot about it."

"You seem to be upset." Helen, Steven's wife, hands me a bottle of water and sits down on a couch in her suit of the hotel.

I open up the bottle and drain as much water as I can immediately.

"No, Helen, I'm probably just exhausted." I smile weakly; I don't think she believes me at all.

"Why were you so mad when you left the house before we went to the airport? It's like you were about to boom." Steven asks just as he's setting himself down next to his wife while I'm on the other couch in front of them.

"Just a little problem at home, and that's it." I smile again. Steven is a type of man who will always cherish you and help you at every moment he can. He would even do anything just to make sure everyone around him is happy. 

He pretends to think for a while, but I know that he knows what to say back to me. He just doesn't want the conversation to go so fast. 

"You can always tell me, you know that, right?" He smiles back at me.

"Yeah, thank you, sir." I nod to him and turn to his wife. "Madam." 

They both laugh and so do I. 

"Stop, you're embarrassing us. We told you that it's only for the office use." Helen strikes back. 

Apparently, my wife told me that Tina was in the hospital before I left, and I left the information to this old couple. Hopefully, they would bring the topic up so that I can at least talk about their daughter for a while. Well, just to know how's she like. 

And my wish does come true.

"I'm kind like hoping Tina's alright." Helen starts out, and I'm kinda prepared for it. 

"She's been a sick baby ever since she was a kid, but she always strikes back to her illness, Helen. Have some faith in your daughter." Steven puts his arm on his wife's shoulder to ensure that everything's fine. 

"She might be a little bit manly, but she's still a girl, and she's still weak at some point." Helen protests.

"Yes, but I called Air already, and she said Tina is in a perfect condition." Steven assured.

"Who would know she was lying? I mean, if Tina is in a perfect condition, why won't they let her go home?" Helen complains again.

Steven shrugs his awful shrugh, which is telling us that he's starting to get bored with Helen. 

"I hope she's okay too. Linda kinda sounded fine when she told me about all the stuffs." I smile, and Helen looks worried. 

"You're just trying to make me feel better. Both of you. I know my daughter and she's not fine at all by now. I can bet you anything that her allergic is back. She must have eaten some seafood. Because otherwise, she wouldn't have a high temperature." Helen looks sad and continues. "She's always been boyish ever since she was a child, but that only because she wants to tell everyone that she's strong like a guy. But no matter what she looks like, she's still my Tina and is a girl. I'm always worried about this daughter of ours, Steven." Helen looks so depressed. 

Steven returns the looks back to Helen with a pathetic one, which doesn't look fake at all. In fact, he looks sad too. 

"I know, Helen. I know. But sometimes you have to let go of some problems. Like this one. Air said Tina was fine and I trusted her. You see, if she's not fine, Air will have to tell us because she can't handle Tina all along, don't you think so?"

Helen sighs. 

"I haven't seen her for a few days and she's admitted to the hospital. She sure will have to explain things to us when we return." 

Steven smiles. "That, we can wait."

We're all quiet for a while and I try to begin the conversation again. 

"Helen, I've always wanted to ask you this. Do the kids get along? I mean my daughter and yours?" I hope I'm not that obvious to the Jitaleela.

Helen smiles again. "Oh yes, Jecht, they do get along. Like a lot." She pauses to think and continues. "I sometimes don't understand two of them. Sometimes they're hot and sometimes they're cold. As you can see, Tina is a major clown in the family, I suppose. She's talkative, but she just doesn't tease anyone easily. Well, it usually happens when she's around Aom. She teases your daughter all the time. I guess it's just the time when they get to make friends, don't you think? I'm happy for that."

"Does Tina talk a lot about Aom?"

"Of course, she talks a lot about Aom. When someone makes a new friend, she will have to talk a lot about her new friend. It's a good sign, you know." She giggles. I suppose she's happy that her daughter is making a new friend again. What if she realized that there was more between them? I hope I can prove myself wrong.

"I've never had a chance to ask you, Helen. But what is Tina like?" Again, I hope I'm not obvious to them. I don't want them to think that I suspect the relationship between their daughter and mine. Somehow, I can't tolerate it. 

"What do you mean by that?" Steven is the one who raises the question up while Helen is about to answer. 

"Well, you know, I've never actually known you daughter before, so, I think it might be the best time we get to know more about our daughters, right?" I smile and shrug. He seems to agree with me so he's the one who answers the question. 

"Tina is a sweet boyish girl. I mean, from the outside and the inside of hers are all boyish and I'm not saying I'm ashamed of it because I'm totally proud of what she really is. She doesn't have to fake herself to fit into people. She cares about everyone around her as if they're her relatives. Like Aom's case, for instance, she had to run like almost an hour to get the book set for her while they were all have to be in class. It's all just because she didn't want Aom to get into trouble. Strange, I think. Come to think of it, my daughter acts nice to you better than anyone else. I sometimes come to a conclusion if they both actually like each other secretly." He smiles. 

"I'm sorry, but no offense. What if Tina is a tomboy, Steven?" I try to sound as nice as I can. 

"What do you think, Jecht? As a parent?" He just smiles again; this time, it's warmer than any other time. 

"I dont' know. I'm a person who grew up with rules. So I might do something to her with them." I shrug. 

"I'm the father of Tina, Jecht. I know almost everything about my own daughters and I know what they're like. Air might behave like she's a sweet girl, but I'm 99% sure that she's dating a girl too because she talks about the girl all the time. About Tina, I wasn't exactly sure about her before, but now I am. I somtimes brought myself to a wonder of the uality of Tina, but then I ended up the wonder when Aom exists in our lives. Helen and I know her better than any other person in the world and we're not ashamed that our daughters are abnormal because it's not their fault. The nature gave them this and it's not like they want it, but they just have to act like it. When Tina starts to talk about Aom a lot, do all the things for her, drives to your home at night just to see your daughter, I know what it means. By the way you're talking to us now, it's obvious that you're doubting Tina. Yes, I'm sure my daughter is in love with yours. I can bet that the thing that made her went away from her was a triangle thing between her and Mean and Aom. But I'm also sure that she came back with a thing which surprised Aom a bunch."

Helen adds. "I sometimes wonder about their relationship too. I mean, if they want to keep it a secret, it's fine. But if they want to tell me and Steven, it's even better because we can congratulate them. I know when I'm speaking this way, it's like I overlook you as the father of Aom. But listen, we're 99% sure that they both like each other secretly and they're up to a stage where everyhting is unpredictable and we don't want to interfere. If it's so, will you accept both of them?"

Their words are meaningful, but I have rules for the family. I have pride for the family. I can't just walk around in town knowing that eveyrone looks at me like I'm a bad father. In fact, there's nothing wrong with it, but I also can't let it continue any further. What if they end up staying with each other forever? What will my relatives think? What will everyone think?

"I'm sorry, Helen. I don't think it will work."