“Pol, can you go home today?”

“No, I can’t, I still have to be here for a couple more days”

“You are such a two headed snake, I thought you said you don’t want to stay here” Ta Bua complained to his buddy.

“When I actually stay here, it’s not that bad. There’s a good place to sleep and meals 3 times a day”

“Is that all you want in life Pol, we still got more important task to do you know. If I make it big, don’t complain that I didn’t tell you”

“What are you talking about? What important task?”

“Let’s go Ta Bua, so Ta Pol can rest” Aom quickly cut in and get up from her seat before the old man spill the beans.

When Aom walks up to the house, Mrs.Orn looks up at her and pointed her head toward the storage room.

“He’s in there, what are you planning to do next?”

“I already go arrange things with Ta Bua before I came back. I told him to patch up the cabin behind the orange orchard, any big holes, door and windows has to be fix. I think we should be able to move him there tonight”

“Did you run into Kimhan when you were at the boat dock?”

“Yes, I did” Aom answers her mom back almost in a whisper voice.

“What did she say?”

“Not…nothing much, but I just found out that if…anyone finds out about this, we wouldn’t be the only one who get in trouble. She…would be too” Aom tries to leave the words execution by shooting out from the conversation, so her mom wouldn’t be more worry than she already is.

“Hurr… Kimhan always has to get into dire situation because of us. Just because she is the one who come and search our house, I think if this get out she would be in more trouble than we are. It’s like she betray her troop”

Aom tries to shake off those words that her mom just said, so she quickly got up and walks to the storage room. The room is pretty dark because the window has to be close, the prisoner looks up at the petite girl that just open the door and change his sitting position to be more polite.

“I am so sorry that you have to go through all these trouble because of me right?”

Aom keeps quiet, lean her body against the wall and didn’t answer that question.

“I know that Japanese soldier saw me, what he said was meant for me to know that he saw me. What is he going to do next?”

“Nothing, tonight I’m going to move you out of here”

“Why is he not doing anything?”

Again Aom didn’t answer that question, but deep down in her heart she believes nobody know about Kimhan more than her!

“I know the Japanese soldiers punishment toward prisoner very well. Every time a prisoner escape and they caught them, the punishment would always be cruel and weird. First, they would force that prisoner to dig a hole, tide his hands and let him run, after that the prisoner would be a living target for the soldier to shoot or slash with a samurai sword!” William’s voice is fill with hate and disgust.

“I remember one time, the prisoner wasn’t even dead yet and they bury him alive! One of my friend almost got that same fate, but when they were about to do that, he ran toward them and put out his neck to be cut off. He died immediately so he didn’t suffer!” the speaker swallow hard as he speaks and remember those painful memories but the listener still keep quiet.

“I got a glimpse of that soldier, he is still very young”

“He is the Captain of the troop, his rank is higher than you, so he isn’t that young…” Aom said with an emotionless voice.

“He loves you?”

That question is so straight forward which is like a big blow into the petite girl’s heart. Aom whole body turn hot and then suddenly turn cold, her hand is ball up as a fist and shake a little.

“I’m sorry that I’m too forward, I just said what I thought…that’s all”

“I would never have that kind of relationship with a person with different nationality or even worst the enemy” Aom said while trying to keep her emotion down and with so much pride in her voice. 

“Please don’t be mad at me ok? I didn’t know that you are that conservative. No wonder you and your family live in a very traditional kind of way, in a Thai style house, very courteous and freedom loving kind of lifestyle. I’m not saying all this to flatter you or anything, it’s just what I really see because I studied psychology before I left for war”

“I didn’t get to finish school because of war…”

“What did you studied?” William asks with interest.

“Law…”

“That does fit your personality. Please don’t take this the wrong way, I want to tell you this because I am older and been through a lot more stuff than you” William said it like he is an older brother trying to teach a small kid.

“You are very smart and brave, but you also have a lot of ego and pride in yourself. You are very decisive like a guy and that sometime make you do things even though you know that it’s wrong. If you’re a guy, you would make a good soldier and might get many badge of honor. But you are a girl, please don’t just only use your brain, sometime you have to use your heart too. In the future, if you still keep on denying your heart, you might lose something meaningful to you because of it!”

“Thank you, are you really a psychologist or a psychic?”

William laughs out loud at those words, “I’m just saying it because I saw it in your personality. This house only have women, but you girls are still respect by other people especially the ones you called enemy. You weren’t scare of me when we first met, not even a scream when a stranger sneaked into your house. You keeps calm when the Japanese soldiers search your house. That is all I need to see your personality for a psychologist like me”

“I’ll remember your words. We’re going to move you late at night, tonight ok?”

“Alright”

Aom walks out of the storage room and closed the door.

‘He loves you?’ Those words are still ringing in her head.

Suddenly, the memory of that black eyes staring at her with sadness pop into her mind. ‘I’m just a stupid idiot! My life is worthless in your eyes, and it doesn’t matter if I live or die’ Aom can still feel the bitterness in those voice like that person still saying those words in front of her.

‘Mike…Mike…I love you and only you’ Aom tries telling herself, like she wants to hold on to it so she won’t get sway.

‘Hidako’ that sad voice again, the voice that call her name so gently in that person’s language.

‘Mike, when are you going to come back…I would always keep my promise to you!’

It’s dark and the walkway to Ta Bua’s cabin is pretty narrow. Aom quickly walk to the cabin without trouble but for William that is not used to the environment, he falls down and his arms are caught by the branches many times. As they reach the cabin, there is a small camp fire in front of the cabin, look pretty suspicious so Aom signals William to go hide and she walks to the cabin alone.

As the petite girl walks to the camp fire, she saw Ta Bua sitting very awkwardly on a huge wooden log, his eyes look very worried staring at the person who is sitting in front of him. That person recline back on a wooden bench and look very calm. That tall figure wear beige long pant with military booths and dark blue yukata shirt. The camp fire light that touches the skin of that person make that tall figure look more like a statue. A little smile on that handsome face, make it looks like that person is very relax in this awkward situation. Without caring how uncomfortable Ta Bua feels, that person also whistle a song like she’s in a very good mood.

Aom didn’t want to walk in but it’s too late for her, the two people who is sitting in front of the camp fire already saw her. That playful voice greet her like she isn’t surprise at all to see Aom there.

“Hey, welcome…come and