After Aom was done putting everything away, she came down to help her mom with the oranges. "Mom, let me help you," said Aom as she saw her mom lifting a big bucket of oranges.

"Mike left already?"

"Yeah, he'll come back with the buyer later"

"He's a good kid and diligent with school. I'm not surprise he got that scholorship" Mrs.Orn open a conversation about Mike.

"Mom, you want to ask about me and Mike right?" Aom ask as she knows her mom well.

"Honey, I want to know not because I want to interfere with your personal life, I just want to know if what I'm thinking is right or not"

"Mike... he likes me" Aom answers back, she doesn't want to hide anything from her mom.

"And what about you?"

Aom immediately shake her head "I'm not ready to think about this kinda thing"

"Why not? I think it's normal for a girl your age to think about something like this"

"I might be close to Mike more than any other guy, but I have more important duty to think about. Right now I want to focus on graduating school and get my diploma" the petite girl's eyes light up with confident. "I have to get that diploma and show THEM, that we can survive without relying on anyone!" The middle age lady knows exactly that the word "THEM" mean no other than her dad's family. 

"I know Mike is a good person but I don't know if he'll change in the next 5 years. I want to give him a chance to know his own heart, plus I don't want to tie him to any promises that we might regret later. "

Mrs.Orn put her hand on her daughter's sholder, "Aom, you don't know how much I'm proud of you. Every bad experience in my past is worth it, because from it, I get to have you as my daughter!" 

Aom smiles at her mom with a teary eyes.

"Mr.Gumnan used to talk to me about you and Mike as well, but I didn't agree to anything. I want it to be up to you. I love you and I'll accept anyone that you love into our family. I know you'll think carefully before you do anything, however I also want to know about it. Not to pressure you, but maybe my experience might be of help, so you won't make the same mistake that I did" Mrs.Orn sincerely tell her daughter, as Aom walks over to her mom and gave her a hug.

"I love you too Mom, and you won't be disappointed in me. Right now I want to hold off on other things and focus on my study." 

"Ok Honey, go up to the house and see if Grandma need anything, I'll finish up and I'll follow you."

A week pass by, Aom is sitting in her room studying. She been sitting there for a while now so she shakes her neck and put her arms up to strech her back, when she hear someone voice came up the stair in front of her house.

Mrs.Orn called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me Aunt Orn" Mike answers back.

"Hello Mike, come on up" Mrs.Orn welcome Mike to come into the house.

As Aom heard that, she close her book, turn off the lantern and walk out of her room.

"Is your passport all done Mike?" ask the petite girl as she saw him in gray suit and tie.

"Yeah I just went and get everything ready today, because the school said that I have to leave eariler, around next week"

"What about your clothes? It's cold right now even in Thailand, I can't imagine how cold it would be over there" Mrs.Orn asks.

"I tried to prepare as much as I can but I might have to go there and buy some anyway"

"So how are your mom and dad taking the news?" ask Mrs.Orn.

"My dad didn't say anything much, but my mom started crying already. That's why I came here to hide, I don't know what to do. I feel like maybe I shouldn't go anymore"

"Mike, you should go. You work so hard to get that scholorship and 5 years pass by fast," Aom quickly support him.

"Aom, can you go in the kitchen and bring Mike the coconut dessert I made?" Mrs.Orn told her daughter.

"It's ok Aunt Orn, I think I should go. I just want to come and tell Aom about my departure date. I'll come and say goodbye to you and Grandma again when I have to leave."

"Alright, be careful on your way down, it's dark. Aom, can you walk Mike out?" ask her mom. The petite girl hesitate at first but obediently do as she's told.

She walk with Mike to the front of the stair and quickly said "Ok bye Mike, see ya"

The petite girl was about to turn around but Mike grab her hand and give her an anxious look.

"Wait Aom, please go down and talk with me for awhile"

Aom sigh and hesitate to do it.

"Please Aom, today when I know about my departure date, I quickly came to see you. You're gonna be so cold and won't give a little time to talk to you before I go?"

She can hear the distress in Mike's voice, that made Aom agrees to walk down the stair with him. Mrs.Orn looks up at the kids but continue to go back to work, because she has confident in her daughter and know that Aom won't ever do anything that's inappropriate with Mike!

"Aom, watch out for snake, it's dark and why are you walking so fast?" said Mike while he pointed the flashlight on the floor.

"I'm walking fast bacause I'm scare of snake" said Aom in a teasing voice

"You are scare of snake or of me?"

No answer from the petite girl.

"Aom..."

"Hmm?"

"Geez.. can you answer me nicely for once?"

"What? I'm the same like always. If you want someone who talk nice to you, you looking at the wrong place"

"Are you sure