It has been a couple of months since Mike left. Aom picks up a postcard and turn it to read the message.

“I’ve arrived in England, it’s so cold here, to the point where I don’t want to do anything. I miss you so much Aom! I know you must be waiting for me to come back. I’m waiting for that day as well."

Aom had read these message over and over again, until she can remember every words of it and smile to herself.

“Aom did you see the postcard that your mom put on the table?”

“Yes Grandma I saw it, it’s from Mike. He said it’s so cold in England”

“It’s cold even here in Thailand, I can’t imagine how cold it’s over there. Aom today I made Caramel Rice Cracker for you, it’s in the kitchen” said the old lady.

“That’s great Grandma. I’ll go get it now, I’m hungry” Aom went to the kitchen and grab the Rice Cracker’s plate and come back and sit by her grandmother.

“It’s so good Grandma, you made it sweet just the way I like it”

Mrs.Orn walks up from the garden, and sit by her daughter.

“Mom, do you want some Rice Cracker? It’s so good”

“No thanks Honey, it’s so hard, my teeth can’t handle it anymore. I think I have to call Ta Pol and Ta Bua to help me dig a canal”

“Why Mom?

“I’m afraid of the flood this year, if we’re not prepare, we might be in trouble later”

“I’ll help you Mom”

“We can’t do it by ourselves Honey. We also have to prepare for the festival”

“They might not have it this year”

“Why not?”

“Because people are afraid that the war might happen Mom”

“Aom you’re always talking about this war, whatever it may be we’re not a part of it, I’m sure”

“But everyone is afraid it’s really happening Mom”

“Who is at war Aom?” the old lady asks

“Germany Grandma, they said it’s not looking good”

“Didn’t they just lose in World War I, I don’t think they have energy left to do another war” Mrs.Orn cut in.

“No Mom, it didn’t just happen Mom, it has been many years already”

“Well, I still think it’s not going to happen anytime soon” Mrs.Orn stills don’t believe her daughter. Nobody expect what’s coming in the near future, that’ll change their life forever.

“OUCH!” Aom cried out and put her hand on her cheek.

“What’s wrong?”

“The Rice Cracker hurt my tooth”

“I told you to go see Dr.Yoshi, he’s a good dentist. Me and Grandma saw him the other day, he was asking about you too. He asks why you don’t go and study Japanese with him anymore?”

“It’s so hard Mom, I just want to study a little bit, but he wants me to know it so deep, ouch”

“It’s good to learn about new things Honey”

“But it’s so hard. Here let me show you” Aom said it while pointing at her head and other part of her body.

“Kubi, kao, mimi, mei, masuke, kachi”

“What did you just said?”

“See Mom, I told you it’s hard. And it sound weird I think, I said head, face, ear, eyes, eyebrows , eye lashes, and mouth. These words are not as hard and the sentences. I don’t know why he’s so serious about teaching all these to me”

“He probably want you to really know it, it’s a good thing after all. Also, he’s away from home, he might want someone who can speak the same language as him to talk to sometime”

“But I think he look more like a soldier than a doctor, I don’t even know why he open his shop around here. If he open it in the city a lot more people will come to see him”

“He probably wants to live quietly and don’t care much about money. He can make decent money here and live day by day. I saw that he like to look at the trains and boat. He used to tell me that he’s from an island country, so he want lives by the water. Anyway, he’s a good person, you should go see him about your tooth”

“I’ll go see him when I have time”

“Hurrr..don’t cry when you lose all your teeth”

“Ah ito dez”

“What did you say?”

“I said my tooth ache Mom” Aom pout her lip

“Oh, then I’ll said that’s good!”

“You have to say it this way, umai joshu”

“No no, I don’t know any of these word, stop being silly and go take a shower”

The outside is getting dark. After Aom is done with her shower, she came out and sit in the living area and take out her favorite instrument.

"Aom, I don't want to be like the tale of the firefly that has to light up a lantern to find a spirit of the Mangrove Apple Tree Lady that vanish into the river."

Those words still ringing in her head. She turn up the lantern and started playing on the Thai Dulcimer. Mrs.Orn put down the shirt she’s knitting and listen to the song. The sound of the instrument echo throughout the river. The song sound sad, like the player is missing someone dearly. Mrs.Orn went back to what she was doing and can’t help but worry a little. Many years ago the middle age lady used this very instrument to help ease the pain of missing the person who left to study at the faraway place. But he came back and left her, so she hasn’t played since. But now her daughter is doing the same thing, she just hope that it wouldn’t have the same tragic ending.

The news about war in Europe grew heavier everyday but not much have change in Thailand accept things are getting very expensive.

Aom sometime discuss about the war with her mom. Mrs.Orn would often said, “If the war is happening it’s probably in other country, Thailand probably won’t get involve.”

Aom still keep herself calm from everything because she still get letters from Mike even if it’s not as often anymore.

“Aom,

The news about the war is going to be prolong for sure. It seems like Germany are ready to go to war at any time. Other European countries are meeting up on what they should do with this beast. I pray that we don’t go to war with them because the outcome is questionable. The reason I write to tell you about all this is not because I’m scare of the war. I’m just afraid that I won’t be able to get back to you in time, to ask you that question like promise.

Mike”

Aom went out to swim in the river like always, when she heard her mom call for her.

“Aom, where are you? Get out of the water. This is bad Aom, really bad!” Mrs.Orn panics

“What’s going on Mom?”

“People said the Japanese soldiers came to this area last night”

“What?”

“Get out of the water, let’s go talk about this at home”

Aom got out of the river and come into the house.

“What happened Mom? I didn’t hear anything about this”

“The news was on the radio last night, now there are Japanese soldiers all over the city”

“That’s unbelievable!”

But the news was indeed true. The shadow of war spread wider and the letters from England stop completely since Thailand agree to be on the Axis side. The last letter was short and the paper was so torn up because it has been pass through so many places before it reaches Aom’s hands.

“Aom,

It looks like war is unavoidable. On my side we are setting up an underground agent group, I’ll join them and I’ll be able to get back to you in no time. This is probably the last letter that will get to you in a while. Please wait for m