Chapter 6 Part II

The Arrival

    Homlom stepped out of the room after translating more than half of a Chinese novel. His face lit up with a smile when he saw his son lying on Uncle In's lap, watching TV with wide eyes. Beside them, Grandma and Auntie Nom were enthusiastically critiquing the drama. It had been nearly three weeks since Little Homnoi moved into the traditional Thai house as his son.

    "Homnoi."

    "Mommy."

    The little one crawled over to his mother, having been left alone for several hours while he worked until sunset. He snuggled up to him, seeking affection. Seeing this, Inpha teased him.

    "Now that Mommy's here, you've forgotten all about Uncle In, huh?"

    Homnoi still called Inpha: Uncle[1], and referred to Mrs. Laor-Ong as Grandma out of habit. Homlom didn't see it as a big deal, and fortunately, everyone else felt the same way.

    The little boy widened his eyes and shook his head vigorously. "I didn't forget Uncle In, I just...missed Mommy."

    "Alright, alright, I know. No need to look so sad." Watching his new nephew bury his face in Homlom's soft belly, Inpha couldn't help but remember how he used to pinch Homlom's chubby cheeks and belly with Venerable Brother Aidin when they were little, causing Homlom to sulk.

    "Why don't you have one of your own, In?"

    "Oh…Grandma."

    Laughter erupted around them. From his perspective, Homlom thought that besides himself, his siblings were all strikingly attractive, especially Inpha, who, despite being male, inherited the beauty of their mother, Mrs. Pin-Ngam because he was an Omega. However, Inpha had never been in love. Whenever someone tried to court him, he would avoid them, never giving anyone a chance. Now, at thirty-two, he still didn't have a partner, just like Venerable Brother Aidin, who remained single at thirty-five. The villagers often joked that the Chuenpakdee siblings must have taken a vow of celibacy, as others their age were already married with children.

    Seeing the adults laugh, Homnoi didn't understand but joined in innocently, prompting Homlom to playfully nibble his cheek.

    Because Grandma and Auntie Nom were so engrossed in the drama, it was impossible for Homlom to stop them from watching. Some scenes contained inappropriate content, so he had to explain them to his son. Luckily, it was an evening drama, so the content wasn't too intense. Sitting against a cushion, with his little one nestled between his legs and leaning against his warm chest, Homlom couldn't resist burying his nose in the soft hair, inhaling the scent of baby shampoo.

    "Mok said he'd be here before six, but it's almost seven, and he still hasn't shown up. Good thing I made sukiyaki for Grandma and Auntie Nom to cushion their stomachs," Inpha remarked, glancing at the clock, secretly worried about their youngest brother.

    Klinmok called to confirm he would be coming home today, pleading with his two older brothers to prepare a hot pot set because he was craving it so much. He insisted that Homlom make the dipping sauce himself. But now it was past seven, and their mischievous younger brother still hadn't shown up. If the manager didn't drop him off, Homlom prayed that their troublesome brother would drive back himself and not take the train like last time. Otherwise, Grandma would give him a good hitting, and his two older brothers wouldn't be able to help him.

    "I'm back!"

    Homlom was lost in thought and startled at the sudden voice. Turning around, he saw Klinmok standing at the door with a bag of bottled water. The older brother let out a big sigh; it seemed he had to be stern for him to show up. He noticed Grandma secretly sighing in relief, glad her grandson had returned safely.

    "Hello, Grandma. Hello, Auntie Nom. Brother In, Brother Lom, I greet you all," Klinmok raised his hands in a respectful wai to everyone, his mischievous eyes narrowing as he glanced at the little one sitting with Homlom before lunging forward, startling the child.

    "Mok!" Homlom scolded his younger brother when he jumped at the little one, causing Homnoi to leap up and hide behind him in surprise. Yet, the big round eyes showed no fear, only curiosity. "Play nicely with your nephew."

    Come to think of it, Homnoi had never met Klinmok before.

    "Oh...Uncle Mok is sorry," Klinmok reached out to gently pinch his new nephew's cheek, careful not to hurt him. "You're Uncle Mok's little cutie, truly adorable, my Piggy Boo-boo."

    Klinmok had always been aware of the happenings at home, even when he was far away. Hearing about Homnoi made him fond and sympathetic towards the little one. During Grandpa Kloi's event, he was busy filming a series and couldn't return. He often called his brother and talked to his new nephew, and even just hearing his voice, he could sense the cuteness. Meeting him in person, he found him even more adorable than he imagined—so small, with fair skin and cheeks starting to plump up from delicious food.

    "What kind of words are those?" Inpha rolled his eyes at his brother's strange expressions.

    "Brother In is so not trendy," Klinmok pouted.

    Homlom gently brought the little one to face his twenty-three-year-old uncle with a four-year-old mind, introducing him, "This is Uncle Mok, the one you've been talking to often."

    Homnoi shyly glanced at Uncle Mok, remembering their conversations about cartoons. The small figure moved out from behind his mother, gracefully raising his hands in a wai.

    "Hello, Uncle Mok. My…my name is Homnoi, and I'm Mommy Homlom's son."

    "Hic, waah, my little cutie! My tiny Piggy Boo-boo."

    After having his heart stolen by his adorable nephew, Klinmok suddenly transformed into a wolf, showering his nephew with playful kisses until the little boy giggled, drawing laughter from everyone around. Inpha, though smiling fondly, rubbed his temples and told Homlom with resignation.

    "Brace yourself for headaches, Lom."

    That's what I thought, Brother In. Homlom sighed, but then realizing he had forgotten to ask, "How did you get back? I didn't hear a car."

    "Sister Jida dropped me off. She had another appointment, so she had to leave quickly. When she come to pick me up later, she’ll stop by to greet Grandma," Klinmok explained at length, looking at his brother with wide eyes.

    Homlom nodded in satisfaction, muttering, alright then.

    They sat outside to enjoy their hot pot in the cool breeze, even though Grandma's traditional wooden house was already open to the wind. Inpha jokingly told Klinmok to bring the vegetables and meat from the kitchen by himself as a penalty for making everyone wait. The mischievous younger brother pulled a face, but Homnoi volunteered to help Uncle Mok, making the uncle smile widely. But in the end, the workers had to bring everything up here.

    Grandma and Auntie Nom didn't eat for long before excusing themselves to continue watching their drama, as Inpha had already prepared a bowl for them earlier in the evening. Homlom watched Homnoi, who was scooping food from the pot, with an affectionate gaze. The boy was still struggling to use chopsticks, and if he were to be trained right now, he probably wouldn't be able to eat well today. So, he allowed the little boy to use a ladle to serve himself, prompting Inpha to whisper curiously to his younger brother.

    "Why don't you serve him, Lom? He seems to be having a hard time."

    "But doesn't he look happy?" Homlom smiled, watching the boy eagerly scoop food with bright eyes. "If Lom serves him, Homnoi would eat everything, whether he likes it or not. By letting him serve himself, Lom wants to see what he likes or dislikes."

    Observing closely, he noticed that the little one ate all kinds of vegetables, with Chinese cabbage and baby corn being scooped more often. He ate vegetables so well that even his uncle felt embarrassed. As for meat, the little one seemed to have a special liking for shrimp. The new mother secretly noted his son's preferences in his mind. Inpha couldn't help but smile as he gently patted his younger brother's back.

    "You're a full-fledged mother now."

    "What are you two talking about over there?!" Klinmok blurted out, his stomach full from the meal.

    "Nothing," Inpha sighed. "What about you? Have you had enough soda? Drinking a whole bottle without any shame in front of your nephew."

    Klinmok grinned sheepishly. Earlier, he had tried giving soda to his nephew, but after Homlom explained why it wasn't good, Homnoi returned to drinking the pandan leaf tea made by Inpha and didn't touch the soda again. Lady Laor-Ong didn't like such things but didn't forbid her grandchildren from having them. Inpha himself didn't like it from the start. Venerable Brother Aidin and Homlom drank it occasionally but not often. Besides, Homlom preferred sweet and cold drinks. Klinmok was the only one who was really into soda.

    "Uncle Mok, don't drink too much, okay? Mommy said you'll end up with a tummy ache," Homnoi told his kind uncle, holding his stomach with both hands to show his concern for his uncle's potential stomachache.

    "Heh, heh, I've had enough. Brother In, could you get some pandan leaf tea for Mok?" Klinmok raised his hands in surrender, smiling as his little nephew clapped his hands and praised him for being so good.

    Inpha felt a bit irritated with his youngest brother. He poured pandan leaf tea into a glass while mumbling to himself. Look at that, a brother like him talked until he's blue in the face, and he didn’t even listen. But when the little nephew said a few words, Klinmok listened obediently. It's clear he's wrapped around his nephew's finger.

    "Mommy, Uncle Mok isn't drinking anymore," Homnoi announced to his mother, as if seeking praise for stopping his uncle from drinking soda.

    "Very good, my dear."

    Homnoi beamed with pride at the praise. The sound of conversation mixed with laughter echoed sweetly. His round eyes glanced at his Mommy, then at Uncle In and Uncle Mok, before tilting his head back to see the stars twinkling brightly in the sky. He heard Uncle Mok mumbling.

    "At Grandma's house, you can see stars all over the sky. In the city, you probably wouldn't see them."

    A wide smile spread across the little boy's face as he gazed at the stars. He wasn't sure which star his Grandpa was on, but—right now, I’m the happiest. I hope Grandpa is happy up there too.

    The bright morning at Chuenpakdee House was filled with laughter. Homlom lay against a pillow, reading a book at the pavilion by the water, occasionally glancing at the uncle and nephew duo. Klinmok invited Homnoi to play tag with two other teenage servants. The four of them seemed to be having so much fun that Homlom couldn't help but smile. Watching Klinmok do a double somersault, he shook his head in exasperation. He began to wonder who was the real child between four-year-old Homnoi and twenty-three-year-old Uncle Mok.

    Seeing the little one laugh until his cheeks turned red was enough to make Homlom content. During the three weeks they had been together, Homlom had adjusted Homnoi's bedtime to 8:30 PM, and sure enough, the little one no longer woke up in the middle of the night. However, he still woke up at six every morning, always before a mother like him. Homlom often took Homnoi to make merit at the temple, offering food to Venerable Father and Venerable Brother, allowing the little boy to visit his grandfather every week.

    With a sigh, he closed his book. The only concern now was adopting Homnoi. The boy's documents were incomplete, requiring him to redo many things, and he himself was entangled in legal issues regarding adoption. Homlom wasn't afraid of spending money; his only fear was time. A certain premonition urged him to quickly settle everything.

    Homlom hadn't forgotten that Homnoi had a father. Although the chances were slim that the man would come looking for his son, even that slim chance was daunting.

    "Who's the bigger kid here, really?"

    His brother's gentle voice snapped Homlom out of his thoughts. Inpha walked in with a spatula in hand, and when Lady Laor-Ong's second grandson looked towards the flower garden, he had to rub his temples.

    "Mok is more mischievous than the nephew. Look...look."

    Inpha was worried, hoping that the Mexican Creeper[2] bushes he had carefully tended wouldn't be destroyed by his younger brother's acrobatics. Homlom laughed heartily. It was the little nephew who had to help support his uncle when Klinmok's somersault went wrong, causing him to stumble and almost fall face first.

    "Brother In, is there something you need? You're walking around with a spatula," Homlom turned his attention to Inpha.

    "Oh, right. I forgot to put it down," Inpha laughed. "The guard at the front gate just called. He said someone wants to see you, so I told him to have them wait inside."

    Lady Laor-Ong's house was somewhat like a hidden city, as some villagers called it, because their grandfather valued privacy. The Chuenpakdee Family had owned this traditional Thai house for several generations. The distance between the front gate and the house was considerable, so if anyone wanted to visit, the two guards at the gate had to call and ask for Lady Laor-Ong's permission first.

    "Are they men or women, Brother In?" Homlom frowned. He had only a handful of friends, and each lived comfortably abroad.

    "The guard said they're men, three of them."

    "Are they trustworthy?" Three men, huh...

    "Just three men. We have more people here. If they come armed, Grandpa and Dad's guns are still around," Inpha shrugged nonchalantly. Beneath his gentle demeanor lay a strength that matched his eldest brother's.

    Homlom gave a dry smile, wondering if his brother might be too harsh. But it wasn't long before the two guards brought the visitors to the pavilion. One was a young man with a handsome face, wearing thick-framed glasses and carrying a rectangular briefcase, resembling a lawyer. Behind him were two tall, burly men who stayed close. Inpha and Homlom relaxed a bit when the man with the glasses offered a friendly smile.

    "Hello, Mr. Homlom Chuenpakdee."

    "Mommy!"

    Homnoi ran eagerly towards Homlom upon seeing strangers with his Mommy. Homlom quickly embraced the little boy who clung tightly to him, with Klinmok following closely behind. Homlom noticed the man with glasses smiling slightly.

    "Who are you? What brings you here?" he asked calmly, showing no fear despite feeling uneasy.

    "I've come regarding..." The sharp eyes beneath the thick glasses glanced at the little boy. "Homnoi Pingphiu."

    The name and surname of his son slipped from the visitor's lips. Homlom pulled the small body closer, holding him tightly against his chest. His beautiful eyes showed hostility, and a foreboding feeling made him clench his fists. Please, don't let it be what he feared!

[1] Addressing ‘Uncle’ in Thai has 3 different words: ‘Lung (ลุง)’ is for the uncle who is older than your parents. ‘Aa (อา)’ is used if the uncle is on your father's side and is younger than your father. Lastly, ‘Na (น้า)’ is used if the uncle is on your mother's side and is younger than your mother. Here, Homnoi is calling Inpha ‘Aa,’ but he should have called him ‘Lung,’ as Inpha is older than Homlom.

[2] Mexican Creeper (Antigonon leptopus) is a species of perennial vine in the buckwheat family, characterized by showy, usually pink flowers that can bloom throughout the year and large, heart-shaped leaves.