Chapter 3

    The young woman’s slender, tapered fingers carefully poured the jasmine-infused water into the brass pan, into which she had already added mung bean flour and sugar. Using a wooden spatula, she gently stirred in one direction until both the sugar and flour had fully dissolved into the water.

    The young woman used both hands to carry the small brass pan to the heat source and set the heat between low and medium. She used the wooden spatula that was set on the edge of the pan to stir continuously until the flour mixture was clear and shiny. After that, she lifted the pan up into a basin of hot water on the stove to ensure the dessert mixture remained warm.

    Sakunthara spooned the contents of the pan into a small pitcher to be used for pouring. She added just two drops of pink food coloring so that the dessert base would have a pinkish color. She spooned the dessert mixture into a small stainless steel pitcher and poured the dessert base into plastic bite-sized heart-shaped molds. When the pink mixture was used up, she mixed the next color until she had used up all of the clear flour mixtures in the brass pan. Then the mixture was left so that their surfaces would firm up in the molds. At that time, she left them to prepare to work on the dessert topping.

    Sakunthara put the pan, which she had placed coconut cream, rice flour, and a small amount of salt, onto the heat. She mixed the ingredients until they were uniform before turning off the stove, though she used the spatula to continue stirring the coconut cream in the pan a while longer. Once the mixture had started to cool and become sticky, she spooned it into a press cylinder.

    The press cylinder she was using was modified from a cookie press. Using flower-shaped disks increased the attractiveness of the Thai dessert. In addition, it helped add greater monetary value than the traditional spooning method.

    The top layer of the dessert base had reached an appropriate level of firmness. The young woman knew from experience the correct time to move on to the next step and did not have to waste time checking the dessert’s temperature.

    The young woman topped the dessert bases with the thick, sticky coconut cream mixture, pressing it into the flower shape dictated by the mold in the cylinder until she was finished. After that, she sprinkled crispy mung beans on top for an attractive touch.

    Sakunthara was preoccupied with her dessert-making because she had to work while the dessert topping was still warm. If the topping cooled, it would solidify before it could be removed from the molds and it would not have a smooth, attractive finish. She didn’t have time to pay attention to her surroundings. She didn’t even know someone was standing and watching her.

    As for the person standing and watching her, his eyes had been surveying the shop admiringly until they had fallen onto the young woman and he had tumbled into such a trance that he had momentarily forgotten his own errand. It was the first time he had seen a Thai dessert being made. Watching the intricacies and the extreme care taken at each step had made him want to taste that beautifully colored dessert.

    The owner, who was small and whose height was no more than 160 centimeters, stood behind the counter making desserts. Around her neck was the strap of a bright pink apron that had the shop’s name embroidered onto it. Her eyes were fixed on what she was doing, and her face was stained with a smile of joy. If Pongket’s ears did not deceive him, he was hearing the young woman in front of him talk to the desserts.

    “Let’s get dressed up beautifully to greet the guests, children. You there, if you frown like that, no one will choose you!”

    The young woman made the person who had been watching her for a long while break out into a smile as well. He wasn’t even able to tell himself why he was smiling.

    After completing every step of the process, Sakunthara placed all of her equipment into the sink. When she turned back around, her eyes fell on his tender smile. She had no idea when the neatly dressed young gentleman standing before her had come in, even though the spot where he was standing was only a short distance away from her.

    The shop named “Sakunthara Thai Desserts” was only a two-room shophouse, with the front partitioned off as a space to display the products and the back of the shop an open kitchen that allowed customers to watch the tidy production process, which used fresh ingredients. However, the space was neatly arranged.  

    Originally, Sakunthara’s mother, Mrs. Tipsakun, used to run a market stall selling Thai desserts. Having been in contact with Thai desserts since she was a child, Sakunthara had developed an admiration and love for making desserts. She extended her knowledge by studying at the hospitality management school of a famous public university that was renowned for producing leading culinary personnel.

    After graduation, Sakunthara chose to return and improve her mother’s Thai dessert shop rather than work at the famous five-star hotel that she had been headhunted by since she was still in training.

    Sakunthara had expanded the Thai dessert shop by offering snack boxes and catering. In addition, she had modernized the presentation of the desserts but had retained their fragrance and flavor. She had also fully maintained the culture of Thai desserts.   

    During the New Year holiday, the shop would see much more business than usual. It had started about three or four years ago when a customer had ordered a gift basket of Thai desserts to be used to pay respects to and ask for blessings from elders and superiors. After that, the news spread by word of mouth. It had made her dessert shop grow continuously until additional employees had had to be hired for the dessert preparation times at night and during the day.

    During the afternoon, only a few employees remained. Their duty was to help her mother buy supplies for the shop. In addition, there were part-time employees who were university students who helped with preparing the snack boxes and the off-site catering jobs that came in periodically.

    At the moment, though, Sakunthara was standing in the shop all by herself because the employees and her mother were buying things that would be used as ingredients the next day.

    The young woman smiled at the customer. She bowed her head in an apologetic way. Her cheek was smudged by the mung bean flour she had transferred to it when she’d unthinkingly raised the back of her hand, which had had flour clinging to it, to wipe the sweat off her face. Perched on top of her hair was a sweet pink cap that went well with the apron hanging from around her neck.

    “Sawasdee ka. I apologize for making you wait so long. I was busy making desserts and didn’t notice you walking into the shop. What would you like, Sir?”

    “Right,” the young man replied, a smile unconsciously appearing. It might have been that smudge of flour that was on her face or the smile the young woman had given him first.

    The young woman in front of him had a rather small and slender build. Her skin was fine and smooth like that of an adolescent girl.

    “Are you alone, young lady? I’m here to pick up a snack basket that Mrs. Warakun placed an order for,” he said in a polite tone. From his visual assessment, this little lady was probably more than a full Chinese zodiac cycle[1] younger than him.

    The young man had made his assessment based on her face and figure, without knowing that the young woman with the small, slender build before him was the owner of the shop and that she was nearly twenty-seven years of age.

    The young woman smiled at him once more. She turned and walked out to pick up the basket of steamed Thai flower dumplings, or Chor Muang, and handed it to the young man. Although Madam Warakun had mentioned many times how she wanted her son to get to know her, that she wanted her to be her daughter-in-law, Sakunthara did not question the young man’s relation to Madam Warakun. It might have been because of the title “Mrs. Warakun” he had used to refer to her.

    “Here you go, Sir.” The young woman handed him the basket. He quickly took it in one hand while pulling out some banknotes to prepare to pay the bill.

    “How much is it?”

    “Mrs. Warakun has already paid,” she responded in a gentle, melodious voice. The young man swept his eyes around the shop once more to alleviate the awkwardness.

    “Would you like anything else? There are many snacks and desserts. Our shop always makes them fresh and new to add to the selection. You can browse around first. It seems you have never been to this shop.” The young woman immediately took on the persona of a salesperson, enthusiastically encouraging the customer to purchase her products.

    He nodded briefly and walked over to the display case that contained lovely desserts in beautiful, tempting packaging. Sakunthara followed him. Her gaze followed his, and she explained the details of the dessert the man was currently giving his attention to.

    He was admiring the small orange crown-shaped dessert Cha mongkut. Though in his line of work, he was often involved with Thai tourism, food, and culture, he couldn’t help but be impressed by the delicate details of the delightful little dessert before him.

    “This particular dessert is known as Cha mongkut. It is a traditional Thai dessert that is well-known for having an auspicious name. It is popular as a gift to honor people for promotions at work or advancement in their careers. It is meant to congratulate people and express best wishes for their professional advancement. Additionally, it is sweet and fragrant due to a multitude of flowers and requires great attention to detail to make.” The young woman made her explanation in a friendly manner. Cheering on customers in order to make sales was the main duty of a shopkeeper such as her. In particular, if it was about food, she could continue talking all day if she had an audience. She enjoyed sharing the information and history of each type of dessert.

    Her melodious voice made the other one want to listen to her more. Her smile and eyes full of pride made him unable to look away.

     “I’ll take some, but please place them in another basket,” he said in a gentle tone. He set the basket he was holding down and turned to look at the Khanom chan, the steamed layer cake, which had been formed into shiny-petaled roses and arranged into rows on a tray made of banana leaves. The translucent petals reflected the meticulousness with which they had been crafted. The young woman followed his gaze, and upon seeing her customer’s interest, launched into sales mode.

     “Would you also like some pandan Khanom chan, too? They’re a soft, single perfect bite and have the fragrance of pandan leaves. They’re not too sweet, either.” The young man nodded to show his agreement and gave her an amused smile. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her.

    The young woman made a confused face, not understanding the meaning behind the man suddenly handing his own handkerchief to her.

    He raised an eyebrow and shook his head a little. “Your cheek is slightly dirty, little lady.”

    The young woman raised the back of her hand to wipe at it, as was her habit, but he took hold of her wrist and pulled it away.

    “If you use the back of your hand to wipe it, it’ll remain dirty. I’ll wipe it off for you. Pardon me.” Once he finished his sentence, the soft, delicately-perfumed handkerchief in his hand was pressed tenderly to her pink-tinged cheek before she could brace herself or make any protest.

    When he moved closer to her, the clean scent of him was so enticing, it made her want to breathe the lovely scent in again, but the pair of striking eyes staring at her made her feel so nervous, she had to turn her face to avoid their gaze. Though he probably didn’t feel anything in regard to her, she couldn’t explain to herself why she felt her heart flutter from his soft touch.

    When she looked closely at his profile, it made her certain that he was the man that Madam Warakun was always talking about. It could be seen from his smooth, clear skin, his fine figure and good looks, his considerable height. The clean scent of him still swirled faintly around her. Knowing what she did, her feelings of shyness grew.

    Sakunthara eased some of her embarrassment by pulling the handkerchief from the young man’s hand. “I’d better wipe it myself.”

    Sakunthara used the man’s soft handkerchief to wipe her face until it was clean before she returned it to him.

    “Thank you,” Sakunthara thanked him gently, but once she thought of something, she yanked her hand back.

    “Your handkerchief is dirty now. If I gave it back to you now, that would be very rude of me. Let me wash it and return it to you later, please.”

    The young man held back a smile. Her cheeks turning pinker than a moment ago was a sign of someone experiencing bashfulness, like a teenage girl feeling shy around a dream man.

    The blushing face, now clean of flour smudges, claimed all of his attention. He felt no different than her. His state at the moment was like an old bull stumbling upon newly growing grass. The scent of the new grass was so alluring, and it enticed an old bull such as himself to come closer.

    “It’s alright. It’s just a handkerchief. It’s not that dirty. It just wiped off some flour dust on the cheek. Just give it back to me,” he said, putting out his hand for it. The young woman had no choice but to return his handkerchief to him.

    Once he had put the handkerchief back into his pants pocket, he thrust both hands into his pants pockets in a casual manner. Then, he broke the silence again.

     “Do you have any other desserts to recommend?”

    “Will you be buying them to eat yourself or as gifts?” Sakunthara responded with a question of her own. She tried to compose herself. She felt like she was falling in love with the young man in front of her, and it was the first time she had felt this way in her young life. How absolutely embarrassing!

    This time, the person being asked furrowed his eyebrows in surprise. “What is the difference between eating them myself and buying them as gifts? After all, a salesperson should recommend that a customer buy them anyway,” the young man prompted good-naturedly.

    The young woman smiled widely, showing a beautiful row of white teeth hidden by the delicate lips. Every time she smiled, a small tooth resembling a fang was visible on the left side of her mouth. Though it could not be seen clearly, it made the small woman so charming. It made anyone looking at her unable to tear their eyes away.

    “It’s not the same.”

    “How so?” The other person was starting to feel like he wanted the conversation to continue because her soft voice made him want to keep hearing it.

    “Well, because a man of your age—” Once she started the sentence, the man made a displeased face. The words “a man of your age” emphasized the fact that he could not avoid his age, even though his body and face were not those of a man nearing forty.

    “What about a man of my age?” He hurriedly asked.

    This time, the young woman laughed uproariously.

    “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant was…a man of your age probably doesn’t like eating desserts like Cha mongkut, Thong yip, Thong yot, Foi thong[2], or traditional Thai desserts. However, if you’re buying them for the ladies of the house, they are usually watching their figures and wouldn’t like these types of desserts, either. It would be more appropriate to purchase snacks or desserts that are not too sweet such as Khanom chan, Khanom tua pap, Leum kleun[3], desserts like that. As for the desserts I told you about earlier, they’re more appropriate for elderly people,” she explained wholeheartedly.

    The young man laughed with amusement at her determination to explain. Her silvery voice made him want to keep on listening to her, so he found another topic to continue the conversation with.

    “Why wouldn’t you think I like sweet desserts?”

    “I can tell your type, Sir. If you usually like to eat any type of dessert, you could have bought it right away without asking for recommendations. But you didn’t do that.”

    “You’re that observant, aren’t you?”

    “It’s what every salesperson should be.”

    “Is that so? That’s why you have so many customers.”

    “Doing what you like makes you happy. But, being able to make recommendations so that the consumers of the desserts are happy as well makes it so that when we do our job, we are even happier. It’s better than selling large quantities of products that are not pleasing to customers’ palates, that they’ll purchase and throw away. That’s just a horrible waste.”    

    “If that’s so, I’m buying a gift of about five or six types of desserts for an older person in their sixties. And for the young ladies at the office, who are in their twenties to mid-thirties, I’ll take about ten boxes. Is it correct if I order like this?” He asked her teasingly.

    The young woman smiled shyly. “You don’t have to be that precise. I was just making a suggestion. Someone’s age doesn’t always reveal their preferences, although it helps a little.”

    “And choose, say, two desserts for me. What kind of desserts should someone with this sort of appearance eat?” The young man pointed to his own face as he made the query.

    Sakunthara merely gave him a smile and quickly turned to prepare his order, while the young man could only grin in amusement at her antics. Just from this brief encounter, he could see the reason why this shop was such a favorite of his mother’s. She often spoke admiringly of this Thai dessert shop. Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he couldn’t disagree with any of his mother’s assertions. At any rate, he would have to test out this young woman’s ability to select desserts first.

    It was only a short time later that she handed him three small paper bags. The three bags were of different sizes and colors.

    “The yellowish cream-colored paper bag contains the gifts for elders. They are traditional desserts, but our shop’s recipes reduce their sweetness for health purposes. The pink is for the office ladies. They have little flour and are not very sweet. And most of them are snacks. The light blue bag is for you. I’ve added the dessert Leum kleun[4] for free for you to try. They’re easy to eat. It won’t be long before the box is completely empty,” the young woman explained as she handed him the bags. The end of her sentence was slightly playful, but her entire speech clearly demonstrated yet more of the shop’s consideration for its customers. Customers would be impressed from the first moment they came in to buy desserts.

    “With such an elaborate explanation, would it be all right if I accidentally ate the contents of the wrong bag?” He teased her.

    “It seems as though you’re saying that I am talking too much, am I right?”

    “I’m not saying that at all. It’s all in your head. You came to that conclusion all by yourself,” the young man grumbled as he pulled his wallet out of his pants.

    “How much for all of this?”

    “One thousand, seven hundred and eighty baht, Sir,” she answered cheerily.

    The young man extracted two one-thousand baht banknotes and handed them to her. “Keep the change.”

    “It would be better if you waited for the change,” she hurriedly said.

    Pongket made eye contact with the young woman once more. “Our shop does not have a policy of taking extra money from our customers, Sir. If you insist on giving me this whole amount without receiving your change, I’ll just have to increase the number of desserts to be equivalent to the amount of money you have given me.”

    The young man nodded in acquiescence. He finally had to haul the desserts back to his home first because after taking the basket to his superiors, he had to attend a party. It probably wouldn’t be appropriate to leave the desserts in his car for several hours. As for the remaining items, he would likely hire a motorcycle taxi to take them to the employees at the office instead of driving them there himself. That would be the most time-saving solution. At first, he had intended to pick up the desserts and drop in briefly at the office, close to the time of the party.

    Madam Warakun slowed her car and parked in front of the dessert shop. She looked at her son hopefully. Everything that was happening today was as she had desired. She had wanted the two of them to meet so that she could make some clear-cut decisions. Yet, when she saw Pongket standing and chatting with Sakunthara in the Thai dessert shop, his manner relaxed, his face occasionally sporting a smile, her faint hope started to grow, as she saw more clearly the light at the end of the tunnel.

    After that, Madam Warakun returned home. She returned in time to witness the sight of her son walking smilingly into the house holding dessert boxes.

    “Why such a large haul? Didn’t you repeatedly order me to reduce my sugar intake?”

    “Could you ask the housekeeper to put everything in the refrigerator, please? I have to get to a party.”

    “You don’t usually like to eat desserts.”

    “Everything looked so appetizing, Mother. I couldn’t make a decision, so I just brought them all back with me.” He didn’t tell his mother the entire truth. That the desserts were appetizing was part of it, but the reason why he had brought back so many was actually because of the good humor and smiles of the shopkeeper.

    Pongket placed the bags of desserts on the table. “I leave them in your hands, Mother. I have to hurry off.”

    His mother wasn’t even able to give a response before he turned on his heel and walked out. Madam Warakun could only smile as she watched him leave.

    Madam Warakun left the house again in the evening. Her destination was Sakunthara Thai Desserts, which was about to close. She often dropped in at this time because the owner would have time to chat.

    Madam Warakun wanted Sakunthara as her daughter-in-law. She had broached the subject to Sakunthara’s mother frequently. Mrs. Tipsakun was more than willing, but she didn’t want to meddle in matters regarding her daughter’s life partner. She gave Sakunthara complete freedom to choose her life partner by herself, without any coercion on her part, because it was her daughter’s life and her happiness.

    Madam Warakun attempted to persuade her and put forth justifications, but she received constant refusals from Sakunthara. That was until last month when she told Sakunthara her most pressing reason and came straight out and pleaded with her. The madam only asked that she be a surrogate mother without any sort of lasting commitments, but Sakunthara still expressed her reservations, asking for time to make her decision. The madam could only hope that one day, Sakunthara would agree.

    “Sawasdee ka, Aunt[5].” Sakunthara raised her hands in a wai along with greeting the older person first, after seeing her walk into the shop. Usually, Madam Warakun came to the shop almost every day. It may have been because she was close in age to Mrs. Tipsakun, and they got along well. Furthermore, she had had an affection for Sakunthara ever since the young woman was a teenager.

    Madam Warakun smiled in greeting as she asked, “What is it that you’re doing? It smells wonderful!”

     “I’m frying some shallots so I can use them to prepare the taro Mo kaeng[6] tomorrow.”

     “There are taro Mo kaengs tomorrow? Put me down for five boxes. The people in my household really love eating them,” Madam Warakun informed the young woman. She made a straight beeline to Mrs. Tipsakun, who was washing and cleaning mung beans that would be steamed to make desserts.

    “Of course,” the young woman replied as she used a spider strainer to scoop up the fried shallots that were at the perfect level of yellow crispiness and left them to rest on a fine-mesh sieve.

    Seeing that her daughter was preoccupied with what was on the stove, Mrs. Tipsakun continued the conversation. “Tomorrow we have orders for Luk chup[7], taro Mo kaeng, and rose-shaped Khanom chan for an event at the municipality, so we have to prepare quite a bit.”

    “Is that so? Is there anything I can help with?” Madam Warakun sat down next to Sakunthara’s mother.

    “Please just sit and chat. We’re almost done anyhow,” Mrs. Tipsakun answered, although she continued to be preoccupied with picking out the spoiled mung beans.

    Madam Warakun's visit did not come as a surprise to them. She regularly enjoyed coming to the shop to chat and lend a hand preparing the ingredients for the desserts, as it was known she lived alone in a large house. Her daily routine was mostly just collecting the rent on buildings and properties because most of the land in this area had been in her family's possession for years.

    Madam Warakun was a down-to-earth woman, although she had been born in an old, esteemed family. Her great-grandfather had ascended to the rank of chao phraya[8] during the reign of King Rama V. Yet, she treated everyone as an equal, which made her well-loved by the people in the area. If there was anything she could help out with or lend support to, she did not hesitate to do so.

    The people of this neighborhood believed she had no heir. The only people who knew otherwise were elders who had known her for a long time. Pongket lived in another house in the heart of Bangkok due to his studies, and when he had graduated, he had gone to work at the office building of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. That had required him to spend his daily life in the city and abroad for the most part. When he returned to his mother’s vacation home in Nonthaburi, he didn’t like going out.

    Sakunthara and her mother had never once laid eyes on Madam Warakun’s son, even though she had often teasingly broached the subject of having the young woman become her daughter-in-law. In the past three or four years, the only thing Sakunthara knew was that his work involved tourism. Until last month, the madam’s overtures had become more serious; she had pleaded with her for her help.

    “I have something urgent I’d like to discuss with you. Actually, I don’t want to rush you, Thara dear, but I just found out that my son will have to fly overseas to take up his new post very soon,” Madam Warakun said, hurriedly introducing the topic of discussion.

    The meaning behind the sentence Madam Warakun uttered was immediately understood by everyone sitting there. It meant she was going to request an answer.

    Sakunthara stopped what she was doing and turned around to listen intently. Her heart was thudding as she wondered if what she had been thinking was true: was the man from that afternoon him or someone else?

    "I probably have to ask my daughter’s willingness first." The other party’s answer made Madam Warakun turn back to look at the young woman once again.

    “What do you say, Thara dear? Would you be willing to help me?”

     “For me, anything that mom decides is fine.” The young woman threw the decision back to her mother.

    “Oh my goodness! Really! These two, mother and daughter! Throwing it back and forth!” Madam Warakun said, chuckling. She raised her head and locked eyes with Sakunthara. She sent her a look of pleading and entreaty.

     “Don’t think about the money I spoke of last month. Just consider this my plea. Please help me out with this once.”

     “Erm…” The young woman stammered.

     “This time, I’m really out of options, child. I didn’t think Pongket would travel this fast. I really couldn’t think of any other way in time. Please help me out with this once. Or if you want to make an exchange or something, I’m completely willing.”

    Sakunthara turned and locked eyes with her mother, pleading for her opinion. She nodded to show her agreement.

    “If you don’t have a boyfriend, Thara, or any commitments, and if it’s not too much of a burden, I agree that you should be the surrogate mother for Aunt’s grandchild.”

    Sakunthara’s face showed that she was in a dilemma. It was true that at the moment, she did not have a boyfriend, did not have any sort of commitment to anyone, but carrying to term a child who shared her blood and then having to cast off the role of mother was a painful feeling. And, seeing the child grow up without having the chance to know that she was his mother—she imagined it would be painful for both the mother and the child himself.

    How would he feel coming into this world and, from the moment he started to be aware of his surroundings, finding out that he was a motherless child? At the same time, the mother could only watch over him from a distance. It was tormenting. She wouldn’t have refused at all if everything had happened as a result of love or mutual attraction.

    A heaviness had formed in her at the start, and now, it was amplifying her heartache even more than before.

     “Do you have any worries?” Madam Warakun asked again when she saw the expression in the young woman’s eyes.

    “I just pity the child that will be born. I don’t want any child in the world to lack a father or a mother. He should be born out of love,” she said, pouring out her heart.

     “It would be absolutely wonderful if everything could happen like you described it. I really want you to be my daughter-in-law. If you agreed, Thara dear, it would give me the greatest happiness. But I have so few options at the moment. My son is nearly thirty-nine years old.” The speaker’s eyes reflected the unease she was feeling inside.

    Madam Warakun was a person who enjoyed everything in her daily life. Her attachment to simplicity made it possible for her to smile for everyone. The only thing that brought melancholy to her eyes was the issue of her son and an heir to carry on the family name.

    The young woman gave an embarrassed smile. “A woman like me wouldn’t be able to make your son fall in love.”

    “Who says…? A woman like you is exactly the type that a husband would never get bored of looking at. I wish my son could meet you just once. It would be difficult, though, because Pong is usually overseas. If he comes back to Thailand, he mostly stays at his house in Bangkok. Even his own mother sees him only a handful of times each year,” she said, gauging her reaction. She wanted the two of them to get to know each other without being aware of each other’s identities.

    She was well aware that if Pongket knew that she had contrived the situation so that the two of them would meet, he would be inclined to put up a wall of resistance. She also wanted to know Sakunthara’s feelings. Perhaps she would not only secure a surrogate mother for her grandchild, but a daughter-in-law just like she wanted as well.

    Sakunthara felt as though her heart was breaking. She wasn’t lucky. Madam Warakun’s son was not, as she had hoped, the man she had met that afternoon. However, she was able to sense the sorrow in the voice of the speaker. The young woman gave a small smile and turned to look at her mother before she gave her answer to Madam Warakun.

    “If mom thinks I should do it, I have no opposition to helping you, Aunt.”

    “Thanks so much, Thara, you dear child. If there’s a chance, I’d like for you to really get to know Pong at some point.”

    Madam Warakun’s words were a confirmation that the man she had met that afternoon was not him. She felt a twinge of disappointment. If it had been the person that afternoon, she might not have hesitated to accept the offer. At the very least, he was not a bad person. It wouldn’t be hard for her to love him if they had to spend their lives together, but she didn’t have enough courage to pose another question about who the man from that afternoon was.

    “All right.” The young woman merely gave a polite answer. As someone younger, she couldn’t express any further opinions. She could sense her own mother agreed with Madam Warakun’s idea that she should accept this proposal along with the money that Madam Warakun would bestow on her as a bride price.

    In actuality, she had never felt like she agreed with the proposal. Though the total amount of money owed was so enormous that it would have been impossible to pay it all back in ten years, if she had a choice, she would rather have exhausted herself through hard work to earn money to pay off the debt. It was better than getting out of debt using this method. It felt like her pride was being diminished.

    Yet, her mother was of a different opinion. She couldn’t stand to see her daughter slaving away, scrimping and saving to pay off the family debts, which were extensive. Madam Warakun’s proposed method would be mutually beneficial, and if the outcome was as the two ladies hoped, it would be a special present for both elderly women.

    Madam Warakun turned back to look at the young woman’s mother and smiled happily. She was hoping to have the two of them end up together due to love, but in an exceedingly short timeframe, what method would help to fulfill her wish?

    Late the next day, Pongket was lazing around in the riverside pavilion. A cool wind flowing through the structure made it perfect for lolling around and reading a book to relax on a day off. It was even better due to the table to the side holding a plate of wonderfully fragrant desserts, which tasted delectably sweet. His large hand picked up the light-colored desserts in the small cups and continuously popped them into his mouth. The sweet scent of jasmine-infused water mixed with a silky-smooth texture made each bite slide down effortlessly one after the other until he forgot that in his other hand he was holding an open book.

    The scent and taste of the desserts made him remember the sweet face of their maker. The name of the dessert, written on the side of the box, still fascinated him—Leum kleun, the dessert you forgot that you swallowed.

    “Who so cleverly named it Leum kleun, the dessert you forgot that you swallowed? It really does suit its name,” the young man mused quietly to himself. The corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile as he thought of her face and that melodious voice.

    “Wait a second…why should I be thinking about that child?” The young man forced the thoughts out of his brain as he placed the last dessert he had been holding in his hand back onto the plate. He opened his book to the next page and tried to focus on it, but he had only read a few sentences before his hand reached out and snatched the dessert from the plate again.

    The shiny rose-shaped Khanom chan was popped into his mouth. It was in a small plastic bite-sized cup, perfect for continuous popping into one’s mouth. The desserts didn’t stick to one’s hands. They weren’t too sweet, but they were so silky soft, you barely had to chew them. It made him have to put another one into his mouth to remind himself of their flavor. 

    “What kind of day is this for my son to be lolling around putting desserts into his mouth so happily?” Madam Warakun’s voice sounded in greeting as she dropped into a chair that was only a short distance from her son.

    “You don’t have any work today?” She continued with her queries because she hadn’t seen her son staying home like this even once as of late, even if it was the weekend.

    “I can stay home once in a while on my days off, Mother.”

    “And are those the desserts you bought yesterday? I remember that when I buy them, you never touch the sweet desserts,” she casually remarked, waiting for her son’s reaction.

    “They’re quite tasty, Mother,” he answered truthfully. His eyes shone when he talked about the dessert shop.

    “The desserts at that shop aren’t too sweet. I like to support them. The owner of the shop is a modern person with good ideas and plans, cleverly adapting the presentation of many traditional Thai desserts so they look more attractive and increasing their value.” Madam Warakun acknowledged her son’s words. The young man nodded along in agreement. It was the first time he had paid attention to what she was saying.

    Madam Warakun hid a smile at seeing her son’s interested demeanor. She continued, testing the waters.

     “The owner of the shop is pretty, too. You probably haven’t seen her yet.”

    “Are you leading into that topic again? The owner of a Thai dessert shop wouldn’t fit me,” he said, cutting her off. He was more interested in the young shop employee of yesterday. He did not know that it was the same person that Madam Warakun was talking about. However, his mother laughed good-naturedly and playfully teased her son.

    “I’m just telling you she’s pretty, that’s all. You probably won’t get a chance to meet her because she’s so busy, she hardly has time to be at the shop. You’re not going anywhere today, are you?”

    “No…is there something you want, Mother?”

    “It’s just that I ordered some taro Mo kaeng at Sakunthara Thai Desserts and I completely forgot that Pin isn’t here. As for me, I have to hurry off to work. Do you have some time to pick them up for me, Pong?”

    “Of course,” he answered instantly, unaware that his smile was visible to his mother.

    “Are you in a good mood? Or do you now want to see the owner that I spoke of?” His mother teased again.

    “You always bring it back to your issue in the end. I don’t want to get to know anyone. I would rather have a day off where I can lie around the house relaxing without thinking about things like this.”

    “You’re shutting me down again,” she said.

    “Shutting what down?”

    “I’m just asking you which days you’re free. I want to invite Thara over to have a meal at the house and for you to make each other’s acquaintance. You haven’t forgotten what we talked about the other day, right?” At this moment, Madam Warakun had gotten straight to the point after feeling out her son several times.

    The young man’s expression changed the moment he thought of what he had yet to finish discussing with his mother the other day. He started to think of reasons and excuses to refute her words.

    “Kara[9]! What kind of woman is named after a coconut shell anyhow?” The young man made a face and replied in a brusque tone. Just hearing her name immediately caused him to feel irritated.

    Seeing her son’s reaction, the madam decided to avoid telling him that the woman she had her eye on was the owner of a Thai dessert shop named Sakunthara, since a moment ago, he had been in a good mood.

    Pongket hated to be coerced into anything, and now that she could see he was prepared to oppose getting to know the young woman, she decided to foster his good feelings towards her without giving him any information.

    “Her name is Thara,” his mother repeated, looking at her son admonishingly.

     “Whatever her name is, I don’t care. I don’t want to meet her.”

     “But you have to get her pregnant, Pong, and give me a grandchild like you promised.”

     “Hmph!” The young man made a mocking sound deep in his throat. His venerable surname and his mother’s massive fortune were probably the reasons why that woman would scramble to become the broodmare for his child without even knowing him yet.

    “Is the broodmare already in heat?”

    The sentence that fell from his lips made Madam Warakun turn around and stare at her son’s face with displeasure. Her eyes could not hide what she was feeling inside.

    “I never thought words like that would come from the lips of a high-ranking civil servant with a prestigious position and career such as yourself, Pong. If you don’t show her respect, it is like you’re also not showing me respect, because I was the one who chose someone with all the qualities necessary to be the mother of my grandchildren.”

     “Even though you can force me to do what you want, Mother, you can’t control my feelings or my thoughts.” He shut the book, set it on the table, and stood up from his chair.

    “I must excuse myself, Mother,” he said to his maternal parent. Then he walked out without waiting for her reply.

    Madam Warakun watched her son’s retreating back with eyes that were concerned, but still carried sparks of hope in them. She knew very well that he absolutely despised being coerced into something without reason. This was the reason why he had such feelings of defiance and had built up a wall. She knew she would never try to use a strong hammer to demolish his thick wall because if she did that, her strength and energy would never be enough to defeat him.

    Instead, she would use a stream of water to gradually infiltrate and tear down the wall. The thick wall would never know that water had penetrated its structure and was ready to eat away at it to the point where it would come tumbling down.

    Her eyes became more hopeful when she thought of that cooling stream of water--that woman with a small, delicate figure, smooth skin, big eyes, and a smile as sweet and gentle as her profession. The madam believed that Pongket would fall in love with her easily if he got to know Sakunthara.

    It was due to his own prejudices that Pongket refused to open his ears and his eyes and closed off his heart. He had no idea that happiness was just within reach, if only he would just try opening his heart a little. The woman he had been so impressed by yesterday was the exact same woman his mother was talking about.

[1] One Chinese zodiac cycle is twelve years.

[2] Thong yip, Thong yot, and Foi thong are egg yolk-based Thai desserts.

[3] Khanom tua pap and Leum kleun are mung bean-based Thai desserts.

[4] Leum kleun is a dessert composed of a mung bean custard topped with coconut cream. Its name literally means “forgot to swallow”, as it has a very smooth texture.

[5] In Thailand, terms such as “Aunt” or “Grandfather” can be used as polite forms of address between people who have no familial relationship, but who are on familiar terms.

[6] A Thai dessert that is similar in appearance to flan.

[7] Mung bean paste desserts that are often colored and shaped to look like fruits or other objects.

[8] A high-ranking member of Thai nobility.

[9] The Thai word for “coconut shell” is kara.