Chapter 4 Part II

A Night of Nightmares

    Crash!

    "Ah! I'm sorry, Mr. Lom!"

    The sound of breaking glass snapped Homlom back to reality. He looked at the young girl kneeling on the floor, trembling. Not far from her were shards of glass and milk spilled all over the floor. Homlom sighed at the clumsiness of the new maid. He heard she was only fifteen, brought by her aunt to work for Grandma during the school break to earn some money. Even though the house already had many workers, Grandma was kind enough to let her work here, better than having the girl dragged around by her aunt from place to place.

    "How many glasses have you broken now?" he asked in a calm voice.

    "I...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

    The image of Little Homnoi raising his hands in a respectful gesture flashed in his mind. The girl seemed very frightened. As mentioned, Homlom, though not as stern as Mrs. Laor-Ong, was still a strict person.

    Homlom sighed. "Clean it up properly."

    "Yes, yes."

    The girl hurriedly went down the stairs to get cleaning supplies, just as Inpha walked in. Homlom watched his brother sit down across from him, his face glowing under the bright light, making Homlom smile unconsciously.

    "What are you smiling about, Brother In?"

    "Nothing... I just think you've changed," Inpha said, pouring warm lotus flower tea for himself and his brother.

    Because the school was on a long break, Inpha hadn't had the chance to go back to teaching the kids, unlike Klinmok, who had returned to the capital almost a month ago. Next month, he would probably come back home, as Grandma insisted that the youngest visit often. With all the three older siblings staying at Grandma's house, the youngest would always want to come back home.

    "In what way?" Homlom raised an eyebrow.

    "In the past, you would've scolded in a calm voice, not caring if it was intentional or not. A mistake is a mistake."

    Hearing his brother's words, Homlom's straight shoulders slightly slumped. "Was Lom really that bad?"

    Inpha smiled gently. "Not really, but you were too rigid, like Mok, who's so playful it's exhausting." The elder brother shook his head, amused by the different personalities of his younger brothers. But it seemed Homlom had changed for the better.

    "Since you met that boy, I think you've become much more relaxed. Do you realize that?"

    Homlom paused. It's not like he didn't realize it; ever since he met and got to know Homnoi, he smiled more often and found joy in the little things. Like today, when Homnoi managed to write all forty-four Thai consonants, it made him beam with pride, proud of the boy and himself for patiently teaching so well. Perhaps it was because the little one learned quickly and was easy to teach, even without much prior knowledge.

    "Lom likes myself when Lom is with him too," the young man smiled.

    "And how was today? Did you use the book you borrowed from me?"

    When asked about the boy, Homlom immediately sat up straight, eager to share stories about the little one with his brother. "Yes, we did. Homnoi really liked it. He's quite a fast learner."

    Inpha listened to Homlom talk about Homnoi while cleaning the roots of the White Coral Vine[1] to dry them and prepare herbal tea for tomorrow. The elder brother listened with a smile as his younger brother spoke, every sentence filled with the name of the pale boy who often got messy. His eyes, resembling their mother's, sparkled with happiness. Every word was full of love and affection for the child, overflowing and impossible to contain.

    The two brothers chatted for quite a while, with more than half of the conversation revolving around Homnoi. When the time was right, Inpha instructed the workers to store the cleaned herbal roots in the kitchen downstairs. He wasn't as good at staying up late as Homlom.

    "You should go to bed now, Lom, and make sure to close the windows. I heard there's a storm coming tonight."

    Homlom glanced at the sky and the clock, realizing it was past ten. The late-night breeze combined with the cool air of the riverside, traditional Thai house, surrounded by large trees, made his body shiver. The sound of distant thunder seemed to warn him; it seemed like it would rain heavily tonight, just as Brother In had said.

    In the dead of night, Homlom woke up with a start from the sound of thunder. The plump figure groggily sat up. The rain outside splashed against the bedroom window, making a loud noise. Fortunately, Brother In had warned him beforehand, otherwise his bedroom would have been soaked by the torrential rain. The weather was so cold that he didn’t need an air conditioner. Grandma’s house was already cool all night long, but with both rain and wind, it was colder than any other night.

    The owner of the room lay down on the thick mattress again. However, this time, Homlom couldn’t fall asleep. He picked up his phone to check and saw that it was only three in the morning. Homlom was anxious and worried about the grandfather and grandson duo. He didn’t forget that they were living in a small shack that was almost completely unsafe. And it was even more worrisome as the rain was so heavy.

    Finally, Homlom got up and turned on the light. He grabbed his coat and Omega collar, put them on, picked up his car keys, and went outside to wait. His beautiful eyes watched the pouring rain, praying it would ease up a bit. Each passing minute felt incredibly long, just like the relentless downpour. Fortunately, it started to lighten up a little.

    Driving out of the house at three in the morning to go to the temple several kilometers away, amidst the rain and strong wind, was not a sensible idea. Yet, Homlom felt anxious; a certain premonition made him uneasy. Trying to force himself to sleep was nothing but torture.

    "Where are you going, Lom?"

    Homlom was about to step down the stairs when he suddenly halted, glancing toward the voice to see Inpha standing there with a stern look. The young translator sighed slightly. He had tried not to turn on the lights in the middle of the house, but even with the heavy rain, his brother's hearing was still sharp.

    "Lom’s going to the temple."

    "The temple? It's only ten minutes to four," his brother’s face was stern when he saw Homlom remain silent. "Homlom."

    "Lom’s worried about Homnoi and Grandpa Kloi. Lom'll drive slowly, Brother In, so Lom can reach the temple by morning." Staying home would only make his heart restless.

    Inpha maintained a serious expression. "Can't you see it's raining? Go back inside. Wait until sunrise. Your dear Greenie isn't exactly reliable."

    "Lom’s waited long enough, Brother In. Lom’s waited until the rain eased up this much. Please let me go, Brother In. Lom'll take the pickup truck," Homlom persisted. Though the wind was still gusty, the rain had lightened considerably. It was true that it wasn't entirely safe, but if he waited and it started pouring heavily again, he'd end up worrying at home all day.

    "You said yourself that the storm might last all day. Lom promises that once Lom see Homnoi and Grandpa Kloi are safe, Lom'll drive back immediately and won't stay all day. Please, Brother In...please," he pleaded with his brother to understand. He was worried sick about Homnoi.

    "Then wait for me."

    Seeing Homlom's determination, Inpha softened. The storm that raged the previous night was indeed severe. He had seen the living conditions of the grandfather and grandson and couldn't help but worry. He hoped they had taken shelter in the ordination hall. The slender young man went to get his Omega collar and soon emerged from his bedroom, leaving Homlom quite puzzled.

    "I'm going with you. I'll drive."

    "What about Grandma?"

    "She's asleep, and Auntie Nom is watching over her. Don't worry," Inpha said, ruffling his brother's hair. "Let's go...let's go."

    "Thank you, Brother In!"

    Homlom suddenly broke into a wide smile, now only hoping that his strange premonition was just his imagination. And when they reached the temple, he wished to see the bright smiles of the grandfather and grandson waiting for them, or at least hoped they were sleeping peacefully.

    Inpha drove carefully, and by the time they reached the temple, it was almost dawn, just as Homlom had told his brother. But because of the light rain, the sky remained dark and gloomy. Inpha and Homlom stopped to pay their respects at the ordination hall briefly, considering it inappropriate to just walk past to the back of the temple.

    "Are Venerable Father and Venerable Brother out collecting alms in this rain?" Inpha muttered. Although the rain wasn't severe, the droplets were still quite heavy.

    "Lom doesn’t know, and Boonchai isn't here either." He was puzzled by the absence of anyone in the ordination hall.

    The two brothers walked to the back of the temple, familiar with the path as they had been there before, especially Homlom, who visited so often that it was almost like a second home. But on a day as dark and gloomy as this, he had to admit it was quite frightening. Luckily for Homlom, his brother was with him. As they got closer to the grandfather and grandson's hut, Homlom felt increasingly uneasy.

    "Lom...Lom!" Inpha called out to his brother in alarm.

    Homlom quickened his pace when he saw the figure of Venerable Brother in front of the hut, not waiting for Inpha, who was holding an umbrella, until his own body was soaked by the large raindrops. Not only was Venerable Brother Aidin there, but Venerable Father and Boonchai were also present. With all of them there, how could he not be anxious? Inpha's call for Homlom caught Venerable Brother's attention, making him turn to look.

    "Brother..."

    "Greetings, Venerable Father, Venerable Brother." Homlom raised his hands in respect as he saw Venerable Brother Aidin holding an umbrella for Venerable Father, who stood calmly.

    "Wh...What happened?"

    Homlom's heart pounded as he followed his brother's gaze into the small hut. The first thing he saw was the feet of someone lying still. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was indeed Grandpa Kloi. Beside the old man was a small figure kneeling with his face buried in his grandfather's chest. The child's body was visibly trembling. Even with only the light from a lantern, Homlom noticed the small feet were dirty with mud and small stones embedded in the soles.

    "Grandpa Kloi has passed away. Homnoi ran to fetch Venerable Father and me just at five this morning."

    The young boy, Homnoi, woke up with a start as rainwater leaked through the roof. He tried to wake his grandfather for a long time, but the other didn't stir. The boy began to cry in fear and distress because his grandfather's unresponsive state reminded him of what had happened to his grandmother. Amidst the pouring rain, the small boy ran through it to the temple, soaked to the skin, calling out for Venerable Father and Venerable Brother with a sobbing, frightened voice.

    "I'll have Boonchai take Grandpa Kloi to the temple, but Homnoi won't let go. He's holding on tight...as you can see."

    Inpha turned away from the scene, just like Homlom, who raised his hand to cover his mouth to stifle a sob. He was deeply attached to Grandpa Kloi, and even more concerned about Homnoi. The boy had run through the heavy rain, along a dark and lonely path; how could he not be scared? Even when he arrived with his brother, with an umbrella and flashlight to guide them, he still felt anxious. During that time, Homnoi, his little guy, must have been terrified.

    "Lom, he might want to stay like this for a while," Inpha cautioned when he saw his younger brother about to approach the grandfather and grandson, one of whom had already passed away.

    The young translator looked at his brother and spoke firmly, "Lom can't leave him alone, Brother In."

    Homlom slowly crawled on his knees towards the boy. The closer he got, the more he heard the sobbing. He raised his hands in respect to Grandpa Kloi, who lay peacefully. The old man's face was more serene than when he was alive, his wrinkled body growing cold. The elderly man was quite old; Homlom knew this day would come eventually. He just hadn't expected it to be so sudden, especially since yesterday the old man had accepted him as another grandson...

    Homnoi's body was wet, the boy clinging tightly to his grandfather, not looking up at his surroundings. Of course, he heard his Kind Uncle's comforting voice, but now he had no smile left to show his Kind Uncle.

    "Homnoi..." Homlom whispered softly, "You're not alone, little one. I'm here with you."

    Homlom didn't pull Homnoi away from Grandpa Kloi's body. Instead, he chose to embrace the trembling little figure, letting the boy know he didn't intend to take his grandfather away and that he would always be by his side. As time passed, Homlom heard the sobbing grow more heart-wrenching, and suddenly the small voice spoke in a painful lament.

    "No one is with me anymore. Everyone has left me. They've all left. Hic, waah."

    "But you have me, right? I'm here with you. I'm not going anywhere."

    "Hic, waah."

    What should he do? How could he ease the pain in Homnoi's heart? What should you do, Lom? What should you do...

    Homlom was frantic with fear, terrified that he might never see the cheerful smile of the little boy again. He pleaded desperately, hoping that this nightmare wouldn't steal away the boy's beautiful smile, and that fate wouldn't be too cruel to this child.

[1] White Coral Vine, also known as Antigonon leptopus 'Alba', is a fast-growing, evergreen vine native to Mexico.