Chapter 1

    The Simple Life of Mr. Kluay Khai

    Everyone has dreams...

    The dream of Little Kluay… a five-year-old boy with barely any memories, is to have a house and live with a warm family. For an orphan abandoned on the roadside as a baby, this is a monumental dream.

    Little Kluay’s life wasn’t glamorous. Growing up hungry and deprived, he was a slow learner. Malnutrition and lack of resources hindered his development, but outsiders never understood his situation. Teachers and educators often said, ‘Little Kluay will probably never graduate,’ or ‘What have you been doing with your time, being this slow?’

    Yet… that didn’t dampen the young boy’s determination. He grew up, studied, and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree.

    Work, study, work, study, work… This routine defined Kluay Khai’s life until he finally received his degree, which took him two years longer than his peers. After sending out countless job applications, one day someone wanted him. For the first time, this young man, who had always stood on his own, felt both excited and joyful.

    The reason was simple: it’s because… someone needed him… that’s all.

    The dream that had been folded away for so long began to shine again. He would work for five years, find a girlfriend, then work for another ten years before buying a house, getting married, and starting a warm little family. His dream didn’t seem too grand…did it?

    But life as an office worker—unchanging for decades—slowly crushed that dream without him realizing it.

    “Kluay, could you check the figures on these documents for me…? It’s urgent. I need them by nine tomorrow morning.”

    “But I have a client presentation at ten tomorrow,” the new employee replied in confusion, staring at a two-inch-thick stack of papers that hadn’t moved an inch.

    “Well, this is urgent too. You can work overtime. I have to leave now.” Kluay stared at his senior colleague, baffled. Why was this work dumped on him at five in the evening?

    Kluay couldn’t refuse tasks because he didn’t want to upset anyone. Whenever colleagues asked him for favors, he accepted, worried he might seem unhelpful. Inevitably, he became the office’s go-to lackey. As his workload grew unbearable, his performance faltered, resulting in frequent mistakes.

    Naturally, blame fell on him… and Kluay nodded and accepted it every time. Was it because he couldn’t say no? Or was it because he wanted to be useful in everyone’s eyes?

    Because he couldn’t stand up for himself and was not as diligent as before, over time, he lost the initial impression his boss had. However, his sheer hard work kept him from getting fired, though it trapped him in a stagnant position with no promotion prospects. His life became a monotonous cycle of paycheck-to-paycheck survival.

    Time passed, and the worsening economy only made things harder. It seemed that fate would not let him grow. Every time Kluay mustered the courage to write a resignation letter, financial troubles would strike relentlessly.

    His dream… finally died when he turned 50. The old man with grey hair worked like a living corpse for another five years.

    Despite working for 31 years, his salary… was barely more than twenty-thousand baht. He had saved just over a million baht and lived alone in a rundown condo filled with old furniture. His only companions were his books, which lined the shelves after he had finished reading them, an old table and chair, a thick mattress on the floor, a small kitchen set, and refrigerator.

    Though old… everything was clean and orderly. Coming home to his modest sanctuary was the best part of his day. But each morning, the thought of returning to work weighed him down, dragging him back into the same old nightmare.

    “Brother Kluay, can you come to my office after the 2 p.m. meeting?” The voice of his new boss, a 25-year-old barely out of his youth, carried a weighty tone, tinged with pressure and unease. Having grown up always needing to keep learning due to his slow start in life, Kluay—now an older man—could sense trouble coming his way.

    All the signs were there: economic downturns and a shrinking customer base had long been warning him of today’s outcome. So, with a calm expression, the older man walked to his young boss’s office, showing no hint of anxiety.

    “Please, take a seat.” Mr. Pira handed him a white envelope, his gaze tinged with guilt—a performance executed almost too well.

    “Brother Kluay, you probably already know that the company isn’t doing well. On top of that, your performance has declined considerably compared to before… After much deliberation, the management has decided there are no higher positions suitable for your skills. We have no choice but to let you go.”

    “We’ve prepared your severance check. You can cash it tomorrow at noon. Please review the amount carefully,” Pira said, tapping the thin envelope deliberately. “If everything is correct, please sign your agreement here.”

    “Can I not sign…? Just let me take the check.” The spot where Pira pointed was on a resignation form… He wasn’t that foolish. At his age, there was no point in preserving his employment record. No company in their right mind would hire him again.

    “That’s your right. I understand,” Pira said, a touch of disappointment in his voice, realizing he couldn’t manipulate his elder colleague into signing under emotional distress. Begrudgingly, he handed over a second check for the full severance amount, as required by law.

    It was a sizable sum—appropriate legal compensation for the years Kluay had devoted to the company.

    “The severance calculation doesn’t include the thirty days of accumulated leave I’ve saved up. Please adjust that. I’ll check the amount again after meeting with HR and Finance this evening,” Kluay said, pointing precisely at the missing entry with his wrinkled, calloused finger. Whether it was an honest mistake or intentional, he couldn’t tell.

    “With only a few hours left in the workday, I’ll take this time to pack my things.”

    “Uh… sure. Once you’re done, you can pick up the corrected check from HR.”

    Bang!

    The office door slammed shut with a loud thud—louder than usual. While it might have been a little impolite, Kluay couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. He was finally free, a freedom he had yearned for but never had the courage to seize. Now, it had fallen right into his lap without him even realizing it.

    The numbers on the check made him smile. His monthly contributions to the fund had paid off. Thirty-plus years of hard work hadn’t been in vain. Together, the compensation made him feel like he had just won the lottery.

    (Ah… Not the full jackpot, but a piece of the ticket will do. Hehe.) Kluay thought to himself.

    No one spoke to him for the rest of the day… The office was thick with an oppressive silence. But Kluay cheerfully packed his belongings into cardboard boxes. His once lifeless face now bore a genuine smile as he hummed all the time until he got off work.

    He loaded the two medium-sized boxes into the trunk of his old sedan. When everything was done, the old man made his way to HR to collect the remaining check, which had miscalculated before. Though it wasn’t a large sum, it was enough to sustain him for almost two months.

    It was a swift and somewhat poetic retirement—a surprisingly pleasant experience for Mr. Kluay Khai. For the first time in years, he returned home feeling light-hearted, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders. Why didn’t he has this courage… years ago?

    (What a waste of such worthless time!) The old man wondered as he drove home.

    After stopping at the market to buy ingredients for a quiet celebration, he returned to his home. Cheerfully, he cooked a delicious meal, accompanied by the classical music he loved. His meal was bountiful, and he ate until he was full. Later, a few of his close junior colleagues called him, concerned about his well-being, but his responses were filled with undeniable joy.

    Today was such a happy Friday…

    “Oh, don’t worry about me, Ying. I feel absolutely great right now…” Kluay said, his burdens slowly lifting as he shared everything with his junior colleague. She was the fifth close friend to call after hearing the news. It made the old man realize that he truly did have genuine people in his life.

    By nine p.m., the last call ended. His heart finally felt light and free of worries. Tomorrow, he would cash his check and then start searching for a cheap plot of land in the countryside. After calculating his expenses, he figured he would have enough money to live comfortably for the next ten years. With his old-age social security benefits added, it didn’t seem like a bad life at all.

    He popped open his fifth can of beer as a home and garden documentary played beautifully on the TV. The images wove his dream into something more tangible. Although the alcohol left him feeling a bit dizzy, his mind soaked up every detail from the online videos.

    How big should the house be? How could he build it as affordably as possible? What materials would he need? How should he divide the land? Water sources, off-grid electricity, what crops to plant, natural and local edible greens… and much more.

    After hours of meticulous research, Kluay concluded that his savings were more than enough. A broad smile spread across his wrinkled face, radiating pure contentment.

    Tomorrow, he would cash his check and turn his dreams into reality.

    He planned to live happily for a while longer. Maybe his lonely life would last less than ten more years.

    After that, whatever remained of his possessions would be donated to an orphanage foundation, as stated in the will he had written long ago. His body would be sent to a medical school to become a cadaver for students to study…

    After a refreshing shower, Kluay tidied up his small room until it was as clean and orderly as always. His tired body sank onto the old, not-so-soft mattress. He reached out for the worn-out body pillow beside him and hugged it tightly. Thoughts of the future drifted in his mind as a soft smile formed on his face.

    That night, in the stillness of the early hours, the 55-year-old dreamer quietly passed away in his sleep, his face full of joy.

    At least, he died happy… No pain. No suffering. Just peace.