Surprised By Love In Thailand

The interrogation begins
“Serk, I have something very important that I need to ask you. I hope you will be honest with me,” Lord Pochanaat said with a very serious expression on his face.
“What do you need to ask me about, sir?” Serk replied.
“You have a serious case against you involving hard work. It’s not a civil case. It’s not a murder case. It’s a case about theft,” Lord Pochanaat said.
“A case about theft?” Serk repeated. “But, Honored Uncle, I have been sick these last few months. I haven’t gone anywhere recently,” he said confident of his innocence.
“Yes, I know. But this case did not happen in these past few days. It’s a case in which you will have to accept the consequences of your actions.”
Serk was quiet for a while as he searched his memory. “If it’s about Dr. Grand’s guitar that case is over. Everyone knows now that Dr. Grand took it home himself.”
Lord Pochanaat laughed as he said, “Let’s go sit down at that table, so I can tell you the accusation. There’s only one charge. Come sit here, this is a good place to sit.” It seemed that he had some special reason that he wanted to sit at this table.
Lord Pochanaat tried to comfort him. saying, “Don’t be worried. I can help you. But the important thing is that you, yourself, will decide your own destiny.” They both sat in silence, thinking about how to continue the conversation.
Lord Pochanaat began by asking Serk, “You love Supervisor Taywee very much, don’t you? I heard that you were willing to starve with her until she gave in and stopped her hunger strike against her parents. I’m glad that you could help her.”
“Yes, I am closer to Supervisor Taywee than to anyone else. We have gone through many life and death experiences together.”
“So, are you going to marry her?” Lord Pochanaat asked.
“No, no, sir,” Serk answered quickly.
“I thought you would marry her,” he exclaimed in surprise.
“Honored Uncle, I am still not sure what the case against me is all about. I can’t figure out what I ever stole from anybody.”
Lord Pochanaat roared with laughter before he answered. “Serk you didn’t steal anyone’s money or property. But you stole the hearts of many girls. There are many victims in this case. What are you going to say for yourself?”
“I didn’t intend to steal any hearts. They gave them to me of their own free will. I don’t know what to say,” he answered.
“Well, who do you like? Tell me. Don’t say that you like them all. If you say that, they will contest the case. You’ll be cancelled until everyone forgets all about you,” Lord Pochanaat said in amusement rather than in seriousness.
“You already said it. I do like them all.”
“What? You don’t want to choose just one. You like them all. That’s impossible. Therefore, I will decide for you. But, I will need to ask you some questions first. You must answer me truthfully. Now, think carefully. Who was the first girl that you ever got to know?” Lord Pochanaat began his interrogation.
“The first girls I ever got to know were Prim and Faa. We lived in the same hometown.”
“Which one will you choose, Prim or Faa?”
“I still don’t understand what you are getting at.”
“Okay, I’ll say it plainly. Choose which one you want to marry,” Lord Pochanaat said in amusement at Serk’s artless innocence.
“I always thought of Prim as a younger sister, nothing more.”
“You choose Faa, then?”
“It is true that I like her. But when I think about marriage, I must take into account the fact that she holds the position of Miss Universe. Because I love her, I want her to have happiness by marrying someone who has the same honor and status appropriate for her. I’m a poor farmer. She should not have to wallow in the mud with me. Others would think poorly of her if I had to escort her to some special function,” he replied with a lump in his throat.
“What kind of wife are you looking for? What qualities would you want her to have?” Lord Pochanaat asked.
“I’m looking for a normal, good person. She doesn’t have to be exceptionally beautiful or have high status or a high education.”
“Tell me about the girls you have known well. Maybe I can give some suggestions or advice.”
“As a child I spent time with Ahizsah and Dr. Patcharin. I knew Dr. Patcharin’s older brother before I knew her. His mother was very ill. She depended on him to support the family. We were about the same age. I felt sorry for him having such heavy responsibilities. I would visit often whenever they needed help.”
“You had a lot of free time?”
“Yes. I did not go to school as other children did.”
“That’s it. Always going here and there. Always helping this person or that,” Lord Pochanaat mumbled.
“I didn’t have many friends my own age. I tried to make up for it by working hard and helping others who needed help. Yet, I never lacked love and warmth from my family, especially my grandparents.” Serk answered.
It looks like we’re getting off the subject. Let’s come back to who you will choose. Who is the next person?”
“Sometimes I rode to Saiburi. I had friends in both the Thai and Muslim villages across the river. The person I liked best was a Muslim girl named Ahizsah. One day a cockroach crawled up her back under her blouse. As I tried to get it out, her father shot me thinking I was up to no-good. Shocked and upset, she fainted into her mother’s arms. When she came to consciousness, she refused to talk to anybody. She had already grown up by the time I found out about her. I tried to help resolve the problem.”