Chapter 2: เลือดฟิลิปปินส์ (Filipino Blood)

1 day before the flight, I go to my mom's small eatery bussiness and help her served food to her customer. The day was tiring but it's another day passed. Our helpers already gone home while my mom was on his little office and computing the daily expenses and income of her bussiness. I clean the other tables and sweep the floor before I came in to help her but she was already done with it.

Mom: Are you tired? Let's eat dinner tonight at a restaurant since your flight is tomorrow.

Seph: Okay, mom. Can we go home first so that we can freshen up and put some clean clothes?

Mom: Alright.

We closed and locked the shop and I drove the car on our way back home. I try to shower as fast as possible and put some clothes on. I waited my mom on our sofa in the living room. While waiting I started to search the company where my dad works and it's a pretty big company. Then, my mom came out and ask if we can go now.

When we got on the restaurant, mom ordered my favorite foods on the menu. We got Salad for appetizer with a lot of cherry tomatoes (my favorite, I can eat it anytime), chicken curry for the main menu, fish fillet as side dish and buko pandan for our dessert. While we are eating, we talk about a lot of stuffs like school stuffs, crushes that I have, how's Vin doing this break and for the first time he tells me the story how she and dad met.

They met when they are in college. My mom (Lorna) is a tutor on a tutor club, she teaches English on other students. My dad (Ped), is a Thai national which is an exchange student for a month in Philippines from Bangkok University. The program aims to help the bright student from Bangkok to learn more about Filipino culture and also study English on Philippines since Filipinos are good at teaching and speaking in English.

My dad was partnered with my mom and they dated for a while until my dad needs to go back to Thailand. They still keep in touch. After mom's graduation, her gift was a plane ticket to visit Thailand for 2 weeks. It's a one week vacation with itinerary and the other week is a free days where she can go anywhere. They meet there and before my mom got home she and my dad got engaged and that is the time that my mom got pregnant. When she came back to Philippines, my mom started to find a job but 3 months later she found out that she was pregnant but at that time, my dad is no where to be found and his contact has heen changed. My mom decided to keep me and raised me.

I kept thinking what is the reason why my dad didn't contact my mom for a long time and contact her now that I am 20 years old. When we got home I need to recheck my things to bring so that I will not left anything behind sinc Vin will pock me up at 5 am. It's almost 11:00 o'clock when I finished my rechecking. I try to sleep and set my alarmed by 4 am.

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I wake up before my alarm and started to prepare myself, I am wearing just a plain white shirt and a black walking short and a jacket. By 4:30 am, I try to call Vin and he told me that he is now on his way to pick me up. Vin pick me up at exactly 5 am and said good byes to my mom.

While on the road....

Vin: Seph, when will you come back? So that I can pick you up.

I check my plane ticket and found out that it's a one way ticket.

Seph: Oh Sh*t, It's a one way ticket.

Vin: Huh? Let me see.

I gave him my ticket and passport and he check it.

Vin: Oh, did you just see it now? Do you ask your dad about this?

Seph: Yes, I just see it now and no, I don't ask yet my dad. Maybe later when we got to see each other face to face.

Vin: Okay, make sure you call me on Skype when you got there and tell me when will you come back home.

Seph: Okay. Thanks, Vin.

When we got to airport, we eat breakfast together before Vin left. When he left me I check in on the airport. The flight was just 3 hours and half. It's almost 12 am when I arrived on Bangkok, Thailand.

My dad call me and advised me to go to the gate 1 exit and there are people their waiting for me. I ask the guard for direction and he was kind enough to bring me there. I saw my name on a card board saying Welcome to Bangkok, Joseph Cai. I make my way there and ask the one who holds the card.

Seph: Excuse me, I'm Joseph Cai.

Tor: Sawatdee krab, welcome to Thailand, Nong Seph (Nong is a Thai term referring to younger brother) . I am Mr. Torisipat, you can call me P' Tor (P' is a Thai term referring to a older brother).

Seph: Sawatdee Krab, P' Tor.

Tor: I am the right hand of Mr. Ted, your uncle.

Seph: I see.

Tor: Let's go, let me help you with that.

Tor help me to carry my luggages and we are walking to a white van. Tor open the back of the van and put my luggage there and someone infront of me open the door of the van and said "Let's go, Tao Kae Noi".

I enter the van and seat and P' Tor was sitting next to me. I ask him what is Tao Kae Noi means and he answered young boss or young master.

........To be continued........