Chapter 22 Money Speak Louder

Santichai and KK eat dinner quietly at a small dining table overlooking the small living room. KK finished eating first and waited for Santichai.

Santichai felt embarrassed and said, "You don't need to look at me."

KK's phone rang. He took out his cell phone, it was an important call. He smiled at Santichai and said, "I have to answer the call."

Santichai said, "Go into the bedroom to answer the phone, and you can sit on the bed."

KK didn't want to refuse the invitation, and also wanted to see Santichai's bedroom. He smiled and said, "Thank you." He pressed the talk button on the phone. "Hello." He began to speak and went into Santichai's bedroom. "Kenneth, how about the meeting?"

Kenneth said, "Mr. Suwannarat, everything is going well. West Motion Picture is booking our western villa to be featured in their TV series."

KK sat on the bed; the old bed sank to the ground. He adjusted his body and asked, "What do they want?"

"The director wanted to change the color of the walls in some of the rooms to make it look like rooms of different families," Kenneth said. "They said they would pay for it."

KK said, "Kenneth, advises the director and his team to contact Siriporn Cooperation. They specialize in wallpapers. This saves the director money on hiring another working crew. Also, I don't want them to damage my grandfather's original design. If they agree with me, I'll give them a five percent rental discount. Text me back, if they are interested, maybe through my referral, they might get a discount from the Siriporn Cooperation."

Kenneth, "Yes, sir, let me call Director He and get back to you."

KK hangs up and looks around. He saw that this small room could only fit a double bed. Next to Santichai's bed is a small bedside table with a small old cheap lamp that the store doesn't even sell anymore. He was walking around the room and there was nothing in it. Except for Santichai's clothes and two pairs of shoes, everything else may still be inside the unopened boxes.

As KK was about to leave the room, his phone rang, and Kenneth sent him a message that the director agreed with KK's idea. He called Mr. Siriporn.

A woman picks up, "Hello Siriporn resident."

KK said, "I would like to speak to Mr. Siriporn."

Woman, "May I ask who is calling?"

KK said, "Klaew Kla Suwannarat."

Woman, "Please wait a moment."

After two minutes of good hold. Mr. Siriporn answered the phone, "Hi, Mr. Suwannarat."

KK said, "Sorry for calling you so late."

Mr. Siriporn said, "No problem, is there anything I can help you with?"

KK said, "Mr. Siriporn, the director of West Motion Picture, wants to redecorate some rooms in my villa, and I recommended your wall stickers to them. The director wants to come over tomorrow to see the samples. I don't know if Mr. Siriporn has time to talk to Director He?"

"I'm going to a meeting, but tomorrow I'll have my son see him in person," Mr. Siriporn said with a smile.

KK said, "That's fine. I'll have him call you directly to discuss further information on this project."

Mr. Siriporn, "Thank you. Good night."

KK said, "Thank you, goodnight."

When KK hung up, he heard a loud bang and the sound of shattering ceramics from the kitchen. He rushed out and saw Santichai holding the side of the table.

KK rushed over, "Santichai, what's wrong?"

Santichai said, "It's nothing, just old back pain."

KK asked worriedly, "Your back?" He knew it might have something to do with Santichai's back, because on the night they had sex, he saw the slightly curved spine.

Santichai nodded, "Yeah. It comes and goes, but the pain has been more frequent than before. I guess it's because I haven't rested well." He took a few deep breaths. "It will be better after I rest."

KK picked up Santichai and carried him to the bed. He went out and picked up all the ceramic shards on the floor. He swept the floor, grabbed a chair, a fan, and walked back to Santichai's room. He plunged the fan and looked at Santichai who had curved into a fetus position on the bed.

KK asked, "Santichai, how do you sleep like this? Don't sleep like this."

Santichai said, "Sleeping like this will relieve the pain. It will take me a while to straighten my back. KK don't worry about me. It will get better on its own. I won't be able to see you off, could you lock the door for me when you leave."

KK said, "Okay, I'm leaving now."

Santichai was in so much pain that tears were about to fall, but he held back the tears and said, "Good night, be careful on the road."

Santichai was lying on the bed, and he could hear KK stepping out of the door and locking it. To be honest, in Santichai's heart, he always hoped that on days like this, someone would ask him if he was okay. He really wished KK said this to him, but he knew it was wishful thinking, because the Asnee he knew since childhood never asked him such a thing, why would someone like KK that he only knew say such a thing for him. Their relationship isn't even real, they're just dating trail of each other.

Back then, Santichai had just been injured and spent three months in the hospital, and Asnee had only seen him twice. Santichai's employer pays for hospital fees, liability fees, surgery fees, and rehabilitation fees. The company wants an easy way out, so if Santichai doesn't go to court, they'll pay for hospital bills and pain and suffering. Santichai knew that if he stopped working, Asnee would have no money to continue his studies, so he accepted the company's offer and settled the matter outside of the court, but the company only paid half of what they owed Santichai, and they filed for bankruptcy because the owner owed money to many workers, so the owner of the company decided to flee the country. He got the news while he was still in the hospital and his treatment was interrupted because he could no longer afford it. Many times, when he was doing physical therapy in the hospital, he saw Alzheimer's patients, he would secretly wish, that if he could switch places with them, he would volunteer without hesitation.

It wasn't until the settlement ran out and Santichai and Asnee began to face difficulties that Santichai realized that money always speaks louder than actions. When the settlement money slowly disappeared, Asnee's temper became worse and worse, and he didn't say a word to Santichai when he got home. Most of the time, he would be alone on the sofa bed in pain. Asnee would go to sleep at his friend's house, and most of the time, when he did come home, he would be quite drunk. At times, Santichai's back hurts so much that he can't even drink water, even though the glass of water is just a few steps away.

Santichai took a deep breath and blew it out. He murmured to himself, "Santichai, you can do it. You are strong. You can do it." He closed his eyes, feeling the pain in his back getting worse. "Santichai..." He sobbed. "You can do it...you can do it..."

Two full hours have passed, and the pain in Santichai's back has not diminished at all, especially his the lower back, is burning. Then he heard his front door open softly. He heard someone walking into his apartment entering his room and closing the bedroom door. The person walked slowly to the bed, and with a soft thudding sound came from the floor, the person crawled onto the small bed. The man stretched out his hand and pulled Santichai into his arms.

Santichai asked in horror, "Who are you? Let me go." He struggled to break free. But he couldn't move much because he was leaning against the wall and his lower back hurt very bad.

"Santichai, don't move."

Santichai lips trembled, "KK...?"

KK murmured, "Mmm, it's me. How is your pain? Is your pain better?" KK wrapped his arms around Santichai.

Tears soaked the pillow, and Santichai murmured, "Mmm." Although his pain didn't get better, his heart did.