Chapter 40

Madame Laura Tankree is a veteran real-estate broker who, in her decade and a half of being so, has sold over 150 million Baht worth of houses. Today, however, could be her biggest deal if she is able to close it. She is standing outside a 400 square-meter residence with two floors visible from the outside, yet whose architectural plan indicates that it has a basement floor, which is half as big as the other stories. According to the terms in the contract, the house is to be sold fully furnished including the car in the roofed car port.

She is itching to take out the papers attached to the different spots in the gate because they make the edifice look more like a deserted shrine than a grand house. However, she should stick to what the contract states, or lose the deal. She looks at her phone to see what time it is – 9:17 a.m. Before she can put it back in her bag, it rings, and the caller is someone she knows.

“Sawadee Mister Natarret,” she said to answer the caller.

“Sawadee K’Laura. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, khun. I’m already here at the site. Are you on your way?”

“Yes, I am – just about to exit the main highway. I’ll be there in about ten minutes. Apologies if I am late.”

“Oh no. No, don't apologize. I am the one who is early. Our meeting time is actually 9:30 in the morning.”

“Okay. Please wait for me.”

“I will. Have a safe trip.”

“Thank you, K’Laura. I’ll see you in a short while.”

After the call, she makes her way around the outside of the entire estate, admiring every corner. After all, this will be the crowning jewel among all the units she has ever sold.

“Hmmmm, not bad for 20 million Baht considering that it includes a car and is fully furnished,” said Madame Laura.

When she peeks from the back, she sees that there is already a car by the sidewalk. She hurries back to the front gate and approaches the man by the car.

“Sawadee krap khun,” greeted she to the man seated by the hood. “You must be Mister Natarret? Yes?” she continued.

“Sawadee khun. Krap, I am he,” replied the man.

“Missis Laura Tankree. I am the real estate broker assigned to this house,” said Madame Laura, giving a Wai.

“Niki Natarret. Pleasure to meet you Missis Tankree,” replied the man, greeting the broker in the same manner. “Is there another name you want to be called by?”

“You can call me Laura or Madame Laura. You?”

“I see. You can call me Niki.”

“Right. When will you and your family be moving in, P’Niki?”

“After we made this official, I will contact my family in the province. So, it will only take a week before we all live here.”

“That is great. Shall we go inside for the inspection of the house?”

“Yes please. I’m excited.”

“Follow me.”

Madame Laura pulls out a blueprint of the house from a case file she has. It also contains a mini key cabinet with numerous keys labeled neatly, and each with two copies hooked in its small pegs. “These are the keys to the entire house and the car parked at the port,” said she, showing the inside of the key cabinet to Niki. “There is no duplicate, however, for the car key,” she continued.

“Nice aisleway here,” said Niki as they walk the inclined track.

“Yes. It leads to both the front door of the house and where the car is parked.”

“Can we go see the car first, Madame Laura?”

“Krap P’Niki. As you wish.”

They pass the main door to go to the SUV parked at the side. The carport, as Niki sees it, is big enough to accommodate two of the same SUVs placed side-by-side.

“Spacious. I think I’ll turn this to a real garage,” said Niki.

“You can bring your car here and still you will have extra space.”

“Yes. I think so too. This car is included in the price of the house, correct?”

“Krap.”

“This car still looks mint. Do you know if this has been used?”

“Well, it is described in the contract as brand new. Though, I am not sure if the previous owner has already used it.”

“I see. Anyway, let's go back and get inside.”

“We can use that door to get inside rather than go back to the main door,” said Madame Laura, pointing up front.

“Where does that lead to?”

“The main hall.”

“What about at the main entrance? What room is after the door?”

“The visitor's receiving room. It has a television to keep everyone occupied, and…uhm…a study room,” said Madame Laura, looking at the papers she has on her hand.

“Let's go to the main hall first.”

“As you wish khun.”

They walk just a few steps to the door made of grilles, which slides open to the right. Behind the grilles is another sliding door, but this time, it is made of stained glass with a frame. Niki stares at the dangling piece of worn-out paper at the threshold.

“K’Laura? Do you know what that paper is?”

“Huh? Where?” replied Madame Laura. She stops in pushing the metallic grilles aside.

“There,” said Niki, pointing to the top of the door frame. “It looks like it has been put there with an adhesive.”

“Oh that. I don’t know khun. Actually, I would have liked to remove that before this visit. However, the contract states that nothing should be removed from the house.”

“Hmmm. I think I’ll take those away after the turnover. The previous owner must have put them there for good luck, don’t you think?”

“Maybe. Oh, K’Niki, on an additional note, that paper is just one of many that have been put in the entire house.”

“Really? Where are the others like it? I saw some at the gate when we entered.”

“Yes, there are a number of it on the gate. There is also one on the main door. Others were also put in different places inside the house. Here, take a look,” said Madame Laura. She brings out her phone and accesses a number of photos, which she took during the first time she visited the house. She shows them to Niki.

“Hmmm. That’s weird. Why would someone put up these many pieces of paper in the house? Anyway, I’ll take care of those.”

Madame Laura nods in response. She proceeds in opening the glass door, and afterwards, they enter.

The main hall reeks a musty smell from probably the accumulation of dust, cobwebs, and the fact that the house has been shut for a while. It looks more like three different rooms put together in one space without anything to separate them. From where they are, Niki can tell that a sofa set is surrounding a small table. At the front is a big television encased in a cabinet. On both sides and under the telly’s enclosure are little casings. Niki lets out a couple of sneezes, but that did not break his mesmerism of the place.

“Wooh. Excuse me. Sorry about that,” apologized Niki.

“That is okay khun. As you can see, the furnitures here and in the other parts of the house have been covered, so they won’t catch dirt and mold.”

“Is that cabinet for the television made of wood, khun?”

“No khun. It’s made of concrete but was designed to disguise it as something made of wood.”

“Ingenious,” replied Niki. He sees, behind the sofa set, two rows of reclining chairs arranged horizontally, with each row having three, and with the last row slightly elevated than the first.

“This looks like a living room and a movie room combined,” said Niki.

“Yeah, I think so too. If the family members gather in this place and decided to watch a film, they need not go to a different room, which will break the interest,” said Madame Laura. They walk a little further to the right to a long table. At the wall near it, a garment seems to be covering something that stands erect.

“What is this table?” asked Niki.

“That is a pool table – standard size. Those at the wall are cue sticks, and these here,” said Madame Laura, pointing to the two furnitures about three strides apart, “are chairs, which are probably for the players.”

As Niki gazes across the room, he sees by the window the same paper in the door they walked into. Another is by the open threshold at the front.