Chapter 3 Part IV
“A woman like me wouldn’t be able to make your son fall in love.”
“Who says…? A woman like you is exactly the type that a husband would never get bored of looking at. I wish my son could meet you just once. It would be difficult, though, because Pong is usually overseas. If he comes back to Thailand, he mostly stays at his house in Bangkok. Even his own mother sees him only a handful of times each year,” she said, gauging her reaction. She wanted the two of them to get to know each other without being aware of each other’s identities.
She was well aware that if Pongket knew that she had contrived the situation so that the two of them would meet, he would be inclined to put up a wall of resistance. She also wanted to know Sakunthara’s feelings. Perhaps she would not only secure a surrogate mother for her grandchild, but a daughter-in-law just like she wanted as well.
Sakunthara felt as though her heart was breaking. She wasn’t lucky. Madam Warakun’s son was not, as she had hoped, the man she had met that afternoon. However, she was able to sense the sorrow in the voice of the speaker. The young woman gave a small smile and turned to look at her mother before she gave her answer to Madam Warakun.
“If mom thinks I should do it, I have no opposition to helping you, Aunt.”
“Thanks so much, Thara, you dear child. If there’s a chance, I’d like for you to really get to know Pong at some point.”
Madam Warakun’s words were a confirmation that the man she had met that afternoon was not him. She felt a twinge of disappointment. If it had been the person that afternoon, she might not have hesitated to accept the offer. At the very least, he was not a bad person. It wouldn’t be hard for her to love him if they had to spend their lives together, but she didn’t have enough courage to pose another question about who the man from that afternoon was.
“All right.” The young woman merely gave a polite answer. As someone younger, she couldn’t express any further opinions. She could sense her own mother agreed with Madam Warakun’s idea that she should accept this proposal along with the money that Madam Warakun would bestow on her as a bride price.
In actuality, she had never felt like she agreed with the proposal. Though the total amount of money owed was so enormous that it would have been impossible to pay it all back in ten years, if she had a choice, she would rather have exhausted herself through hard work to earn money to pay off the debt. It was better than getting out of debt using this method. It felt like her pride was being diminished.
Yet, her mother was of a different opinion. She couldn’t stand to see her daughter slaving away, scrimping and saving to pay off the family debts, which were extensive. Madam Warakun’s proposed method would be mutually beneficial, and if the outcome was as the two ladies hoped, it would be a special present for both elderly women.
Madam Warakun turned back to look at the young woman’s mother and smiled happily. She was hoping to have the two of them end up together due to love, but in an exceedingly short timeframe, what method would help to fulfill her wish?
Late the next day, Pongket was lazing around in the riverside pavilion. A cool wind flowing through the structure made it perfect for lolling around and reading a book to relax on a day off. It was even better due to the table to the side holding a plate of wonderfully fragrant desserts, which tasted delectably sweet. His large hand picked up the light-colored desserts in the small cups and continuously popped them into his mouth. The sweet scent of jasmine-infused water mixed with a silky-smooth texture made each bite slide down effortlessly one after the other until he forgot that in his other hand, he was holding an open book.
The scent and taste of the desserts made him remember the sweet face of their maker. The name of the dessert, written on the side of the box, still fascinated him—Leum kleun, the dessert you forgot that you swallowed.
“Who so cleverly named it Leum kleun, the dessert you forgot that you swallowed? It really does suit its name,” the young man mused quietly to himself. The corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile as he thought of her face and that melodious voice.
“Wait a second…why should I be thinking about that child?” The young man forced the thoughts out of his brain as he placed the last dessert he had been holding in his hand back onto the plate. He opened his book to the next page and tried to focus on it, but he had only read a few sentences before his hand reached out and snatched the dessert from the plate again.
The shiny rose-shaped Khanom chan was popped into his mouth. It was in a small plastic bite-sized cup, perfect for continuous popping into one’s mouth. The desserts didn’t stick to one’s hands. They weren’t too sweet, but they were so silky soft, you barely had to chew them. It made him have to put another one into his mouth to remind himself of their flavor.
“What kind of day is this for my son to be lolling around putting desserts into his mouth so happily?” Madam Warakun’s voice sounded in greeting as she dropped into a chair that was only a short distance from her son.
“You don’t have any work today?” She continued with her queries because she hadn’t seen her son staying home like this even once as of late, even if it was the weekend.
“I can stay home once in a while on my days off, Mother.”
“And are those the desserts you bought yesterday? I remember that when I buy them, you never touch the sweet desserts,” she casually remarked, waiting for her son’s reaction.
“They’re quite tasty, Mother,” he answered truthfully. His eyes shone when he talked about the dessert shop.
“The desserts at that shop aren’t too sweet. I like to support them. The owner of the shop is a modern person with good ideas and plans, cleverly adapting the presentation of many traditional Thai desserts so they look more attractive and increasing their value.” Madam Warakun acknowledged her son’s words. The young man nodded along in agreement. It was the first time he had paid attention to what she was saying.
Madam Warakun hid a smile at seeing her son’s interested demeanor. She continued, testing the waters.
“The owner of the shop is pretty, too. You probably haven’t seen her yet.”
“Are you leading into that topic again? The owner of a Thai dessert shop wouldn’t fit me,” he said, cutting her off. He was more interested in the young shop employee of yesterday. He did not know that it was the same person that Madam Warakun was talking about. However, his mother laughed good-naturedly and playfully teased her son.
“I’m just telling you she’s pretty, that’s all. You probably won’t get a chance to meet her because she’s so busy, she hardly has time to be at the shop. You’re not going anywhere today, are you?”
“No…is there something you want, Mother?”
“It’s just that I ordered some taro Mo kaeng at Sakunthara Thai Desserts and I completely forgot that Pin isn’t here. As for me, I have to hurry off to work. Do you have some time to pick them up for me, Pong?”
“Of course,” he answered instantly, unaware that his smile was visible to his mother.
“Are you in a good mood? Or do you now want to see the owner that I spoke of?” his mother teased again.
“You always bring it back to your issue in the end. I don’t want to get to know anyone. I would rather have a day off where I can lie around the house relaxing without thinking about things like this.”
“You’re shutting me down again,” she said.
“Shutting what down?”
“I’m just asking you which days you’re free. I want to invite Thara over to have a meal at the house and for you to make each other’s acquaintance. You haven’t forgotten what we talked about the other day, right?” At this moment, Madam Warakun had gotten straight to the point after feeling out her son several times.
The young man’s expression changed the moment he thought of what he had yet to finish discussing with his mother the other day. He started to think of reasons and excuses to refute her words.
“Kara[1]! What kind of woman is named after a coconut shell anyhow?” The young man made a face and replied in a brusque tone. Just hearing her name immediately caused him to feel irritated.
Seeing her son’s reaction, the madam decided to avoid telling him that the woman she had her eye on was the owner of a Thai dessert shop named Sakunthara, since a moment ago, he had been in a good mood.
Pongket hated to be coerced into anything, and now that she could see he was prepared to oppose getting to know the young woman, she decided to foster his good feelings towards her without giving him any information.
“Her name is Thara,” his mother repeated, looking at her son admonishingly.
“Whatever her name is, I don’t care. I don’t want to meet her.”
“But you have to get her pregnant, Pong, and give me a grandchild like you promised.”
“Hmph!” The young man made a mocking sound deep in his throat. His venerable surname and his mother’s massive fortune were probably the reasons why that woman would scramble to become the broodmare for his child without even knowing him yet.
“Is the broodmare already in heat?”
The sentence that fell from his lips made Madam Warakun turn around and stare at her son’s face with displeasure. Her eyes could not hide what she was feeling inside.
“I never thought words like that would come from the lips of a high-ranking civil servant with a prestigious position and career such as yourself, Pong. If you don’t show her respect, it is like you’re also not showing me respect, because I was the one who chose someone with all the qualities necessary to be the mother of my grandchildren.”
“Even though you can force me to do what you want, Mother, you can’t control my feelings or my thoughts.” He shut the book, set it on the table, and stood up from his chair.
“I must excuse myself, Mother,” he said to his maternal parent. Then he walked out without waiting for her reply.
Madam Warakun watched her son’s retreating back with eyes that were concerned, but still carried sparks of hope in them. She knew very well that he absolutely despised being coerced into something without reason. This was the reason why he had such feelings of defiance and had built up a wall. She knew she would never try to use a strong hammer to demolish his thick wall because if she did that, her strength and energy would never be enough to defeat him.
Instead, she would use a stream of water to gradually infiltrate and tear down the wall. The thick wall would never know that water had penetrated its structure and was ready to eat away at it to the point where it would come tumbling down.
Her eyes became more hopeful when she thought of that cooling stream of water--that woman with a small, delicate figure, smooth skin, big eyes, and a smile as sweet and gentle as her profession. The madam believed that Pongket would fall in love with her easily if he got to know Sakunthara.
It was due to his own prejudices that Pongket refused to open his ears and his eyes and closed off his heart. He had no idea that happiness was just within reach, if only he would just try opening his heart a little. The woman he had been so impressed by yesterday was the exact same woman his mother was talking about.
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[1] The Thai word for “coconut shell” is kara.