Peas in a Pod

"Two blessings sent from above. Twice the smiles, twice the love." 

— Annonymous

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It's a good day outside. The sun was warm and the clouds gave enough shade for those who didn't want the company of the heat. I walked under the bask of the sun, carrying with me three cups of coffee and doughnuts; one al capone, two matcha, and one filled with Oreo cream.

The streets were filled with students who had just been released from their school. I greeted some of them whom I knew and proceeded to walk towards the park. The place was quiet, with only a few people casually walking with their pets and a group of friends chatting by the meadow. The small number of tents scattered in the area was already occupied. One of the tents has one of the most important people in my life.

I walked towards the tent closest to the fountain with a huge smile on my face. "P'Vine, you're early."

"Wit!" she called out to me before clearing out the chair next to her. She removed her bag and placed it on the other stool so I could sit. "Come. I need to show you something."

I obeyed without hesitation after placing the coffee and doughnut on the table. The number of books and notes already scattered in it tells me she's been here for quite some time already.

"Don't you have practice? I was planning on fetching you after dropping by here."

"It got canceled. Which is good. We have new students in class today. I need to be there early."

"Kids?"

"Yes. Kids. What do you expect?"

"I'm afraid you'd say, teenagers. They are harder to handle than kids."

She laughed at what I said as though it was a very laughable joke on my part. "It's the opposite. Teenagers already know fear. Kids don't. I need to be extra careful teaching them else the parents chew me for being harsh."

"But teenagers might hit on you," I replied while handing her the Al Capone doughnut.

Vine accepted it with a huge smile, her dimples showing, blinding some passersby. As a Taekwondo trainer, Vine has more pronounced muscles on her thigh and arms. She was tall and fit, with stomach abs she never hesitated to show off when wearing casual clothes.

What attracts people the most is her eyes which seem to twinkle in amber under the sun. Her eyes are very expressive which is why I could tell right away that something was wrong as she looked slightly anxious despite the peaceful ambiance of the area.

I then looked around, my eyes scanning the area carefully and soon found myself dumbfounded when someone wasn't in my vision.

"Where's Thorn?"

"He was asked to play soccer. One of the players got sick and today is a very important practice for them. They're playing with the enemy school."

Vine started eating her doughnut while casually browsing through her laptop, looking for something. Taking momentary glimpses at the gates before viewing her folders once more. When she finally found it, she clicked the video and pulled me closer so I could see her screen.

"What's this?"

"I asked Thorn to edit the promotional video for the Taekwondo class. He sent two and I can't seem to figure out what's best."

Without delay, I checked both videos and all I could say was...

"Wow. Thorn did this?"

The cinematography was superb and the transition was smooth. I could even mistake it as one made by a professional. Vine nodded her head with a huge smile on her face.

A proud sister, that's what she is right now.

"He never fails to amaze, doesn't he?"

"Didn't he start learning to edit just recently? I saw him browsing through youtube for tutorials."

"I asked him two weeks ago and we started shooting videos soon after. He just finished it yesterday night."

What she said made me recheck the videos. Did he edit such a video in just two weeks of learning? Just how versatile is he?

"He never runs out of talent."

"He just learns too quickly." Vine corrected and I nodded soon after in agreement.

I'd say that's still considered a talent. A very useful talent he can equip in his life.

The whole family is glad Thorn is using this talent well. But at the same time, we worry for him. He is always asked to play different sports when they're missing one member because of how flexible he is. Once, he was asked to play basketball after a soccer match, and that almost drained the energy out of him. If Vine hadn't intervened and scolded him for deciding to take on such a taxing role, he would have played badminton next.

That's why we're always on the lookout. He's too vigorous when left alone. He doesn't know how to look after his health. So long as he can still do it, he will push himself to the limits and that scares us the most.

"He's just playing soccer, right?"

"I checked on him before coming here. They were already nearly done so I gave him a time limit. He needs to be here in---"

Vine then checked on her watch before looking at the gate. "3 minutes. Or I will fetch him myself and drag him by his ear."

I just laughed at her threat.

Right.

As if she could do that.

She loves her twin. She would never do that.

True, she's often harsh with her threats. But Thorn always gets away as long as he follows what she demands or brings her a cup of coffee as compensation. She's too soft-hearted when it comes to us, she'd never do such harm and humiliation.

After reviewing both videos a couple more times, I finally chose the second one.

"It had a heavier impact. The effect was better and the transition was way smoother than the first one."

Vine then rechecked both videos before giving me a thumbs-up for such a good review.

"I'll send it to P'Bank so he can post it on our page today. Hopefully, it will attract more students."

"Don't you have enough students already?"

"There's nothing wrong with adding more. The area is bigger now so we can accommodate more."

I nodded my head after remembering what she said during the family dinner last time. Their school was renovated and they hired more instructors to facilitate the training. With this, they are gaining more recognition especially since they hired Vine who is a national champion.

After sending the video to her senior, she began to focus on her notes and her coffee. Viewing this as my cue, I began taking out my notes as well and indulged myself in the comfort of sweets.

My focus was now on my written notes. I needed to study because we have a long quiz tomorrow and soon after, we will have a return demonstration for the next subject. I can't fail on anything or my scholarship will get revoked. I can't bear to be a burden to our parents.

"Studying already?"

We quickly turned our attention to the source of the voice and found ourselves facing a sweaty man who looked like he joined a triathlon. Vine was the one who immediately reacted to his appearance.

"Are you out of your mind, Thorn?! Why didn't you change your clothes?" Vine shrieked before getting up and throwing him a towel. "You're sweating like crazy. Did you run to get here?"

"I had to. You said I needed to be here by 4," he explained as he got squished in between the towels that Vine grabbed hold of.

"I didn't ask you to run! You're crazy!"

She began wiping away his sweat and began drying his hair. Meanwhile, I rummaged through the duffel bag he just placed on the stool and took out one of his extra shirts. I immediately handed it to him.

"You know you'd never get punished so you didn't have to run here. Now you look like a child getting pampered by Phi."

"What can I say? I like getting pampered," he replied to me before taking off his shirt.

Vine then hurriedly wiped the sweat on his back like a mother taking care of his naughty child who played relentlessly in the afternoon.

He indulged himself under her care and took his sweet time wearing his clothes. Aside from liking all the pampering, he seemed to like all the attention as well. The girls who were within our view were already drooling at his actions. What he did cause plenty of girls to focus their attention on him.

I could see hearts forming in their eyes as Thorn continued his little show. I merely shook my head at this before returning to my seat and grabbing hold of my notes once more.

"I brought your favorites."

"Thanks, Wit," he muttered before shoving a doughnut in his mouth.

The matcha doughnut was almost gone in an instant. It took him only one bite to make half of it disappear. Knowing just how big of an appetite he has, I brought two just for him.

While he enjoyed the food that I prepared, Vine and I began focusing once more on our respective studies. Thorn joined in after he finished his snacks and the tent was filled with nothing but silence and a couple of mumbling here and there.

As soon as I finished reviewing for the long quiz, I took a short break and allowed my eyes to linger around. The green scenery and the peaceful ambiance of the park were the solitude I needed to focus on. And nothing could beat studying with my siblings. Both twins were now busy scribbling additional notes and listening to some recorded materials sent to them.

People would think both of them only focus on their sports and hobbies because of how good they are at them. Vine was a taekwondo national champion and was even considered to play for the Olympics. That's her dream and it's within her grasp.

A lot of people advised her to focus on her training but Vine didn't listen and continued pursuing engineering in automotive design. She's good at her studies and very attentive to her time management. Like an idol, she handles studying, training, and instructing taekwondo classes at the same time.

Thorn is no better. His life is very busy because of how versatile he is. While he studies culinary arts, he also plays plenty of sports and works as a barista in one of our favorite coffee shops. People make jokes about him being a 'Jack of all trades, Master to none'.

But they're wrong.

They're all wrong.

He may be versatile but he is a master when it comes to culinary arts. He received plenty of offers from different sports divisions but he turned them down because he knew, he was equipped for cooking. His mind is always processing new information, he observes very well, his palate is on point, his artistic mind creates visually pleasing plating, and his work experiences allow him to grasp what the customers want. Coupled with his high-end social communication, he is the best in his department.

"Wit, you done?" Thorn asked me which made me return all my attention to him. Seeing me smile made him sigh and chuckle. "Man. No one can beat you in studying and memorizing."

"You're praising me too much."

"That's because you're too humble. You need praise like mine from time to time."

Because of Thorn speaking, Vine also placed down her notes and focused her attention on me. "Should I ask Ma to cook Laab for dinner?"

"What for?"

"I heard your internship list was out," she said with a huge smile on her face.

"Ohoi! Nam snitched again, didn't she?" I said referring to my best friend.

Ma and Pa make a big deal out of everything. I didn't want them to throw a party and invite the neighbors again just because I got top grades or got listed in the internship. First off, it's expensive to always throw parties like that. Second, I want such achievements to remain special to those special to me. That's why when our grades are out, I usually keep silent about it.

But here comes Nam, always snitching me to Vine.

"Nam is my best friend too. How can she not tell me?"

"Both your competitions are coming up. With the amount of training you're both doing, I'm sure you'll win. Let's just celebrate it then." I said.

Both of them are my pride and joy. Vine will be attending a Taekwondo competition a week from now and Thorn will attend a bartending competition.

I'm confident they will win. That's how much trust I have in their talent and their perseverance. The internship that I got will be nothing compared to their victory in those competitions. So, there's no need to make a big deal out of it.

"We will celebrate yours first."

Thorn muttered and looked at me seriously before flashing an endearing smile, urging me to go with what he wanted.

"Yours is as special as ours. And since your grades are out first, we will celebrate it ahead of ours."

I shook my head at his suggestion. Just thinking of the expenses made my head throb. Our parents may have money to spare but I don't want it to be spent on me. I don't want their wealth to be wasted because I know just how costly it is to send all of us to university.

"Let's just celebrate it together. It's less costly and it would mean more." I reiterated, hoping that they would listen to my request this time around.

Vine and Thorn looked at each other, communicating through their eyes, before sighing and giving me a nod.

"If you say so~"

The table was filled with silence once more. Thorn soon took out his laptop and began writing down pastry recipe ideas they were tasked to do for the semester. I watched the video footage they have detailing the progress of his new entree. Until now, I'm still amazed at how far he went through with his pastry entry.

Anyway, enough about that. I needed to focus on my notes now. Our professor for the long quiz is particularly hard to please and the quizzes she makes are all situational. Memorizing the notes would be helpful but not enough. I need to come up with situations myself that she would probably write for the quiz.

"Hui!! Look at the time. I need to go now!" Vine blurted out all of a sudden making Thorn and I immediately glance at our watch.

It was already 5:30 in the evening. I couldn't help but sigh at this as I realized how time passes by quickly whenever we study.

The three of us hurriedly packed our stuff and made sure that our table was clean. Once done, we started walking out of the park and took the path towards the Taekwondo center where Vine works.

"Phi, what time should we fetch you?"

"You don't have to. I'll just return home with P'Bank."

Thorn and I were quick to shake our heads in refusal. Nope. No way we're letting her ride someone else's car alone. She may argue that she's a Taekwondo champion, but we would still protest. She's our dearest sister and no matter what she says, we as her brothers should be the ones to protect her.

"We will fetch you. Period." Thorn imposed which made Vine sigh.

She stopped in her tracks and looked at us, her brows now raised in question. I took a step back, gulping down my saliva. When she sighs that hard, no one would be able to argue with her aside from her twin. I rest my case.

"And how will you do that? Your motorcycle is still under repair."

Thorn nodded his head at the information she relayed. She sounded sour when she mentioned the motorcycle. She must still be upset that Thorn entrusted it to someone else when she could have fixed it at our garage.

"I can borrow Pa's car."

Vine looked at him skeptically and so did I. Borrow the car? That would mean he needs to go home and get the car, but his shift at the café is already near. Unless he's a superfast superhero, he would never return on time.

"Are you Flash?" she asked before sighing once more. "It's much better for me to ride with P'Bank. It's more convenient."

"His house is far from us, how is that convenient?"

"He's the one who offers anyway. I should just take it this once."

"No way!" Thorn immediately said as though angry at the information she just said. "He's the one who always offers? That sounds suspicious."

Vine heaved another heavy sigh while I remained a spectator of this little argument that they were having. I consider it an argument now rather than a normal conversation because their voices are getting louder and louder the more words they blurt out.

"P'Bank is a senior I respect and he considers me a valuable asset in the training center and the school club. Of course, he would ask me for a ride when he sees I'm having trouble getting home at night."

"That's the issue. Why would he always offer when I always fetch you? There's no need to repeatedly offer a ride home when someone already has a ride home...when someone already has someone who fetches her on a daily basis."

I silently nodded my head in agreement. We indeed know Bank because he was Vine's senior when she was a freshman. He was the one who always endorsed her in Taekwondo competitions. We know him, but we can't be considered close to him because our interaction is limited. Vine trusts him blindly, but we don't know the man that much to just let him take her home.

Offering her a ride home all the time would lead anyone to believe he has affection for her—which is equivalent to intentions.

"I trust P'Bank."

"Well, I don't." Thorn insisted. "You will not ride home with him. We will fetch you."

"And I asked you already, how are you going to do that?"

"I already answered, didn't I? I said I would borrow Pa's car. End of discussion."

"You can't just arbitrarily end it like that. How are you going to borrow it when your shift is already up?"

"I will manage."

"Just how narrow-minded are you? You think I can't defend myself?"

"Whether you can or cannot, we would still refuse! He has ulterior motives!"

"I told you, he doesn't! I trust him!"

"And I don't!"

Their eyes soon flared up with anger. I sighed as they stared at each other with intensity, neither side willing to give up. This stubbornness is the very reason why an argument always erupts despite how much they love each other.

Now that they voiced their opinions, they would need someone to choose who was the right one. Of course, the spectator is always given the choice.

"WIT!"

Both of them exclaimed as they turned their furious gazes at me. I would have whimpered given how intense they are staring—but I'm used to this already. I was immune to their fury. This was sort of a daily routine now—a normality.

I could even call it a habit.

Whenever they find themselves stuck in an argument, no matter the opponent, they would turn to me. Begging me using their eyes to break whatever argument was building and handing them over a victory. In this case, though, I would have to let Thorn win. Vine is strong, but a brother would do everything to make sure she doesn't have to use that strength.

As her brother, I need to make sure she's safe enough and won't have to use her skills against others—because that would mean she's in a very dangerous situation.

"Phi, I'll fetch you later," I muttered which caused Thorn to flash a victorious smile.

I didn't appreciate what he did though. He only provoked Vine and caused her brows to rise up, bombarding me with questions without her having to say anything. Her expression was enough for me to understand that her anger wasn't quenched.

"My tutoring session happens to be near our place. I can just drop by our house before going to their house. I can also arrange a quiz so I can end the tutoring early and fetch you."

I thought what I said was enough for her to calm down, but it wasn't. I needed to offer more.

"We can fetch Thorn last and spend some time at the cafe. I'll brew you some coffee if Kai allows it later."

With the mention of coffee, her ears perked up. Very slowly, she nodded her head, surrendering to my offer. Thorn gave me a thumbs up and I flashed him a smile in reply.

"Let's go?" I said as I offered my arms to her. Vine took it without hesitation. She clung to my left arm, her face still looking dejected. But her aura was good enough to place a relieved smile on my face.

*****

"Wit! You're home early." Ma greeted me as soon as I opened the gates. She was already outside the door with a huge smile on her face, a bag full of groceries in her hands. "Will you eat dinner with us?"

I gave her a wai first before giving a kiss on her cheeks. I immediately took hold of the groceries that seemed heavy given her small frame. "No, Ma. I came home hoping to borrow Pa's car. Is he inside?"

"He's inside. He just got home," she muttered as she urged me inside. "What happened with Thorn's motorcycle? Is it still in the shop?"

"Yes. He can get it tomorrow so we don't have any means to fetch Phi tonight."

Someone came out of the shadows all of a sudden. Pa walked down the stairs and approached us. His muscular body looked intimidating but the huge smile that adorned his face dispelled any fearful effect his body had.

"Wit~" he lovingly called, his voice tender and sweet. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I'll eat with the twins later, Pa."

"I thought you had a tutoring session today. Was it canceled?"

"No. I'll be tutoring at Auntie Pran tonight."

"Oh, then why have you returned home? Did something happen?" he approached me; his face now marked with worry. His thick brows were now pulled up together.

Among our parents, Pa was the one who was open with his emotions. You can guess his train of thought easily and right now; I'm not liking how he looks because he's obviously overthinking things and making up possible scenarios in his head.

"Nothing happened. But Thorn's motorcycle is still in the shop." I began to explain and soon his brows began to relax. Relief was evident on his face. "We're hoping we could borrow your car if it's available. We don't have other means to fetch Phi later."

Pa was quick to pull out the keys from his pocket and handed them to me without question. "It's rare for you to ask for the car so use it however you want."

I couldn't help but chuckle at what he said. "If I crash it, would it still be okay?"

"As long as you come home without a scratch," he answered rather seriously which made me want to take back my words. That was funnier in my head. "Son, a car can be fixed. But one's life cannot be returned. So, you better come home safe with your siblings."

"I will."

What I said was merely a joke. I'm a good driver, someone who takes safety as a priority. Even if I am alone, I drive at normal speed and would rather be late than dead. I know that if something happened to me or my siblings, my parents would get so worried. Pa and Ma aren't getting younger and their hearts have become weak as they age.

That's why I try my best not to get in trouble and always remind Thorn not to get in any scuffle as well. I'm afraid that a tiny accident might trigger a heart attack from them. Having them worry is something I never want to do.

"We might return late. We'll hang out at the café after work."

Ma nodded her head knowing full well what café I was talking about. She knew that it was safe for us to hang out there. "Send my regards to Kai. I haven't seen him coming around lately."

"He's helping his father with their business."

"If he has some free time, tell him to come over. I'll cook his favorites."

This is the very reason why Kai tolerates Thorn as his employee. He's playing favorites because Ma always bribes him with her mouthwatering food. I could only nod as images of Kai savoring Ma's foods began to invade my mind.

I rarely visit the café now because of the increase in my tutoring sessions. The last time I visited was two weeks ago when I was forced to wait for Thorn's shift to end because he entered late. That was also the last time I encountered Kai. Ma suddenly mentioning him made me realize that we've lost contact for quite some time now.

Even as I drove towards Auntie Pran's house, I was still thinking of Kai. He's a really chatty fellow. A person I never expected to become my friend. He studies business administration and gets acquainted with Thorn who is technically a social butterfly. Almost everyone on his campus and in our past schools is his friend.

At first, I thought their friendship wouldn't last because Kai looked a little too cold. He has minimal friends and is always out working with his father. That was until he and Thorn made friends with one another.

The saying 'Never judge a book by its cover' is something I associate with him now. He may appear cold, but once he starts opening up, shutting him up would become your main problem. He always has a lot of things to say and would never shy away from any offer of food. That's why they get along so well because he volunteered as Thorn's food tester.

When Thorn wanted to try becoming a barista to gain experience, Kai immediately hired him in the café they owned and ever since then, their bond only got stronger. He even invaded my life and became an annoying part of it. His texts are never-ending and he pesters me whenever he finds time. The frequency was annoying, but over time, it became normal to me.

That's why suddenly losing contact made me reminisce.

Did I do something wrong?

Kai was the one who stopped chatting so I stopped as well. I even forgot about our conversations already because of the never-ending classwork.

Maybe he's just busy?

But Thorn still sees him and even informs me that Kai stops by the café although it became a rare occurrence rather than a frequent one.

I don't know.

Maybe he is indeed busy. Ma misses him for sure. Maybe I should talk to him at the café later. Inform him that Ma wants to meet him again.

That she misses him.

"Phi, did I do well?"

I returned my focus to my student, a 9-year-old child placed under my care to learn English and improve her mathematics. I took hold of her papers which were now filled with scribbles of mathematical formulas. Nong Min is very optimistic when learning and she's brilliant enough to follow my solutions, but she has trouble when it comes to signs. When one sign is written wrong, the final answer is wrong.

Carefully, I inspected her solution and answer. A wide smile slowly adorned my face as her answer was on point. "Good job, Nong! You got all the signs correctly. You listened to my advice."

"Ma told me that Phi is a genius and to take your advice to heart. She's right. Everything Phi said about my problems was right. I just have to listen to you and my problems will be solved!"

"Nong is brilliant enough already. You just have to take things slowly and recheck your answers. There are problems you can only see when you recheck."

She vigorously nodded her head before watching her papers once more. "I will frame this! For the first time, I got a perfect score on Phi's quiz!"

I just chuckled at her cuteness. If I have a child someday, I wish she would be as cute as Nong Min. Always positive and energetic. Ready to face any problems with an open mind.

"Phi, let's proceed to English! I practiced a lot yesterday and I listened to the homework you gave me."

Her toothy smile coupled with the excitement in her eyes made my heart swell. This is the type of student who would pump any teacher to teach better—to teach more.

We proceeded to her English lesson. The homework I gave her was to listen to cartoon movies and list down any words that we already tackled and new words that she wanted to learn. She had to write the definition of the words she already knew and guess what the new words meant. Min managed to write quite a lot which made me smile as this means my teaching method when it comes to her was working well.

"Thank you so much, Wit. Min's grades went up after you began tutoring her. I can't thank you enough." her mother said as I was leaving their house.

It was already 8 in the evening, quite late for tutoring but it was the only vacant time I could spare. She handed me my pay for the session with a wide smile adorning her face, filled with gratitude and satisfaction.

"I was already stressed out because I had no way of helping Min with her studies because of my schedule. It's hard raising a child alone and my workload as a nurse isn't helping either. You're really a blessing, Wit. Thank you."

"I'm glad I could help, Auntie Pran. Besides, Min is one of my favorite students now. She's always ready to learn."

"Min is a bright child; she just needs help on some things. You're the right help for that. I'm really grateful Pat told me you're tutoring. I would still be looking for tutors had she not told me about you."

With the mention of my mother's name, my smile widened. "Ma wanted to help Auntie in any way."

"You're really a blessing to them, Wit." she muttered, her eyes now disappearing from smiling too much. "I hope they're a blessing to you as well."

They are more than just a blessing—they are my everything.

Auntie Pran talked a bit more after that. She mentioned how Ma was always parading my achievements alongside the twins and how Pa always found ways to insert me in every conversation he had with others. She repeatedly said that Ma and Pa wouldn't stop talking about how proud they felt during the capping and pinning ceremony. I was stuck on their porch for a good number of minutes. Only when I received a text from Vine did I find an excuse.

"Thank you for seeing me out, Auntie. I need to go now. Phi just finished working and I need to fetch her."

"Thanks again, Wit. I'll wait for your next tutoring session with Min," she said as I began leaving their porch, making sure not to say more because that would urge Auntie to talk again and the cycle would never end.

"Wit!" she suddenly called out, making me halt in my tracks. It sounded urgent.

Auntie still had a smile on her face but she looked curious. "Your internship is coming. Which hospital were you first assigned to?"

"Rakphong Hospital," I answered which made her smile wider. That's because Auntie works there and surely, she and I would be assigned to the same station at least once during the duration of my internship there.

"Good. I'll see you there then. Auntie will take care of you." she muttered with pride. "You'll be the best nurse in no time."

I nodded my head. That was my goal. To be the best nurse because I know that becoming the best would mean everything to my parents.

Once done with our goodbyes, I left their gates and entered Pa's car parked outside. The journey to Vine's workplace was easy, I knew the places to take to avoid the traffic. I knew I'd get there in time despite the pace of my driving.

I was listening and dancing to the tunes of Chocolate when a call suddenly arrived and interfered with my enjoyment. Although disappointed by the soured mood, I answered the call. My brows immediately arched up in bewilderment when loud music flared through the speakers as soon as I took Thorn's call.

"Thorn? I'm on my way to fetch Phi."

"Wait, Wit! Don't hang up!"

The music died down a little but I could still hear it. He must have walked away from the source and judging by how loud it was, the rascal was probably at a club. "Where the hell are you?"

"Insanity!"

I knew it. It was the new club that Kai established with his father.

>>>To Be Continued