"What the hell, brother? You sold it all?" Listening to the angry shout on the other side of the phone, Aree couldn't help but smile.
The signs of teen had already lost to time. The hair was as short as it could be, with the right muscles at the right place his body had matured. But the air around him felt more mature than his look. It will be hard to believe that it was the same Aree from eight years ago, even for those who were close to him.
"Yes. And you should do the same too."
"No way, bro. While you are hiding on the battlefield I was studying the market. The price of tibcoin is all-time high and it will continue to rise. I am going to be rich."
"You brought those 30 and now each of them is valued at 30,000. How much money do you want?"
"Who are you to talk? If I had brought 1,000 then you must have brought at least 1,000 times more. So what are you…"
"I will be coming back soon."
The silence on the other side was something he had expected, but not the words.
"Are you wounded?"
He couldn't help but smile hearing the serious tone, "No. I am alright."
"Are you court-martialed?" With each word, his tone was getting more serious.
He felt warmer with the tone. For a boy who has never seen him before to be worried about him..."What is with you can't I return to my own country?"
"But it was so sudden?"
"Why are you talking like my girlfriend?"
"No, no brother, but are you serious? Is something big is going to happen in the country?"
"Nothing bad is going to happen, I am alive and kicking, my family is ok. I am just retiring, nothing more, nothing less."
"What are you going to do from now on? Return to Ataklok?"
"Didn't think about it much. Might join a university, complete my study, maybe."
"Wow bro, why don't you come to my uni?"
"Major Iltos, the general is waiting for bro you. Please go in." The woman in military uniform informed.
"Riley, I have to go." Aree soon entered the room and followed the strict rule of conduct.
"At ease." The old man was decorated with enough star on the shoulder but was still giving off the scent of gunpowder. "Major, are you sure about your decision?"
"Yes, sir."
"If you leave now you won't get any chance to return again, you know that?"
"Yes, sir."
"We could use someone like you in the peacekeeping army. You should reconsider." The voice of the old man softened a little, "Aree, you just promoted to major, with your contribution you will be promoted soon, are you sure?"
"Yes, sir."
"Talk casually."
"I have enough time on the line."
"How many years it has been? If you forget two years of training, you spent 6 years on the line. If you think it is too much then what I am doing for 20 years with the costume?"
"And I respect that, but I can't do the same thing for so long. I am at my limit already."
"Stubborn as always, I can seriously use someone like you." The old man shook his head, "looks like I am nagging. Tell me what are you going to do now?"
"Studying. I would like to study."
"You? Study? Would someone who shot first and talk later, be able to match such a slow pace?"
"Maybe. The change will be good. Later I would like to roam around the world."
"Would you like me to help you with your admission? The military has connections with many universities."
Aree thought for a moment before adding, "That will be great."
"What are you going to study?"
"Economic."
"Good. City?"
"Anywhere is fine."
"Aren't you from Ataklok? There are some good universities there."
"Anywhere but Ataklok."
The old general was stunned for a moment, before taking another look at him, "Did you fight with your parents?"
Aree sighed and shook his head but didn't answer.
"Love?"
"Yes. But that is in the past. I am over it now." Aree had nothing to hide.
"It doesn't look that way. How old were you then?"
"Seventeen."
"You ran away from just because you failed in love?" It was hard for the old general to believe it, "But it was for good, otherwise we would have lost such a good soldier."
Aree didn't deny it. It was not the whole truth neither it was a complete lie. He was heart-broken, even with the maturity of his last life he had become obsessed. Which he had blamed it to his teenage mind but…
"I need a getaway. I need to go to such a distance that even her news can't reach me." Someone was screaming inside his head. He let his parents know that he is going to join the army and even before they could recover from the shock he had already gone for the training.
After one year he had applied to the peacekeeping force, and now seven years had passed in a blink.
Though he had regular contact with his parents, he had never returned his home once in the last eight years. Avoided getting any news about her, but…
Aree sighed, "It is not like I am over it, nor I can do it, but at least for now I can live with it."
The old man took another look at him. The boy whom he had met 5 years ago. Something about him felt different at that time too, not like someone of his age, neither like other soldiers.
Deny the order when he felt like, argued with his superior and list was too long to note but he had the quality of someone who is perfect for the situation of the peacekeepers. In the last half-decade, his team had the hundred per cent success rate without zero errors that include the times when he had disobeyed the direct orders. He was the soldier whom no general want to lose, but…
"You are too mature for your age, but even you can act like a child from time to time. That was your crush when you were a child, you are at your prime. You should enjoy your life, not memorising some old infatuation."
'It is not like that.' Though he wanted to say it, the words never came out. To begin with, he had no way to explain. Before he could respond, the old man pushed a closed enveloped forward.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't process your resignation to the higher-ups. I have a proposal. You should read it first."
Aree wanted to deny as soon as he heard, but patience one of the virtues he had earned in his days here. He opened the file and took a look.
"It's a strategic department that operates inside the country. Not many know about it. Its main work is to provide its service to those who can pay along with protection of the important figure of the country. It can be anybody, as long as he is important for the country, even the leader of the opposition leader will be given protection."
"Corruption?"
The smile on the old man's face was a self-mocking one, "What are you? A peacekeeper? That was a softer name for a butcher. All those you have killed believed that they are fighting for the right cause, for right god. They were someone who would have never affected any of your generations if you had just stayed home, still you had killed them without mercy. It is what I like to call 'corruption on the international level.' Isn't it too late for you to talk about it?"
"I have done something wrong once, that doesn't mean I will do it again."
"It is a department which will provide service to the greatest bidder. Other than assassination, it handles anything in the country. It is not corrupted, it has a bottom line but it doesn't work by simple logic. It is complicated. It might look corrupted but its every move have a reason behi… You have no reason to listen if you are not going to join."
"I didn't say I am won't." With a smile, he added, "What is the profit?"
"Your employment will depend on your credibility, you can't talk to anybody about it. You will be paid by your current salary but when you accept a mission you will be credited extra according to the mission."
"Money is never a problem for me."
"When a suitable mission pops up you will be given a choice of accepting it or not. The mission can be very long from time to time, but you have to do once every three years. Every time else you will be free. But the work will be very hard. It can vary from protecting scion of a foreign billionaire in the country to…"
"I accept." Aree added without a second thought, "As long as I can resign when I want."
******************
The jade black Rado on the hand was showing it was ten past two. It was the middle of the night. The conveyor belt carried his bag in a leisurely manner.
His head wasn't expecting anybody but the heart moved his eyes. A smile appeared, but the eye shook at the same time.
'It feels great.' Aree took a deep breath as he moved out, what greeted him was a warm hug.
"You hate us so much?" The voice quivered in his chest. The moment sniffled his nose, "Mom, I am home now. I am not going anywhere. Let me take a good look at you." Aree took a good look, "You are a lot healthier now. It's good that you quit."
"What can I do? One idiot had promised me he would return if quit office."
"Tell me the truth, you didn't quit but you just become the president, so you don't need to go so often."
"Who told you that?" Mother was quick to turn towards father who just put his hand in the air to prove his innocence.
"I have my own channel." To tell the truth, Aree knew very well from last life, that is was about the time when the grandmother will give mother the position. She was a single child, to begin with so it was natural but he can't say it out loud.
"Dad, I am hungry." He didn't hesitate to hug his father. It wasn't until his father died he didn't understand how much he had loved him.
"Now that you are back I can cook for you again."
"What? Honey, are you crying?" At mother's teasing, he started to cough, "No, no, something must have fallen…"
He couldn't complete it before Aree hugged. Shocked, he returned it too.