"Hello?"
"Kiet. What are you up to?" He asked, he sure plans to get to a bar and drink.
"Nothing much. What are YOU up to?" I asked guessing the bar plan.
"Let's catch up in a bar. It's been a long-time since we drank." He said stressing the word Long time.
I knew it.
"Okkay. I will pick you up at 5." I answered.
"What? No, nagging or stubbornness? Just an 'okkay'?." He said with a surprised tone.
"I have something to talk about," I replied. I wanted to tell him about the offer dad gave.
"OOkkayyyy, I will meet you at my house at 5 then."
"Okkay." I ended the call.
I took a nap till 4:30. I woke up when the alarm rang and went into the bathroom after taking a towel to take shower. I came out after 15 minutes and got dressed up. I rode my bike to his house.
Dad gifted it last year on my birthday. I went to his house and parked my bike in front of the gate and removed my helmet. I took my phone from my pocket and called him.
"Hello, Kiet?" Link said after answering the call.
"Come out, I'm in front of your gate," I said while looking towards his room.
He opened his window and waved at me.
"Coming." He said while closing the window. I ended the call and put on my helmet back.
Link came after 2 minutes and I gave him the second helmet I carried. He wore the helmet and hopped onto the bike. I started the engine and we both went to the bar. I parked the bike in the parking lot and we both went inside. We were searching for an empty table when we found one at the corner.
So, we went and sat there. The waiter came and Link gave the order of Rock Whiskey. After some time the waiter brought the order and served it. We both took our glasses and were taking small sips when Link spoke.
"You wanted to talk about something."
"Yeah,.....Ummm... dad called." I said after fighting with my confusion of telling him or not.
"Yesterday was Saturday, he calls you every week, what's so special in it?" He asked shrugging his shoulders.
"He didn't call for a random talk," I replied.
"If not for a random talk then what is it for?" He asked and took a sip from his glass of whiskey.
"He called me to give me an offer," I answered.
"Offer? What offer?" He asked looking at me closely and listening to my words with full concentration.
"Dad wants to give me to be the CEO of Wongsi Pvt Ltd," I replied.
Link sprayed the whiskey, with a surprised face and looked at me.
"But it can only happen if I achieve the target he set," I said.
"What target?" He asked with a confused tone
"He wants me to graduate with high grades and get a job in any one of Multinational companies. If I manage to achieve it then he will announce me as the next CEO." I answered.
"That's weird. How do you getting a job in any of the Multi-National Companies and him announcing you as the next CEO related?" He asked with a confused look.
"The truth is his present wife wants the property in her son's name. She even took the legal rights and when it comes to me she said her son is more capable of taking care of the company than me.
So, dad wants me to get a job at one of those to show my credibility. He wants me by his side on his 50th birthday so he will give me announce my share in his will and announce me as the next CEO." I explained.
"Now that explains a lot, but.... why did he just give this offer now? He didn't come to see you all these years too. Then why only now?" He asked the exact same question I asked dad.
"Cos, I completed my high school and my graduation is all I need. If it happens then he promised to make up all these years and spend most of the time with me." I said with a happy smile.
"The dad's love you always wanted... good....but, doesn't that mean you have to leave Thailand like forever?" He asked with a doubtful face.
"Yes and why not? If money gives me everything and it's in Singapore. Why should I stay here? I'm leaving it for good." I said sitting back and taking a sip.
"Doesn't that mean, you have to leave your mum?" He asked. He sure is a person with endless questions.
"Yes and I'm happy to do that," I said keeping an irritated face.
"Tsk, Kiet don't you think it's a bit too much?" He said clicking his tongue.
"What's too much?" I asked.
"It's almost been 10 years, when will you stop hating her? She's your mum Kiet. You can't hate her forever." He said with a concerned look.
"Try me," I said in a tone of a challenge accepter.
"Kiet." He said while looking at me with a serious face.
"What? I saw her as mum all these years even after she didn't see me as her son. When will she see me as her son? It's been 10 years Link, 10 whole fucking years and she still does the same things on their wedding anniversary. Why can't she move on? everybody moves on at some point.
Even till the day, she couldn't speak looking into my eyes. Every time she's with me she looks at me like I was the fucking reason for her miserable and sad life. What was my fault?.
I will see her as my mum if she remembers that she has a son and he's alive roaming in her house and is gonna fucking leave her. You know even she knows that once I get out of Thailand I won't come back even if she dies, but she didn't object.
She simply said if that gives me happiness then good luck. That clearly showed me she doesn't want to see me as much as me. If she doesn't wanna see me, then I will never show my fucking face to her." I said with a frustrated tone.
"Woah, Woah calm down man. I was right, you did fight with your mum again." He said trying to calm me.
"Yes, and it happens every time I see her," I said in a frustrated face. I took my glass and drank all of the Whiskey in one go. Link took the glass from my mouth and kept it aside.
"Calm down dude. You don't wanna die by drinking do you?" He said.
I stayed silent for some time when Link spoke again.
"You showed your anger on that poor punching bag of yours, didn't you?" Link asked with the slightest smile on his face.
"No," I said while pouring some whiskey into my glass.
"Why lie when you aren't good at it?" He said with a smile.
"What makes you think I'm lying?" I asked folding my hands towards my chest.
"The bruises on your knuckles tell me everything." He said pointing his index finger towards my knuckles.
I saw my knuckles and scoffed and shook my head.
"You tend to see things which people tend to ignore," I said while checking the bruises on my knuckles.
"I'm good at observing." He said feeling too proud of himself.
"If you do this to others they might think you are a stalker," I said while taking a sip.
"Who said, I will observe everyone?" He asked and took a sip while leaning back on his seat.
"Umm, you won't show this special ability to everyone?" I asked while leaning forward in my seat.
He leaned forward too and looked at me.
"Nope, not until that everyone is you." He said while poking my forehead with his index finger.
I rubbed the area he poked and leaned back.
"Stop kidding," I said while grabbing my Whiskey glass.
"I'm not. I'm serious. I only observe you." He said while pointing his whiskey glass towards me.
I rolled my eyes and said.
"Whatever."
I continued drinking and Link was trying to stop me.
"So what's this fight about?" He asked again. Why does he want to remind me of things I ate talking about?
I sighed before answering his question.
"You never let go..... Dad called mum and told her everything.... she asked me the same and I thought she will stop me from accepting the offer but, whom am I expecting from? (Scoff). she didn't utter a single word. She likes it when I go away from her forever."