"Doctor, you have an appointment with Ko Kwal Char."
"Okay.I'll be in a minute. Ma Thi, you go first and help the patient."
"Sure,Sir."
Doctor Dun Nay Kha, well-known psychiatrist, pledged himself to be both an escape and reliable for those who suffered mental illnesses.
Kwal Char, a childhood friend and classmate of Dun, said that he didn't dare to sleep at night due to nightmares caused by a boy. Dun has been counselling with him for two months and slowly came to notice something in his eyes that showed his profound feelings towards that boy, yet he denied those feelings.
It was not wrong to say Dun was quite experienced despite his young age as he encountered a lot of patients day by day. After consulting with his friend, he went back into my office, took off his duty coat, placed it on the chair, and planned to take a nap.
Ring...Ring...Buzz
When his phone rang, he looked up the caller and found that it was Aunty Nilar. When it comes to Aunty Nilar, there's only one thing she would talk about.
"Hello"
"Hello, Dun. How're you doing?"
"I'm great."
"Glad to hear that. By the way, Noh Noh's school is over tomorrow. You once told me you were going to take him after his studies. If you don't have time, I can still manage to keep him here. It's up to you. So, will you come?"
Noh Noh was a shortened name for Nobel Lin. To be exact, he's the only relative who was not totally blood related to me. Still, what everyone knew was that he's my younger brother.
"I will come bring him, Aunty. I owe a debt of gratitude for taking care of Noh Noh during these years."
"No need, honey. Actually, I couldn't be happier with Noh Noh around me."
"How about Noh Noh?"
"He's fine. He's expecting your call every day. I have to tell him that you couldn't call as you are busy."
"You're right, Aunty. I've got a lot to do..."
What he didn't say out loud was that he didn't want to call.
"I know, honey. If you come to the Netherlands, make sure to dress in layers."
"Noted, Aunty. Then I'm going to get back to work now."
"Sure, honey. That's all for now. Bye."
When the call ended, he let out a long sigh. Nobel Lin was a person whom he wanted to drive him out of his life. If anyone got to know about this, they would surely blame Dun for being a brother who hated his younger brother with mental illness while he was a psychiatrist at it.
After his parents passed away one after another, he had to finish his medical studies so Noh Noh was taken to enroll in a school by Aunty Nilar, his mom's friend. It's already been eight years. And now, his tranquil and peaceful life without him had lasted for only eight years.
He felt suffocated when he heard Noh Noh was coming back. He wanted to be a reliable person for mental patients. Yet, he didn't wish to become one for Noh Noh.
To be honest, Dun regretted that his parents chose to adopt Noh Noh in the past. Dun could stand on his own two feet and it was a nuisance that he had to look after Nobel Lin. Undeniably, Noh Noh was only an extra for him.
On both sides of the St.Perry road in Netherlands, the willow trees are orderly grown. Given that it's winter, the dew dwelled upon them which only made the air colder. With only a backpack, a man wearing a long coat was now gazing at the two-storeyed house. He saw the children were running inside the house. They were laughing and decorating the Christmas tree as Christmas was just around the corner. Motionlessly, he stood there in front of that house for several minutes.
Eight years ago, Nobel Lin was only ten years old. When he recalled Noh Noh, the memories were vague and indistinct. Although his parents had taken photos of Noh Noh, he threw them into the box since Noh Noh left and thus, he no longer remembered his face at that time. And he bet Noh Noh would not remember him, too.
He stepped forward to press the doorbell and a girl came to open it.
"Hello!"
She first greeted him with a smile and he squatted down in order to be the same height as her.
"Hello, I'm Dun. Could I see Aunt Nilar?"
"Yes. Come in."
She left him in the living room and then rushed to another room. A furry rug was laid inside the living room. He could see that some children were weaving the lights around the Christmas tree. Moreover, the stockings were hung by the chimney and all kinds of presents were also in a heap beside it. As he was looking around the room, he realised he once visited this place when his parents were alive. At that time, he even played with some of the children. In fact, this house was a warm place filled with love for the children with disabilities such as deafness, mutism, and poor mental development. Given that it's a two-storeyed house, although it seemed as a residence in front, it was built like a school model and lengthened at the back so it could hold up to at least 50 children.
"Why don't you give me a call when you've arrived, Dun? Noh Noh went to buy ham with a bunch of children as it ran out."
"Is that so? Is he still the same as before?"
We both knew this question suggested various connotations concerning Noh Noh.
"Well, he's a bit taller and his cheeks are getting chubbier. Besides, he can even speak three languages. "
"Really? Then I must reward him for his achievements."
"You should. Actually, he understands emotions in theory, yet he still doesn't know how to cry when it's sad. He has a knack for photographic memory. But he can't clearly distinguish between happiness and sadness, Dun."
"For this, he has to take some time, Aunty."
Dun knew well that Nobel Lin couldn't differentiate his emotions. He couldn't clarify what happiness or sadness is. He also didn't know love and hate. He had one track mind. He was content with his life when he was doing what he wanted. Dun still remembered the day his mother passed away. On that day, despite the fact that he beat him up in his fury, he got no idea at all how to cry when he was in pain. He knew neither hunger nor sleepiness. Some doctors he consulted with claimed that his life was modest and simple.
For that, Dun was jealous of him. Because since Noh Noh came into his life, he was thrown into chaos.
" I don't need to tell Noh Noh what to eat. Because he knows how to cook now. He's a chef in this house and cooks for us. Besides, he can iron the clothes and dress himself up. When I check the rooms up, I find his room spotless. Noh Noh is truly a clever child. Take care of your little brother. I bet you won't get bored at home when he's with you."
"Sure."
As he didn't want to ask her about Noh Noh anymore, he excused himself to decorate the Christmas tree along with other children.