It's dinner time and May Moe Madi was mixing the rice with a little oil and a grain of salt. Moreover, she added tiny pieces of fried chicken in order to spoon feed the boy. She appeared to be really enthusiastic to feed the boy.
"He can eat by himself."
"Of course, he can eat on his own because there's no one to feed him in the Netherlands. Look! He's now eating as I feed him, right?"
What Dun noticed was the boy was eating more of the portion she was feeding than the one in the Netherlands. It appeared that Nobel Lin missed Burmese rice as it's been eight years he hasn't tasted.
"Dun, you can take chicken liver and gizzard curry if you need more. I can't eat it all up by myself."
"No, thank you. I can't stand liver and gizzards. "
"Oh, I see. The beef you're eating now is an animal with no liver and gizzards."
"Kids, stop bickering. While eating, don't argue. I'm done. Noh Noh, you want me to feed you?"
"I'm afraid you might forget the fact that he's 18 now."
Uncle Naung laughed at Dun's sarcasm and added,
"Come on! I will feed you, Dun."
"U Naung!"
Dun stopped talking and kept munching the meal. He couldn't deny the fact that he loved eating with them, rather than eating alone as he got back home late.
"Noh Noh, if you want the teddy bear, I'll give you mine which is also given by mom."
She also had one if they got each. Seeing Nobel Lin carry the pink teddy bear into his room, Dun couldn't help but utter,
"Nobel Lin, take mine. Give it back to sis. She can't fall asleep without a teddy bear."
Actually, it's true that she is used to hugging and sleeping with the teddy bear since her parents passed away. Thus, Dun knew best she couldn't sleep without it. Considering all these facts, he decided to sacrifice his teddy bear this time.
Nobel Lin nodded his head and returned her teddy bar. Dun brought his teddy bear into the boy's room and placed it there.
"You haven't taken a bath today. Go prepare for it."
"No."
"What do you mean by 'No'? You have to. It's scorching and how can you not bathe?"
The boy was constantly shaking his head and pushing Dun out of the room. Thus, Dun secured the boy's hands and said,
"If you are that lazy, don't get out of your room the following days. A person has to groom himself or herself by having a bath, Nobel Lin. Why are you that frightened of washing yourself?"
It seemed that Dun raised his voice a little louder. May Moe Madi has also come into the room.
"What's wrong? Noh Noh isn't going to bathe?"
"What else is there to say?"
"Lol, it's not the first time. Dun, you are the doctor who is treating others patiently. It's not good to hear you shouting at your brother."
She told him calmly and then turned her attention on Nobel Lin,
" Noh Noh, you are a good boy, right? Come, I will help you wash yourself. Will you do it?"
"I will put my life on the line if he listens to you."
Dun was still talking. But the boy has already taken off his clothes. Hurriedly, he has to shoved her outside the room.
"What are you doing, Dun? Open the door right now."
"Your little brother is planning to enter the tub with his naked body."
"He used to do that since he was young. What's wrong?"
"He is a grown up now. He's already 18 years old. He's 18. Not the 4 years old kid who you used to help with. Seriously?"
Dun shouted with the door closed. When he turned around, he met with the sight of Nobel Lin who was wearing a boy boxer and staring at Dun. Sigh…. This is clearly the retribution. Dun gave in and took the boy into the bathroom by pulling his hands. Even so, the boy was reluctant to enter it until he finally did.
Did something terrifying related to water happen to him when he was young? However, what would the four years old kid know? It's absurd to remember something if he's that young. Since Dun became a psychiatrist, he is easily suspicious of everything. Thus, he stopped his trail of thoughts right there. And he allowed Nobel Lin to enter the tub. It's been two days since he washed the boy's hair so he should do it again today.
The smell of soap lingered in the room and the drops of water splashed on the mirror. Dun was worn out so he also soaked into the tub along with the boy. Because of these two facing each other as well as the fact that they were two grown ups made the bathtub cramped. But by the time Nobel Lin made himself shrink, Dun got more space for himself.
"Nobel Lin, have you ever drowned before?"
Should Dun think Nobel Lin would answer this question, he was wrong. It's a part of his profession that he has to ask the unanswerable questions.
"You will get bored in the future. There's no children who will accompany you. Neither I nor our sister is available. Are you able to stand it? As I noticed, you may soon be familiar with the term 'regret.' You may regret that you should follow Lim. Lol."
He laughed out loud as he talked things through. It seemed that Nobel Lim would learn the feeling of loneliness sooner or later. At least, this can be said to be a profit for him. The boy would be able to learn sadness if he escaped his colourless world. I couldn't teach you what happiness was. Because my joyful days have long gone since you're here.
After soaking the soap into the water and staying a while longer, Dun wrapped the boy with the towel and pushed him into the bedroom. He didn't have to boss around what to wear though. Nobel Lin has already put on a tank top and short pants which made him look like a middle school student. He would feel hot as the temperatures between here and the Netherlands were vastly different. Dun went back to his room, changed his clothes, and then he remembered Nobel Lin didn't dry his hair so he took the hair dryer and headed to the boy's room again.
"Come sit here."
Dun demanded that the boy sat on the floor between his legs and dried his hair meticulously.
"We will go shopping to buy what you need tomorrow as it is my last day of leave. I am free only tomorrow. So you need to make a list of things you want to buy."
When the boy heard him, he immediately stood up, brought a piece of paper on the table. Who knew since when he wrote this note? All the things he needed were painting-related ones. Since he was young, he barely asked for things. He would even take a pencil if it's needed for drawing. Dun recalled when the teacher gave the younger him homework to draw a map, he was bored and asked the boy to do it for him.
"If you help me draw the map, I will buy you a colouring book . You've run out of them that mom bought, haven't you?"
That's how Dun persuaded the boy to do things for himself when he was young.