Today was a fun day as Tanin's cousin Lalana, who he hadn't seen in a while, came to visit in the morning. Lalana was the daughter of Somchai's younger brother, which makes her Tanin's first cousin. She was also same age with him. Their birthdays were practically a stone's throw apart, making them practically siblings despite being cousins.
She lived in Bangkok, a one-hour flight away from their of Hat Yai. And she made a habit of visiting Hat Yai every month, staying for two or three days each time.
Lalana wasn't typical girly-girl. She possessed a tomboyish spirit. This was evident in her clothing choices – she preferred comfortable, practical clothes over frilly dresses. Her short, brown hair, cut in a stylish bob, was anything but ordinary. Her hair was highlighted with streaks of purple, burgundy, and pink.
Lalana wasted no time making friends with Ava. The girl was a chatterbox, easygoing and friendly. The two girls bonded easily, spending a fun-filled day together while Somchai and Pimpa were at work, and Tanin was in school.
After the late lunch, Lalana's eyelids began to droop. And Ava offered her bed for a quick nap. Since they were now the only ones around, it was perfectly fine for them to share the room.
Hat Yai, in the evening, seemed content to relax under the cool night air as the city begins to settle in for the evening. The sky was now a deep shade of purple as the sun disappears behind the horizon, leaving only a faint glow in its place.
Meanwhile Ava swiveled in her chair infront of her computer. She typed in a search query: "Zafar Rahman."
The results flooded the screen, articles and links vying for her attention. But Ava's gaze was fixated on the image section. Most of the pictures were black and white. Other photos, likely taken later in life, were in color.
A confident smile crinkled the corners of Zafar's eyes in one, a briefcase clutched firmly in his hand. Another showed him standing tall beside a bright yellow colour car.
She scrolled further down and stopped at a picture. It was Zafar and Ibrahim, standing proudly in front of a grand university building. A bold caption, likely a watermark, declared:
"Ibrahim Rahman's First Day in University of London - 2005."
The year..... 2005? Ava calculated.
A year before Zafar's death? Ibrahim would have been only 17 then.
This threw everything into question. The photo showed a seemingly happy and supportive father, arm slung around his son's shoulder, celebrating a significant milestone. It defied logic. If their relationship was this good just a year before Zafar's death what could have happened in that short time to drive Ibrahim to such a drastic act?
Was the apparent closeness a illusion? Or was there some truth she was missing entirely?
Ava was searching for Zafar Rahman for a reason. This was because Somchai had told Ava something about the mind of criminals this morning.
[ FLASHBACK ]
Before breakfast, Ava sat on the couch beside Somchai in the living room, watching TV before breakfast. The TV blared in Thai language that went over Ava's head. She usually preferred international channels, "Uncle, what are they talking about?"
Somchai reached for the remote and turned the volume down a bit, "It's a very sad story, Ava. A mother left her baby, who was only 13 months old, all alone in a room. She went on a trip and didn't come back for two weeks! Tragically, the poor little baby died because there was no one to feed him."
"What? How could she do that?" she exclaimed.
"Yeah it's the natural reaction. But we often judge quickly." Somchai sighed, "We see a crime and we want to punish the criminal. We ask 'how' they could do such a thing, but rarely do we ask 'why.'"
Ava considered this for a moment, "But Uncle, shouldn't a mother always take care of her baby? Isn't that normal?"
He nodded. "Of course, taking care of your child is the most natural thing in the world. But sometimes, after giving birth, a mother can go through a difficult time called postpartum depression. During this time, a mother really needs support from others, like a husband or other family members. A newborn needs constant attention, and the mother can get very tired. They might feel overwhelmed, sad, anxious, or even angry."
"On top of that, their bodies are healing from a huge change. They're sleep deprived because babies need constant attention, day and night. Just imagine never being able to truly rest for months. For a mother raising a child alone, it can be even harder. They don't have someone to share the responsibilities, the sleepless nights, the constant worry. It can feel like they're drowning, with no time for themselves or even a chance to step outside for a few minutes of peace."
He looked at Ava. Till now he was speaking while watching TV, "In the very worst cases, this extreme mental and emotional strain can lead to thoughts that are unthinkable, even harming their own child. That's why it's important to remember, there are always two sides to a story. The one the police tell us, and the one the person who committed the crime knows. The mother who left her baby – there's a chance she was struggling more than we can imagine."
"If we keep thinking about the reasons criminals do bad things, doesn't that mean we're somehow supporting them? Like saying their actions are okay because of some reason? Wouldn't that mean there's no justice if everyone starts seeing things that way? We'd just feel bad for them even when they're punished!" Ava told her thoughts.
Somchai smiled gently. He was impressed by her thinking, "Not at all, Ava. I never said we should excuse crime, no matter the reason. Crime is crime, and punishment is important. Understanding the 'why' behind a crime doesn't mean excusing it. It helps us see the warning signs, the cracks in someone's life that might lead them down a dark path. The goal isn't to say 'it's okay,' but to understand the situation that might have pushed someone to that point."
"Think of it like this," he continued, searching for the right analogy. "Imagine your house has a leaky roof. If it just keeps raining in, you'll get frustrated and focus on cleaning up the mess. But the real solution is to fix the leak, right? Understanding crime is like finding that leak. We patch it up, so the problem doesn't keep happening. If we can understand the root cause, maybe we can help prevent future tragedies."
[ Flashback Ended ]
Ava's train of thought was abruptly derailed by a loud of Lalana - "Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
She whipped around, her gaze darting towards her bed where Lalana had been napping. The girl was now wide awake.
"What happened?" Ava rushed to her.
Lalana stammered out, "I think… I think my period started! I need to check."
She scrambled out of bed and made her way towards the bathroom. A moment later, Lalana poked her head back out. "Ava, do you have any pads?"
Ava shook her head apologetically. "No, I don't keep any. I've never experienced menstruation myself."
"Girl," Lalana whined dramatically grabbing the bathroom door, "you got such a blessing from God. This is not fair.... You get to be free and unbothered and here I am stuck with these awfully uncomfortable pads for a whole week, facing cramps the size of Mount Everest! And you get to skip the whole ordeal?"
Her fake cries continued to bounce off the bathroom tiles. Ava couldn't help but grin, "Alright, Alright. Let me see what I can find in the storeroom."
After finding one, she handed it to Lalana. She made her way towards the balcony. It had been days since she'd dared to open the door.
Pushing the door open, she stepped out onto the balcony. She took a deep breath of the night air. It was cool and refreshing. The night breeze ruffled her loose hair as she leaned against the railing, gazing out at the scene below.
Below her, the main highway hummed with activity.
"Aren't you going to get dressed, Ava?" Lalana asked asked while coming out from washroom.
"Dressed?"
"Yeah, for the car race, silly! I told you in the morning. Remember? That's why I came to Hat Yai this time – for the night car race near the airport! There are fifty racers participating. It's supposed to be amazing!"
"Sure, let's go. What about Tanin? Won't he want to come along?"
Lalana rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, come on, Ava! Don't tell me you haven't noticed how much that boy goes crazy over anything with an engine! He'll be here any minute, stuffing his face after school most likely. Let's just wait till he gets home and then make a quick escape together."
Ava nodded in agreement but she didn't know what was going to be happened tonight...