After Sundown - Chapter 37 - As long as I breathe (END)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 37 – As long as I breathe (END)

 

 

 

 

PhraPhloeng ran out of the bedroom in a disheveled state unlike normal times. The young man looked around before finding the three elders who were looking at him with confused looks.

 

“PhraPhloeng, why are you running…”

 

Pimpila hadn’t even finished her sentence with a question before her beloved son interrupted. Several elders couldn’t help but look at each other.

 

“Rawee’s gone, mother. I woke up and couldn’t see Nong!”

 

“Calm down…”

 

“How can you calm down? Grandpa helps Phloeng look for Nong. Grandpa, Phloeng is worried…”

 

“Phloeng, listen before you go…”

 

“Is everyone awake? Oh…then why is P’Phloeng wearing pajamas?” Rawee entered the living room without realizing it, but the image he saw made him raise an eyebrow. He asked while looking at the older man curiously.

 

“Where did Rawee go?” PhraPhloeng approached and took the young man’s hand before hugging him tightly. The young man’s expression was tense and serious. It was an expression of tenderness that no one had ever seen before. The tone of voice came out soft because he didn’t dare raise his voice to Nong like before…

 

“I cook food for everyone. Seafood porridge…”

 

When hearing the name of the food, the mind of someone who never liked eating his native capital’s food except for seafood porridge calmed down…it was like he…told the other party last night that he wanted to eat that

 

“Get dressed, then come downstairs and eat together,” the younger man said, gently touching his strong upper arm.

 

“Yes.” The older person nodded easily.

 

Patchara, who saw his only son’s reaction, wanted to get up and praise his future son-in-law for being able to make PhraPhloeng obedient. That’s something no one has ever done before.

 

The wife’s strength is truly amazing…

 

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In the afternoon Saengrawee sat and read a book in the middle of the living room. A cool breeze flowed in through the window. He looked away from the sentences on the pages of the book for a moment to rest his eyes

 

His pale eyes looked around before stopping. The date calendar makes it a bit of a picture of comings and goings. For a moment, the white man forgot the agreement he had made.

 

Be here for a moment.

 

Soon it will be six months since…

 

This thought made the owner of the petite body feel a little shrunken.

 

The light brown color of the thin man’s eyes became dull. He still hadn’t thought about anything else

 

Someone suddenly appeared.

 

“Rawee”

 

“P’Phloeng…since when have you been here?”

 

“Just now. What’s wrong with you?”

 

“No… P’Phloeng, is something wrong?” Saengrawee adjusted his expression as normal as possible. The young man threw away all his messy thoughts, trying to hide his various feelings and not reveal them to anyone.

 

“I want to take you out. Want to hang out together?” Looks like Rawee… would be better if he went out to get some fresh air.

 

“Yes,” because he was too busy thinking about his own emotions. There was no time to turn around and notice the strange behavior of the person leading in front.

 

The car drove through the road so fast

 

The young man barely said a word from the time he left until he arrived at the park where they rowed and played together once. The two people walked side by side. Saengrawee did not ask why the other party chose to bring him here. He stepped down the corridor, before stopping at a pier under a large tree.

 

“Want to take a boat?”

 

“Yes…” This answer might have been the absolute answer if the person asking was not PhraPhloeng Sittikornkanal as he knew before. Actually Rawee doesn’t want to do some water activities. But because he was with this person, his fears became so light that he was able to move through and overcome his worries easily

 

“Rawee, sit facing the tiger’s head (back to PhraPhloeng)”

 

“Yes?”

 

PhraPhloeng reiterated his sentence firmly

 

Saengrawee agreed to do as he was told. He was tense at first, then slowly relaxed as he took in the warmth of the person behind him moving closer to him.

 

“Hold it here, do it like this…”

 

“….” A thick palm slipped between her body and rested on the small hand that was holding the oar to steer the boat. Saengrawee listened to the other party’s teachings and learned several new things that he didn’t know before. The warm breath blowing on his neck made his mind become more and more turbulent.

 

It took a long time before his heartbeat finally calmed down. The small boat drifted past clusters of sweet lotus flowers, before drifting lazily with the wind. The sound of birds chirping looking for a mate made Saengrawee feel relaxed before something he had almost forgotten came into his memory

 

“P’Phloeng…”

 

“Yes…”

 

“You know, your grandmother…she loves you so much. If it weren’t for the fact that she loves you, Rawee wouldn’t be sitting here.” A sentence spoken in a calm voice agitated the person behind him until he stopped doing everything. SaengRawee smiled softly….When thinking about Kannika’s last words before they parted ways

 

” I’m sorry for hurting you and dragging you into this problem. I ask you to take good care of my grandson. I beg you to forgive me. And…please tell him to forgive me someday…”

 

Saengrawee knew that Kannika was willing to give up everything, mostly because of her pure love for her family. The other party didn’t want to make PhraPhloeng sick…just as he himself prayed for his older brother to find happiness.

 

“I’m not angry at Grandma. Never angry…Come on, let’s not talk about death anymore.”

 

“Birth, old age, illness and death are natural things, P’Phloeng, this isn’t the first time Phi knows, right? …that Rawee had to face death several times,” the owner of the white body spoke up. His voice joked with another fact of his life that no one knew.

 

“What does Rawee mean?

 

“Uncle Luang told me that when Rawee was still in the womb, Mother used to take abortion medicine… but it happened that her child was stubborn so he was still able to survive until he grew up,” said SaengRawee in a cheerful voice, contrary to the terrible story that had just been told.

 

Until now, becoming Saengrawee Ramsawang is really not easy.

 

PhraPhloeng felt pain in his chest. He wrapped his sturdy arms around the waist of the person in front of him, pulled and hugged the other party while breathing deeply. He gathered his courage before deciding to say what he had repeated in front of the mirror dozens of times that day.

 

“Thank you for being born…Rawee, there are some important things Phi has to say to Rawee…

 

“What’s that?”

 

“From now on, Phi will not let anyone or anything hurt Rawee again. And Phi promises not to let anything bad happen to us again…”

 

“P’Phloeng…” The tall man’s voice was not seductive at all but it was able to make the listener’s heart tremble. Saengrawee pursed his lips, the heartbeat in his left chest which had been calm suddenly started beating again like the sound of a drum.

 

“Phi promises to take good care of Rawee. As far as Phi’s life goes…”

 

“Does Phi…do Phi know what you just said?” The person whispered sweet words.

 

Rawee couldn’t think of anything in my ears other than the meaning of the other party’s words. He didn’t want to think for himself, but what PhraPhloeng said sounded no different from the wordless love sentence ‘I really like him…’

 

“I know… Phi is really shy. Actually Phi has been meaning to talk about this for a long time. But because Phi doesn’t have self-confidence, so now… Phi… wants to convey… Phi wants to tell Rawee. ..” PhraPhloeng cleared his throat in embarrassment. Due to his own shame, what he had worked so hard to train fell apart.

 

One was because his excitement was so great that it was hard to contain, and the other was because he had never had feelings like this for anyone else before. Saengrawee is the first person…

 

“…”

 

“That might not be a pretty word. But Phi has never once spoken that way to anyone other than Rawee…Phi…” The young man was so nervous and lost that the white man began to sense his nervousness.

 

Saengrawee did something that was no different from pouring cold water on his heart, the child touched the arm of the person hugging him. He gently stroked Phloeng to help her regain her composure.

 

“P’Phloeng, please calm down and speak slowly. Rawee will wait to listen to Phi. Rawee will not run away,” said someone in a weak voice, not knowing that there was a voice that was echoing at the moment. Whose heartbeat is this? Either it was from him or the tall, nervous person behind him.

 

PhraPhloeng took half a second to calm down. In the end, the sentence he had rehearsed here many times before was able to come out

 

“Phi wants to tell Rawee that Phi loves Rawee…Phi loves you very much. Phi doesn’t want Rawee to go anywhere…..”

 

“…”

 

“Sorry it took so much time to tell Rawee….Phi has something to give Rawee”

 

The sound of birds chirping that had echoed all around could no longer be heard.

 

Different compared to Saengrawee’s current heartbeat. The man in white looked at the beautiful diamond ring that the person behind him gave him. Those words made his heart beat until it swelled unbearably

 

“This ring is Phi’s family ring. This is the ring that Grandpa said Phi should give if she meets the person she wants to live with for the rest of Phi’s life. He told me…”

 

“Do you have something important to discuss with Grandpa?”

 

“Yes, it’s very important grandfather. Phloeng has something important to discuss with Grandfather. Please help me Grandfather.”

 

“About…?”

 

“Sangrawee.”

 

“Is there something wrong?”

 

“Phloeng wants to ask for the family ring that Grandpa told me about. The ring that Phloeng must give if I meet the person I want to live with for the rest of my life. Can Grandpa give it to me? Let Phloeng have it…”

 

“If you say this, does that mean you’ve found it?”

 

“Yes, Phloeng has found it. Phloeng wants to ask Nong to marry Phloeng on her birthday. In three days…”

 

The events of the past few days were still clearly etched in Phloeng’s memory. Actually, the young man had planned everything, but because of an unexpected incident, everything he hoped for was destroyed and did not go as expected.

 

This time, he intended to filter every word as best he could…

 

“Now Phi has found that person…Before it’s too late…that’s what Phi wants to say.”

 

“…”

 

“Happy belated birthday, Khondi (my darling)…Phi really loves Saengrawee. Come on…get married”

 

Among them, there were many events that were completely distorted. From the beginning they got engaged to getting to know each other’s personalities until finally declaring their love for each other.

 

Rawee was shocked to hear the marriage proposal, unlike the other party. But no matter how strange it is, PhraPhloeng who dares to say the word love is really great. Even though in the past he had never said those words to anyone.

 

However, with Saengrawee, Phraphloeng became confident. He didn’t hesitate to say it.

 

Saengrawee blinked at the unexpected marriage proposal. The dull mood from before was blown away by the wind and disappeared into the distance. All that was left was his heart pounding, as if there were hundreds and thousands of butterflies flying and spreading their wings into his stomach.

 

“Rawee…”

 

“Ahh…Yeah.”

 

“Really! Does Rawee really agree?”

 

Before Saengrawee gathered his composure to answer, he was startled by the person behind him who almost lost his mind. PhraPhloeng smiled broadly. He was so happy that the tall man hurriedly held the small figure against his chest. However, his fast movement made the small ship wobble

 

“Ah…be careful…”

 

“Phi is happy. Phi won’t make Rawee fall into the water. Don’t be afraid. Rawee, Phi is happy. Put on the ring first…yes. Rawee has to put on the ring first.”

 

The use of pronouns in a relationship can be awkward, but it cannot be compared to the feeling of joy that makes him feel so happy that he loses his attitude. The tall man made Saengrawee laugh. Meanwhile the current PhraPhloeng…was very different from the one Saengrawee had seen before. He actually discovered something new from the other party after some time. He was so different that there was nothing left of the most foul-mouthed man in Bangkok, a position that Rawee had given the other party in his heart before.

 

The younger man smiled as he leaned his back against the older man’s chest and looked at the beautiful diamond ring slowly fading on the ring finger of his left hand.

 

The engagement ring is on.

 

“Good…the size is right. Does Rawee like it?”

 

“I like it. Thank you, P’Phloeng.”

 

The praise that comes from Saengrawee’s mouth is no different from an energy drink. PhraPhloeng smiled so wide that his eyes closed. He pressed his lips to his lover’s temple, openly taking the opportunity.

 

“P’Phloeng! Wait a moment…”

 

“Isn’t there something missing? Did Rawee forget to tell you something?” The youth pretended to ignore her accusatory tone before asking the person in his arms with a serious expression. His expression was several levels more serious than before… Saengrawee pursed his lips. He almost couldn’t help but laugh when he knew that his older brother was so supportive and caring, waiting to hear those words

 

How cute is PhraPhloeng acting like this?

 

“Yes Khun, Rawee also really loves P’Phloeng…but don’t let Rawee go anywhere again, otherwise Rawee will go away for real…oh!” Saengrawee just wanted to threaten the older man for fun, but before she was able to finish speaking, her sweet face was gripped by a thick palm until she turned to face the other party. PhraPhloeng pressed his hot lips to the other party’s lips to stop his words. He didn’t want to hear it himself.

 

It took Rawee a long time before he let his lips move away, even though the other party was still curled up.

 

“Phi will not let you go, never” With a sweet expression, hot gaze and a deep voice whispering in her ear, Saengrawee became more embarrassed than before. Maybe because this time their relationship has developed a lot. Not just a fake fiancé like before

 

“Later, Phi has to ask permission first, Rawee doesn’t like it if Phi suddenly does it.”

 

His body is red and his face is red so that the difference can be seen more clearly compared to normal people. Some people try to neutralize their condition to cover up their shame. He didn’t know any other way than that, while PhraPhloeng didn’t seem shaken in the slightest. This also provides an advantage for the other party to return the lion spirit into his body.

 

“Phi understands. Then…does Phi have to ask permission to kiss Phi’s future wife now?”

 

“…..” Saengrawee’s hot breath suddenly stopped. The sun moved past his head. The afternoon sun shines on the sparkling surface of the water. The wind blows gently, making the surrounding atmosphere not too hot and stuffy. But instead the hot temperature on someone’s sweet face felt hot

 

“What do you think? Can Phi, Khun be your future wife?”

 

“Ah…oh yes…Rawee allows it.”

 

The White Rabbit, who was cornered by the joke, tried to strengthen his heart. How did he reject it? Phloeng smiled. A young man who was nervous about the previous marriage proposal incident seemed to have disappeared completely. Only the lion remains and the evil cunning man remains

 

“Who does Rawee allow?”

 

“P’Phloeng, don’t tease Rawee na~” said the younger man while hitting the older man’s arm once in embarrassment.

 

PhraPhloeng laughed, but he had no intention of letting go of the little rabbit from his arms to free himself

 

“Hurry up or Phi will do more than just kiss.”

 

The sly smile of the person behind him made him even more disbelieving. Saengrawee covered his ears, closed his eyes and took a breath, calling his spirit back before muttering a sentence that affected the heart of the ferocious young lion.

 

“Rawee allows Khun to be a future husband, yeah…”

 

Phloeng’s hot lips came down to give him a sweet kiss as a reward. Their hearts beat in sync. PhraPhloeng supported the younger person’s face, letting their warm hearts melt into one. The tip of his tongue lifted to catch the sweetness of the person in front of him. The wind blew and a small boat floated lazily among the brightly colored Pathum (white lotus) flowers. Meanwhile the bees approach the pollen. PhraPhloeng moved his lips away slightly before turning around to take the white Kalong flower (Cambodian flower) that he had prepared and placed it behind his lover’s ear.

 

“Beautiful…” Although PhraPhloeng didn’t explain that he was admiring the flower, or the owner of the fragile body before him. But the tall man’s eyes had no intention of moving anywhere else. He stared at his lover’s sweet face, as if he wanted to convey a meaning through his eyes…

 

For PhraPhloeng, there is nothing more beautiful than Saengrawee. How big are the white bat flowers that people have admired and praised for so long? For him, it was just an ordinary flower, it couldn’t compare to Saengrawee’s beauty at all…

 

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Excited! Two!

 

The crackling sound of small palm trees hitting the ground could be heard occasionally. Saengrawee buried the Kalong tree seedling with determination, according to the steps he had learned with the tall man who served as his assistant to help him according to orders.

 

It’s been two days since the proposal and declaration of love from PhraPhloeng happened. They try to spend as much time together as possible to make up for lost time. It could be said that the two of them were stuck together more often than a pair of conjoined twins

 

“Is Rawee tired? Wouldn’t it be better to let Phi do the rest herself?” said PhraPhloeng, when Saengrawee came and saw the condition of the white bat tree which was about to be removed. He had a very displeased expression on his face before Phloeng opened his mouth to volunteer to help plant the new trees together.

 

But now PhraPhloeng has turned into a servant who waits for Nong’s orders. Even though it was the other party who initially accepted the invitation, the young man was determined to accept it and was even more enthusiastic than the person who invited him

 

“No, let’s do it together.”

 

“How can we do it together? Phi can do it alone” PhraPhloeng’s words seemed to help bring some people to their senses. Saengrawee chuckled before pointing to the watering can placed near the tall person.

 

“Rawee plants the plants, and Phi…waters them so they grow, how about that?” The sentence is very ordinary and sounds very simple. But it really touched the hearts of those who heard it, causing PhraPhloeng to smile.

 

Very handsome

 

“Good. Let’s plant and care for it together.”

 

“Yeah, let’s guard it together.”

 

A young man looked at his lover with meaningful eyes, thinking back to decades ago. He once sat here, busy planting Kalong trees alone when he was still innocent. He didn’t expect that today… there would be someone else sitting next to him and doing something he liked.. .

 

“Did you know…decades ago Phi asked Grandpa to plant white bats…because suddenly Phi remembered that crybaby. I liked him because of Rawee” PhraPhloeng told the younger person about his secret feelings.

 

At that time, they were still very innocent…

 

“Rawee also likes white bats…because of Phi”

 

At that time he only knew that what he felt was friendship… beautiful, but not yet developed like now… when fate brought them together again on the day when the two people were old enough to know the word love deeply…

 

“You look ragged, my wife.” PhraPhloeng raised the back of his hand to wipe the other party’s clear cheek due to the activities he did with his lover. Actually, Rawee isn’t that messy. The young man was just looking for an excuse for himself to have the opportunity to touch the white man’s smooth and clear cheek skin…

 

“Uh… no, it’s not legal yet…” The shy man spoke indirectly. He gives signs and corrects the words of older people so that they are correct. Saengrawee felt so embarrassed that he began to forget the steps to plant the tree in front of him. He acted a little unreasonably, making the older person feel a little annoyed

 

“Indeed, legally… but de facto, according to Phi, it doesn’t need to be legalized anymore.” The tall man said while raising one of his eyebrows like a cunning person. Saengrawee cleared his throat and raised his small hand to push Phloeng’s strong upper arm. Rawee hoped that the person would stop making flirtatious expressions at him

 

“P’Phlong, go water the tree. Help Rawee.”

 

“Why is Rawee avoiding Phi’s eyes? Is Rawee embarrassed by your Phi?”

 

“P’Phloeng…that’s enough.”

 

The older man laughed happily. The sunlight hit her sweet face, revealing a tinge of red on her clear cheeks. The tip of Phloeng’s sharp nose drew closer before pressing against the other’s cheek. He sniffed the fragrance of the person he had claimed as his own because he couldn’t help himself. Unlucky!

 

“Uh… P’Phloeng.”

 

The two people’s laughter and conversation continued for several hours. The sun had almost disappeared from the horizon. But for Phloeng, he was no longer afraid of the dark. He has his own sunshine now. He wouldn’t let anyone or anything separate them from each other again…

 

PhraPhloeng Sittikornkanal will watch over her sunshine

 

There was no way for anyone or any danger to hinder him. He will love her forever

 

Until his last breath runs out….

 

END

 

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