On the night of a full moon, Khem was sleeping soundly alone in his new bedroom, separated from Jett and Chan to give them their privacy, and not sharing a room with Pharan as they had agreed to follow tradition and marry before sharing a bed comfortably.
Khem wanted some time to pursue his dreams, to work hard at what he loved for a while longer before getting married. During this period, he often traveled back and forth between Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani, unable to bear the longing, including during the annual holidays this year.
After five years since the resolution of their dark times, Khem had never dreamt of anything, good or bad, until this night. In his dream, an elderly woman in white, whose face Khem couldn't see clearly, approached carrying a bamboo basket which she set down at the base of the staircase of a traditional Thai house, then left without a word.
Khem walked down the stairs and picked up the bamboo basket, his eyes following the elderly woman's back with a strange sense of empathy, yet he was happy to see that she was in good health.
Khem looked down at the bamboo basket in his arms, using his other hand to pull off the clean white cloth covering it, revealing two clear glass orbs the size of his fist sitting side by side.
These two glass orbs shimmered brilliantly, reflecting the sunlight in beautiful rays around them, warming his heart to the point of tears.
Khem woke up at that moment, and found his face wet with tears, his heart pounding so hard it hurt, prompting him to slowly get up because he couldn't sleep anymore.
Khem left his bedroom to knock on Pharan's door. He didn't wait long for a response before gently pushing the door open.
The sight that greeted him was the lamp on the bedside table that Pharan had left on for him. Upon reaching the bed, Khem immediately slid under the covers and nestled into the arms of the man who was asleep.
"Phii..."
"Hmm?"
"I had a dream." After saying this, the arm around his waist moved up, a large hand gently stroking his head before asking softly,
"What did you dream about?"
Khem recounted his entire dream to Pharan, and upon finishing, he heard a soft chuckle.
"There will be good news in the future." Khem, hearing this, nodded slightly against Pharan's chest.
"Let's hope it's true."
After that day, Khem returned to work in Bangkok to set up an art exhibition booth with other artists that would last for fourteen days.
Throughout those two weeks, there wasn't a single night where Khem didn't dream about the old woman and the two glass orbs, to the point where he couldn't focus on work, couldn't eat or sleep properly because he was constantly thinking about it.
Khem immediately went back to Pharan once the exhibition was over.
When he arrived, Pharan, already aware of the situation, advised Khem to calm down, to chant and meditate to find peace, and then he checked Khem's birth chart. He found that the good news he had mentioned would indeed happen soon.
That night, Khem asked to share a room with Pharan because he was still feeling exhausted from the unsettling dreams he'd had over the past few days. Pharan, understanding, didn't object and spent three nights holding and soothing Khem until he fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, it was the date when representatives from the orphanage were supposed to come to pick up donations from the village, but no one showed up. When the village chief called to inquire, they learned there had been an electrical short circuit last night, causing a fire in the orphanage's cafeteria, damaging property but fortunately, no one was hurt.
Hearing this, Khem felt his heart sink, not wanting to think about what could have happened if the fire had spread to the building where the children were sleeping.
"The children must be so scared. I'm worried. Should we go check on them?" Khem turned to ask Pharan, who was slightly frowning, his expression also not looking so good.
Hearing his lover's request, Pharan nodded immediately, as he had been thinking the same.
"Hmm, let's go."
Pharan and Khem went back home to change into more formal and respectful attire. Pharan wore a light brown shirt with black fitted slacks that Khem had chosen for him, as they were going to a place with many children, and they didn't want the atmosphere to be too somber. Pharan understood Khem's reasoning and agreed to wear it, even though he had never worn light colors before.
Khem, in contrast, wore a crisp white collared shirt with well-tailored cream-colored pants, looking neat and composed. After getting dressed, they got into the white pearl Mercedes Benz that Khem had received as a graduation gift, with Pharan taking the driver's seat.
Usually, Pharan drove smoothly, not too fast or too slow, but today he seemed to be driving faster than usual. Although his face was calm, his dark eyes appeared tranquil, and his posture was as relaxed as always, Khem could sense that Pharan was eager to get there quickly.
Was there something waiting at the orphanage?
It took less than thirty minutes to reach the orphanage, which was bustling today due to the fire incident the night before. The few staff members were busy cleaning up the debris from the damaged building.
Most of the materials were wood, and the other materials weren't of high quality, so an electrical short circuit wasn't surprising.
Upon getting out of the car, a young woman who served as one of the caretakers at the orphanage approached to greet them respectfully. She was often the representative who would take other staff members to collect donations at Pharan's village, so they were familiar with each other.
"Hello, master, Khun Khem." Pharan nodded in acknowledgment, and Khem returned her greeting with a respectful wai.
"Hello, Sister Namkang. I heard from the village chief so I came to visit, is the damage extensive?" She immediately gave a wry smile.
"Yes, it's quite extensive. We'll have to demolish and rebuild the cafeteria. We've applied for a budget but aren't sure when it'll come through.
We've had to use our own money for now." Khem looked at her with sympathy, then turned his gaze to the main building where he saw children playing, and asked,
"With the cafeteria damaged like this, have the children had anything to eat this morning?" Namkang nodded.
"We were lucky to have some food ingredients left, and an electric skillet that wasn't damaged. This morning, the children had fried rice, but after one meal, the skillet broke." She shook her head and smiled as she spoke, but seeing her usually cheerful self looking so weary made Khem feel compassion; he gently tapped her hand to offer encouragement.
"It's okay, we'll help with the children's lunch."
Namkang seemed to see a light at the end of the tunnel. In the past, the master and the villagers had always helped, but in recent years, due to economic downturns and various reasons, many more orphans had been brought in, stretching their budget thin. She wiped away tears and immediately thanked both of them.
Since Khem wanted to ensure the children's lunch was nutritious, clean, and hygienic, he went out to the market to buy ingredients himself. He also purchased kitchen equipment for the orphanage with his own savings.
However, due to the severe damage to the cafeteria, they had to cook outdoors. Fortunately, the sun wasn't too harsh today.
Meanwhile, Pharan arranged for workers to come and demolish and rebuild the cafeteria, offering to cover the labor costs and provide the highest-quality materials for construction. Once everything was set in motion, he came to help Khem distribute lunch to the children, not forgetting to remove his sunglasses, tucking them into his shirt collar.
The menu that Khem and the two regular cooks at the orphanage prepared included stir-fried mixed vegetables, clear soup with tofu and minced pork, and large seedless red grapes in compartmentalized trays.
When it was time, the children lined up to receive their food. During this somewhat chaotic time, Khem didn't have the chance to notice who was who or their faces.
After distributing the food, the caretakers led the children to sit under trees and various spots to eat their lunch.
Hearing the laughter and seeing the happy smiles on everyone's faces, Khem couldn't help but smile broadly, feeling joyful himself.
Now that it was almost time to head back, Khem and Pharan were surrounded by children who came to receive toys and snacks. Khem noticed that Pharan seemed to be looking for something since they arrived.
But before Khem could ask, both of their trouser legs were gently tugged by small hands, prompting them to look down.
In front of them were twin boys, about three years old, with fair skin, round eyes, and faces so similar they looked like perfectly matched steamed buns, making it impossible to tell them apart.
The four stared at each other for a long moment, a feeling of familiarity overwhelming Pharan, who immediately sensed who they were, and Khem seemed to feel the same.
Before any greetings could be exchanged, the little twins moved in to hug their legs tightly, looking up with innocent eyes, and one of them said,
"Can me and my brother go live with you, please?" After the older one spoke to Pharan, the younger one hugging Khem's leg nodded in agreement.
Seeing the twin boys, Khem instantly understood the meaning of the two crystal balls in his dream. When he turned to look at Pharan, he could see the immense affection in his eyes. When Pharan met Khem's gaze and gave a slight nod, Khem was so happy he nearly cried.
At that moment, both Khem and Pharan bent down to pick up the twin boys, and Khem smiled and said,
"Yes, come live with daddy Pharan and me."
Pharan proceeded to apply for the adoption of the two children immediately without hesitation. After briefly inquiring about their background, they learned that three years ago, in the early morning, someone had left these two newborns, who seemed only a few days old, in front of this orphanage.
They were placed in an old bamboo basket, with no birth certificate or even a name, just a piece of paper with their date of birth. At the orphanage, they were simply called "the Twins." No one had dared to name them for some reason.
The process of adopting children from an orphanage involves legal steps where the adopting parents must meet all the legal qualifications, and they need certification from credible individuals before submitting their application to the court in the subsequent steps. Therefore, the twin boys had to remain at the orphanage until all procedures were completed.
The only issue was that Pharan and Khem were not legally married according to the requirements, and the country's laws did not yet recognize same-sex marriage. However, these issues were easily resolved with Pharan's financial and social influence.
Within two weeks, both twin boys were under the care of Pharan and Khem.
The twins were named as follows:
First, the older twin boy was named "Singharaj Ruangdech", nicknamed
"Singh".
Second, the younger twin boy was named "Phayak Ruangdech", nicknamed "Sua".
These little twin boys had thick black hair and large, light brown eyes.
The older one was talkative and sociable, while the younger was slightly more shy, but overall, they were easy to look after, eating when told to eat, sleeping when told to sleep.
The reason for choosing the nicknames Singh (Lion) and Sua was to remember the deceased Grandfather Sek and Grandma-Si.
After adopting the twins, after three days, Khem moved into the same room as Pharan. He didn't want to be apart in a way that might confuse the children, and he wanted to provide love and warmth to compensate for what they never received from their biological parents.
This morning, Khem woke up earlier than usual. The first sight he saw was Sua's forehead, then younger twin lying on his back facing the other way, with the older twin, Singh, lying face down on his chest, looking towards Khem, his small back supported by his new father's hand to prevent him from falling off.
Because the scene was too adorable to describe, Khem picked up his phone from the bedside to capture the moment for future memories, intending to collect many such moments as the children grew up. Then he gently woke everyone because today they had to do something.
Pharan woke up immediately. Khem noticed that even with the children, Pharan remained quiet and economical with words, but his actions were different; it was clear he spoiled the kids a lot. Singh, who was the clingier one, wasn't woken up but was carried into the bathroom.
Singh rested against his father's shoulder, comfortably listening to the sound of his father brushing his teeth.
As for the younger twin, he was easily startled, but when he saw his father holding his brother, he begged his mother to hold him too. In the end, he ended up no different from his brother when they went into the bathroom.
It took quite a while to bathe and dress both themselves and the children.
Now, Sing and Sua, dressed in traditional cotton outfits, stood in front of Pharan and Khem, extending their chubby arms for their parents to tie the sacred thread as a welcome ritual.
"May Sing be a good child, obedient and healthy." Khem said to the older twin. Sing nodded vigorously, puffing up his chest and declaring,
"I won't be naughty, won't give mommy a headache, promise!" Khem laughed before pulling his little son close to kiss his cheek lovingly.
On the other side, after Pharan tied the sacred thread for the younger one, he quietly blessed him,
"Listen to your mother." Sua nodded, his face turning red, and replied,
"I will listen to mommy, promise." Pharan's dark eyes softened with affection as he gently patted the boy's head.
The boys switched sides to receive the sacred thread from both parents.
After that, Pharan and Khem carried the twins out of the house, walking through the rubber tree and banana plantations back into the village, with the spotted dog following closely to ensure their safety. The villagers had prepared a traditional welcoming ceremony at Grandma Mai's house.
When they arrived, they sat in a circle with the community elders who had arranged for the welcoming ritual. The four of them sat cross-legged, with the twins' hands folded in prayer by their parents, before Grandma Mai began to chant the welcoming verse.
"Shri, Shri, this day is a good day, the day the child was born, bringing great joy to our home, ten months and ten days in the womb, brave and strong, born like the moon, a noble offspring to cherish, gazed upon by countless eyes, you, the tender young one, come from afar, From the celestial city,
From the sacred grove of the three realms, adorned by the earth, from the heavens, born under a lucky star, you come at the king's hour, born into this human world, a blessing for father and mother, to join the family under the grandparents' roof, to be a precious jewel, to be of great worth.
You are born, lovely and brave, strange as gold, with shining black hair, eyebrows like bows, who would say you are not beautiful, born from the clear stars, come from a distant palace, you are unique in this world."
"..."
"Like Sita Ramalak, blessed by your past merits, you have come to be born among humans, to be seated as Phraya, to be the king, to have three
palaces in the seven-tier palace, with people to adorn and bring, people flowing to honor you, as the root of the divine.
With thousands praising, overwhelming all, both men and women paying homage, with a retinue of countless, let no harm come to you. With followers on both sides, when you move, may there be vehicles to ride, people flowing to greet, many to admire you.
Let your mother be pleased, with power like the vice-king, with strength like Narayana to the south, people respecting you, may you be complete like Lord Shiva, with abundant prosperity, to sit in the golden mansion, with a throne as your base, with wisdom like the wise one, quick-witted like the auspicious one, wise like Vessantara, with many coming to bow, let them bow like before, when you travel swiftly, may you be cherished in heart."
"..."
"Whatever you wish for, let it be fulfilled, with abundant wealth, never lacking, money flowing ceaselessly, words flowing like a river, with women to attend, when you speak, people respect you, with a body like a god, with many surrounding to honor you, with followers by the multitude.
Let there be no harm or evil, with plenty of followers, with people to bring things, calling for your spirit, may your spirit not linger in the heavens, may your spirit not be careless to take you back, calling for your spirit."
After the spirit-calling chant, Grandma Mai was the first to tie the sacred thread around the wrists of the little twins, thrice over each chubby wrist, while reciting the next verse:
"Shri, Shri, the thread of the old doctor's wisdom, blessed by the Buddha, with power to overcome all obstacles, may spirits and ghosts flee, may all evil be vanquished, do not harm the little ones, I will vanquish them with the sacred mantra...
By the power of all Buddhas, by the power of all Dhamma, by the power of all Sangha, may all suffering, all dangers, all diseases be destroyed, may there be long life, good complexion, happiness, strength, Sadhu."
Following this, the young twin boys received many sacred threads tied around their arms along with various blessings from the villagers, some threads had candies tied to them. Behind them, Pharan; the father and Khem; the mother sat nearby, offering support, feeling excited, shy, and happy, their cheeks flushed throughout the celebration.
In this life, Sua and Singh are surrounded by love and warmth. No longer do they have to endure the cold and dark together.
Thank you, grandma, for bringing them here.