"I'm proud of you"
He says it in mandarin. Mandarin? He knows mandarin?
Proud of me? That sounds funny, you don't even know me.
It's so weird hearing those words, it felt like a parent said that. This is getting weird.
"Niran, why do you have to be friendly with everyone? Don't take all of my friends away!"
We've just met. I just want to go home.
Niran gives him the notebook and waves off as he's going back to the second floor. Kriang starts writing something in it, it must be my schedule.
"Well let's continue with our lesson"
We start studying. I could tell him that I can understand Thai, but why would I? It's more fun hearing what people say right infront of you.
"Niran's my brother" he adds "He stays in my house sometimes, so don't mind him if you ever pass by"
I'd never mind it, I'm here to study and leave as fast as I can.
I just nod once again.
We continue to study and after an hour I leave.
This was hell, I'd never repeat it again. The whole time I felt like someone was beating me up, because I needed to talk a little. I'll ask my mom to write me out of these lessons.
I start tearing up as I walk back home.
Someone taps me on my shoulder.
"You forgot your phone" it was Niran talking to me in mandarin.
I take it out of his hand and continue walking while bawling my eyes out. This is absolutely horrible, I can't do this anymore.
I expect him to leave me alone but he doesn't
"Why are you crying?" I ignore him.
He turns me around.
"What happened? Was my brother rude to you?"
I wipe my tears
"None of your business" I didn't expect to talk back. This has never happened before
"It's my brother, so it's my business. What did he do to you?"
"Nothing. Leave me alone"
"Then why are you crying?" I continue to walk and he continues to follow "Please, tell me"
"It's all me, it's not your brother's fault"
"And what did you do?"
Complete silence once again.
"Come with me" he grabs my hand and starts dragging me somewhere. I try to refuse but I do not have any energy anymore.
We go to a nearest river, and he makes me wait.
"I'll be right back" he comes back with drinks "So what's bothering you?"
I don't want to answer.
"It's okay, you don't need to tell me, just relax"
I drink some sips and finally say something
"I can't talk to people. I'm just unable to, I don't know how"
"You're talking to me" he's right.
"I don't have energy to be scared anymore" I think I feel a little comfortable with him. He has this side to him, maybe it's because he's annoying?
I'm scared to talk to annoying people aswell, so I do not know what it is. Maybe I'm not scared, because he's a person that I don't like. That I wouldn't want to talk to but I do?
"Well you shouldn't be"
"But I am"
"It's not scary to talk to people"
"For you it isn't"
"I'll help you learn"
"I'm going home"
"What's the rush?"
"I don't want to talk to you"
"But you are talking to me"
"But I won't if I leave"
"So don't leave" what's his point? "I'm Niranovar Chaiwat, I'm twenty years old. I like bunnies"
"You look like one" he laughs. I've never talked this much my entire life. What's happening right now?
"What about you? What do you like?"
"Does it matter?"
"It does"
He'll forget it in a day or two, so it does not matter.
"I like the colour blue"
"Why?"
"Because of the sky"
"It's not always blue, so do you like the sky less?"
"How would that make sense?"
"Well you love being quiet, but when you talk, do you like being quiet a little less?"
Such weird questions. I want to go home.
"I love being quiet all the time"
"But you like talking to me"
What is he on? I hate talking to anyone.
"I don't. Goodbye" i stand up from the bench we were sitting on and leave "We'll probably never meet again, so live a good life"
"Why?"
"I'm never going back"
"Would your favourite colour change if you found a prettier one?"
"Well if I found a prettier one, I'd probably like it more. Why am I even talking to you?"
"You tell me. So if you explore the option of opening up a little more, maybe you'd love the idea of talking a little more"
"I wouldn't. Blue will stay as my favourite colour"
I've never talked more than I talked in my head. This is weird. Is this a dream?
"Fine. Talk to me only"
"I won't, because we'll never meet again"
"Don't you want to learn Thai?"
"I'll survive without it, it's not like I talk"
"My brother will be incredibly disappointed, you are his first student"
Like I care? I'm not learning for him.
"He'll find a better student, that talks more"
"He liked that you were quiet. Did you learn anything?"
"I did"
"That's why he liked that you learned without needing to talk"
So what? I don't care, I never want to go back there again.
I walk away.
"Bye, Jing!"
I go back home. I'll ask my mother to remove me as his student, I'm a burden.
"Hey, Jing. How was it?"
"I don't know, but could you…"
"I'm so glad, that you finally made it. I'm glad that you're learning our mother's tongue"
"Could you…"
"I'm so proud of you, that you listened to me and went there"
This was the first time my mother told me she was proud of me. She was proud of me that I did what I didn't want to do. It's a weird feeling, I feel guilty.
Fine i'll go to another lesson, but after it I'll just tell her that the tutor didn't teach me anything and was incredibly rude. That's how I can avoid it. I just don't want to disappoint her for now.
"How was it, little Jing?" Lalita barges in my room.
"Like hell"
"Was it that bad? Was the teacher a creep or something?"
"I didn't want to talk, as always, but his little brother started following me after the lesson"
"What the hell?"
"He started saying some weird things. Like, asking me what I like and non stop talking about how my opinion would change if I liked another thing better"
"Weird guy, why didn't you call the police?"
"I don't know. He wasn't bothering me that much, he was just annoying"
"I see. So are you going back?"
"Mother told me she was happy that I went to that lesson, so I'll go to another one and make up a reason after to not go back there ever again. I hope he won't be there tomorrow.
I go to sleep and I dream about something completely weird. Niran was in my dream and all I can remember is his smile. So annoying, it wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare.
The next day I come up to the house I feel like shit again. I do not want to go there, but I'll do it for my mom. Everything will go back to it's places once I rewrite myself out of these lessons. I just need to survive this one and only day.
As I am about to knock, someone opens the door.
"Hey, Jing!" Niran was the one that opened the door "Come in!"
Suddenly I want to go back home, why is he here again? My day was already ruined, how could it get worse?
"Kriang is running late, he didn't realise you'd be coming earlier. I see that you liked yesterday's lesson"
"I told you that I didn't want to learn Thai anymore"
"No, my lesson about the art of life" is he on drugs? He has a high ego.
"You are dreaming. I'm here because my mother wanted me to stay"
"Whatever you say. Want some coffee?"
He's a lot more annoying than yesterday.
"I don't drink coffee"
"Me too. I'll make you tea"
"I don't want tea"
"I'm making it already. You wouldn't want it to go to waste, would you?"
So annoying.
When will Kriang come, I want to get this over with.
"How old are you?"
"I'm twenty"
Ongoing, written and created by me, tempo:)
Sorry for my English, I'm not that great, u can tell me if you find any mistakes I'll try to fix it as fast as possible.