01.
Two words.
Tornado Alley.
It really does look like I live in tornado alley. Toys, action figures, cookie boxes and juice boxes were sporadically place on almost every inch of the small living room floor. I stood there dumbfounded as how a 5 year old can cause so much damage. The sad thing is I’m not babysitting, I can’t give the kid back at the end of the night. Why is that? Because he is my own flesh and blood. Taechit Vitjitvongthong better known as Poppy, is the tornado I’m referring too. As tiring as it is to be a single mother of a 5 year old when in your mind your still a little kid as well, I’m proud to be his mother.
That little rambunctious little ball of fire is all mines, but sometimes I wish I had a maid to help me do all the cleaning.
I grabbed the nearest bin and started placing whatever I could get my hands on into it.
“Come on Mint, you can do it! It won’t be long!”
I quicken up my pace and started humming a show tune that plays over the speakers at the shop I work at. Funny how those little things that annoy you must are what you remember the best. This used to never be a habit of mines…I mean humming show tunes but of course there’s a culprit that got me into it.
His name Mario Maurer, or what me and my best friend Kimberly call him “Oh oh you so beautifool “ there’s a story behind that, of course there has to be.. no one gets a nickname like that without having a back story that would make you pee in your pants.
My life wasn’t always so carefree as it is now. Or at least I try to make it as carefree as my faith would allow me. My parents died when I was really young, leaving me with a distance aunt that took me to live with her in the old country. I was only twelve then and only accustomed to living in a big city. It took quite a while to get used too and eventually I did. Na Pa would take me to her business almost everyday to help with what needed to be done there.
I don’t know how someone could be proud of kidnapping young girls and bringing them into a hellhole to be sold to old men. I was one of the lucky ones I guess, since I was her niece I figured she wouldn’t put me on the selling block. I was so wrong though. That day seemed like it was yesterday.
Flashback.
I was putting away all the make up and extra clothing after everyone was done getting ready for the night. I got all the lacky jobs, cleaning, assembling, every odd job you can think of. I didn’t mind it though this job was much more pleasant than the job that lies behind that large glass window.
The room was a mess with things thrown everywhere. I put on my gloves and was just about to get into all this infectious matter when the door opened and in walked my Na’s righthand man.
“Nong Mint, your Na is looking for you. She’s in her office.”
“Okay ka P’ I’ll go there now.”
Throwing off the gloves I opened the door and walked down the hall to my Na’s office. I knocked before entering.
“Who is it?” the voice is hoarse and very manly it belonged to no one other than my Na.
I would go as far as to say she looks manly too but with all that caked one make up she puts on, she thinks she’s the new Mrs. Thailand world.
“Mint ka, Khun Na.”
“Come in.” I slowly opened the door as a cloud of smoke rushed by me, I choked a bit as I was just breathing when the door opened.
“You wanted to see me?”
After she motioned for me to sit down I looked around the room to see a few other people I’ve never seen before in my life.
“You must be wondering why I asked you here. This is Khun P and Khun N.” she motioned to the two figures sitting off to the side of the room.
The room was already dimly lit but these two people wore sunglasses. Sunglasses really? Is this men in black or something. I couldn’t be rude though even if I thought these people were already idiotic in my eyes, I raised my hand and properly waied them.
They remained still, motionless and I could feel the vein in my brain burst with anger. How rude of these people, who the hell are they?
“What is it you wanted to talk to me about?” I just wanted this over with so I could go back to my job and finish up so I can leave early today.
She inhaled a long puff before answering me.
“How old are you turning this year?” this question it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.
My throat started to tighten as I answered the question.
“18.”
She took another long pause while keeping me in suspense. I started fidgeting with my fingers, it’s what I do when I’m nervous and at this moment I’M REALLY NERVOUS! I feared what she might say next the most. One thing that scares me more than ghost is the sentence…
“I’m putting you behind the glass starting next week.”
That was the sentence I feared more than ghost. She said it to every single girl that comes here and ends up working as one of her whores.
“Na you can’t do that to me!” the anger rose immediately inside me and I wasn’t going to give in without a fight.
“You don’t have a say in this. I raised you for all those years and did you think I’d do that for free? You must be kidding yourself if you thought that. I’m going to make three times my money back if not more off of you. I already have clients lined up for you.”
“NOOOOOO! You can’t do this to me…you just can’t!”
My tears streamed down my face as her men came in and took me out of her room. The last look I got of anything in that room was the face of the man name Khun P.
End of Flashback.
The memories of that place I wish I could forget them. My worst nightmare is having to ever go back there. What I fear most in life, is my Na, that place and that person. Also losing the one thing that means more than anything my son.
“MUMMMY!” the blood curdling scream came from down the hall.
“Poppy!” I yelled jumping up from the ground and racing down the hall as fast as my legs could take me.
It was a scream a mother never wanted to hear come out of her child. It sent chills up and down my spine. I quickly opened the door to see my baby sitting in the darkest corner of the room.
“Mummy.” he said again with arms outstretched towards me.
I ran to him and embraced him in a tight hug, as he nuzzled his nose into my chest.
“What’s wrong baby?” I asked rubbing the back of his head to comfort him.
“I saw it again.” he replied.
Poppy has been having the same reoccurring nightmare ever since he was young. He would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. I was scared to death, not knowing what was wrong. I cried myself to sleep knowing I couldn’t do anything to help him. It wasn’t until he started talking, he told me about the black figure that haunts him in his dreams.
“Come on, let’s get you back into bed.” I picked him up and placed him back into the bed.
“Mummy don’t leave me, its come backs.” he said while his little eyes roamed the room at 100 miles per hour.
“I’ll be right here, sweetie. Go to bed.” I tucked him in and kissed his forehead.
I stayed with him the rest of the night, worried he’d have the same dream again.