Sweet Surrender

 

Chapter 3: Home Sweet Home

 

 

          "Tik, where have you been?"

 

          Tik walked to him. "Thanks Dad for saying how much you miss me."

 

          "Tik!" His mom rushed toward him at the entrance and embraced him in a nice tight hug. "I miss you so much!" She let go of him and examined him carefully. "My son must have forgotten his poor mother here in Bangkok while he runs freely in London."

 

          "Mother, you know I won't forget about you. Look what I brought here with me." He took a present that was fully wrapped with bows out of his bag and gave it to her.

 

          "Oh, you shouldn't have!"

 

          "Tik, how many times did I tell you not to park in the airport for more than two days?" Mr. Pondee scorned at him. "A normal thief can come by and stole it away without you noticing it."

 

          Tik rolled his eyes. "Unless I have a nice security alarm set system." He mumbled.

 

          "What did you say?"

 

          Tik took a nice big sigh. "Look Dad, I have also got something for you, too. Here." He gave a small present to him.

 

          Mr. Pondee brightens a bit. "Well, at least my son remembers his old father over here, so I’ll let that slide for awhile."

 

          Tik smiled when he noticed Mr. Chai standing behind his father. "Mr. Chai!" He took another present out of his bag and handed it to him. "I would never forget you!"

 

          Mr. Chai stare at the small present in his hands then he look at him. "Mr. Young Pondee, you shouldn't have..."

 

          Tik slapped him gently on the back. "Mr. Chai, how many times did I tell you not to called me 'Mr." anymore? You are like family to us. If you don't accept it, then it would hurt my feelings."

 

          Mr. Chai nodded.

 

          He remembered when he was little Mr. Chai would always look after him and would always help him get of trouble. He would never forget that. He was a good, loyal man. It's rare to find that. Maybe that's why his father hired him in the first place.

 

          "Well, lets not all stands here in the front entrance now. My Tik must be hungry now." Mrs. Pondee replied as Mr. Pondee and Mr. Chai walked to the living room, still examining their gift. "Ling, Souta, bring your young master's luggage to his room, and help him unpack."

 

          "Yes Ma’m." The maid, Ling, and the butler, Souta, carried Tik's luggage upstairs when Mrs. Pondee started to noticed a plastic bag next to Tik.

 

          "What's that?" She asked, pointing to it.

 

          He lifts the plastic bag. "Oh. I've bought milk at the grocery."

 

          "Tik, there's plenty of milk at our house, why bother buying another one?"

 

          "Oh, I was craving milk along the way. I do prefer the little one, though." Suddenly, he remembers that woman he met earlier this evening at the grocery store. He smiled when he picture her angry face at him. She does look cute when she's angry.

 

          Mrs. Pondee stare at him, wondering on earth why he’s smiling. "You must be really excited with that milk carton of yours."

 

          Tik keep on smiling as he walked to the living room. "Oh, it's nothing. Just saw a pretty picture that's all."

 

          "My son must be losing it or else, he has met..." Mrs. Pondee beamed at the thought of her son getting married and having kids. She sighed at the thought of her future grandchildren. But who's the mystery girl? She ignored that thought a bit as she skipped to the living room.

 

          "What has gotten over you, honey?" Mr. Pondee stared at his wife cheerfulness.

 

          "Oh, I will tell you later, Hun." She sat herself near her husband at the couch.

 

          Mr. Pondee only shook his head a bit, and then shifted his gaze to his son. "Tik, we will have a meeting in our company on Monday morning, introducing--"

 

          "What? I only have one day to relax before I start working again?" Tik asked, surprisingly.

 

          "Hey, you already have a whole year of vacation in America and England already. What more do you want?" Mr. Pondee answered. "Beside, I thought you like working?"

 

          "I was hoping for a week off to rest after my long business trip." Tik mumbled.

 

          Mr. Pondee shook his head again, ignoring his request. "I will introduce you to a new staff member during the meeting."

 

          "They already know me, Dad. I'm your only son. Wait," Tik look at his father. "a new staff member?"

 

          "Yes. She just graduated from a nice university in America and will come working with us starting this Monday." He took a sip of his cup of tea.

 

          "Her name is Vicky. Sunisa Vicky Jett." Mr. Chai responded.

 

          Somehow, Tik had a feeling that he already knows her, but he ignored it. "Interesting, well, you know what, I'm getting sleepy, now, so I will be off to bed after I take a nice shower." He got up and started to walk toward the stair.

 

          "Tik, aren't you hungry?" His mother asked.

 

          "Yeah, it's only 8:30 pm. What's the rush?" Mr. Pondee also stood up.

 

          Tik turn around and face them. "Well, I've only have a few days, well, actually about one day left of my vacation, so I'm going to use it wisely before Monday." He turned around and walked up the stairs.

 

          Mr. Pondee sighs as he sat down. "He never changes does he?"

 

          "Well, he's growing up each day, who's know he might change and find a suitable wife soon." Mr. Chai replied.

 

          Mr. Pondee raised an eyebrow.

 

          "Well, that's the topic I was about to talk to you two about." Mrs. Pondee replied.

 

          "What is it?" Her husband asked her.

 

          "Well, our son is twenty-four years old now without a girlfriend yet. Who's knows when he will get married."

 

          "Yeah, I was hoping for a grandchild." He sighed.

 

-*-*-

 

          Tik walked out from his bathroom in his pajamas as he's dry his hair with a towel. Suddenly, his cell phone rang.

 

          "Hello?" He replied, still drying his hair with his free hand.

 

          "Tik! Why didn't you call me after you get back from London?" A male voice shouted at the other side of the line.

 

          He remembered that voice clearly well. It was his best friend, Ken. They both graduated together and still friends since grade school. "Ken, I just got here. Beside, I was showering a minute ago. I was about to call you after I take a shower."

 

          "Well, at least you didn't forget your buddy over here, right?"

 

          "Don't worry; I've bought you a gift from London, too."

 

          "Awww, I feel so special." He made a girly voice.

 

          "Hey man, I'm straight okay." Tik chuckled. Ken still got his sense of humor.

 

          "Well, are you busy tomorrow? I was thinking we should have lunch at a cafe or something and talk about your trip to England ALONE." He made the 'alone' longer than the rest.

 

          "Yeah sure." After the three month business trip in New York, he decided to take a nice vacation in England, alone. The only reason why Tik left to go to England was to get rid of stress. Tik only want to savor the moment being alone a bit before he goes back to work. 'To escape' is what he called it.

 

          "Okay, I will see you in the morning then."

 

          "Wait, wait! Not in the morning!" By then, Ken already hung up. Well, there's goes his sleeping late in the morning again.

 

          Tik shook his head as he recharged his cell phone. He walked over to his bed and fall gently on it. Oh how much he misses his bed. He pulls the comforter up to his chest and dozed off to sleep.

 

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