GAP NOVEL

07. BEGGING

MON'S POV:-

How can i just go out for red noodles with Khun Sam? Since we were scheduled for the night, I first pretended to have forgotten and started to get ready to go home, but it was as if she knew what I was going to do because she texted me.

[See you in my car.]
And now here I'm finally in her luxurious car, the same one Nop and I were admiring that day on the bus. We didn't exchange a word until the food arrived. Why is it so difficult to understand her?
"Khun Sam."
Khun Sam puts her red noodles aside and looks at me with her beautiful brown eyes.
"Hmm?"
"You look hungry."
She said she wanted company for dinner, so she should at least talk to me.
"And you are not eating anything."
Because it's too spicy. I'm just looking at it with a lot of hunger. On the other hand, Khun Sam puts on more and more chili sauce, as if she can't live without chili. From what I've seen in the magazines, she can't eat spicy food.
Why are we so different?
"It is too spicy."
"It is not that spicy at all Mon."
"Do you come here often Khun Sam?"
"No. Only when I feel like eating." She puts in more pepper as she answers. She is scaring me.
"It's not a type of food you eat very often."
"What you mean?"
"I assume you always go to luxurious and renowned restaurants or eat some kind of special royal food."
"I am a Mhom Luang. But that doesn't mean I eat royal food. Mhom Luang is just a regular person like everyone else.

She takes a few more bites and then puts the chopsticks and spoon aside.
"Please don't tell anyone I ate here."
"I will not. Even if I told it, no one would believe it. Why did you invite me instead of Mr. Kirk?"
"He doesn't like street food. And I don't eat that often either. It had been a long time since the last time. And i assume that you like to ask questions, huh?"
"I just want to talk."
Am I being nosy again? When she sees me looking down, she hooks my leg with hers under the table.
"I'm not blaming you for anything. I just asked, okay? now go ahead, talk to me."

Khun Sam straightens up in her chair and stretches her spine. She's so determined it makes me feel uncomfortable.
"You are so determined to talk. I don't know what else to say."
"Anything. Talk to me whatever you want."
"Anything?" I smile. "Do you know the Suthat Temple?"
"I know. It's not far from here."
"You know? It has a famous restaurant as popular as Red Tee Noodles. They make the delicious Pad Thai Pratu Pi."
"I know. I've tasted it. Do you want to go there to eat? We can go, but we will probably have to wait a long time, as many people go to Pratu Pi every day."

"No, I do not want. I was just asking." I move to make myself more comfortable. "And... do you know why they call it Pad Thai Pratu Pi?"
"I don't know." she said truthfully
"Well it is because in the past, they called that area Pratu Pi (Ghost Gate). In the Reign of King Rama II, there was a pandemic. And By the rules, you couldn't burn the bodies inside the city. Then they took all the bodies to the Suthat Temple. The door they used to transport the bodies was called Pratu Pi. There were many vultures all over the city. Because? Because they came for the food. I mean by the bodies."
I told a long story about Pratu Pi and she listened carefully so I realized how adorable she is. Before our date, I googled where Red Tee Noodles was located and accidentally read an article about Pratu Pi. I tried to remember everything just to tell her like a horror story.
"And there's another story about the hungry ghosts of Suthat Temple. They are very tall, skinny and their mouths are so small, like a pinhole. They come out at night and make noise. Their noise sounds like whistles." I'm whistling to show her. "Also, they look like humans who live in huge houses. Because they are perfect for hungry ghosts to be able to look out of windows because of their height..."
"You know it well, do you have a ghost friend?" she asked
oops...
"No, I don't. I'm just telling you a story."
"I do not want to know."
"Then how about Mar Nak? [A famous Thai story about ghosts.]
"I'm going to hit you if you keep talking about ghosts."
Khun Sam looks at me with a face that makes me burst out laughing. It was beautiful to see her saying 'I'm going to hit you.'
"All right. I won't tell you any more horror stories. You're scared like a little girl. So cute." I keep talking to her while sipping water through a straw. She looks at me and says.
"Don't call me cute."
"Then what shall I call you?"
"Beautiful."
Huh!
I choked on the water. Some of the water droplets ends up splashing over her face. Then she takes a tissue to wipe her face but doesn't forget to give me one too.
"It's not nice to spit on people's faces like that."
"I'm sorry (Cough Cough)." I'm still coughing. She frowns as she looks at me with her brown eyes. She gets up and walks towards me and pats my back lightly.
"You are too young to get choked to death."
"I was just surprised when you asked me to call you beautiful."
"Everyone calls me that." She looks incomprehensibly. "You think I'm kidding? My friends always said I suck at jokes."
"No no. You are a joker by nature. Your joke was funny. Deep down... deep down really."