Deja Vu

13 - A Glance to the Past

400 years ago 

Phayu was watching Rain and Sky walk around the gardens.  They were smiling at each other.  Phayu felt a stir of jealousy that Rain was smiling at someone other than him.  He felt angry that Rain felt disappointed that he had to marry him, the comment of "Oh Shit" had echoed though the hall.  But for Phayu it had been love at first sight.

***Flashback****

They had had a meeting with the two noble families about a new business venture.  His fathers and uncles were really considering the business deal.  Phayu had decided to wander around to see if the two families were really held in high regards, as they claimed.  Pai had wondered off to look for any beauty to keep his bed warm for that night.   While walking around the busy marketplace, Phayu spotted a bridge, so he walked towards it and decided to cross, but the sound of laughter caught his attention.  He looked over the bridge to see a group of children playing with paper boats.  He smiled at their joy at such a simple toy and was about to walk away, when one of the boys fell in the river.  

Before he could act, a young noble teen had jumped up from where he had been sitting and jumped into the lake.  Both the  teen and the boy were lost from sight for a while.  The boys mother was screaming at the edge, when suddenly the teen broke the service with the small boy in his arms.  He pulled them to the edge and pushed them out of the dark unforgiving water.  The boys mother bowed in front of the teen, who instantly pulled her up.  Phayu watched as he checked to see if the boy was ok, he even gave some money to the mother so she could get the boy seen by a doctor. 

Phayu eyes took in the detail of that noble teen, small face, bunny smile, doe eyes and pure white skin.  His whole body reacted to the sight of the wet clothes clinging to his small frame.  The teen began to leave,  Phayu followed him, he could not let this boy out of his sight.  In all honestly he wanted to kidnap the teen there and then.  His father would understand, after all that is how he won his Pa over.  But then the teen soon approached a mansion and suddenly yelled, "Papa!"

Phayu hid by the wall and saw that the two men that he had met this morning were also standing outside the gates, the man called Boon-Nam yelled, "Rain, my son! why are you wet?".  Rain hurrdly explained what had happened.  Boon-Nam had a big smile on his face and hugged his son.

"Rain?" Phayu murmured as he lent against the wall, "Even our names are linked" he smiled, he had made up his mind.  This is the one person he had been waiting for.  

Suddenly anther boy ran up and grabbed Rain, he also seem to be also demanding to know why Rain was wet.

"Ah! Phayu" Pai stood next to him "What brings you here?".  Phayu nodded towards Rain.  "I want him" he stated

Pai smiled and looked at the boy, "Well! fate is strange, I was chasing his friend" he explained "He caught my eye, the ladies at the brothel tell me that he is called Sky.  A kind but strong soul, they say".  

In a strange turn of events, it seems that Pai has seen Sky while he was giving his fathers orders to the local brothel.  While Sky was there he managed to defuse a fight, and help one of the ladies out of a dangerous situation.  He had captivated Pai from the first look.  "So, I guess they are their sons" Pai said as he watched the four of them walk in the front gate. "I guess so" Phayu said as he made a note of the location.  

They turned to walk back to the inn, "I wonder if they would give up their sons for this deal?" Pai asked.  

Phayu looked at Pai and simply stated, "I want to marry the one called Rain".  He walked past a stunned Pai, Phayu had a new business agreement in mind - he just hoped his father and Pa would agree to it.

***End of Flashback****

Now they are here, and in a few weeks, Rain will be his.  Phayu body reacted to that thought.  He was so caught up starting at Rain, he did not notice his Pa walking up behind him.

"Phayu?" he asked, Phayu smiled at this Pa, "Good afternoon Pa" .

Pete stood next to his son and looked down into the gardens at his son-in-law.  He had a thoughtful look on his face, "Are you sure he is the one you want?" He asked his son.  "Yes Pa" Phayu confirmed, he smiled as he looked at Rain, "I loved him as soon as I saw him".  Pete smiled.  He was pleased that his son was marrying for love.  He was worried that that would be forced to take another direction, to marry for business not his heart.  "Well you are already doing better than your father" Pete told Phayu, "At least you did not kidnap him"

Phayu smiled and he lent towards his Pa, "The thought did cross my mind" he confessed.  His Pa slapped his arm, "Phayu!" he scolded.  But as always he smiled as he looked at his son.  He looked down at his soon to be son-in-law again, and his signed.  He looked at Phayu again, he had to say this.

"But, Phayu, you have to understand that he does not feel that way about you" he warned Phayu, "You have still have to win him over".  "I know Pa" Phayu replied, "I will not rest until I have his love, and you know I do not lose".  His Pa hit him again, "Over confident!" he scolded.

Phayu turned and looked at Rain one more time before he walked back with his Pa.  

"I will win him over" he promised himself.