Finding my way [Complete]

Chapter 16

Kong's POV

I knew grandpa would come to visit. Not because he had said he would but because in my gut I just knew it. I was going crazy with the multitude of jumbling thoughts and solving any of the hundred mysteries surrounding P'Arthit would help. Grandpa seemed like the most accessible mystery to pursue.

I was almost a 100% sure grandpa knew P'Arthit before yesterday and it had not been through me, yet he had pretended otherwise. Did he also know P'Arthit was hurt? Did he know I knew P'Arthit? Ofcourse he must, why else would he follow me to my dorm room. I re-ran the conversation from yesterday over and over again. Grandpa had barely said a few sentences overall but somehow the conversation had shifted to P'Arthit easily.

Grandpa came to visit but upon hearing that P'Arthit was still asleep he didn't even enter the room. That surprised me. Was grandpa pretending to be indifferent? Cause he clearly wasn't. He was restless and asked the doctors many, too many, questions regarding P'Arthit's condition. I could see he was trying to find an opening for a conversation with me but kept backing away.

"I hope P'Arthit wakes up soon. I don't think I can take the stress anymore. I just want to make sure he is OK."

"Yes yes didn't the doctors say he is loaded up on painkillers. Once the drugs wear off he will wake up. They are hoping to have him out of here within 2 days anyway."

.....

"Say Kong, did you manage to call his parents yet?"

"Umm not yet, we can't track down any contact information"

"Ah! So maybe he will be stuck in the hospital until they can come get him....." "......or maybe your friend, that big guy, what's his name, Knott can take him."

I looked at my grandpa straight into his eyes. I knew what he was saying. And he knew I understood. What I didn't get was all the secrecy behind it.

"Grandpa I was actually hoping you would help convince ma and pa to let P'Arthit stay with us until his parents come get him. It will be the least inconvenient. We have room to spare and lots of help around the house. I am sure P'Arthit would feel very guilty if he was imposing on P'Knott in his tiny room."

With no point in pretending to argue the decision both of us wanted, grandpa agreed "Yeah, sure anyway if the cops come looking to me to find him I need to know where he is."

Next morning when P'Arthit woke up I finally felt the squeeze around my heart completely relax. I was confused and scared and angry and a 100 different emotions at the same time, but I was also relieved. He was not in any immediate danger and for now that's all that mattered. As much as I wanted I couldn't bring myself to stay in the room alone with him, or even give a simple greeting for that matter. I knew I would completely break down if I tried interacting with him at all and right now I needed to keep my emotions in check.

The most important thing was to make sure P'Arthit was doing better. I was relieved when our friends came to visit, it took the pressure off me from pretending and I could just stay on the sidelines and watch him. He couldn't talk just yet so he mostly grunted and frowned. Amazing how even that looked good on him. What I was really looking forward to was my grandpa's visit. I needed to see them interact to confirm the theories swirling through my mind.

Yep! P'Arthit knew grandpa too. The juice covering P'Prem's face was all one needed to see. P'Arthit was visibly shaken seeing grandpa here and basically shut down the rest of the evening without any interaction. Later when grandpa asked me to get the cold compress everyone in the room knew he wanted to talk to P'Arthit privately. And no that was not happening. Grandpa should have known I would listen in on their conversation. Infact I am quite sure grandpa expected me to eavesdrop.

What did all of this mean? They knew each other, and quite well from what it sounded like. But P'Arthit didn't know we were related. When had they met? Why had they met? A stupid irrational part of my brain was extremely relieved that grandpa didn't know anything regarding his injury too. Atleast those threads were not connected. But it was clear P'Arthit was planning on not being truthful with me again. It didn't matter. I would figure it out. I was taking him to my home tomorrow. I would have the support of grandpa in taking care of him. Grandpa obviously wanted me to know more than I did. We had two more weeks of break from classes and I had only one focus. P'Arthit.