Finding my way [Complete]

Chapter 19

Kong's POV

It had been 3 freaking days. 3 days of nonstop hide and seek. 3 days since P'Arthit had started staying at my house. He was recovering really fast. Like superhuman fast. At this rate he would probably be heading back to his room by the end of the week. And I had made next to no progress in uncovering anything. I was putting in so much time in trying to come with ways to prolong his stay that I had completely ignored my original mission. My only solace was that grandpa enjoyed teasing him too, and between the two of us his pendulum constantly swung between blushing to glaring and every expression in between. There was no other option now except a direct attack.

"Grandpa...."

"Hmmm?"

"How have you been feeling? You must be getting tired with P'Arthit here and all the hospital visits last week."

"I am healthier than a horse. Why would I be getting tired?"

"No I was just wondering if you were ok, and if you needed anything. I have been ignoring you since the past few days so I ummm...just want to check in."

"Just spit out your question already."

"Did you know P'Arthit before that day?"

"Yes"

.....

"And?"

"And what?"

"How do you know P'Arthit?"

"He is my friend."

"How hard are you going to make this process grandpa?"

"Extremely excruciating. This is the most fun I have had in year. I am going to milk it for all its worth. Anymore questions?" I know that evil grin. I use that evil grin on others all the time.

"Yes. I am excellent at 20 questions. When did you meet him?"

"About a year ago."

"A year? So he and I had already met when both of you became friends? And you knew that he was my senior? But he didn't know about you?"

"Yes, yes, yes, and yes"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you not tell him we were related?"

"Because I don't go around blabbering about my family to everyone."

"Not even to your friends?"

"Nope"

"Did he talk about me?"

"Perhaps"

"What did he say?"

"Don't remember. You see I am old and I get tired easily. When I get tired I tend to forget things."

I rolled my eyes at that before continuing, "How did you know he was missing?"

I saw grandpa stiffen. This was the first topic grandpa was uncomfortable discussing. Everything else he dismissed as a joke. I patiently waited for him to formulate an answer that would be technically true but give away no information, just like every other answer I had gotten.

"We stay in touch often. He generally tells me if he is busy. So when I didn't hear from him I thought you would know. That is why I came to see you at the restaurant."

Hmmm, maybe grandpa wants to crack this part of the mystery too. Maybe he will help me.

"P'Arthit told us he was going to visit his family for 2 weeks. Is that not what he told you?"

"No"

"Hmmm, maybe he wasn't actually going to go. Perhaps that is why he hasn't called them yet. So what was he planning on doing for 2 weeks? Do you know who he was supposed to be with the day he got hurt?"

"No"

My mind was running a mile a minute. As interesting as P'Arthit's friendship to grandpa was it wasn't the reason he was hurt. "Hmm maybe I should try to track his phone? Maybe if we find it we will know where he was."

"Are you a moron?" grandpa snapped. I jumped back due to the sudden outburst. Grandpa had never ever lost his temper at me. "If he could tell you where the phone was, he would have. If he hasn't then you should drop it."

"He hasn't told me a lot of things. That doesn't mean I don't deserve to know."

"Arthit got beaten to a pulp there. The only reason he has agreed to stay in this house is cause he is hiding here. You think I am going to let you go there on your own while you play detective?"

I was left speechless. What grandpa said hit me for the first time. Maybe it was more dangerous than I had originally thought. Why else would P'Arthit be so banged up and yet not say anything about it to anyone. I hadn't actually considered P'Arthit to be in any real danger. The worst I had come up with was a bunch of students from another university roughing him up. Now I was all the more adamant to not let P'Arthit return by the end of the week. How did I manage to circle back to spending time thinking of ways of keeping him here?