BAD BUDDIES / BEHIND THE SCENE CHAPTER 2

Inside a unit around the corner of the dormitory near the university; it was divided into two small bedrooms, one bathroom, and a central storage room for the refrigerator. I restated that it was a ‘refrigerator-storage’ room because it was too small to be a kitchen. Paa, my beloved younger sister who was most jealous of me kept mumbling about long-term breathing together with the matters that changed every day to be the components of my life until I got bored with the weary tone of her voice.


The routine is basically like waking up, eating, studying, boxing, going back to be abused by the younger sister and then the routine circulates to returning to bed, waking up, and finally ending the day by being cursed by the younger sister again unknowingly. If Pran, that bastard, and his allies see the picture of me standing there holding someone's hands like this, I'll be teased for ten lives. But even so, I argued with the complainer back with a hint of remorse.

"This time, Phi' didn't create trouble,  Pran started it."

"Is that also why Phi' Pat will not go and search for other people first?"

"It's true. Phi' is intending to study hard and Kae just came along. He said Pran gathered them to hit him."

"Phi' Pat, don't pretend like you don't know what type of person Phi' Pran is. Phi' Pat's friend, that's right. He must have started the matter first ."

"Whoa, is this my sister or Pran's?" I murmured peevishly. In this world apart from Pa, I don't think that I have to be afraid of anyone else more. This girl was far apart from me in age by three years. When she was still a little kid she followed behind me everywhere with her toddling steps. Back to today, she was making eye contact while taking the side of the enemy.

"Sit and wait on the bed," Pha ordered in a firm voice. She brought a chair in front of the tall bookcase to climb up to get the muddy first aid box hidden in the uppermost shelf. The moody expression on her face was intact. She placed the first aid box on the cushion. It made me a little startled because I was afraid of being hit with a loud sound again.

"When will you stop hitting each other? And how is Phi' Pran doing?"

"Garbage like him, he's messed up. How could I let him be? Paa must be proud to have an older brother like me. Ow! Why hit me?"

"Stop being proud to be a hooligan. Do you think that that is cool or what?"

"Cool or not cool but there are also people who like it. That's it for now. Stop complaining more than mom already."

"Because Mother never complained to Phi' Pat," my little lady said in a cacophony. She bowed down to dismantle the instrument to let the bandage come out and then did the wound dressing. She placed red medicine, balm, anesthetic, plaster, and gauze.

"There's no cotton wool."

"What? I bought it at the beginning of the month only."

"Who was it who used to hit each other every other day like this? Phi' Pat's wound dressing tools' cost each month is more than the cost of sanitary napkins of Paa na~.

"Over." [*exaggerating]

"Don’t let Paa bring the bill or boil for you to consume the food. Certainly, you must be full of food. Paa packed the dismantled stuff to put in the box as it was and put on the box lid till locked down completely. "Go to Phi’ Pran to ask him for the bandage and then help each other for the dressing."

"Hey, what?"

“Paa doesn't want to go downstairs as well. She is wearing pajamas now. Phi’ Pat saw it too.”

"Change them for a moment only."

“Between Phi' Pat just knocking on the next room and asking Phi’ Pran to help dress the wound which one is easier?”

"Pa, I don't want to; go down to buy from *7-11 for me."[*Convenience store chain]

"You don't have to create a noise." The girl stretched to her full height, crossed her arms expressing seriousness through her words, “This is the penalty for Phi’ Pat to go and get in trouble with other people. Paa is fed up already. And if Phi’ had a second fight and punched people again this week then Paa won't let him come to sleep in the room.”

"Here, Phi’, follow to the courtyard."

“Also because Phi’ is Pa's one and only Phi’.”

I know that my sister is worried. But I also can't help it.

"If Phi’ Pat doesn't give up this behavior and one of these days Phi’ Pat happens to be walking alone; what would Phi’ do when the enemies crowd around him? Paa knows that Phi’ is skilled. But skilled people don't always survive, I don't know. Paa has decided already. She won't go down to buy cotton wool. Phi' Pat must go to ask Phi’ Pran and then apologize to Phi’ Pran too. And Paa has to apologize to Phi' Pran too."

"Phi’ will cause trouble to Paa. You sympathize with the son going home to sue his father."

"If you were going to do it, Pee Phat should have done it for a long time already."

I hated this troublemaker grandmother who knew whatever someone was up to, spoiling every matter but Paa was right. If I had to do it, I would have done it for a long time.

"Don't forget to apologize to Phi’ Pran."

"I know."

And once again I sighed, walked out of my room, and stood at the next door. He came to his senses after a long time.

"Knock! Knock!"

I knocked on the door and after Paa returned to enter the room. The door was fully locked now. So if I couldn't dress the wound properly, I could never go back into my room. This was not the first time. I didn't know how many times I had bargained like this. And I didn’t know how many occasions had gone past like this. But I could never agree usually.

My relationship with Pran started even before I was sent to the best preschool. At that time we had friends that we were compatible with. Pran was the top among those people. I was aware of it one more time when I was in a line or grouped according to the instructions, the teacher told me to separate with Pran. I remember because Pran was a kid living in the same village. But instead of coming to school or going back together, we became the most distant kids at school. When entering primary school I moved into an all-boys private school and found Pran again accidentally. I began to realize that my father did not want me to be close to Pran as Pran was a bad person. My parents and Pran’s parents weren't close to each other. No, it's cheaper to use the word ‘hate’. I started to curse after following my father’s wisdom. At first, Pran was indifferent and made a sullen face or got angry only. I did not like it too but it was fun anyway until one day I was thrown a stone on my forehead. For the first time, we punched each other. My head was hurt, my first three stitches. My mother and Pran’s Mother outcried loudly at the hospital. He sat on the bed with his broken chin. I do not know if he had a lot of stitches but we both cried together. Then I also despised it. It was the same feeling as it had for me. We disliked each other even though we didn't understand what was causing it.


" What? "


“What’s up?” The owner of the room opened the door. His ears(*hearing skills) were awfully good, I didn't have to wait to knock at the door. He was even able to guess who he was gonna meet.

"How’re your scars?"

"Shove it."

"The person made an effort to be concerned."

"What's wrong with you?"

I used my index finger to point toward the corner of my mouth and then scratched the left temple. At least I had to bandage one of the wounds.

"So what?"

"All cotton buds are finished."

"Go down and buy it; 7-11 is just downstairs."

"Pa made me come to get it from you."

"Again?"

"Well, just this much can be done. Isn't this a rich house?"

"The person who should be cursing now should be me more than Phi' Pat. Learn to buy it by yourself."

"Who was it that used to make me all wounded, say it." He had this self-deprecating skill yet he would deny responsibility like that.  "You have to bandage me."

"Could you help change the order to beg me in the same way that your sister ordered you to? "

"Who told you that Paa ordered me to beg you?"

Pran turned around. I just relied on the beat of the music that he would miss out on closing the door on my face and then I followed him inside. Pran's room was different from mine. It was a single-styled room because it was for a sole person. Not like a corner room; the rental price was ten thousand digits that could only be paid in installments as comfortably as I was with.

"Open your eyes and see."

The latest iPhone came flying in the air and I grabbed it in time. It had the chat program screen opened. It was the message in 'LINE' where Paa had told Pran to help me wound up in a sweet and respectable attitude, unlike a young tigress who had threatened to bare his teeth for a while.

"Played me at it again."

"If you want me to do it, sit nicely. I have to finish so that you can go back to your room and then I'll dress my wounds. "

"Let's trade a little." I accepted to sit cross-legged on the floor. Pran sat on the bed. He started with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol to wipe around the wound. As for me, I turned off the 'Prank' button with which I used to tease Pran shortly.

Basically, Pran was a person with good looks. I mean if you look at him without prejudice, his stubborn mouth was oval-shaped, his eyes appearing a little arrogant were small. According to his behavior, he hardly smiled. Many in the same group told me that this bastard liked to drive other people crazy and made annoying faces. I have tried to defend this over and over that he was only a face socket like a straight-forward person. But no one believed that Pran was a person who didn't care about the world. So when I knew that he is attached to this architecture faculty, I was not surprised at all. I had an inkling of this thought since high school as well.

"What are you staring at?"

"What would I keep staring at?" I asked while smiling pleasantly. The eyebrows knotted with a beautiful shape and met each other, the small scar at the tail of Pran's eyebrow moved slightly. Before that, the hand reiterated to press the cotton wool hard onto the wound.

"Shit! It hurts."

"Annoying."

"What, it's still not done. Just looking at this and pretending to be high and dry. Shit! you're gonna make more bruises and wounds". His jet black eyes were ready for the challenge. In the end, I consented modestly.   

"Stop being annoying for ten minutes. It will be my virtue."

"Oh, I know, I'll have to return the bandage. And I will be pregnant as well, is that right?"

"You don't have to pretend to feel guilty."

"Here, I saved your hand for you, Phi' Pran. You don't have to go to the hospital anymore. It's a waste to lead others in the gang this way. They might not need you. Do you think you can be a tough team leader? Sparrows like this must be given the education to mend. Ow! Hands or feet."

"Then help me answer if you speak with your mouth or ass. I'll tell your sister to stop buying cotton wool and buy a rattan ball instead. Something wrong? The faculty of engineering courses are full of dog-mouths. It's a waste to be acquainted with you as to say it's no harm to be a little careful ."

"The story of teasing young women" he refers to it as the main reasons why he makes friends. The women of the groups are really pretty. "It's normal. It's to make fun of you. You guys are just serious."

"I'm not laughing."

"Here, it's very serious. You, die quickly."

"A lot of dog-mouths should die quickly as well. Lift your head."

I followed his orders. Pran managed the wound at the corner of my mouth. It stung a little but that was not overbearing. He used his eyes to look at it again. The black hair covered his face and fell below his eyebrows. Several weeks ago, he had it cut in reality.

"Your hair got longer fast."

"Yeah, I'm annoyed as well."

"Let me bind it for you?"

"No need. You stay still, it's tough to apply for the medicine." Pran complained pinching my chin, not letting me move. It was a bit heavy but still lighter than the mouth.

Actually, for me, Pran is a very good person. Thinking back to elementary school again we had split up severely and punched each other at every opportunity until the day that I and Paa went to play near the pond in the village. I was the one spinning on my bicycle and my sister was a stacker playing by herself. As for Pran, he had his bicycle to play around in that area. We met under the gigantic and tall Karawak tree. I pointed out that the rest point as our own, which was reserved as a little boy, and that I had reserved it since my Mom was pregnant. But he argued that his father had reserved it. I argued that my father bought a house first. He took it as a challenge to take ownership of that space and look at it accordingly. In a sense, he wanted to conquer it amusingly.Truth to be said  I never understood that since we all hate each other so much to this extent, why are we all able to live around each other? [*True!◖⚆ᴥ⚆◗- subhii]

Zoom!

The sound of water spread in the lotus pond spread loudly... I turned and saw around. The trail upon the mud which of the area was only a small groove of bicycle wheels and my bike was gone now. We were so engrossed in pushing each other that we had forgotten that the girl who came together was with that bicycle. I remembered how Pha was struggling and begging for help. As my body froze I wasn't able to swim. The parents always taught us, siblings, not to get too close to the pool without any adults.

Zoom!

The sound of water dispersing was heard again. Pran's bicycle fell down to sway under that tree. But the owner was nowhere visible. I saw two black figures jump and appear in the pond whereas I just stood there tense without being able to even make noise and ask for help… After a while, Pran returned while holding both hands of Paa and dragging her to the shore. The crying girl hugged my foes whole body

"Paa."

Push!

This was the first time that I agreed to be punched. Pran pushed me until his face turned upside down. I didn't even think about retaliating when he was so angry.  I was angrier than him about how I had neglected Paa.

"Don't you want to help your sister? If I had not gone down, would you have let your sister die?"

"No…"

"You're a coward!"

Pran led his bike himself. It was soaked all over. The 'Water roots' were still perched on his shoulders and head. The back was getting smaller and smaller. I ran to hug Paa as soon as I regained consciousness. The girl kept crying in fear of what had just happened. I don't know how Pran can do it. My bike sank in the pond and I couldn't get it back. I saw Paa's shirt which was dripping with the blood but my sister didn't even have a wound. After that, I had just noticed that Pran had a small wound on the tail of his eyebrows, a scar that always kept repeating one question to me. 'Was it a trace of courage at that time or not?'

"Don't tell mother na~, Phi' Pat. Paa is afraid to tell mother."

It was the first signal of my transformation. After that, our relationship was always like this. To say it I don't hate him really but he's not my bosom friend either. I liked to irritate and make Pran have other expressions rather than showing solemn expressions at each other. Holding back to some smiles, some frustrations, even if it was more of the latter.

The owner of the room put the plaster as the last thing. Except for my face and elbow, I had a few scratches too. Under the shade of clothing, I could just use the topical medicine on the bruises for two weeks. In case that it does not repeat, it will likely disappear.

"You can go," Pran said as he got up to be prepared to open the door to chase me away. I grabbed his wrist, pulled him back down to sit on the bed.

"Your wound?"

"I Can do it myself."

"Don't hold back too much. You do it for me but I never did your dressing."

"The skill of wound dressing; Pat, you are very bad at it."

"It's not unattractive though. Instead of an apology, let me apologize to you this way."

"Just a minute. You're saying sorry to me? Are you okay?"

"Oh, you don't have to be kind to help each other, ok." I grinned with my eyes closed, and it seemed that this smile made Pran a shade of bashfulness and some difficult-to-read expression. "Let me take responsibility for you."

"Can you stop saying stuff like that? It gave me goosebumps."

"What! I meant that I caused you pain, so I also have to bandage you. What's there to think about?" Pran pretended to punch but I was quick enough to grab his other wrist. Lastly, it had become like me holding both his hands. I confronted him sitting on the bed. As for me, I knelt on the floor and I pulled the other person again to stoop and come down.

"You're Straight-faced but too impatient."

"Only with people like you."

"I feel very special. "

"I will do my wound. I am not rushing to do a lot of work now."

"Belief in this good Phi', it will be done for a long time. Lemme see, where do you have the belly wound?"

"No need!"

The white hand swiftly grabbed it before I could roll up his shirt. Pran just frowned without being angry with me, "This does not seem fine at all. If so, we might take turns with each other. Looking up like this is making me limp."

The Architecture student rolled his eyes uninterestedly. I repeated it and he agreed to come and sit on the floor. He raised his head to help me spread the medicine on his mouth and cheekbones. I used my fingertips to spread the medicine on the scars gently. And then I absentmindedly looked at it; the sight which I liked to look at on my own.[*Ahhhm( ͡°ᴥ ͡° ʋ) - subhii]