2006

The scorching heat is finally dying down in the city of Bangkok. There still isn't much of a breeze, but the less humid air is very much welcomed. People rejoiced in the fact that they didn't feel their shirts stuck to their backs the second they stepped out of the house.

It's late in the afternoon. Arthit was on his way home after studying with his friends for their upcoming junior high school entrance exams. Unlike his twin sister Krystal, he really needed to buckle down, and study. Arthit is actually very smart, but he is just not interested in academics. Arthit has always had trouble sitting still, or focusing on one topic for too long. It's as if ants were crawling up his pants when he stayed in one spot for too long. He can't imagine ever being stuck in an office when he grows up. He says that's where brain cells go to die.

His parents has no qualms with whatever he wants to do with his life when he grows up, but for now, he has to live by their rules under their roof. They really want him and his sister to go to the same junior high school. So, it's crunch time. He had just spent three hours in the library sitting in the same seat by the window. The same seat with the same view overlooking the same street down the hill. The only thing that kept him from running away was his friend Knot. Knot had put a firm hand on his shoulder every time he wanted to get up and leave. His group of friends have made a pact to all get into the same school.

After the ironically mind-numbing three hours of so called studying, Arthit is so glad study time is over for today. He was walking across the school's courtyard to get to the gym. He needed to get all his pent-up energy out of his system. Maybe he will find someone to play some one-on-one. Even just shooting some hoops alone would be better than just going straight home.

Home was pretty basic to him. His family consisted of his parents, and him and his twin sister Krystal. His mother is a typical stay at home mom, and his father is an executive director at a manufacturing company. They weren't rich per se, but they had more than enough with a little bit extra for life's indulgences such as annual family vacations.

Arthit had always looked forward to their foreign vacations. Last year, they went to London and Paris. Arthit really liked the Eurostar train ride from London to Paris that was only about two and a half hours long. He really liked seeing other parts of the world, and different cultures. Like the churches in Europe were so different from the temples in Thailand. Even temples from China, Japan, and South Korea were so different. Arthit liked to people watch, and understand why people do what they do. He liked interacting with people. Someday, that's what he will do.

'Eh, where did this come from? Oh, there's another one, and another one. Why are there mangosteens on the floor?' Arthit thought to himself. He looked left to the street where the fence separated the school grounds from the public area. There were more mangosteens on the other side of the fence. Arthit picked up the few of them near his feet.

"Don't worry. I'll get them." Arthit heard someone say from the other side of the fence.

A boy with a straw basket was walking around ducking his head here and there looking for the lost fruits. Arthit had picked up a few more on his side of the fence and ran to the exit gate. He jogged up to the boy with the straw basket. The boy was reaching underneath a tuk tuk for one of the mangosteens. His head was ducked so low that he didn't notice the driver returned to the vehicle.

"Hey, watch out!" Arthit ran over to the boy, and pulled on his backpack to pull him back from the vehicle. The tuk tuk drove off from it's parking spot.

"Oh, thanks." The boy with glasses on turned around with a bright smile. Arthit didn't know if it was his smile that was blinding him, or was it the sun that was hanging low in the sky right behind the smiling boy.

Before Arthit responded, the boy had turned back around to pick up those mangosteens that were out of reach just moments ago. He swiftly put those mangosteens into the basket, and looked around for more.

Arthit walked over to the basket, and dropped the ones he had picked up.

"Thanks." The boy turned his head to Arthit just for a second before continuing his search.

"Uhm, do you need help?" Arthit picked up another one along the street curb. There were quite a few scattered around the street from where Arthit can see.

"Sure, if you don't mind. Thanks." The boy in glasses said.

So both boys roamed around the street looking for the fruits. Soon, the basket was more than half full, and no more mangosteens were seen on the street.

"Thanks for your help. I will take them back up the hill to the granny." The boy with glasses said before bending over to pick up the straw basket.

"Don't mention it. I'm happy to help." Arthit said. The golden sun rays behind the boy with glasses made it hard to look at him directly. Arthit couldn't make out his features clearly other than he was smiling.

"Goodbye." The boy with glasses quickly ran up the hill. He didn't want the granny to wait too long.

"Goodbye." Arthit stood there for a little while staring at the retreating back of the boy with glasses. He doesn't know how or why, the boy seemed familiar to him. He turned back around to head to the gym as planned.

"Thank you young man. I wouldn't have been able to pick those up if you weren't here to help me. You know, I can't leave the cart here by itself. And it's not easy when you get to my age to go up and down the hill so many times." The granny said while trying to balance the straw basket on top of her cart full of fruits again.

"You're welcome. Let me help you push the cart up the rest of the hill. Are you here everyday?" Kongpob asked the little granny.

"I am usually here unless it's raining. I have been selling fruits for over forty years at the bottom of the hill. I used to sell on rainy days too, but now my knee hurts too much when it rains." The granny said smiling as she followed behind Kongpob that's pushing her fruit cart for her.

"Hmm, I get off of school around this time everyday after I tutor. I can help you push your cart at least up the hill if you wait for me here."

"Oh, I can't trouble you young man. I'm already happy that you have helped me today."

"It's really okay. It's just on my way, and it's just a little exercise for me. I used to help my grandpa with his cart on the weekends." Kongpob said.

"It's so nice that a young man like you care so much. I'm sure your grandpa is very proud of you." The granny said while trying to keep up with Kongpob.

"I hope he is proud of me wherever he is now. He passed away not long ago." Kongpob said thinking about his grandpa. He can still hear his grandpa's voice calling him "Heng." His family has stopped calling him that ever since his grandpa left because it always made him sad. Everyone says he is just like his grandpa. His grandpa always said to him, "Heng, let's make someone smile today."

"Young man, then I will take you up on your offer. My name is Suay. I used to be very beautiful, just like my name. Everyone here calls me Granny Suay now. What's your name young man?"

"I'm Kongpob. It's nice to meet you Granny Suay." Kongpob stopped the cart, and straightened all the fruits before stepping aside to hand the cart back to Granny Suay.

"Kongpob, what is your favorite fruit here?" Granny Suay asked pointing to her fruits.

Kongpob smiled, and looked at all the fruits. "Rose apples. They are juicy, and they are not too sweet. I like how refreshing they taste." Kongpob said.

"Here. Take this one. It's very fresh. I will give you a fruit everyday. All the vitamins will help you grow healthy, tall, and strong." Granny Suay cleaned the rose apple with a napkin, and handed the fruit over to Kongpob.

Kongpob smiled. "Deal. I will see you tomorrow Granny Suay. You be careful now."

"I will be careful. See you tomorrow Kongpob." Granny Suay smiled as she took hold of her cart, and pushed forward.

Kongpob walked away, taking a bite of his refreshing rose apple. Kongpob knew what Granny Suay wanted to do, so he picked the cheapest fruit from the cart.

As he walked across the street, he looked back down the hill. Maybe he should have given his rose apple to that boy that helped him earlier. The boy looked younger than him. He probably goes to the elementary school at the foot of the hill. Next time he will offer his fruit if he sees him again.

Kongpob looked up to the sky. The setting sun has made the sky a beautiful golden orange color. This was his grandpa's favorite time of the day. His grandpa used to get so excited to get ready, and go fishing with him at dusk into the late evening. They could sit there for hours without the sun beaming on them. Maybe he will go fishing by himself this weekend.

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AN: Happy New Year!!! 🎊🎆🎇🍾🥂

May this year be better than the last. I wish you happiness, fortune, and good health. ❤️

So, I guess Im officially going to write this new story. I hope you guys will like it. I want it to be sweet, and probably not too long. We will see. I hope to bring you a warm smile with each chapter. Let's see if I can do that.