“Doctor Pranon? Yea, I know him. I heard he can play sung very sweet any women who listen must infatuated like Pee Sua Samut infatuated
in Pra A Pai Manee’s flute sounds. (From one of thai legend “Sut Sa Korn”)
…As I think if ask Benjakey who familiar must have good result. Match with a name “Leader of gossip gang” since studying.
Pattarin sit and listen her friends tell with unattended manner but her ears catch every word don’t let it miss. Benjakey works at public health of this district. She has nothing to do today, so she go to talk with her for information.
But even if she asks anyone, people also know him. Or he’s famous people in this district. Pattarin listen her friends describe about his goodness for a long time before she can’t endure anymore and ask to leave because feel headache from added information.
In evening she has a time, so she rides her bicycle to that jasmine house again. She get off and walk while pull 2 wheel vehicle with silent because don’t want him hear a sound. And put it at fence at conceal angel by high tree bush. It’s a same time as yesterday, sweet sound of sung float with slow wind mix with jasmine smell. Green rice stalk look like green carpet blown down from touch of a wind.
The sun is slowly settle down, she hide near a fence and listen him play music until ending. She wants to clap for him but just think she hide to listen because house owner doesn't invite her. She slowly walks stealthily from fence, sweep dust on short and ride bicycle back home with happy mood.
“Where are you going go home late like this?” Paratee pulls water pipe while watering and go to open gates for her daughter.
Coco who’s jumping for bite water pipe with happy change direction and run to her suddenly. But no way, dirty feet like that don’t think you can jump into me successfully.
Pattarin keep bicycle and run fast into house, ridicule it that can’t go into a house because unauthorized to pass this line. Khun Paratee looks at her with fatigue mix with a little fun. She thanks her mom that never asks anything about cause of moving to live here promptly. Maybe will wait when she’s ready will tell. Which now Pattarin try to doesn’t think about it, want to forget any trouble behind.
Unbelievable, finally no place like our home. Home that wait us for come back anytime. Has only warm, refresh and feel save when live here. So, she want to lazy like this for a little time and prepare herself before open a scar at her hearts open again.
Everyday Pattarin usually hide to listen him play sung. She notices that after finish a day job. Doctor Pranon come home at a same time not go anywhere. In evening, he likes to sit at doorsill in front of house. A lonely that doesn’t attach with another house make that area silent and no any sound to interfere. Only a sweet sound that him intend to play reverberant in the air.
Music stop when she doesn’t know. But she shudder when she hear bass voice over her head.
“Let’s listen into my house.” Pranon open door gate and face down to look at her who’s sitting. Pattarin’s face feels warm when she was found.
“You sit there for many days don’t you? Don’t stiff?”
“No…thank you, I will go home now.” She speak sputteringly and grab bicycle, ride very fast and don’t turn back to look.
“Strange woman.” He mutters and akimbo look at body moves away.
…Damn. He know she hide to listen song for many days why he just invite into home! Strange man!
Pattarin doesn’t dare to listen him play sung again. She cancels evening ride and change to eat snack at home instead.
“At this period you’re too lazy.” Her mom insert a broom to a gap under chair that she laid and watch TV while bring cookies to mount with
delicious. But happy not for so long, damn tooth that ever decay is hurt again make her cry.
“Go to see doctor, not lay and cry like this.” Mom scold with annoyed.
She postpone for many days until her gum is swelling makes her cheek swell like big lemon. So, she will to go to hospital.
“You should come for so long, let it swell like this.” Natemanee mutter while walk to dentistry room with her.
“I know.” She covers her cheek and speaks softly. “Since my senior handsome doctor is marriage, I don’t think to meet dentist anymore."
“Oh…. Who that you ever crazy in a past?? Natemanee think about dentist who just graduate and super hot. He has white skin and handsome that makes women crazy. So sad that he already has fiancé, not long he marriage with her.
“Yes, that time I’m very innocent. I want to see him often so I try to make my tooth decay and he will treat it for me every end of semester. On the contrary, last day that I has an appointment to remove impacted tooth he change his job with pretty dentist instead because he will go to see his home for newly couple.” Think it makes her suffer and regret her tooth. “After that I don’t want to associate with dentist anymore.”
Now, she’s walking at a intersection for turn to dentistry room that’s opposite with in front of outside patient division which consist of emergency room, drug administer room, diagnose room, operation room and deliver room. Doctor in white shirt walk out from back door of emergency room suddenly.
Pattarin doesn’t care anything she only speaks until she hears low-bass voice after her back.
“Stupid.”
She suddenly turns back, her eyebrow frown and groan in low voice when she sees who he is.
…That’s Doctor Pranon who’s stange man.
“Who do you blame?” She moody, her cheek swell make she can’t open her mount wide as she want.
“It’s really true, Are you nuts? Make your tooth decay for see a dentist. So, if you fall in love with obstetrician you may try to make baby for see him do you? Nonsense.” Pranon say with plain voice, his eyes are looking at patient chart in his hand. He’s in white kittle wear stethoscope at his neck.
“It isn't your business.” She resentful.
“Yes, quite so. But doctors here have many appointments to dentistry in a day. Many patient wait with painful, it’s unfortunate that they must sacrifice a time for people who don’t think anything.” He face up and lean his face little to look at her. That sharp eyes show sarcastic.
Pattarin want to snarl to him but can’t do that because swell gum is obstruct. So she only growl in her neck. Natemanee see a bad situation so she pull her friend to dentistry room before one side is sended to emergency room. Pattarin is hot-tempered for so long, but looks like more clam she think it is mirage.
After 2 long hours of stay open-mounted make her molar stark. Her lovely one tooh is RIP. Pretty dentist give her cotton for stop a bleed. She doesn’t recover from numb and feel like her mount is swell make her face swell round.
…pitiful situation like this if someone sees must laugh at her. She mutters in her mind and just thinks that now her city female friends must be work in air-conditioned room, wear a luxury suit. In holiday they go to shopping, party and dance or have a dinner with some nice guy.
Pattarin walk out to long bench in front of room. No body of Natemanee but has one note attached.
‘I must go home, my mom call to go back for help her send goods. If you finish you can call me. I will go to bring you back.’
…Oh She never bring cell phone too and her mount is now swelling so, she can’t speak clearly. A tongue is hard like a wood board can’t move such a little.
She walk around for find telephone box but around her doesn't has. While she walk, feel like salty of iron slowly permeate from tongue.
Pranon walk out from diagnose room and see she stand in front of recycle bin act like people who feel nauseate. “Are you alright? Just remove tooth make you want to faint?”
Pattarin face up to look at him with pale face. She feel disgusting lump of gauze and cotton that soak with blood in her mouth, finally she spit out in black recycle bag in front of her.
“Come to gargle your mouth.” He pushes her to walk to diagnose room that has label of his name in front of it. He pours water into silver metal glass and send to her. Pattarin act like disgusting. Doctor said “Drinking water, it’s clean.”
She receive to gargle with unwilling. Look at this glass it isn’t a drinking glass for sure but restraint her mind to drink it. Line of red blood is mix in water fall down to washbasin. Even if she split out blood is more bleeding. Pranon wear gloves and grab her little chin back involuntary. He put his finger in her mouth and surveys a wound after that he stuff gauze on it. Pattarin look at him with big eye because big quack doctor never ask before doing. His face when look down too watch a wound is closely with her nose.
“Put it on, remove when stop bleeding.”
“Een?” ….When.
She moves away from him and frown …. Yak. His glove taste is strange. Don’t know he grab anything before.
“When blood is stop bleeding.” He removes white thin gloves out.
“Oo… Een?” So, when.
“When it stop.” He answers the same.
…Pshh. Mad doctor. Answer so annoying. She mutters in her mind.
He glances at clock on the wall and face down to continue writing on chart. Whip his hand fast before send it to a nurse.
Pattarin stealthily interest in his bad handwriting that crooked and can’t to read. …She afraid that Nightingale must graduate in translates ancient words to know what he write.
“Ok, let’s go back.”
Suddenly, doctor stand up and keep a pen in shirt pocket and push her to walk.
She turn back to watch with frighten. “I an o ak.” …I can go back.
“I see your friend is already going back.” Pranon walk next to her, touch hand softly at her back. Gently but make her walk faster to escape from hot feeling like a fire that is burning behind. “I finish my job today and your home is passage way, I can send you home don’t courteous.”
Former city girl sigh …. Ok. I already can’t find any phone box.
When come out at parking are, there’s many car and a line of motorcycle. Pranon walk to one bronze car while Pattarin wait near footpath. But thing that he pulls out for send her home is bicycle. She makes big eyes and turn back suddenly. But doctor hand is grabbing her in time like lion catch a prey.
“Get on.” He speaks softly.
She shake her face … It’s a joke, who will ride that back.
“Get on...” low- bass voice is louder.
She shake her face frequently … As if I die I don’t ride it back.
“Get on it now.” This time 4 words and add with sweet smile make she can’t look at his eyes because afraid to be stone.
…Huhhh Ok. Ok.
Doctor Pranon ride bicycle with slow speed. When arrive at market he suddenly park and walk away to buy foods. Left her lonely on pillion.
…Doing like this should I ride away.
Her though never fade away from brain. He come back and sends plastic bags to her for hold. And reiterate her don’t go anyway. If move you will die. Opps. It’s not. He never speaks like this but his eyes send meaning like this.
Sitting for a while Pattarin start to fidget. Eyes of people and merchant in market look at strange at her. Especially, when he come back and send food bag her to hold make anyone look at her more strange. Old woman merchant see it so, she shout to ask him loudly.
“Who’s that girl Doctor? A wife?”
Pattarin almost to fall down that’s good that she grab his shirt in time. Her mouth fully with gauze that soak with blood and also numb can’t easy to move. Open a chance to big doctor that perfectly conceal her, smile back as answer while she can’t notice.
No Way……………..
Pattarin shout in her mind when many merchant look at her and smile bigger. Pranon bring her out from market. Ride down to slope road into city that has topography like a pan. That make center area is lower than outsider. It’s fast like fall down into abyss. She closes her eyes tightly. His voice is happen for ask her to see place at sideways.
“Even if it’s a little district but we have our own court and prison.”
“Even if it’s for people but I don’t think to use it.” She speak indistinctly, her mouth is better and numb is decrease.
“Why you speak like that, everyone’s life isn't certainly.”
“Yes, quite so.” She agrees with him.
…Nothing certainly. Look at her, from office girl in Bangkok now she’s country girl. And must meet Scissors Mouth Doctor like him… Brrr… Why she’s so unlucky.
At intersection in city has 2 minimart. From that turn left and go straight will meet a police station and shrine of the city-god. Pattarin raise her hands for respect when he ride pass. Turn right again and go straight cross a bridge of Sa La Win Noi river that has slowly water flow. Grass flower grow at dry area that is a good soil.
Sunlight touch a tip of flower when it shakes off because of wind looks like white wave. Moving like fuzzy cat’s tail. Sun in winter is big like large egg yolk, hide behind white curtain of fog like to rest from exhaust.
While Pranon slow down, Pattarin look at sideways of bridge until pass by. Tear is dropping when she doesn't know. It’s a picture that makes heart feel delight but looks lonely.
“What’s the matter with you? Hurt a wound?” Low-voice happens like he knows person who sits behind is let tear falling down.
She shake her face instead an answer but she just realize he may not see it. So she uses her forehead scrub with his back back and forth.
“So, why are you crying?” he stop a bicycle.
“I’m not crying.” She answers indistinctly, hard to listen more than her swell mouth from anesthetic.
“Lying, you’re.” Pranon turn back to wipe by his shirttail. That manners even if not gentle but it makes her can’t stop looking at him. It’s look like brother that can’t endure petulant of sister.
“You’re oldest brother for sure.” She glance her eyes to look at tall body. Her hands aren’t free because of food, so she let him wipe continually.
“No, I’m only son. I have killed my twin brother when I’m in my mother’s womb. Because I know that if he born he will be lethal competitor.”
“Really?” Pattarin makes big eyes.
Pranon look at her and sigh, he speak with seriously voice. “I squeeze umbilical cord for not send food to him.”
“Woo! That time you can do like that?”
“Yes, I know where I do make people lives and where make people die. So, when I grow up I’m being doctor.
…He’s really criminal since he born.
He sees she act stranger, so he turns back and smile.
“I’m joking.”
It’s too late Pattarin draw back as a little cushion can give her space. She close her eyes tightly and outcry.
“Stop….. stopppppp.”
“Hey, stay still. Sit calmly doesn't move.”
Even if bicycle is swing back and forth like snake moving but finally Pranon can bring it to park in front of her home’s gate safety. Doctor sigh with relieve. About Pattarin is suddenly jump of, doesn't wait a bicycle completely stop. She almost fall down onto a ground if doesn't has thick hands to pull.
“Hey you.” He makes a boring face. “Why you’re too hurry, slowly to get off.”
“Thanks to send me home.” She frowns and thinks in her minds that it’s not his duty to teach her. “Here is your food.”
Pranon receive a bag to hang at bicycle hand. Before he leaves, he doesn't forget to turn back and speak. “Oh. While your mouth is hurt like this, take a chance to reduce your weight too. My wheel almost to break.”
‘Grrrrrrrr… crazyyyyy man. Psychosis doctor.’
Pattarin is in a rage. She watches him ride away with happy manner. She walks into a house. Coco runs to welcome her with enthusiastic manner. A living mob look at boss and put it’s tongue out. Long dirty hair cover all of face can see only moist black nose that it try to scrub at her hands like to please her.
She raises her hand to akimbo and looks at it and sigh.
“Do you want to take a bath?”
Even if ask, it may not agree with that. It’s only a time when she struggle with stubborn dog make her can stop thinking about owner of calm face but has sharp mouth like scissors in hospital.
…Even if it’s for a while.