"little Aff, you reading the same story again"? said Rosa while pushing herself upward on the bed and aff reach out to help .
"sorry"
"did you and patta resolve your differences ?"
"no"
"o'my, no wonder I haven't seen him around lately"
"he busy"
"busy? o'yes , I heard the servant mention he and Kaping been going out lots to buy rare spices of flower " Rosa laugh softly and continue "I didn't know your mother was into flower"
"she do now " she mummer
"you look awfully pale lately . you should get a check up"
"it normal"
"normal ?...my girl , only ghost walk around with white face ..cheer up"? Rosa smile
Aff felt relief because of mother Rosa light humor .She glad there at least one person she can turn to when she is stress, "I want to get marry "
"o'my "Rosa was shock but after closely examine the young girl face , she giggle
"what so funnie ? im serious "
"your heart is not in it . I can tell"
"its the only way out of my problem"
"you and patta are so much alike"
"why ?"
"both of you like to keep secret"
"I..I..have something to tell you "tear fill her eye
"what is it little aff, i promise to keep it a secret if that what it take for you to tell me"
"thank you"
"now ..tell me . o' my , don't cry darling"Rosa reach out and wipe the tear that imprinted on the young lady cheek .
"im pregnant and i..i don't know what to do , beside getting marry"
"that's not the reason why you are sad , you are sad because the father of the child is not the man you want to get marry , is im right ? "
"yes"she was relief how much mother rosa can read her .
"o'my ...your father will die if he found out . You know how much he love you "
"and I love him dearly that I can't bear to tell him anything at all"
"then ..tell me , who is the father of your child"
"I can't , you must think im some kind of slut "
"of course not , you value your body very dearly . the man that done this to you is probable someone you love ..but if that the case why are you marring another man ? unless you are pregnant ---by force !!" Rosa gasp at the possibly and was confirmed when she saw the tear coming out of Aff's eye.
"what should I do mother rosa"? she leap on the bed and embrace the old lady .
"if he doesn't want to take the responsible, you shouldn't cry over it "Rosa smoothen the back of Aff's hair .
"i just want to die"
"don' say that darling . you have to think about the child that growing in your stomach , he or she is innocent "
"marriage is the only solution"
"to someone you doesn't love ?"
"I have no choice"
"o'my , no wonder you seen so stress out lately . I can only imagine the pain you gone thur"
Patta knock at the door before entering the room and Aff quickly move off the bed while cleaning her face with her hand . Patta smile at Rosa while holding a flower pot "i brought this for you " he place it on the small table beside the bed
"i thought u forgotten about me already this past couple days"
"sorry mom ..i was busy"
"dear boy , it only because I miss you . Now give me a hug"? Rosa open her arm to receive a warm embrace from her son and then she kiss him on the head before releasing him.
Patta turn his attention to Aff , who stood quietly against the wall "want me to walk you home "?
" i know my way "? she avoid his eye and excuse herself .
Patta stare at the wide open door where she left and feel empty again . Rosa was aware of her son sudden sadden and begin to wonder .
Later that week Brook's bring his elder to meet Mr. Taksorn and his wives. They came to ask for little Aff's hand in marriage , Mr. Taksorn was shock at the sudden announcement and want to ask his daughter first before making any decision .
"yes"
"but sweetie ..didn' you say you want to finish college ?"
"i want to start a year late and after marriage I can still attend college"
Kaping was please with her daughter decision and urges Mr. Taksorn to agreed by putting good words about Brook . Mr. Taksorn hesitated because his daughter is to young and he love her to much to see her goes live somewhere else but his daughter already agreed to marry this young man , so as a father he should respect her wishes .
"alright then . what our children engagement date? "
Brook's elder was thrill to have a beautiful daughter in law and they decided to have a small engagement just within the family next week . Kaping clap her hand happily and hug her daughter for such a good choice, other than that Kaping was also glad her daughter is not a threat to her relationship with Patta.
News travel fast and reaches Patta while working at the plantation . He wanted to drop everything and run home to ask if the rumor was true. Later that day , Mr. Taksorn return to work and Patta rushes to his father's office
" is little aff getting marry ?"
"not yet , today the family came over to ask your sister hand in marriage and I agreed . So, next week is their engagement"
Patta was torn inside and excuse himself . She was serious ! She must of love that boy very much to get marry at such a young age ! The rest of the day he couldn't focus on his work and often tune himself out, thinking about her . He return home late that night and decided to visit the Little house , Rosa was about to goes to sleep until she heard a knock on the door . Patta enter the room , his expression was sad and lonesome as he kneel beside the bed and fold his arm on the mattress to make a nest for his head. Rosa reach out to smoothen the back of his hair , her eye was soften and worry about her son sudden change in emotion .
"what the matter "
"nothing"
"ever since you were a kid , you always like to hide your feeling inside, sometime its not good to bottle it up"?
"does it show that much ?"
"i can see it in your eye"
Patta sigh and bury his head into his arm, wanting to hide this cruel face that pushes his sister away in such a cold way . She getting marry soon, leaving this house with the man she love! And he can't stop her beside how can he force her to stay ? He can only imagine what she gone through having to witness his constant affair with her mother and Palin . Its probable for the best she leave and wouldn't have to see the truth reveal when all this revenge is over but the thought of her with another man is killing him softly inside . He can't fight the feeling --it unbearable to breath when thinking of her and he doesn’t know what to do beside coming here
"then I wish I was blind to keep those secret in my heart"
"if you are blind , I still can tell"
"how so "
"because im your mother"
"mom "? Patta lift his face upward to look into the warmth of her eye . Those words touches him so deeply , it make him realize how much Rosa mean to him. After all she was his mother of 16 years and during those time was probable the most happiest moment of his life being ....her son
"right now your eye is telling me"
"yes ?"
"that you love me so much" Rose smile and playfully pinch his nose
"mom "? he leap up to embrace her