Ngao Asoke Summary
Piachat (Her name wasn't Piachat at first.) was returning home from school one day and she had some exciting news to tell her mother. She had high honors in her class. As she made her way home, a storm also arrived. So she raced home and she was in time to see a tree fall onto her house and it was set on fire so her mother was gone in the fire. Now she had gone to live with her grandmother.
Vichada was on her way to Monthai's house because her parents, the Hiranyawats, were old friends of theirs. Monthai's mother was a very protective, stubborn, and wanted everything to be done by her way. She loved her husband very much so she allowed him to have mistress. Even though, she did not want Monthai to end up a ladies' man like his father. She decided to ask for Vichada's hand in marriage of Monthai's. Vichada who was ear dropping on the whole conversation and was happily satisfied. Monthai had this friendly and loving nature in him. A distance relative of his, Lakana also fell in love with him. He was friendly to her but she avoided him. And he wondered why. The truth was that his mother had called her a lot of names connected to him. Like calling her a leech just wanting to smooch off of her family's fortune, ECT. Piachat also lived nearby. Her family wasn't wealthy. They only sold vegetables and other things to survive. She was very fond of a tree called, "Asoke." She spotted one in Monthai's yard and went over to pick some. At the moment that she arrived, Vichada and Monthai were sharing a sweet moment as both were informed about their engagement. Monthai really didn't express much feeling toward her. But Piachat made a noise and they looked to see whom it was. She tried to run but Monthai caught her. Vichada was furious and wanted to slap her but was stopped. Monthai found out what she wanted and allowed her to pick the leaves of the Asoke. She came more than once and she took a liking in Monthai's generosity. Piachat's grandmother had a heart attack when she was almost hit by the Hiranyawats' van. Piachat was left out as an orphan. The Hiranyawats decided to adopt her but not as a daughter, as a worker in their house. But she was given an education. To the people that looked into the family they would think that the Hiranyawats were people with generosity. But the truth was that the father was a player. He was getting sick of his wife and she can't do anything about it. So she came up with the idea to raise Piachat and then when she was fully grown, he can take her as his wife. She wanted this so that her husband can fulfill his hormones at home instead of elsewhere. And Piachat was raised in the Hiranyawat's home and was given a new name, which was Piachat.
One night, Monthai was out walking and Lakana also walked by. He went over to her and she looked away. He wanted her to look at him. She refused and they started to struggle as he asked her questions about her being afraid of him. She can't hold it any longer and she hugged Monthai, just as his mother came and she started to beat on Lakana and said cruel things to her. Monthai stopped his mother as Lakana raced to her room. The hours later after being so ashamed of Monthai's mother words, Lakana killed herself. She silted her throat. Monthai was mad and ashamed that his mother caused this and he mostly blamed her. And he decided that he would go to Australia to finish his studies. Vichada was upset that he was going but he said he would only be gone four years. She wanted something for him to remember her by so she gave him a picture of her. Earlier, her sister, Paa said that her writing was like chicken scratch compared to Piachat. She had made Piachat writing the message (For Monthai Only, Love Vichada) on the back of the picture. Monthai was having a party for his leaving and he also invited Piachat and bought her a dress because she had nothing to wear.
Four years passed--- The Hiranyawats had moved to elsewhere. Monthai wrote the letters to Vichada in these four years. She also wrote him but with Piachat's writing. She was afraid that he would notice that their handwritings on the pictures and the letters were completely different. Piachat had grown into a beautiful young woman. Monthai's latest letter was to inform her about his staying in Australia to look for a job because he did not want to come back. Vichada was furious and she decided not to wait for him any longer and she ordered Piachat to throw away everything that Monthai had sent her. Piachat can't do it because she was secretly in love with Monthai also. So she kept the things. Vichada also told Piachat not to show her the letters that Monthai sent. And if she wanted to, she can write back to him. As at the Mahatavates' home, Monthai's father had died from heart attack and his mother was going crazy missing him. She was also losing her mind; all she did was calling out for Vichada. She was thinking that if Vichada was there then Monthai would return to her. Her sister sent many letters to the Hiranyawats so that Vichada would come to visit but she refused to go. She would not baby sit a crazy woman.
Another 4 years has passed--- The Hiranyawats were now stationed in Chiang Mai. Vichada was also a very popular among the men. Piachat would always remind her of Monthai but she would not listen. She went out with many men. Piachat had continued to write to Monthai making him believe that Vichada had been faithful to him all these years. Piachat was now grown and beautiful and Vichada's father wanted her more, more, and urged his wife to set up the plan that they had planned all those years ago. Piachat was a girl that knew of the charity that was given to her. She respected the people that gave it to her and would do almost anything to return the kindness that they showed her. She was informed about what she was intended for and there was no way out of it. These were the people that sheltered her. Without them, she could be out on the street as a beggar or even dead. So she decided that she would do what they wanted and that she would kill herself afterward. She wrote a letter to the only person that was truly nice to her in the first place. The youngest daughter of the Hiranyawats was Paa. On the night that everyone was out, Piachat was called out to the father's room. She went reluctantly. To her luck, Paa had heard on the radio that it would be freezing later that night and returned home to get a scarf and looked in the drawer that Piachat had left the note. Being that it was addressed to her, she read it and went to her father's room and saved Piachat in time. There were many more attempts to make Piachat the new mistress. Paa was there to help her. The faith always was on Piachat's side because another letter came from the Mahatavates requesting Vichada. Paa requested that Piachat goes in Vichada's place and they disagreed. Paa kept trying and in the end, they agreed. Piachat never forgot the deed that Paa did for her.
She arrived at the Mahatavates' and the mother, Tap Tim, continued to ask for Vichada. Her sister wanted her to calm down and asked Piachat to say that she was Vichada. Slowly, she agreed and Tap Tim started to calm down. When Piachat was there, Tap Tim started to show a lot of improvements. So she continued to be Vichada to Tap Tim. Monthai was also informed about his mother's conditions and decided to come home to his mother and the woman that waited for him for 8 years. Once he arrived, he wanted to see Vichada but everyone knew that Vichada was not there, only Piachat. And they told her to go see him. He had his back turned and when she arrived, he turned and without looking at her, he hugged the person. She froze but he backed away after realizing that it was not Vichada. He demanded to know who she was. She asked him, "Don't you remember Piachat." He looked at her and realized that it was her due to the mole under her right eye. Without an explanation, he accused her of trying to rob his mother of the family's fortune by pretending to be Vichada.
So the feud began. He would always say harsh and tormenting things to her to make her feel like she was a con artist. He would also take advantage of her when they were together in front of his mother. He would hug and kiss her. Of course, she can't do anything. If she did then she would reveal herself. Vichada was also informed about Monthai's return and she wanted him back. So she was going to go to the house. Before she arrived, Piachat revealed her true identity to Tap Tim. To all of their surprise, she informed them that she knew from the beginning that Piachat was not Vichada. Vichada also came and of course, Monthai was really happy about this. Tap Tim was now in love with Piachat and knew that Vichada only came because of Monthai and didn’t care about her. Monthai also liked to make Piachat uncomfortable. And of course, like always Vichada ordered her around and beat her and abused her when she was mad at something. And as always, Piachat took it without a word. Vichada also started to notice that Tap Tim as well as Monthai took a great interest in Piachat and wanted her to return home. But Tap Tim would not allow it. To get her son's attention, she decided to change the will. When he asked her about it. All she said was that she wasn't giving him anything. So he took his anger out on Piachat and continued to take advantage of her with Vichada in the room next door. He also started to realize Vichada's true self. He told his mother that he wanted to marry her but she did not give him her blessings or even money. So they went to Vichada's parents for the money. That night, he refused to stay there because he wanted to go home. Claiming that he wanted to look out for his mother from Piachat. When he got home, he questioned himself, "Was it because he wanted to protect his mother from Piachat or was it that he wanted to be near Piachat." either way; Vichada noticed that Monthai was slipping away from her hands.
The men that Vichada associated with, when Monthai was in Australia showed up at his house on business. Although, Vichada pinned it all on Piachat saying that all those men were who had slept with Piachat. He questioned Piachat and she accepted it. This made him even angrier with her. Vichada wanted to get one of them of her hands. This guy who slept with her, she decided to send Piachat to him. She wrote him letter saying, "She was his. And that if she refused then just use her name and she will be his." He was nice and he showed the letter to Piachat and let her go home. On the other hand, Vichada started to realize that she had no one to fall back on. Because all the men that she was once with were now with someone else. So she plotted to get rid of Tap Tim because without her, she could have Monthai to herself and get rid of Piachat. The night that she set her plan in motion, Monthai was with Piachat and was about to confess his true feelings to her. But Vichada screamed and they all rushed to her, she said that the ghost of Lakana came back to haunt her. This was his mother's weak spot and this had sent her into a stage of shock and fainted. Once again, Vichada caused his mother to go into shock. She dressed up like Lakana and came to the window. Tap Tim was brought to the hospital and she was recovering and once again. Vichada shocked his mother by putting on a fake scar on her throat to make it look like Lakana's silted throat when she died. And once again, she went into shock and this time she died. Her sister knew that it was Vichada that killed Tap Tim. Monthai knew, too but can't believe it.
Just before his mother died, Monthai said to her and Piachat that he loved her. Piachat thought that he was only saying this to see what was in the will. Monthai told her that he truly loved her since the moment that he first hugged her the night that he returned. She told him that she can't break Vichada's heart and said that all those times that he hugged and kissed her she would think of it as charity. And so he kissed her again and said that he liked people that like to give charity. After the funeral, he refused to let Piachat go with the Hiranyawats. And so he showed them a contract that he had bought Piachat and told them that Piachat now belonged to him and no one could order her around. In truth, the signature was a fake. Paa gave him this book that her mother had recorded all of the things that she bought for Piachat from the moment that she moved in. In the book was the letter that she wrote to Paa about giving herself up to please Paa's father and mother. He also recognized the writing but could not remember from where. He went to her and just held her. She asked him why he was mad and he said because of her.
The next day, he paid them according to the money amounts on the books. He went to yell at Piachat for not running out of the house when they wanted her to become the wife of Vichada's father. She asked for the letter, he asked her why and answered it "Because you don't want me to realize where I have seen this handwriting before." He gave it to her. His investigation on who killed his mother also began. Before the death of his mother, Vichada wrote a letter to Paa telling her that she suspected that Piachat was acting strange and plotting to kill Tap Tim. So her mother showed the letter to Monthai and he asked whom's this writing belonged to and she answered "Vichada." So he had Vichada writing right in front of his eyes. So he knew that this was not the person that wrote to him in Australia. He also brought a maid that worked in Vichada's home to question her about the situation and she revealed everything. From the behaviors of Vichada, how she was seeing all these men, about Vichada telling Piachat to stop showing her the letters he wrote to her. And how they wanted Piachat to be her boss' mistress. And he decided to check the girls' rooms. Piachat gave him her key with no argument as Vichada did. He asked one of his servants to call everyone that was involved as he went upstairs.
In Piachat's room, he found everything that he sent to Vichada and the dress that he bought her when she was young. With all the letters that he had sent it for Vichada. He also found little notes that she made about the things that she knitted and sent to him. And he found a picture of her when she was younger with a message on the back, "For Monthai Only, From Piachat." He also found the letter that Vichada wrote to the guy that she slept with. The one that she sent Piachat to so that he would keep his mouth shut. He went downstairs and brought Piachat into her room with all the things laid out. He questioned her and she denied everything. She only confessed that she wrote to him the last four years on her own. He asked her how she felt about him and she said nothing. He gave a choice of revealing it there or they would do it in front of everyone. She asked him, "What he was going to do?" And he kissed her. So she told him then and there that she loved him. He hugged her. They returned downstairs and Vichada was beginning to panic and she started to jump the conclusion that Piachat of trying to kill his mother. And said that she pretended to be Lakana to scare her so that she could scream and make his mother go into shock. So he yelled at her that when she screamed, Piachat was in his arms. She started to walk toward Piachat but everyone stopped her. All the men that she was involved with revealed themselves and she accepted that she was with them. They finally searched Vichada's room and found all the things that were used to scare his mother to death. He wanted to kill her but Piachat stopped her. He told her to leave before he killed her.
Piachat was given the some land in the will and Monthai had the rest of it and he signed over the house to her. They were also going to get married pretty soon. Vichada's father came and accused Piachat of stealing Monthai from Vichada. But Paa was on their side and showed her father all that her sister caused. And so he returned home and slapped Vichada. She shouted at him that she got those genes from him. Monthai and Piachat were also married. Vichada also went to apologize to them. Before they went on their honeymoon, they went over to the Asoke and talked about the memories that they shared.
The End
summary credited to Issaryia's Site, but credited to me (kitkat) for fixing these grammars.