‘What is happening? Where did they come from? This is not a part of the plan. How did someone find out where we are and what we are intending to do. That stupid fat pig must have made a mistake. He will pay for this if it’s the last thing I do.’
Ghao is stunned by the new developments. The questions are flooding his mind. The plan had been perfect. He had worked for a very long time to get all the pieces in place. Reaching the Ming emperor had not been easy and convincing him to send his elite force was even harder. And now this happens. Will all his effort go to waste again and because of that disgusting greedy fat pig Anantachai.
The lightly dressed men with their broad curved swords quickly surround the stunned Chinese. ‘Some elite force you are.’ Ghao returns back to the moment and starts mobilizing his men. “Get up and fight. We mustn’t let them defeat us. Fight for your emperor, fight for your lives.”
Chapter 25
After Oun left them alone, Miguel and Phing went for a walk in the jungle. He wanted to take her further away from the fighting so that she will not hear the screams of the men, because the jungle sure has its way of spreading sound to a distance.
“Hey when I was young I liked to listen to the old storyteller that came to entertain us at the palace, he would always say that all the dragons come from the land of the farangs. Is that true? What are the dragons like?”
“No we don’t have dragons in our lands. And our storytellers and books say that the dragons are for Asia. And they tell us that all kinds of strange being live here. When I was a boy I liked the story that in the center of Asia there are people who have dog heads. That is so funny to imagine.”
“There are no people like that. That is just stupid. Although the Chinese and the Viet like eating dogs, but they don’t grow up with dog heads from that.” She had heard this story too. But the way the old storyteller told it, the dog people lived with the farangs.
“So you see just like there are no people with dog heads, there are no dragons too they live only in our imagination. But don’t worry my sweet girl, if some dragon ever attacks us I will defeat him and he will join that big angry tiger from where we met. Because no animal in this world, no matter if it’s real or imaginary, I will never let them touch my girl.”
“My big strong brave man, I really feel safe with you.” She isn’t just saying this, she feels in in her heart. And that feeling is very good and it makes her feel very comfortable. With him she truly belongs.
“And one other thing is certainly true. We don’t have fruit like this in my land, it is still strange for me to get used to it. Not the fruit, I like the fruit very much the pineapple is my favorite and the mangos are very good too. It is strange that there is so much different fruit in the jungle, you can just go out walking and find the most wonderful things around you.”
Miguel spoke the last few words looking straight into Phing’s eyes. Her cheeks flush red.
“You don’t have fruit trees in your land?”
“We do have fruit but is very different fruit. It’s not so big and rich and not as sweet like here. And we don’t have a jungle where you can just go and pick whatever you want.”
“So when we get back to the palace I will make a royal proclamation and name you as my personal servant for bringing fruit, you’re so tall and you can always bring me the best and the biggest fruit that other people can’t reach.” She takes up an official royal pose but can’t keep her lips from forming a smile.
“Oh you tease me already. I like that my darling. I will be your personal slave and I will make all your wishes come true.” He kisses her shoulder gently. “And when I do a good job, will I get a reward?”
“That is up to me. If you are good to me maybe I will be good to you.” She is staring to like this playful teasing game.
They find a little clearing and lay down on the warm grass under the cool shade of a mango tree.
“I can be the one who can give you a nice massage when you feel tired.”
“Hey I know what you really mean by that. You just want to get me naked and to touch my body. You are always very naughty.”
“How did you know? When did you learn how to read my mind?” He hugs her tight and kisses her neck, and the sweet smell of her hair is intoxicating.
“Oh my crazy man, I have naughty thoughts about you too. With you I want to share all my secrets if you know what I mean.” She runs her small hands through his short blonde beard. “Your skin is so white I like it very much when I touch it. You are so handsome. You are my handsome crazy man.”
“Stop it now I am starting to get shy.”
“That is not possible, you’re teasing me again.”
“My darling naughty girl, I want to take care of you always and I want to make you laugh and smile every single day and I want to make you the happiest girl in the world because that is how you make me feel. Just by spending my time with you my sweet Phing I am the happiest man in the world.”
“My crazy guapo I fell the same way. It is still strange for me that you are so tall but when you hold me with your big arms I fell warm and my heart starts singing like one of those colorful jungle birds. You make me feel special and excited.”
“Oh my naughty girl, you don’t know how much you excite me. Your light brown skin is breathtaking and my arms feel a hunger to touch it. And when you move your body I lose my mind, it is like you put a spell on me. I just want to hold you in my arms and kiss you, then kiss you some more and then kiss you again. I never want to be away from you. This is where I belong, and this is my paradise, being with you.”
“Awwww my sweet Miki, when you talk like this my heart feels warm, and when you hug me like this I am in paradise too. And when our hearts beat fast together that is the most wonderful music one can ever imagine. In this moment I am truly happy. I am so glad that destiny brought us together and now I finally know what love is. Now I understand all the love poems and great romantic stories. I love you very much Miki.”
“My lovely Phing, I have loved you from the first moment that I saw you. And the more I get to know you I can feel it in my heart that you are the only girl for me. You are my destiny my love.”
He kisses her neck again and slowly goes up her cheeks and kisses her mouth. When their lips meet they are home. It feels like they have been doing this forever. The thirst that his tongue was feeling all his life is now finally satisfied. His mind wonders to another time and another place a long time ago and a far far away where they are together in each other’s arms. Maybe there is some truth to the Buddhist stories about reincarnation and about past lives that mother Kanda used to tell to him. This is so natural and so special. She really is his soul mate.
She pushes him flat to the ground and gets on top of him. She gives him that naughty smile that he had come to know and love so much and looks deep into his eyes. She starts to remove his shirt slowly. The touch of her small gentle hands on his bare chest makes his heart beat even faster and it drives him to ecstasy. Phing starts to undo her top, revealing the sweet light brown skin soft as silk.
“Stop him. He’s getting away.” Angry shouts break the moment. He grabs her hands to stop what she’s doing and looks up towards the shouting. He catches a glimpse of a long forgotten but yet still familiar figure dressed in all black. “It can’t be. The Black Snake is here.’
Miguel gets up quickly and grabs his sword. All kinds of emotions rush to his head. He shouts to the soldiers that come their way. “I will catch him. Stay here and protect the princess. Keep her safe.” And he goes in pursuit after Black Snake. They have accounts that need settling.
Chapter 26
The celebrations are in full swing. The large square in front of the royal palace is full of dancers that are dressed in festive colors. Music is coming from all sides, and all the people of Ayutthaya have come to join in this glorious day, and show their happiness for their king.
The king the Queen and the young prince sit on their thrones dressed in t
he finest gold embroidered silks, and to right hand side of Rama, Lord Anantachai keeps shifting in his chair anxiously. His mind is restless with questions. ‘They should have come already.’ ‘Why are they late?’ ‘Did something go wrong?’ ‘Is the stupid snake playing games with me and keeping me waiting on purpose?’
“Is everything alright Lord?” Rama asks, knowing quite well what is troubling the fat man.
“I am just not used to sit on a throne and not do anything.” And he adds a sinister smile.
“So what you have been craving for all these years may not turn out to be all that you imagined. Maybe you are uncomfortable because you are never meant to sit on a throne.”
“Speaking of my throne, where is the lovely princess if I might ask? Is she not going to join us? After all, the people have come here in her honor.”
“She will come. The servants are preparing her and she wants to look her best for her people and when she comes it will be the high point of the day.”
“Remember well my king. After all this is done we will have a very serious talk about the future, the princess’ future, my future, and the future of our kingdom and of all our people.”
Rama is putting on a brave face, and keeps a sovereign stance, for the sake of not alerting the fat man or the people. But his heart is beating fast with worry about what is happening in the jungle outside of the city. How will this day and. Will they all be alright and will they survive and prevail. Kanda is holding his hand tightly, giving him spirit and strength as always.
Chapter 27
Miguel is running through the jungle after Black Snake. All the memories come out at once overwhelming him. He will never forget what this man did to him. And he will never forget the good people that took him in and cared for him. Klahan and Kulap had been the most gentle of people. They had taken him in and accepted him as he was their own son. He had come to love them very much. And the one thing that he will never forgive himself, the thing that keeps him up at night is that he failed to protect them. It is because of him that they suffered, and the man running in front of him now is to blame.
‘Don’t lose him now. He must not escape. You will pay for what you did Black Snake.’ He keeps repeating to himself as he is running as fast as he can, ducking under tree branches and jumping over fallen tree trunks. He doesn’t even notice the branches that hit and scrape his legs and arms. His mind is sharp and focused on only one thing. ‘You will pay Black Snake.’
His ears are sharp too. He listens to the noise of Snake running through the trees hitting and breaking branches as he goes. He too can’t afford to take a slower pace and try to not be noticed.
Adrenalin is pumping through Miguel’s veins and giving him strength and sharpening his mind. He comes to a small clearing and sees Snake standing frozen, looking over a steep cliff.
“This is the end of the road for you Ghao, you dirty snake.”
“I heard people talking about the strange tall white man that was brought to Ayutthaya. I thought that it might be you. I was hoping that you would rot in the cages and that the fat man will take care of you.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. It looks like destiny has been good to me. It has brought me right to you. And now it’s time for you to get what you deserve.”
“You never were a big enough of a man to defeat me, you stupid farang.”
Both men pull out their swords and start moving in a circle to try to get a favorable position over the other.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“You know what I mean. They were good people that never hurt or even have a bad word to say to anybody. Why did you kill them, you monster?
“Are you talking about the old people that lived in the small house on the beach, the ones that you once called family?
“You killed them in the middle of the night and then ran far away like the dirty snake that you are.” Miguel’s voice is cracking with anger.
“They had to be punished for their crimes.”
Miguel rushes towards Ghao Swinging his sword to his head. Ghao deflects the blow easily and steps to the right continuing to move in a circle around his opponent.
“They had done no crimes. They were good and kind people.”
“Yes they had, their crime was that they saved you and brought you back to life. It is their fault that you came in to my life and ruined me. You cost me a lot of treasure and you made me lose my position. For that they had to be punished.”
“I had to help the people. You were destroying them. You took every single thing that they had. You killed them and you hunted them for pleasure. People suffered from you.”
“It’s a pity that you didn’t kill me back then. Maybe if you had been a better fighter the old people in the small beach house would have still been alive.”
Ghao is pushing Miguel’s buttons and pushing them hard.
“Now I will not make that mistake again. This will be your end Snake. You are done.”
Miguel swings his sword towards Ghao’s left shoulder, but he deflects the blow with ease. He is a much better fighter than the farang and he has been killing all his life, and that has made him the best killer in the region. People trembled from the mere mention of his name. Everybody had heard about Black Snake.
Keeping his composure he continues to taunt Miguel, trying to make him even angrier and hoping to force him into making a stupid mistake.
“You never had the strength and the knowledge to defeat me white devil. You are not man enough.”
“You call me devil. That makes me laugh so hard. You are the devil Snake. And I will cut your head off just like all poisonous snakes deserve. And there’s no one in this world that deserves that more than you.”
“Keep dreaming white boy. And maybe when I am finished with you I will go visit your precious little princess, just because you make me waste my time.”
“How dare you speak of her? You will never come near her.”
Ghao’s tactic has worked. He had pushed Miguel too far and now the enraged man hauled himself straight for his head. In a desperate attempt to try to push Ghao off the steep cliff, which in one of those unconscious moments he had realized that the man is standing very close to the edge. A hard punch of a fist meets Miguel’s chin, sending him to the ground. Ghao kicks him in his side, making him curl and roll on the ground and now it is Miguel that is very close to the cliff’s edge.
Ghao stands over Miguel and raises his broad sword to deliver the final blow and be rid of this white nuisance once and for all.
Something flies through the air and goes straight for Ghaos’ right shoulder. The sword and the green mango that just hit him fall to the ground.
Guided by instinct Miguel kicks his leg up hard, hitting Ghao in the behind and sending the stunned man, who’s still looking at the mango on the ground, off the cliff and flying down head first for the hard rocks below.
Phing runs to him to make sure he is alright. “Did he hurt you? How are you? Talk to me.”
“Wait, did you do that. Did you throw the mango?”
“Uncle Oun had tough me how to throw fruit when I was a kid.”
He turns towards the soldiers that came with her. ”I told you to protect her. Is that what you understand by protecting? Letting her run around the jungle when dangerous men are close?”
The men bow their heads in shame and Phing defends them. “It is not their fault, they tried to keep me there I ordered them to stand down and I came after you. Now don’t be stubborn you crazy man. I told you already, where you go I go we are one.”
“Awww babe sorry for yelling, I am in shock from all this.”
Now that she sees that he is not seriously hurt she starts punching his arms. “Why did you run out like that? You scared me. What if you had gotten hurt? That man could have killed you. You stupid stupid man, what would I have done if I lost you.” Tears cover her face and she buries it in his chest.
“Calm down da
rling. I’m so sorry I didn’t think at all. When I recognized who he is I lost control. I had to go after him. I have been looking for him for a very long time. He was the man that killed my Thai parents in cold blood.”
She helps him sit up and hugs him tight. “It’s all right darling. It is over. You have honored them and now they can rest at peace.”
“I failed to save them. I was too late. There were many other people that needed to be saved. I should have put them first. I should have been there to protect them just like they had helped me when I needed help.”
“It’s alright darling. Please calm down. I am sure that they were very proud of you that you went to fight to protect the innocent from this bad man. And they understood that you did the right thing. And now it is done. The snake that killed them is no more. He paid for his crime.”
“You understand now why it was hard for me to talk about my Thai parents before. I didn’t want to revisit the pain from their loss.”
“I understand and it’s alright I am here for you my sweet man, for whatever you need to talk about. If something makes you angry and upset you can tell me, I will listen and always try to help.”
“Thank you my love. Thank you for listening and being with me. Your embrace gives me comfort. With you I can really be myself always. And thank you for saving my life. If it wasn’t for your excellent throwing skills maybe I would have been without a head right now.”
“So I guess we are even now. You saved me and I saved you. Or maybe now you owe me. I think I should add more things on the list for you to do when you become my personal servant.”
“Yes I agree. You can add massages to the list, and kissing your neck. And I can probably think of a few more fun things.”
His smile is back and he hugs her tight. Her teasing had worked and he now feels relief and his heart is finally at peace, no more regret and anger. Leaving more room for Phing to come in and now she knows all about him, about his past and his character and his heart is healed and can be filled with love, true love for a true soul mate.