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"Didn’t you forget anything?" Gun asked as he settled into the passenger seat and closed the door of the van.
"Nothing, Pa," Mix replied. As the oldest, he mainly checks on his younger siblings and makes sure that they haven’t forgotten anything.
"Make sure you behave, all five of you. No monkey business while we're at your grandpa and grandma's house." Gun reminded them.
"Papi, let's go."
An hour had passed when Mix slid his bluetooth airpods into his ears and opened the spotify app on his iPad. Even while listening to music, he could still hear AJ and JJ bickering behind him over snacks. It had been a mistake to seat those two gremlins together again. At the next stop, he would ask Chimon to switch to the back.
Beside him, Win was peacefully asleep, his head resting on Mix's shoulder. While Chimon was busily reading next to Win, engrossed in his book. Mix then turned to the window, gazing at the sun as it began to rise.
After a four-hour journey, they finally arrived at their grandmother's house. It's a spacious vintage bungalow with a welcoming porch in front, complete with wooden benches and tables perfect for hanging out. The garden surrounding the house is vibrant, filled with a variety of flowers, and there's even a small pond nearby.
This wasn't Mix's first visit to the province but the air and atmosphere always felt different from the city. He smiled as he saw his grandma and grandpa, coming out of the house to greet them. Behind them were his uncles and cousins.
"Laan tee rak*," his grandma said, opening her arms wide, eager for a hug. [*Means 'my beloved grandchild']
AJ and JJ were the first to sprint toward her, playfully competing to reach her first, followed closely by their siblings. When Mix finally arrived at his grandma's side, she wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh, Mikmik, my darling! Grandma missed you so much."
Mix chuckled softly at the nickname, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him. It brought back so many cherished memories.
When Mix was five, it was one of his earliest childhood memories—his first trip back to the province that he could remember. He ran to his grandma as she called to him, opening her arms wide and urging him to come closer, calling him Mikmik. It was summer, and as the wind blew, his hair danced playfully in the breeze, while his smile shone as bright as the sun.
"Come on, everyone, let’s have lunch." Mix’s grandmother said, leading the way while holding onto his arm. His grandfather walked beside him on the other side.
"Mikmik how’s life in the city? Are you having a hard time? You’re in grade 11 now," his grandmother continued, and Mix let out a soft laugh at her rapid-fire questions.
"Mia*, ask him one question at a time," his grandfather chimed in. [*Means 'wife']
"Grandpa, it’s okay," Mix said with a smile as he helped his grandmother into her dining chair. "It’s not that hard. Dad and Pa often help me with my projects, and I have a lot of friends in the city. We hang out at each other’s houses every weekend."
"Grandma, P'Mix is really good at studying and playing the Thai dulcimer*," Mix's cousin Nanon added. "I saw him playing it at school, he's so cool." [*The Thai dulcimer, known as the khim, is a trapezoidal hammered string instrument that typically features brass strings. It is played with two bamboo sticks and is commonly used in traditional Thai music.]
"Really? You learned to play the dulcimer?" Off asked, amused. He hadn’t known that.
"I only got into it recently," Mix replied.
"That's good. At least one person in our family knows how to play a traditional Thai instrument. I'll tell Champa about this later," Grandma said excitedly, eager to share the news with her neighborhood friend.
"Grandma, Grandpa, I won the swimming relay at school! I’m the fastest swimmer!" Gemini exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. His proud declaration filled the dining room with laughter, everyone unable to resist the charm of the enthusiastic little champion.
"You've worked hard, Gem. I'll buy you banana roti* later." Grandma said while smiling. [*Banana Roti (pancake), the pastry of it is rolled, spread and gently fried before adding whatever filling the customer chooses (banana, nutella, peanut etc.). The pancake is then topped with condensed milk and sugar. Depending on your choice of filling, the roti is then either rolled into a piece of white paper or sliced into little squares and placed inside a carton.]
"Grandma, Grandpa, can we go out after lunch? I want to see the beach," Mix asked, giving them his most irresistible puppy eyes.
"Off and Tay, why don’t you let Fiat take his cousins out while we catch up?" Grandpa immediately suggested, cooing at his grandchild.
"Dad, they don’t know their way around here," Off replied, clearly against the idea.
"Well, Fiat does know this place. He’ll make sure his cousins have a great time," Grandma chimed in. It’s just that only Singto’s family chose to live in the province, while Off and Tay decided to stay in the city.
"Why don't we all just go?" Tay suggested.
"Oh, come on, Dad! You oldies are tired from the drive, you won't enjoy it," Pluem said with his usual sharp tongue, despite his angelic face. "Plus, it's a good time for us, cousins, to bond."
"Let them go, Fiat will be with them," Gun added, trying to convince them. "I also need some peace and quiet without those little gremlins around. They were so noisy during the trip." He was referring to AJ and JJ.
"Right?" New agreed, backing up the idea.
"Fine, but leave Gemini behind. He’s too young. You might not be able to keep an eye on him properly while you're all having fun out there," Tay finally relented.
After lunch, they quickly changed and decided to head to the beach. The 12-seater van owned by the Adulkittiporn family was soon filled with chatter. Earlier, it was only AJ and JJ making noise on the ride, but now, everyone was talking.
"P'Mix, can I borrow your airpods?" Win, who was sitting next to Mix, asked. Without hesitation, Mix handed them over.
"I'm so excited! It's been a while since I've seen the beach!" AJ exclaimed, his face beaming with excitement.
"It's not like we didn't go on a trip last summer. You're totally overreacting." JJ teased, rolling his eyes at his twin.
"I'm not overreacting! I'll tell Dad on you!"
"Enough or I'll be the one telling Dad on both of you," Mix warned, putting an end to their bickering.
The trip to the beach went well—everything was good.
"I'll just head over to the receptionist to settle our room and bags. We'll be leaving by 4 in the afternoon," Fiat said authoritatively. "Feel free to explore, but don't wander too far. Pluem and Mix, you're in charge for now."
"Okay, Phi," the two responded in unison.
Mix sat on a sun lounger, wearing a sleeveless undershirt under a white huilishi see-through polo, his glasses perched on his nose as he immersed himself in a book. The sun warmed his skin, creating a perfect contrast to the gentle sea breeze. On the lounger next to him, Chimon was sunbathing, enjoying the warmth of the day.
Nearby, Win splashed around in the sea, keeping a watchful eye on the twins who were swimming. While Fiat, Pluem, Frank, and Nanon were engaged in beach volleyball.
"P'Mix, come join us. JJ and I want to play shoulder wars!*" AJ tugged at him, leaving Mix with no choice but to take off his glasses and put down the book he was reading. [*It's a popular beach or pool game. In this game, each player sits on the shoulders of a teammate (an ally), and the goal is to knock the opposing player off their teammate's shoulders.]
AJ climbed onto Mix's back while JJ got on Win's. The two kids were already making a lot of noise before the game even started. Mix glanced at their cousins and also saw Chimon coming over to watch.
"Oh, oh, oh! I want to play too! Let me join!" Nanon said excitedly.
"Later, Non. They'll just gang up on you," Pluem said matter-of-factly.
Mix placed both arms behind him to support AJ as they approached Win. AJ and JJ clasped each other's hands, testing who was stronger, both trying to push the other off.
"Dad loves me more," JJ teased, making faces to distract his twin.
Their cousins laughed from the sidelines, and Mix grinned, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
"Ha! Dad loves Papa more, and Pa loves me more," AJ shot back.
"As if! Pa loves P'Mix more, and P'Mix loves me!"
How did the conversation suddenly shift to Mix? He was innocent in all this.
"P'Mix loves me more than you! Who's the one being carried by P'Mix right now? It’s me!" AJ declared before giving a final hard push causing his twin to stumble. Win lost his balance, and both fell into the water.
When JJ and Win emerged from the water, Mix heard the kid crying. He gently set AJ down from his shoulders.
"P'Mix loves me! P'Mix loves me!" JJ wailed as Mix picked him up and carried him back to the shore.
"Being the favorite has its downsides too, right?" Pluem teased Mix as he walked by.
"Shut up. The least favorite has no right to speak," Mix teased back.
Mix has always been the prim and proper golden child, being the eldest son of Off, who's the eldest son of the Adulkittiporn family. Even though he has two older cousins, everyone still favors him more. Maybe it's because Off is the eldest among the three siblings—Off, Tay, and Singto—and in many Asian households, the eldest often becomes the favorite. This favoritism seems to have been passed down to Off's son, Mix, making him the apple of everyone's eye.
There was a time in their childhood when Mix discovered this. As usual, they were spending their regular summer visit at their ancestral home, where they typically stayed for a month. Mix was eight years old at the time. He and his cousins would often play inside the house while the elders chatted on the porch.
This time, Pluem convinced them to play dodgeball*. Their living room was spacious enough, allowing them to play freely. Mix, Pluem, and Chimon teamed up against Fiat, Win, and Frank. While Nanon, AJ, and JJ were off to the side, lost in their own world, playing with their toys. [*Dodgeball is a team game where players aim to hit opponents with a ball while avoiding being hit themselves. If a player is struck by the ball or catches it, they are either eliminated or sent to the sidelines, and the game continues until one team has eliminated all opposing players.]
Fiat had the ball and threw it at the opposing team, but missed. Instead, Mix caught it. He then positioned himself as if he were about to play baseball.
"N'Mix, your stance is on point." Pluem cheered, giving Mix a thumbs up. Mix just smirked and threw the ball at the opposing team.
But something went wrong. Mix's eyes widened as the ball flew past his cousins and hit the vinyl player on the side. The impact was strong, causing the player to tip over. Before Mix could reach it, the vinyl had already fallen to the floor.
"That's Uncle Tay's vinyl," Fiat whispered, but everyone heard him.
Mix turned to the door as his parents, along with his uncles and grandparents, entered the house.
"What happened here?" Singto asked, glancing around and noticing the broken vinyl on the floor. Mix hung his head.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Tay. I didn't mean to," Mix said, looking up at his uncle with teary eyes and guilt etched on his face.
Gun approached Mix and picked him up. "Shhh. It's okay, baby." Mix buried his face in the crook of Gun's neck.
"Why are you playing inside the house? The yard is so spacious. Who started all this?" Tay asked as he picked up the broken vinyl from the floor and inspected it.
"It was my idea," Pluem admitted.
"Pluem, don’t drag your cousins into your mischief. Now you've broken the vinyl." Tay reprimanded him.
"Uncle, it's my fault. I'm sorry." Mix said while fighting back tears.
"No, no. It's not your fault," Tay sighed. "It was already broken anyway. I can just buy another one, right?" He placed the vinyl on the table and walked over to Gun to take Mix from him.
"Stop crying now," Tay comforted.
Mix cried even harder, partly because he felt guilty for breaking someone’s belongings, but mostly because his cousin Pluem was being blamed and reprimanded instead of him.
He glanced at Pluem, who had his head bowed low, and noticed a single tear drop to the floor.
This happened many times before; other people were often blamed for Mix's mistakes. He always managed to get away with his wrongdoings. Because of the favoritism shown towards him.
Now, sitting on the beach with his cousins, Mix's thoughts drifted back to that moment. JJ was crying in his lap, and the sound pulled him out of his memories.
"Stop crying. I love you both," he reassured JJ, gently rubbing his back.
As he comforted his sibling, Mix's gaze wandered across the beach. His eyes caught sight of a striking figure on a jet ski slicing through the waves. The young man, with sun-kissed skin and tousled hair that glistened in the sunlight, radiated confidence. He had an athletic build, the kind that spoke of hours spent outdoors, and his bright smile was infectious as he effortlessly maneuvered the jet ski. The combination of his carefree demeanor and rugged good looks made it hard for Mix to look away.
"P'Mix, shall we wash up and then eat?" Chimon’s invitation broke Mix's gaze from the man.
"Okay." Mix adjusted JJ, who had finally settled down. Before entering the hotel, he glanced back at the sea, but the man was nowhere to be seen.
After they showered, they made their way downstairs to the hotel restaurant for a meal.
It was their second day in the province.
Mix woke up at 7 AM, glancing around the large room where his siblings were still asleep. There were two bunk beds where they all slept. As expected, AJ and JJ were sharing a bunk, while Mix, Win, and Chimon each had their own bed.
He quietly left the room and found his grandma and grandpa having breakfast.
"Good morning," Mix greeted them with a smile.
"Good morning, Mikmik. Wait, I’ll get you some jok.*" Mix’s grandma stood up and went to the kitchen. [*It's a rice porridge often topped with minced pork, a poached egg, fresh ginger, and scallions.]
"Thank you, grandma." Mix sat down at the table.
"Did you enjoy the beach yesterday?" his grandpa asked.
"Yes, it was beautiful. And the food at the hotel was amazing. I’d love to go there again."
"I’m glad to hear that. We’ll bring the whole family next time," his grandpa replied with a smile.
"What are you two talking about?" Mix’s grandma asked as she placed a bowl of jok in front of him.
"We’re just talking about the beach yesterday, Grandma. It was so relaxing. And the hotel’s interior was absolutely stunning, so elegant and grand," Mix said, his eyes lighting up.
His grandpa chuckled softly at Mix's enthusiasm. Just like himself, one thing about Mix is that he also has a deep appreciation for vintage architecture and places that exude timeless grandeur—and the hotel they visited with his cousins was no exception.
In the afternoon, Mix's family decided to go to their farm. Just behind their house is a vast field filled with various vegetable and fruit crops, including rows of lush rice paddies swaying gently in the breeze.
There are three nipa huts scattered around, which serve as resting places for the workers. They occupy the large nipa hut near the horse stable. Not far from the stable stands a single large durian tree.
Mix's grandma once told him that they planted the durian tree because his favorite food is fried durian chips. This way, they wouldn’t have to buy them and could make them homemade. The durian tree is now bearing fruit and has nets around it to prevent the fruits from falling to the ground if they drop.
They placed the rattan baskets filled with food and beverages on the table. Knowing it was harvest season, Mix's dad, along with Uncle Tay and Uncle Krist, eagerly volunteered to lend a hand. Meanwhile, his Papa and the other uncles were engrossed in a card game, while his cousins and siblings played tag nearby.
Mix approached Gun. "Pa, can I ride Kiran?" he asked, referring to his own horse.
When he was seven, one of his grandparents' horses gave birth, and Mix had always dreamed of owning a horse. He was given a white pony, which he named Kiran. Every time he visited the province, it was a must for him to ride Kiran.
"No. You stay here. You might get lost," Gun said, turning his attention to his son.
"Dad, I may not know the entire province, but I know the farm like the back of my hand. I won’t get lost." Mix insisted, trying to convince his father. "Pleaseee?"
"Fine. Go ask your dad for permission. Don't wander too far." Mix happily kissed Gun on the cheek before dashing off toward his father.
"Where is Mix going?" Gun heard New ask.
"He wants to go out and ride a horse. You know how Mix is—if he can’t ride Kiran, he’ll sulk," Gun answered, laying down the four of spades on the table. "Ha! I won! Hand over your bets."
Mix was riding Kiran and currently exploring the vast expanse of their farm. It was so large that as he ventured farther away, he could barely see the hut where his parents were.
Not far off, he spotted a field of sunflowers. He hadn’t realized that his grandparents had planted sunflowers too. He pulled on Kiran’s reins to make her run toward the sunflower field, smiling softly as he felt the breeze.
Earth was wandering around their ranch as usual. Every afternoon, he enjoyed strolling through the property to check on the crops. Before heading home, he would take a bath in the Fah Sai falls. As he looked around, he noticed a white figure riding a white horse. It was a slim man with a fair complexion, wearing a semi-sheer white long-sleeve paired with high-waisted white trousers. The man was also wearing a birkenstock sandals.
He looked like a fairy wandering through the land on his horse.
Earth decided to follow the young man. He noticed that the horse slowed its pace until it came to a stop in the middle of the sunflower field. Earth pulled the reins of his horse to bring it to a halt as well.
Mix stood in the middle of a vibrant sunflower field, surrounded by tall, golden blooms. His dark hair caught the sunlight, creating a halo effect around his head.
As he knelt down to examine one of the sunflowers, he playfully measured it against his face, laughing when he realized it was the same size. The flower's large, round head seemed to mirror his charming smile.
From a distance, Earth watched the young man with a sense of admiration. He took in the scene: the way the man's laughter blended harmoniously with the soft rustling of leaves and the buzzing of bees. There was something magical about the sight of him amidst the sunflowers, almost as if he belonged to the field itself, a whimsical figure in perfect harmony with nature.
Earth never thought that he could be this close to someone so divine.
Mix turned around when he heard the sound of a horse approaching him. Holding a stalk of sunflower on his right hand and the rein of Kiran on his other, he looked up at the brown horse and noticed it was larger than a typical horse. As someone who loves animals, especially horses, Mix’s eyes widened when he realized that the horse was a Belgian Draft horse*. It was a powerful creature with a deep brown coat, a thick mane, and prominent black feathering on its lower legs. Its muscular build and sturdy frame showcased its strength and endurance. And it is a very high-maintenance horse. [*The Belgian Draft horse is a large and powerful breed known for its impressive strength and muscular build, typically standing between 16 to 18 hands tall.]
He was very excited because it was the first time he had ever seen one in real life, and he didn’t even notice who was riding the horse.
"Who are you?" Mix's smile faded when he heard a voice speak. He saw a young man riding the belgian draft horse. The man had sun-kissed skin, wore a black tank top that hugged his perfectly athletic build, paired with ragged jeans, looking rough—and familiar. He also looks older than Mix.
"I'm Mix. Who are you? And why are you on our land?"
"I'm Earth, and this is our land," the man introduced himself in a firm voice.
"Huh? But I clearly remember there was a fence before the next ranch beside our property. Did I get lost?" Mix whispered, though Earth heard him.
"The fence was removed a long time ago to make better use of the land for farming. And this sunflower field now separates our land." Earth explained. "You're an Adulkittiporn?"
"Yes, I'm Off's son." Mix laughed softly, trying to ease the awkwardness. "I'm really sorry for intruding."
"No problem. Feel free to look around if you'd like," Earth offered with a friendly smile, and Mix couldn’t help but stare at him. A memory suddenly popped into his mind—the jet ski rider. He looked just like Earth, or was that really him?
"Uhm, no. I mean, I’m not rejecting the offer, but I need to head home now," Mix said, politely turning down the invitation. He bit his lower lip. It would be shameless of him to accept after already feeling embarrassed for stepping onto someone else’s land. "Maybe next time?"
Mix sat on Kiran but hadn't yet urged the horse to move. His eyes curiously followed Earth as the latter dismounted his horse and picked a few sunflowers.
"I noticed you really like sunflowers. These are for you." Earth extended the flowers to Mix, his other hand running through his hair.
Mix's lips parted slightly as he stared at Earth. The man's sharp, defined features were captivating. His almond-shaped eyes, framed by thick eyebrows, held a piercing yet warm gaze that demanded attention. Earth’s straight nose perfectly complemented his face, and his full lips had a soft curve that added gentleness to his otherwise rugged look. His strong jawline gave him an air of authority, as if the world was meant to follow his whims and desires—like a spoiled king.
"Thank you," Mix whispered softly as he accepted the flowers, adjusting his seat on Kiran. "I’ll head off now."
"See you next time," Earth nodded, giving Kiran a gentle pat, prompting the horse to start walking.
"Yeah, see you next time, P'Earth," Mix said, giving Earth one last glance before urging Kiran into a faster gallop toward their land.
Earth watched as the fairy leave, remaining in place for a moment. He then glanced at the setting sun, a smile slowly creeping onto his lips.
"Earth! What are you doing there?" Earth heard Max, one of his companion, asked.
Earth rubbed his hands across his face to wipe away the smile, but it only widened. He licked his lips before facing Max.
"Phi harvest sunflowers and fruits tomorrow. We're going to the Adulkittiporns." Earth then mounted his horse.