'Everything's bad blood and bad thing,' Grandfather blinked rapidly and made a sour face thinking upon the recent problem they were facing, 'It's totally awful.' Grandmother nodded and continued walking with him, slowly.

It had been half and hour since they had been walking, it usually took them mere fifteen minutes to walk around their home, but they took a long one this time to further discuss and to think of something about Tin and his family issues. They knew, that they won't be a good help but ever since he came, they had treated him as their own. They walked in sync, their home was a meter away, and the slower they became. Their footwears clicked and clacked in the night, both their hands folded behind their own backs. Backs a little bit arched, but they walked faster even though being old.

The grandmother hummed in response, she pursed her lips and observed the street lights and the loud silence. It was a very beautiful night, and it was a pity they hadn't invited the children with them. She was sure, that in their absence, there would be a huge up roar in the house. Yang Xi, like usual, must've turned on the television and watch highlights of the football match along with others. She chuckled very softly and glanced at every house opposite of the deserted street now and then to distract herself, but she failed.

'It won't work this time,' Grandfather said as he was quick to notice this, 'This isn't some kitchen problem you can get rid of, y'know.'

She clicked her tongue and accepted her defeat, 'It's not like I want them to go away, but I don't really think Tin's family is that bad. I reckon it would be good if they sit and talk about it, of course if they allow me to slap Tul.' She didn't needed permission for that, her husband knew. She could just slap him.

'And then I get my cane to work.' They giggled on the joke and the silent noise of grasshoppers made it feel like it was the olden times again. They felt young once more. It reminded them of the time when they had just married and a few months before they had adopted Can's mother. They used to have a walk every night after dinner with Prim, until she began her schooling and then it became only thrice a week.

Every step with they came closer to their house, the two street lights just before their home reflected upon and highlighted the "Kirakorns'". Their name had been well known throughout the village for their determination and for being open minded and for their kindness. They were fairly wealthy by running a fruit farm with the help of their fellow friends, and they had kept up for so long, they were rumored to be the one of the first families that had migrated here.

Their foots clicked and they made it till the main door, slipped their footwears into the shoe rack, kept the cane into the small, cylinder. And slowly, very carefully opened the door.

They got in and turned the lights on. 'Everyone's asleep..' Grandfather said and breathed out.

'How fortunate of us,' Grandmother responded, 'Finally there's no noise in our absence..'

'I know right..' Grandfather dropped the keys into the keyhole, flopped himself on the couch and folded his legs, grandmother on the other hand made her way to the kitchen, to fetch water for both of them.

She passed the water to her husband, and as she drank, she realized the landline of their house was ringing. But it wasn't heard. There was only a small, dazzling neon light to be seen.

"Unusual," She thought, "No one calls us at this time, us specifically."

She bobbed her head to the side and saw her husband asleep in that very uncomfortable position. She rolled her eyes at this scene and made her way to the landline.

She picked up the receiver and waited for the other person on the line to speak up. There was only silence for the next minute, until she spoke up herself.

______________________________

Trai kept glancing at the landline number on the paper, his hands made about a thousand tries to at least pick the receiver and dial the number, and yet he failed again and again. He kept biting his lips every now and then and by the time it was too much, only blood was left to sprung out.

Nothing would be harder than this, he thought. Speaking was never this hard for him, but what happened now?

The door behind him unlocked but he didn't hear it, his name was being called but he remained there, deaf.

It wasn't until his wife come in and took the matter in her own hands, 'Stop trembling now, will you?' Her slippers clicked in nervousness too, but her husband failed to point out the hypocrisy. He just pursed his lips in response.

'He'll come, right?'

'Hopefully..' Rasaa replied. Nor she wanted Tin to cut off the ties with the family, for what she always wanted him to succeed. Only if she had been clearer. She gulped and began dialing, carefully keeping the receiver on her left year.

It rang loudly, and Trai got closer to his wife to hear the other person picking up the call, but the ringing became longer, and their eyebrows frowned.

It was almost midnight, what did they expected?

After what seemed years, their wait finally seemed to be over, someone finally seemed to pick up the call. And the couple became attentive. Trai eyed his wife but she remained silent.

The other person on the line remained silent as well. They both wanted the latter to speak up first, but the silence continued for the next minute.

'Hello?' The other person finally seemed to speak up, and the couple's eyes widen. It wasn't the person they had expected to be. They thought it would be Can, but it was someone else. By the tone of the voice it was difficult to identify who it was.

'Hello? Is it the Kirakorns?' Raasa spoke as she clutched the receiver with her both hands. Trai standing beside her signaled her to ask about Tin, but she asked him to keep quiet. Trai pursed his lips but kept budging his wife.

Raasa had enough, got up herself and went into another room, leaving Trai waiting in the bedroom. She excused herself rather hurriedly and she was in their gallery in no time.

'Hello?' She repeated herself again, 'Is this the Kirakorns' residence?' She said loudly this time. She breathed out loud after that, as she didn't usually shouted on phones.

'My, my, woman. Don't yell. I might go deaf. Yes this is the kirakorns'. And you are?' Grandmother replied.

'I- Uh, I'm Um..,' Raasa hesitated, she blinked several times and bobbed her head here and there every now and then. The other line seemed to be waiting, but they can't go on the whole night.

'Um, hello?' Grandmother spoke with restlessness. Her husband behind her was sleeping peacefully but here she was with striking pain in her legs. While clutching to the receiver, she extended her hands to grab the nearest chair. She struggled and with a loud thud the chair fell.

She looked at the stairs and back at the grandfather, and let out a breath of relief. No one woke up. She picked up the chair and settled on it. And till then the other woman on the line remained silent.

'Hello? Listen I don't have the whole night to speak with you, you see? Please hurry up...'

'Ah yes! I'm Raasa! Um, I'm Raasa Medthanan! Tin's mother!'

'Oh..' Grandmother frowned her eyebrows, she pursed her lips and looked up the stairs. She recognized the surname at once. Of course it had to be Tin, "Medthanan" wasn't a new name to be questioned. Shall she wake Tin up? No, that'll be a disturbance, she thought.

She remained there silent, her veiny hands hated the receiver. She clicked her tongue and began, 'Uh, yes. Tin's here, he's asleep actually. But on the contrary note, how do you knew he's here?' Grandmother asked as the thought came with great swift of curiosity.

'I just...knew'

'You just...knew?' She gripped the receiver more tightly, after all that had happened and what they had knew, they cared to call now?

'What's your business with him?' She hesitated first upon asking that, maybe she shouldn't had asked that, they were his parents after all. But the parents such as them, she couldn't help herself.

'Business? I'm his mother!' Raasa yelled loudly, she didn't looked at the door behind her, a loud thud and Trai barged into the gallery and stood beside his wife dumbfounded. Standing impatiently for answers.

'Yes I know you're his mother, but you cared to call us now? When he's so scarred? Since you knew why and how it had happened but you still care to reach out to him now?!' The sentence became louder with each word. Tears sprung out of the old woman's eyes. It just reminded of the time when her parents abandoned her completely. After all that was said and done, she couldn't help but keep herself into Tin's shoes. Maybe if her parents were only nice and generous enough to reach out to her, she would voluntarily go with them, with them accepting her family. But they were long gone she assumed. It had been ages since she had seen them. And heck, she couldn't even remember their faces.

Surprisingly no one had woken up, everyone was fast asleep. Even grandfather on the couch.

Raasa kept quiet, glancing at her husband and upon that Trai snatched the phone from her hands. 'Hello?'

'Who's this?' Grandmother snarled, wasn't a woman enough to yell at now that there's a man?

'I'm-I'm Tin's father!'

'Oh, so you're Trai Medthanan.'

'Yes.. Um, can you pass the receiver to Tin?' Trai could've sworn to hit his head at the nearest wall upon asking this question. It just came out without realisation.

'He's asleep!' Grandmother whispered, she had expected Tin's father to be smart with all that successful business, but he turned out to be same as his wife.

'What do you want?' She asked ruefully. Trai sighed, glanced at his wife and begun.

'We want Tin and Can back here.'

'Why?' Grandmother snapped. It had been an hour since the talk and not many words had been spoken. There was tension between both the persons, and a bit misunderstanding.

'He's our son, and I feel bad. To be honest, madam.'

'Yeah, I know you're honest. But I need an explanation, you see. I can't just handover Tin and Can just like that to you. God knows, what you'll do with them later.'

'I understand what you're saying, madam. I may prove that to you once I talk with Tin.' Trai breathed out very loudly. He pursed his lips and back, licked them out of nervousness and again there was a silence. He sensed that too that bringing back Tin wouldn't be easy. Raasa stood beside him, staring. She had no idea of what the old woman had said to Trai, but it was certainly difficult.

Grandma gaped, opened her mouth and closed again, strings of saliva formed within her own mouth, but words were absent. Her lips twirled, eyes glittering from tears and she began, 'it's rather difficult..,' Her hands began shaking as she held on to the receiver.,'But I shall tell you once I discuss it with them along with my husband..'

'Ah...yes.' Trai spoke from the other side, his wife began shaking her hands vigorously for an answer, but Trai signalled her to be quiet. 'I'll be waiting for the call..'

And grandmother slammed the receiver back on its surface. More tears sprung out from her eyes with her head spasming, her jaw clenching. A thousand thoughts ran within her mind but anyway she stood up and made her way towards Can's room. "It had to be done quickly," she thought, "The boy should know this."

As soon as she turned, she saw Tin's disappointed face.