Chapter 7 - Home (2/2)

”Hey, who are you talking to, mom. This is Super Wonder Woman, you know? I can handle anything even the bad evil mafias.”

The words had slipped out by accident, Wirata did not mean to mention or even thought about the bad guy.

”Ah? Mafias?”

”Well, nothing, mom, ah, mafias are everywhere in Las Vegas as you know. That's what I mean.” She mumbled.

Wilaiwan smiled at her beloved daughter. It was true about this Sin City. Powerful businessmen, or informally, people called them behind their back, 'Mafias'. Her Thai restaurant was one of the popular places that some of them liked to use the service. But, there were no problems, as long as they paid and no violence occurred.

Wilaiwan was thinking about her business. John, her American husband, had rented this place for her. It was in a good location. The business had been so far so good, made a substantial income. Wilaiwan had good staff she hired to help at the restaurant. John had his own luxury pub in town.

Wilaiwan sighed when she thought about John. He was a good husband. But when he started to gamble he was addicted to it as predicted. As everybody knew about the gamble, once you fell into its circle, it was not easy to dig yourself out of the dark demon hole.

His income from the pub, Wilaiwan never wanted to interfere with and at the same time gave an ultimatum to him not to interfere with her business either. The rules that John always respected and followed which made Wilaiwan still loved and stayed with him, knowing even he had gone bad with gambling but he still loved her and respected their relationship.

”Where's Uncle John? I thought today's his day off?”

Wirata asked, digging in the king prawn fried-rice, one of her favorite dishes. Saw her mother sighed again. Wirata knew about her stepfather's addiction to gamble, who's surprised! This was Las Vegas! Sin City! Surrounded by all the casinos and alluring entertainment to suck you in!

”He's staying at the pub at the moment darling.”

Wilaiwan said, she never had anything to hide from her daughter especially, the situations in the family.

Wilaiwan believed that Wirata was matured enough to know what's going on in life. 'Truth' was the best thing to tell and to make her daughter grow up with good concision and then when life came into trouble, all the knowledge and experiences she had earned would help her to make reasonable decisions. That was called 'To Live and Learn'.

”Why? He didn't usually do that.”

One thing Wirata knew was her stepfather truly loved her mother. He usually came home no matter how late it was. And that was strange when he did not.

”Well, I guessed this time was worse than before for him, honey. He didn't say much to me as you know. I don't like to press him. If he doesn't tell me, I don't know his real situation.”

Wilaiwan said, sat down next to her daughter, stroked the silky black hair gently. Wirata was her heart and soul, she was her everything. She loved John, but they both were adults, so they took responsibility for their own lives.

Wilaiwan had born and grown up in Thai culture, where Buddhism was the best teaching, nothing was permanent. It came and went especially people, no one stayed with you forever.

'things and people in our lives come and go, don't take anything too seriously because, at the end of the day, we die and can't take anything with us, apart from good deeds we had done and earned. That's all the soul would carry with it.'

Wirata was Wilaiwan's responsibility to protect and to make sure her daughter would have a good life and be happy. That was all she, as a mother of a young beautiful girl, focused on for now.

”Hm, maybe I will talk to him,” Wirata mumbled, remembered the kindness Uncle John always had for her since she was ten years old when she first moved here. He was a good stepfather.

”Don't bother darling. He's a grown-up. If he really needs help, he will say.”

Mother said with a serious voice. Wirata nodded, knowing her mother did not want her to involve with any of John's business, it was too dangerous, as she knew that his pub was unable to avoid to involve with mafias. Her mother wanted to keep Wirata away from it as possible as she could, like sending Wirata to Boston.

”Well, anyway, I'll go help you tonight, but I will take a nap for a couple of hours, didn't sleep well last night, because I was excited about flying home to be with my beautiful mother.”

Wirata said with a cute smile turned to hug her mother tightly and kissed on her cheeks.

”Just go, leave the dish here, I won't wake you up, don't worry.”

Wilaiwan pushed her daughter's back gently. Wirata smiled and kissed her mother again before walking out of the kitchen to the stairs. This five-bedroom house was just ten miles away from the city. Wirata liked it very much. It was home for her.

That night and so on, Wirata started to help her mother at the restaurant. There was a uniform for the staff. A woman wore a Thai traditional dress which was a long sleeve pink blouse, had a long shawl crossed a shoulder, a nice Sarong. Wirata wore contact lenses instead of glasses when working. The restaurant opened from six p.m until midnight.

Wirata liked the Thai atmosphere in here. It made her think of Thailand, the place where she was born and never forgot. The mother's land that she wished to return to live there one day.