12. Chapter Twelve Park

Chapter Twelve: Park

I spend all day Sunday doing laundry and housework and playing with Anya, who is unusually clingy, following me from room to room. I keep thinking about the skinship session last night at Spin's apartment. If practicing helps him to relax, I'm happy, but what do I do with the knowledge of just how much I enjoyed it?

Practicing skinship has never felt this way before. I've always done it at a workshop, so Spin's suggestion blindsided me. But if it would make him feel better, I was willing to do it.

Kissing him, without Khun Aat and P'Big's scrutiny, was amazing. Spin has the prettiest lips, and my new favorite thing is sucking on them.

Anya doesn't usually take an afternoon nap anymore, but she's so out of sorts today, arguing with me about every little thing and tearing up at the slightest provocation, I convince her to lie down with her books, and she soon falls asleep. A little worried about her behavior, I call Khun Anong .

"Auntie, did Anya seem off to you yesterday at your house?" I ask after greeting her.

"No, I don't think so. My son and his new wife came by for a visit. Maybe that wore her out a little."

"Oh, Prem is here in Thailand?"

"Yes, he came on business. He took Pear out to dinner."

"She must have been happy to see him. I know how much she misses having her father around." I remember her mentioning that often when we dated.

"Yes, she was very happy about it. What is it that Anya's been doing that has you concerned, Park?"

"She just wants to be with me every second. I don't know, maybe you're right and she's just tired. She's sleeping right now."

"Did you ask her what was wrong?"

"Well, no."

"Try that. Maybe something about school is bothering her. Children are just small humans, Nong. Have a talk with her, and let me know if I can help."

"Thank you, Auntie. I will."

Anya doesn't sleep long and comes into the kitchen while I'm trying to decide what to make for dinner.

"P'Park," she says, holding her favorite blanket and resting her head against my leg.

I stroke her hair. "Did you have a good nap?" She nods, yawning.

Remembering Auntie's suggestion, I gently guide my sister to the living room couch. "Is something bothering you?" I ask softly, continuing to pet her hair.

Anya fiddles with the edge of her blanket. It's pink and frayed at the edges because she's had it for years .

"Is everyone being nice to you at school?" I ask when she doesn't answer.

Anya nods. Raising her eyes to meet mine, she whispers, "I don't want Auntie to go away."

Surprised, I ask, "Why would you think she's going away?"

"I heard Uncle ask her to move close to him. And that's far away across the ocean! I heard Auntie say so."

"I don't think Auntie has any plans to move," I tell her. "She would have mentioned it to me. You don't need to worry about it."

"Are you sure, P'Park? Sometimes people leave without telling you."

My heart falls, knowing she's referring to our father and her mother.

"Auntie would never move without telling us," I assure her.

Anya nods and snuggles into me.

"When is P'Pear coming to visit?" she asks unexpectedly. When Pear and I first broke up, Anya asked about her all the time, but since she still sees her occasionally when Pear visits her grandmother, she eventually stopped.

"Remember, I explained to you that when people date and break up, they don't always stay close."

"Why did you break up with P'Pear? She's pretty. You should have married her." Anya fiddles with the button on my shirt.

I chuckle. "Married her? If I remember correctly, you were jealous and didn't want to share me with her most of the time."

Pursing her lips, Anya seems to be thinking hard. "Yeah, but I miss her. She braided my hair and did my nails."

"I can do that. "

Anya makes a face. "No, you can't. The last time, you got nail polish all over my fingers. And my hair looked…not as good as when P'Pear did it."

That's an understatement. I'm a terrible braider. I appease her by spending some time coloring with her before going to make dinner. By bedtime, she's in a much better mood than she was earlier. But she has a nightmare that night that has me sitting up with her for a long time, and the following day at the workshop, I'm tired and edgy.

The producer wants us to begin rehearsing in earnest in the hope that we can begin filming this week instead of next week. Khun Hom seems to be worried about how Spin will do as a new actor and wants some leeway with time. Spin films with other cast members for a scene which my character isn't a part of, and I spend the day filming a different scene where Khao rides a motorcycle in the rain. It's much more involved than it sounds, and it's dark by the time I head home. As I drive, I wonder how Spin did with his scenes today.

Tuesday goes much the same as Monday did. To my annoyance, we have to refilm the motorcycle scene due to some screw-up in editing, so I have to spend another day in fake rain and wind, balancing on a motorcycle. I don't see Spin, nor any of the other cast members, until Wednesday when we run through an office scene. Spin seems in good spirits, although he looks tired.

I watch Spin and Lek, who plays a co-worker at the office, run through a dialogue where Lek's character teases Boom about his feelings for Khao. Khun Aat is not satisfied and keeps stopping them and explaining the nuances he wants each character to show in their expressions, particularly Lek's, as he is hiding his attraction to Khao from Boom. Without meaning to, I fall asleep in my chair and am awakened sometime later by the director gently shaking my shoulder.

"You okay?" P'Big asks me.

Sitting up, I nod.

"We're ready for you and Spin to run through the scene in the elevator."

"Be right there." I go to the restroom and splash water on my face before returning to do the scene. Spin and I read through it three times, applying Khun Aat and P'Big's input.

"I think we're ready to film this one," P'Big says, looking at Khun Aat. "What do you think?"

I find myself hoping the acting coach disagrees because I'm so damn tired, all I want to do is go to bed, and I know that before I can do that, I have to pick up Anya from Auntie's and tuck her in.

"I agree," Khun Aat says. I suppress a groan.

It takes some time for the crew to set up lighting and cameras in the elevator doorway, which has been rigged to remain open. After makeup and wardrobe, Spin and I squeeze through the equipment to stand at the back of the elevator, which is hot and crowded with two cameramen and their equipment, yet we have to act as though we're having an intimate conversation alone. It's very difficult for what will amount to a five minute scene. We're asked to run through our lines again before cameras roll.

Three hours later, I'm wiped out and can hardly keep my eyes open.

"You have an early casting call," P'Big tells me and Spin. "I suggest you bunk down here for the night."

When I call Auntie, she says, "I figured as much and have already tucked in Anya on the couch. Don't worry about it."

"Thank you so much. I am so grateful to you, Auntie."

"Nong, don't you know I would be lonely without your sister here with me? I rarely see Pear, she's so busy working. Anya is a joy. Stop feeling bad every time you have to leave her with me."

Her words settle me a bit, and by the time I walk into one of the darkened rooms set up with beds for the cast and crew, I see Spin is already fast asleep. I lie down next to him and sigh, eyes heavy and limbs sore. When, after a few minutes, Spin rolls over in his sleep and snuggles into me, I wrap my arm around him. I can't help but smile as I drift into a deep, dreamless sleep.