[2074] Sudsakorn

Mid 2074

The islanders waited in anticipation for the new baby. Sin was not too pleased, but he remained by the girl’s side day and night, even more than his father, who had to go out and do chores.

While taking care of his pregnant wife, Apaimanee picked up a new hobby: playing the pi, a quadruple reed oboe instrument. It was about 5 centimeters in diameter and 42 centimeters in length.

At first, he thought it sounded like a bleating lamb, but he later learned to appreciate the sound. Compared to a bagpipe, his pi had more of a tenor sound.

He started learning boat songs, and discovered that he could play songs hummed to him. He knew the notes almost instantly, and that made him popular among the islanders because he could play them anything.

Life continued in peace and quiet. People were prepared for the delivery, and the date came and passed. Hearing the girl’s screams almost destroyed Apaimanee and Sin, but at least she was not in danger.

The girl gave birth to a son, and Apaimanee named him Sudsakorn, the ends of the sea.

Sin was moody at first, but soon got curious about the new addition to the family, and often helped the girl take care of his half-brother.

Sudsakorn was a chubby, healthy baby boy. He drank a lot of milk and slept well throughout the night. He loved being rocked.

Seeing the girl with her baby, Apaimanee thought of the nanny bot and found himself wondering if Butterfly made herself a new child.

Sud loved his father’s music, unlike Sin, who disliked the sound of the instrument. The older son would often go out, finding washed-up items on the beaches or hunting small animals in the grove. The girl was worried, but Apaimanee told her not to be.

“Sin is growing up. He wants personal space. I was like that too.”

“Okay.” The girl rocked her younger baby boy.

“By the way, have you made your decision about Sud’s first outfit yet? Aunt Mook is going to weave a brand new one and she wants answers soon.”

“I will be fine with anything you choose.”

“Are you sure? You’ve never given any input. I decided everything when building this house, and I don’t want to make all the decisions about our sons as well.”

“I really don’t mind. Whatever you choose, I’ll be fine with it.”

“Alright… I’ll ask Aunt Mook if she has anything she wants to make.” Apaimanee walked away with a sigh.

Back then, Butterfly made all the decisions. She decided on the spending budget, the brand of groceries, and what kind of food to get. She decided the weapons they would use, the missions they would take, and she took care of the money. Apaimanee was there just to take care of her baby and occasionally aid her on missions.

It felt good to finally make his own decisions, but he wanted the girl’s input as well. It was as if she threw all the responsibilities of thinking and planning onto him. He had no way of knowing whether she liked his decisions or not.

Apaimanee found himself missing his old life. What was he doing here, like some runaway foreigner on an exotic island? All he had now were medical devices that kept his limbs and eyes functioning normally. Was he really going to spend the rest of his days on this backwater island?

He thought about it some more, then thought of his sons. What kind of life would they want?

Apaimanee wanted to consult the girl, but he knew the answer even before he asked: she would just say that whatever decision he made, that would be the best.