In the course of the evening a newly engaged couple paid Mr Champ a visit at his home to receive his venerable blessing.
As the car pulled up, Pun made his way to the gate to receive the guests and then escorted them to the house.
His Uncle was the in the sitting room waiting.
"I am happy to hear that one of my favorite people is engaged," Mr Champ remarked, then looking at Sabai he asked.
"Has he given you a ring?"
"Yes, he has," Sabai replied, smiling as showed off the engagement ring, which was a mid-sized oval shaped sapphire stone.
Mr Champ was impressed and showed his unqualified admiration.
"The shape of the stone shows off beautifully on your lovely finger. It must have caused a small fortune."
"It does," Wes agreed.
"Well, she deserves such a ring because she has agreed to spend her life with you," Mr Champ teased Wes as Pun served everyone mimosas.
"When is the wedding?" Pun asked after he sat down.
"Hopefully soon I guess, Wes said smiling at his betrothed. "Will you be one of my groomsmen?"
"Really?"
Pun fixed his eyes on Wes.
He was amazed by the sudden request.
"Yes," Wes affirmed.
"No need to rush the wedding. You two need time know each other a little better," Mr Champ interposed as he lifted up his mimosa glass.
His nephew quickly rejoined.
"Uncle, I am certain Wes and Sabai are well acquainted with each other. Let them have their wedding sooner than later. And I want us to host the rehearsal breakfast."
Mr Taywit was in the grand sitting room reading the newspaper when the door opened to admit his wife followed by his son.
"Finally you two are back," Mr Taywit declared as he looked up.
Rada smiled as she fixed her gaze on her husband.
"Sorry I didn't know you were waiting for us."
"How was your evening walk?" He asked his wife.
"Very refreshing," Rada sat on a lush sofa, "I plan to do a lot of walking before we have supper."
Her son sat down next to her.
"I am glad you find the leisure of walking refreshing," Mr Taywit said in his easy arrogant way. "I am generally too tired to anything when I come home from the office."
Turning to her son Rada requested with a smile.
""Come Mick, play casino with me."
They both stood up and went over to a round antique table with two chairs and a deck of cards.
Rada shuffles the cards with King high and Ace low. Then they each picked a card at random. Mick picked the the lowest card making him the dealer.
Mick shuffles the cards again and deals two cards face down to his mother and himself.
As Rada looked at her cards, she mused.
"I have not seen Mr Chert in a long while. How is he?"
Mr Taywit sensing this question was directed at him, answered; "He is on the lips of everyone at the moment."
"Why?" What happened?"
"He and his wife are divorcing."
Rada paired a card of the same rank to a single center card before collecting them and placing them face down next to her.
"What a shame I have always thought of their relationship as a fairytale romance."
"Why do you say it was fairytale romance?" Mick asked his mother.
"It was how their relationship started. He spotted her at restaurant, sent flowers and his phone number. As a couple they were the toast of the town."
"Is he not stepping down from the Foreign service," Mick looked at his father.
"Yes, he is."
Rada paused.
"What do you think happened?"
"Like all marriages, it run out steam."
"What would he do now?"
"He will be alright, my dear. I have never met anyone so well connected and at the same time introverted."
Mick quickly informed his parents.
"I think he fancies himself as an author and a diplomat now. His new book is topping bestseller lists all over Asia. And I have an invite to a bookstore event and he is the guest of honor."
As a great lover of photography, Mick traveled all over the city in search of interesting places to practice this hobby.
Damneon Saduak floating market was vibrant with its maze of canals filled with wooden boats. These boats were laden with flowers, tropical fruits and vegetables.
As Mick looked around he saw vendors in the traditional Thai attire selling authentic, delicious Thai food and exotic fruits that were succulent to the taste.
He took an expedition of the souvenirs and handcrafted goods that were on sale.
Mick smiled amidst the canals and long tailed boats. Immersing himself in the sights, sounds and flavors of the iconic floating market.
Lifting up the camera to his right eye, he began clicking away.
The question was: Who was Mr Champ?
He began his journalism career writing reviews, essays and articles in newspapers and magazines before becoming the lead writer for The Bangkok Statesman newspaper then finally being made it's editor-in-chief.
When his sister died from cancer he became the legal guardian of his nephew, Pun was only six at that time.
The event was in full swing when Mr Champ and his nephew arrived at the venue in the red mini Cooper.
Inside the newly opened bookstore Mr Champ exchanged handshakes and hugs with some of the attendees.
The bookstore had a main floor and upper floor with books artifully displayed on dark shelves.
A staircase led to the upper floor.
On that floor there was a small stage with two sheep-skin armchairs. Where the invited authors could sit and discuss their book with an audience.
With a cocktail in hand, Mr Champ made his over to two ladies.
Moonin had built storied career in publishing while Mootha started out as a makeup artist before starting a cosmetics company.
They have been friends with Mr Champ for years.
Looking them both candidly in the eye, he asked; "A bookstore? Where did the idea come from?"
"The idea was a passion project that came to us over lunch. We were both looking for something else to do. And decided a bookstore would be a fun thing to do."
"Plus we both love reading and love going into bookstores. So it all just came together," Moonin quickly added.
"This is very interesting," Champ said as he looked around. "Who did the design work? Everything looks well put together."
Mootha looked impressed. "I did all the interior designs and Moonin was in charge of the book selections."
"Most of the selections were done by me as well as recommendations from a few friends. You were one of them."
"Yes, but I didn't know it was for a bookstore you were opening," Champ spoke like he was in dream as he kept looking at the books.
"Who are your main customers?" Pun spoke for the first time.
"Our customers fall into three categories, the tourists, the locals and the Pilgrims."
"The Pilgrims?" Pun pondered.
"The ones who come all the way to visit the bookstore because they saw it promoted by celebrities on social media," Mootha explained.
"And we plan to host more events like this one," Moonin pointed out eagerly.
As the evening went on, the fashionable crowd lingered, browsed and bought books while enjoying the cocktails and each other's company.
Champ on the other hand, had deep conversations and then moved seamlessly from one group to the next.
Separated from his Uncle, Pun went browsing through the books on display, everything from fiction to philosophy was there on the shelves.
Pun was reaching for a book on a higher shelf when he felt he was being watched.
As he turned the half smile on lips died.
He saw Mick looking at him with a faintly questioning smile.
This startled his heart.
Without knowing what possessed him, Pun approached Mick.
He was still not recovered from the shock of seeing him at the event.
As Pun approached, Mick raised his vintage styled camera to his right eye and snapped a picture of Pun.
"Did you follow me here?" Mick scolded playfully and snapped a picture of Pun again.
"Followed you?" Pun's shock quickly gave way to anger.
"Why would I want to do that?" He demanded scornfully. "You are the last person I expected to see here!"
"Why does my presence upset you so much?"
"If I remembered correctly you tried to run me over with your car," Pun replied bitchily.
"If only you had kept your eyes on the road instead of your phone that would not have happened," Mick reminded him.
"So you are blaming me for your reckless driving? That's just disgusting."
Pun turned to leave.
Mick quickly jumped in front of him blocking his way.
"What can I do to make you stop hating me? You do hate me don't you?"
"What?"
"Should I kill a dragon for you," Mick teased seductively as he leaned closer to Pun's face.
"What?"
Pun was even more confused.
"No, really I will go out there and kill one for you if that would make you like me," as he said this, Mick gazed away from Pun as if looking into the foreseeable future.
Then turned his attention back to Pun by looking him in the eyes.
"In fact if your are nice to me, I will make it my mission to make you fall in love with me."
"Are you deranged?" Pun asked, quite horrified by the pick up line.
"Only when I am around you," Mick teased again, leaning ever closer.
Pun signed deeply and told him this.
"That's the worst pick up line I have ever heard."
With that he walked away.
Late that night when Mick was in his neat bedroom clicking through all the pictures he had taken that day on his laptop.
He stopped when Pun's picture came on the screen.
He stared at the picture for a long moment without any expression on his face.
Suddenly, Mick smiled while his eyes were glued to Pun's picture.....
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