KHEMJIRA, Chapter 12:

  Khem woke up at four in the morning, looked around the room, didn’t see anyone, so he quickly sat up. Glancing at the clay pot, he saw it was tightly closed, realizing his mother had returned inside it.

Knock knock

“Khem, are you awake?” Jett’s voice called out, waking him. Khem replied that he was awake, then got up to tidy his bed before hurrying out.

Master Pharan was waiting on a bamboo platform not far from the kitchen, with a cup of black coffee beside him, and a dog named Ai Dang was lying guard underneath.

“Go wash your face and come help prepare things.” Master Pharan said quietly without turning to look. At that moment, he was wrapping tobacco, betel nut, and miang into bite-sized portions on a tray with banana leaves.

Jett and Khem took turns washing up and brushing their teeth before rushing into the kitchen. Jett had steamed the sticky rice in a pot since three in the morning before going back to sleep. Now, with the rice cooked, he took it out of the pot, flipped it onto a tray, and used a clean stick to spread it out, letting the steam escape.

Khem took charge of preparing the savory dishes, which included fried pork and fried fish, simple meals as instructed by Jett.

Once done, they both carried the food out to Master Pharan’s bamboo platform, then found low stools to sit on below while Master Pharan sat alone on the platform.

“Oh, damn, I forgot I asked the village chief to buy some sweets.” Jett said as he remembered, scratching his head, putting down the banana leaf, and standing up.

Khem was also startled.

“Should I go with you, Jett?”

“No need, you stay here to help Master Pharan. I’ll go quickly and come back.

Master, may I borrow your bike, please?” When Master Pharan nodded, Jett ran to grab the master’s bike with a front basket, pulled it from under the house, and cycled off immediately.

Khem could only watch with drooping eyes as he was abandoned by his friends, before he made up his mind and slowly turned back to look at Master Pharan, who was wrapping sticky rice and fried pork in banana leaves. He watched Master Pharan’s slender, veined hands, observing his movements and trying to mimic them.

But the oppressive atmosphere emanating from Master Pharan made Khem feel like he couldn’t breathe properly, so he gathered his courage to strike up a conversation, figuring if he got scolded, he’d just stay quiet.

“Uh, what is this called, Master?” Pharan glanced at Khem’s face for just a moment before answering calmly:

“Small rice packets.” Seeing that Master Pharan was willing to respond, Khem’s spirits lifted, and he immediately asked another question.

“What are they for?”

“They’re placed at the base of trees around a few temples, as an offering for the spirits.” Pharan, seeing Khem listening intently with wide eyes, continued to explain when, where, why, and how, until Jett returned on his bicycle with a bag of sweets. Then Master Pharan stopped his explanation and focused back on wrapping the rice in banana leaves.

Khem understood from what Master Pharan had explained that this tradition is also known as “The Merit-making Ceremony of Decorating the Earth with Rice.” a long-standing practice in the Northeastern part of Thailand.

On the fourteenth day of the waning moon in the ninth month of every year, villagers would bring various foods, both savory and sweet, fruits, betel nuts, and cigarettes, wrap them in banana leaves, and place them under large trees, on the ground near the temple area, around the stupa, or the ordination hall, to make merit for the spirits of deceased relatives or ancestors, as well as for wandering spirits, those without kin, and hungry ghosts.

Jett handed a bag of sweets to Khem to wrap in banana leaves, then went to cut a banana bunch that Khem had received from the villagers the day before into small pieces to be placed in bowls.

Once everything was prepared, Jett and Khem followed Master Pharan into the woods behind the house. Not far into the woods, Master Pharan placed nine small rice packets at the base of a Bodhi tree, lit one candle and one incense stick, chanted an invocation for the spirits in the area to come and receive the food, and then planted the incense into the ground.

“Stay here.” Master Pharan turned to say briefly before, carrying a bag of small rice packets, he walked further into the woods.

Once alone with Jett, Khem quietly asked:

“Jett, Master said this tradition is held in the ninth month, but it’s only the fourth month now. Why are we doing it so early?” Jett scratched his head, having completely forgotten to tell Khem about this.

“It’s about the incident where the spirits invaded the village two days ago. Today is the Buddhist holy day, so Master Pharan suggested to the other shamans who came that day that we should hold this ceremony now, rather than waiting for the ninth month when the spirits might come out to cause trouble again.” Khem said with a nod of understanding, pursing his lips.

“I’m sorry.” Jett shook Khem’s head back and forth.

“Don’t overthink it, it’s over now. No one wanted it to happen. Better to spend your time thinking about how to deal with the spirits or karmic debts.” Khem nodded, and Jett was right again.

After a while, Master Pharan returned. Jett explained that Master Pharan had gone alone because he was worried about their safety, as there were not only many spirits but also potentially harmful animals in there.

Then Master Pharan went back inside the house. Meanwhile, Jett and Khem cycled around on Master Pharan’s bike, placing offerings at various locations from the rubber plantation, banana grove, the village’s three-way junction, to the temple area. Several volunteer students who were interested in local culture also joined in. Although it was done quietly, the atmosphere was quite lively.

Wherever Jett and Khem cycled, they were greeted and called to by villagers all along the way. When they met Chan, Khem quickly pulled Jett’s shirt collar to make him stop the bike.

“Ack, let me go, Khem!”

Khem ignored Jett’s whining and greeted Chan.

“Chan, you’re out too?”

Chan had just finished watering the plants by the roadside and stood up with a polite smile.

“Hello, Khun Khem, where are you heading?” Jett was about to curse, but Khem covered his mouth.

“We’re going to the temple. Want to join, Chan?” At first, Chan was going to decline, as he had already done his merit-making, but seeing Jett’s glare, he nodded in agreement. Khem immediately jumped off the bike to walk with Chan, forcing Jett to get off and push the bike, restraining himself from cursing the thick-skinned Chan since they were now near a sacred area.

The three of us arrived at the area beside the temple’s ordination hall and sat next to Grandma Si, a seventy-year-old woman lighting incense, clasping her hands together, calling out for her relatives and ancestors to come and receive the merit.

“Come, dear parents and siblings, grandparents, today we offer food and alms. There’s plenty to eat, a big fish cake, rice, water, sweets, bananas, sugarcane. May all suffering be relieved, may all karmic debts be resolved, may you ascend to heaven. Amen.”

As Grandma Si said “Amen.” Jett, Khem, and Chan followed suit, then helped her up from the ground.

“Oh, thank you very much, boys. Go, go get the sweets from home, there are plenty.”

After receiving the sweets, Chan parted ways with Khem and Jett at Grandma Si’s house. Each went back home to bathe and get dressed, preparing to return to the temple to offer food to the monks and listen to the sermon at eight in the morning.

After Khem had bathed and dressed, he prepared food in a lacquered food container while waiting for Jett. The food had been set aside earlier for offering to the monks.

“Khem, are you done?” Jett, dressed in a white round-neck shirt and baggy jeans styled like the 90s, asked while putting on his sneakers at the bottom of the stairs.

Khem nodded after neatly stacking the food containers.

“Done, just wait a moment. I need to get my mother’s pot first.” After saying this, Khem ran past Jett upstairs to the bedroom to get his mother’s pot, wrapped it in white cloth, tied it up, and placed it in a yellow shoulder bag.

“Here we go.” Khem said after slinging the bag over his shoulder and picking up the food container. Jett went to fetch the priest’s bicycle again.

“Get on.” Khem hesitated, not daring to move forward, secretly looking up to the balcony to see if anyone was watching.

“Uh, is it okay to take the priest’s bicycle, Jett?”

“It’s fine. At this time, the priest is asleep and not going anywhere. Don’t worry.” Khem made a doubtful face but then agreed to sit on the back of the bicycle.

“Wait, isn’t the priest coming to the temple?”

“No, he usually doesn’t go to the temple much, only when there’s something important. But later in the morning, there will be a spirit worship ceremony, I’ll come back to pick him up.”

Khem nodded in agreement to whatever Jett said.

Once they arrived at the temple, the first thing to do was to deliver his mother’s pot to one of the senior monks.

“You wait here, I’ll go invite the abbot.” Jett said, leaving Khem standing under a tree while he went to the monk’s quarters. Soon, a monk returned with Jett. Seeing the monk, Khem quickly knelt down, placed his mother’s wrapped pot beside him, and bowed three times on the ground.

“Paying respects, father abbot.”

“Blessings to you, benefactor.”

Jett came around to sit beside Khem after paying respects with his hands over his head and introduced the monk to his close friend.

“Khem, this is Luang Por Sua, the abbot of this temple.” Khem’s eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly bowed again, not expecting his friend to bring such an esteemed monk.

“Na…Namaste, Luang Por Sua. My name is Khem.”

“Hmm. No need for too much formality. Your mother is in there, right? Bring her here; I will perform the rites.” The abbot said, his eyes softening with compassion, knowing this child’s karma was unusually heavy.

“Here, thank you very much, father abbot.” Khem said after handing over the pot. He stepped back and bowed three more times.

“You don’t need to worry. Your mother’s spirit is a good one; her path ahead is certainly not one of hardship.” Hearing this, Khem felt relieved, quickly wiping away his tears and smiling.

“Understood, father abbot, thank you for your trouble.”

After that, Khem and Jett joined the other villagers and students in the temple’s pavilion. They began the ceremony of offering alms for the morning meal to the monks and novices. After the offering, Khem returned to the same Bodhi tree to perform the water pouring ritual to transfer merit to his mother.

“I wish for my mother to have only happiness, to become an angel in heaven, and for us to be mother and child again in the next life, mom.” With delicate hands, he poured water from a brass vessel onto the ground, unaware that behind him appeared the figure of his mother, waiting to receive the merit.

Kekai’s beautiful face smiled brightly, her body glowing with a golden radiance. Her hand gently stroked her son’s hair as he performed the ritual, though Khem could neither see nor feel it.

“Thank you, my child.” Then, Kekai’s spirit slowly dispersed into golden particles that floated up into the sky, leaving only a warm breeze to embrace her beloved son before departing forever…

…

Pharan woke up again in the morning, about an hour before the scheduled ceremony.

Today, he dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt, black well-fitted slacks, matching leather shoes, and sunglasses to shield his eyes. Once properly dressed, he walked to the area designated for parking bicycles.

However, there was nothing…

Pharan looked up at a window of a bedroom, made of fine golden teak wood, which had been blocked off with decayed wooden shutters without permission, and at the bicycle parking spot that was now empty, he could only close his eyes to suppress his feelings, and decided to walk into the village like this…

In the center of the village, where the ceremony to worship the heavens and earth was taking place, the square table, formed by connecting four tables, was now laden with offerings. There were the Brahmin and the Hindu celestial offerings, five kinds of savory dishes, nine types of auspicious sweets, including boiled pig’s head, boiled duck, boiled chicken, and steamed snakehead fish, each one, nine types of fruits and various grains in one bowl, two bouquets of flowers in vases, betel nuts, tobacco, two garlands of marigolds, popped rice, and incense with four incense holders at the corners, all in adherence to the twelve traditional items.

Jett and Khem were so busy helping the villagers set up for the ceremony that they completely forgot something important, and by the time they remembered, it was too late.

Khem’s jaw dropped when someone appeared, while Jett slapped his forehead loudly.

“Damn it, I forgot to pick up the master!”

After this event, it was expected that Jett would certainly be cut out of the inheritance by the priest…

The atmosphere at the worship ceremony changed immediately when Master Pharan appeared. His handsome face, though partially hidden by sunglasses, and his strong, confident demeanor made it impossible for onlookers to look away, especially the women. Some even tried to position themselves closer to the priest, but they were pushed back by his disciples.

Master Pharan, accustomed to ignoring his surroundings, was only focused on fulfilling his duties so he could return home to sleep early.

“Jett, why do the women in the village seem so excited?” Khem asked upon seeing the slight commotion at the front, while he was holding his hands in prayer, watching Master Pharan light nine incense sticks to worship the Triple Gem from afar.

Jett, also with his hands in prayer, replied:

“I could tell you about this all day and still not finish. Let’s just say the priest usually keeps to himself at home, he rarely comes out among people like this.” Khem nodded in understanding, the vibe was like when a friend who rarely comes to class shows up, and everyone gets excited to see him.

Pharan performed his duty as the master of ceremonies, his large hands holding sixteen lit incense sticks at chest level, his lips moving in chants to invite and praise the gods and deities.

“I invoke the gods and deities, the sacred Phra Pirun and Mother Earth, to protect and safeguard the lives of the villagers here from all inauspicious things…” The villagers all clasped their hands in prayer while Master Pharan conducted the ceremony step by step. Those close to the ritual area sat cross-legged on the mats, while those further away stood with hands clasped in prayer, mostly the volunteer student members.

  Suddenly, it began to rain, amidst the sound of traditional Thai music being played and the dancers performing to honor the gods.

  Master Pharan stood tall in front of the altar, his white shirt soaked by the rain, clinging to his body, revealing the intricate tattoos by a renowned monk covering his back. Despite the rain, the incense and candles still burned. No one moved to seek shelter; instead, they all raised their hands in reverence, covering their heads in respect.

     KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 11:

  After arriving home, having taken turns to shower and change clothes, Jett told Khem to go prepare the meal for the priest in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Jett would go invite the priest downstairs for dinner.

The villagers had provided both savory and sweet dishes, along with homegrown brown rice, so Khem didn’t need to spend time cooking rice.

The master came downstairs alone. Where Jett had gone, nobody knew. Khem stole a glance and noticed that the other man seemed to have just woken up. His hair was slightly messy, but he still looked very handsome.

Khem shook his head to clear his irrelevant thoughts before quickly pulling out a chair from the fine wooden table for the priest to sit down, where the table was laden with food.

Pharan sat down, immediately started serving himself some food, and then quietly said to Khem, who was standing awkwardly behind him:

“You can go find your mother if you wish.” Khem pressed his lips together before nodding quickly.

“Thank you, Master.” After saying this, he went into the kitchen, grabbed the trays of food for his mother and himself, and headed straight up the stairs to the bedroom.

Pharan looked at the abundance of food on the table and sighed to himself, as he had actually already eaten dinner before these two young men returned.

It was quite a commotion.

“Tonight, you stay with your mother, I’ll sleep outside.”

Khem nodded, “Thank you, Jett.”

“Easy, just call me if you need anything.” Jett ruffled Khem’s hair gently before taking his pillow and blanket outside.

Khem placed his mother’s food tray on the floor, separated his own plate from the tray, got up to open the pot lid on the bed’s headboard, then sat back down on his knees to light an incense stick as per tradition, closed his eyes and said:

“Mother, I’ve brought the food. There’s your favorite green curry too. Come out and eat with me, Mother.” A warm breeze passed through, and Khem slowly opened his eyes to see his mother’s face, which, though slightly pale, was still as beautiful as ever.

“I am here.” Khem held back his tears as best he could and nodded, giving his mother a sweet smile.

“Let’s eat, mom, there’s nothing but delicious food here.” Kekai nodded, looking at her child’s plate which only has an omelet over white rice because the child gave her the best and tastiest food.

Her eyes felt hot, her heart ached with unbearable pain. She wanted to scoop some of everything onto her child’s plate so they could eat together, just like when she was still alive.

  But now, she couldn’t do that.

  Because she had passed away.

  She was no longer in the same world as her child.

  Therefore, the food offered to the dead, the living can’t eat together.

  “Thank you, my child.” between us, mother and child, there was an incense pot barrier. Kekai, swallowing hard, forced herself to eat the food with tears in her eyes.

“Mom, please don’t cry, I’m very happy to be able to eat with you again.” Khem said with a smile, though tears streamed down his cheeks as he ate, wiping his tears because he couldn’t stop crying.

Kekai nodded.

“Okay, dear, you shouldn’t cry either.”

  The two both ate until we finished, then Khem took the dishes downstairs to wash and brushed his teeth before bed.

“I’ll run up quickly, mom.”

Kekai shook her head, “No running, dear, be considerate of the spirits of the house.”

  Khem smiled and nodded, “Okay, mom, I won’t run.”

Meanwhile, Jett leaned a wooden ladder against the house by Khem’s bedroom window, with a shoulder bag containing a hammer and nails, and in one hand, he carried a solid wooden rod about a meter long or so. He placed nails into the wood to block the window, preventing anyone inside from opening it and jumping out.

After the day Khem almost jumped from the balcony, Jett didn’t trust him to sleep alone anymore, and even when sleeping together, he tied Khem’s leg to himself. Today, not sleeping together, he couldn’t help but be wary, fearing Khem might have strange dreams and open the window.

Once done, he put the tools away and returned to the house, setting up the mosquito net and laying out the bed near the door.

At this time, Pharan was meditating to enter a trance as usual when he heard the sound of someone hammering something, and he immediately guessed who it was.

That Jett…

Khem came back upstairs once more, passing by Jett who was lying guard near the door. His mother was still sitting on the bed, waiting, so he quickly climbed onto the bed to be close to her.

“Mother, can I sleep in your lap?”

Kekai smiled, “Of course, my child.”

  Khem lay down with his head in his mother’s lap and told her about what he had done that day. Her pale hands gently stroked his hair to lull him to sleep, as she often did when he was asleep.

She didn’t dare to appear in front of her son, fearing he might become too attached and worried, so she had always just watched from a distance.

Khem looked up at his mother, taking her cold hands and holding them to his chest.

“Mother…tomorrow, I…I’ll take you to the temple, okay mother?” Kekai pressed her lips together, tears in her eyes, nodding slightly, though it was hard for her to let go, but ultimately, she had to allow her son to face his destiny alone.

Master Pharan had told her. That if she continued to follow her son like this, it would only make Khem’s life harder.

The more spirits that followed him, the weaker he would become.

Because she was a spirit with very little power, unable to contend with anyone, if one day her spirit were to vanish or be taken as a servant by another, her son would surely suffer and blame himself.

“I will go with you.”

Khem reached up to wipe his mother’s tears, then gave her a faint smile.

“Mother doesn’t need to worry about me, I’ll get through it, I’ll live until I’m old, believe in me, mother.” Kekai nodded again.

“I believe in you…It’s very late now. Go to sleep, my child, you have to wake up early tomorrow.”

  Khem shook his head from side to side.

“But I still want to talk to you, mom.” Khem tried to keep the conversation going with various topics, but soon, his body couldn’t resist fatigue, especially with his mother’s hand combing through his hair and her lullaby soothing him to sleep.

Khem slowly sank into a deep slumber.

Sleep now, my dear, I’ll sing you to sleep,

Gently rocking, my lullaby deep,   Golden mother, don’t cry and weep,

Your love, my dear, forever to keep…

The lullaby was melodious, carried by the breeze, echoing eerily, mixed with the chirping of crickets and interspersed with intermittent sobs that would touch anyone’s heart. Some villagers, half-awake, even got up to chant prayers out of compassion, not knowing who the singer of this child’s lullaby was…

When Khem was soundly asleep with a slight smile of contentment on his face, Kekai gently placed his head on the pillow, covered him with a blanket, and stroked his head one last time before whispering softly,

“Sweet dreams, my child.”

  Kekai stepped out of the bedroom, seeing Jett sleeping in the mosquito net near the door, she smiled with affection, knelt down, and gently stroked the young man’s head.

“Thank you very much for always taking care of Khem, may blessings protect you from now on, may you be safe, my child.”

  Jett felt a cool touch on his head, but being too sleepy, he didn’t open his eyes.

He just took note of it in his heart…

Pharan, who was meditating, slowly opened his eyes. The light from the large candle helped him see who had come to visit, though not very clearly.

“Hello, master.” Kekai said before bowing to the ground. Pharan felt reluctant to have her bow to him but didn’t interrupt her faith, so he just nodded in acknowledgment.

“Thank you for helping me and my child.” She looked up with a beautiful smile, and Pharan’s expression softened slightly.

“I just did what I could, it’s not a favor.” Kekai nodded.

“Master, Khem is a good boy.”

Pharan listened silently, not quite understanding why she brought this up.

“He speaks well, studies well, draws beautifully, cooks well, and does all the household chores competently.”

  “…”

“If in the future, Master, should you wish to have someone by your side, please consider my son too, okay?” Pharan believed that if he had taken a sip of the tea next to him a moment ago, he would have scalded his mouth. Thong and Ekk spirits sitting in the corner of the room even raised their hands to stifle their laughter, while sending teasing glances his way.

Pharan didn’t know how to react facially, but he nodded in acknowledgment to the young spirit before him and replied:

“Yes, Auntie.”

Kekai smiled. She didn’t know why, but she felt that this man would help Khem survive safely, especially after what had happened before. She felt confident about this.

“Please take care of Khem, Master.” She bowed again. Even though Master Pharan didn’t explicitly promise, his eyes softened, which reassured her a lot, and then her body gradually faded into the air.

Kekai appeared again in front of Phra Pinto’s cabin, her former husband. This time, Phra Pinto wasn’t standing on the steps anymore. He walked down and stopped in front of her, where she sat cross-legged on the ground, the distance neither too close nor too far.

Kekai clasped her hands in prayer and bowed three times, then looked up with a faint smile.

“I’ve come to say goodbye, my dear monk.” A tear streamed down from her beautiful eyes, even though her lips were still smiling.

A sudden pang of emptiness filled her heart, but Phra Pinto remained composed, then spoke to his former wife’s spirit:

“Goodbye, Kai, do not worry, do not be anxious anymore.”   Kekai nodded through her tears.

“Thank you so much for everything, my dear monk.”

  “…”

“If I hadn’t met you in this life, I wouldn’t know how much I would have suffered.”

  “…”

“If there is a next life, I hope we can meet again.” Kekai said, then bowed at Phra Pinto’s feet, her tears dropping onto the ground, making it damp. Her ears caught the sound of chanting, and her pale body suddenly glowed with a bright golden light.

“Sabbeputta, sabbedhamma, sabbesangha, palappatta, paccekaanam, jayang palang…

KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 10:

  Jett thought about getting even with an elbow smack, but this time he feared he’d lose both his elbow and his ground, so he retreated, clasping his hands in apology over his head. When Khem returned, Jett almost carried him away from the house.

Pharan watched the two boys until they were out of sight, then shook his head in mild exasperation.

“Khem is quite cute, isn’t he, Master? Won’t you help him for real?”

“Yeah, Master, he’s really pitiful.”

“Thong” and “Ek.” The twin ghost boys appeared, sitting formally and clasping their hands in supplication. These two ghosts were quite close to Jett; whenever they were together, they got along like peas in a pod, causing trouble since Jett was knee-high to a grasshopper.

“Want to get your heads knocked like Jett?” Both ghosts gaped at each other before quickly crawling away. Ordinary people might not be able to touch spirits, but the master could!

“We’re leaving, we’re leaving!”

Jett and Khem arrived at the assembly point right on time at seven in the morning for their scheduled meeting. The first thing they had to do was exercise by doing aerobics to stretch their muscles, led by a senior female club staff member.

Many villagers also joined in the exercise.

“Oh, I’m hungry.” Jett groaned while rubbing his stomach. After exercising in front of the flagpole, they all gathered at the school cafeteria for breakfast.

“We didn’t eat anything last night, and Jett hasn’t slept all night. I’ll go get some porridge for you, wait here.” Khem said, and Jett nodded while yawning. While waiting for Khem to fetch the food, Jett slumped his face down onto the table to nap.

Chanwit, who was in a similar condition, sat down at the table opposite Jett with some porridge. The events of last night left him curious and sleepless. Uncle Chai, the homeowner, had returned at some unknown time; when he went to take a shower, he saw Uncle Chai sleeping on a bamboo bed behind the house.

Seeing Jett this sleepy only reinforced Chanwit’s suspicion that whatever happened last night, Jett and Khem were definitely involved.

Today, he would keep a close eye on these two to find out exactly what happened last night!

Jett devoured two full bowls of pork porridge and a strong cup of black coffee, the bitterness of which woke him up completely, making him ready for the hard work ahead.

Next, they divided into groups to head to different sites: one group to repair the school roof, another to build a library, and another to go to the temple to restore and repair the damaged areas, which were not far from each other, allowing for help if one group needed more people.

The installation of the water filter was scheduled for the next day. After the major Buddhist holiday and the ceremony to honor Indra and Mother Earth, which the village chief had just announced to the volunteer students this morning.

“I heard that the big Buddhist holiday and the ceremony to honor heaven and earth here are usually held in the ninth month, and we’re only in the fourth month.

Why the rush?” one student remarked to another while they were painting the school fence.

“The villagers might want us to experience their culture. That’s good, I brought my camera.” another responded.

“Yeah, that’s great. We’ll get lots of pictures to post on the university page, which might help us get more funding next year.” They said, laughing cheerfully.

Cut to Jett and Khem, who were part of the temple restoration team. Jett, looking more robust than Khem, was recruited to fix the roof of the pavilion. After helping others scrub and clean the temple walls, Khem was assigned to be the mural painter on the walls, along with five other club members.

“Wow, Khem, you draw really well.” praised Phraemai, a fellow student sitting next to him. Khem’s drawing depicted a woman in a white blouse and traditional Thai skirt, kneeling with hands clasped in prayer, with a small boy around three or four years old sitting beside her, and a monk in front giving blessings. The scene captured the early morning atmosphere of a crowded community.

Indeed, Khem had drawn his own family.

“Yours is beautiful too, Phrae. The color balance is great, and the detail on the clothing is excellent.” Khem complimented Phraemai in return. She had drawn a woman in ancient Thai attire floating on a boat in a pond surrounded by lotus flowers.

Phraemai laughed when she saw Khem sincerely admiring her work, “Haha, you’re too kind, thanks. Seeing you so focused made me serious too.” Khem blushed at the compliment, slightly easing his tension as he noticed how easily Phraemai got along with others. They chatted a bit more before each returned to their work.

Jett watched Khem from the temple roof, while Chan, who was helping the villagers mix cement below, also kept an eye on both of them. Come lunchtime, they had sticky rice and fried pork wrapped in banana leaves for lunch, courtesy of the villagers. The sweet and salty taste was something Khem especially liked, reminiscent of how his mother used to fry pork for him with stir-fried vegetables when he was a child.

Missing his mom, Khem wanted to finish his work quickly and return to the master’s house to be with her.

The temple work finished around three in the afternoon, later than the school project. This was a free time for the students in the club; some went back home to rest, while others hitched a ride on the village chief’s truck to the market in the subdistrict, as the next day was a major Buddhist holiday with a planned ritual, requiring preparations.

Once Jett came down from the temple roof, he was immediately engaged in conversations by various villagers. Meanwhile, Khem was all over the place, running in and out of village houses.

Jett had told him that last night, many of the village’s spirit doctors had to rise and deal with spirits to assist Master Pharan, not getting any sleep, which Khem felt responsible for, even though no one knew this as the master had kept it secret. To make amends, Khem wanted to help the villagers. In some houses, he helped repair water pipes; in others, he cleaned; he helped dig in gardens for planting, and at some places, he assisted in sorting grains.

After Jett finished talking with one of the villagers, he couldn’t find Khem. He had seen him heading towards Grandma Si’s house, but when he asked her, she said he had finished cleaning her house and then left.

Chanwit watched Jett, who seemed restless whenever Khemjira wasn’t nearby, and he couldn’t help but furrow his brows in suspicion about their relationship. It was unusual for friends to not let the other out of their sight like this.

Or were they more than just friends?

Chanwit was left to ponder this on his own. The world had moved on; even though he might seem like he was from another era, it wasn’t as if he didn’t understand human rights.

But the look in the eyes of people with romantic interest was not like this. His father had once been entranced by a woman, leading to his divorce from Chanwit’s mother. The way his father looked at that woman was filled with love and desire.

But the look in Jett’s eyes when he looked at Khemjira was more like how a mother watches her toddler taking his first steps, as if if Khemjira stumbled, Jett’s world would end…or so he thought.

Damn it.

Chanwit pinched his temples, not understanding why he was so fixated on Jett and Khemjira.

“Hey, you.” Chanwit lowered his hand, his eyebrow twitching slightly when someone called him “you.” in the rudest way possible, but when he saw who it was, his body tensed up instantly.

Confused, suspicious, and excited, these three feelings clashed in Chanwit’s head.

“Khun Jett?” Chanwit accidentally called out, which made Jett raise an eyebrow, wondering how the other knew his name, but then he remembered he was somewhat famous and didn’t think much of it. Right now, he had to find Khem.

“Yeah. Have you seen my friend? He’s small, big eyes, brown hair, and is wearing a blue t-shirt.” Jett described Khem to Chan, but the answer he got left Jett momentarily speechless.

“My name is Chanwit, you can just call me Chan.” Chan responded with a frown. He was usually polite to others, but being called “you” by someone he wasn’t close to was really irritating, especially by Jett.

“Oh, right, okay. Chan, have you seen my friend? Small, big eyes, brown hair, wearing a blue t-shirt.” Jett corrected himself by adding the name, thinking the other just wanted to introduce himself. Chanwit was still annoyed, but it was better than being called “you” earlier.

“Why do you keep following Khem around all the time?” Chan thought it was best to ask directly because he had been observing these two all day without getting any answers, and it was wasting his time.

“Huh?”

“The incident where the bus nearly crashed, and then many villagers walking down the road to the west in the middle of the night, in the same direction Jett and

Khem went earlier. What exactly is going on? What are you two up to?” Chanwit fired off questions without giving Jett a chance to respond.

Hearing the accusations, Jett started to get irritated, about to curse out Chan, when Khem’s voice rang out from behind:

“Jett, help me, help me!”

“Damn!”

“Watch out!”

Khem was struggling to carry a whole bunch of bananas, his arms laden with bags of food and snacks hanging off them. He stumbled over a stone.

Both Jett and Chan felt like they’d been zapped, their bodies jerking as they rushed to help Khem. Chan, being the largest and strongest, took on the task of carrying the banana bunch, which was quite heavy…

Meanwhile, Jett quickly relieved Khem of the bags of snacks and other food, complaining as he did so:

“Why did you bring back so much stuff? Are you starving or what, Khem?”

“The villagers gave these to me, okay? Keep talking, and I won’t share any!” Khem retorted immediately.

In truth, Khem initially didn’t want any reward, intending to repay the villagers and atone for the trouble he caused. But the villagers wouldn’t take no for an answer. Eventually, Khem couldn’t refuse their kindness and accepted everything they gave, including this entire bunch of bananas…

“You’ve gotten quite bold, huh?” Khem stuck out his tongue at Jett before turning to the man who had come to help carry the bananas. This man was tall, with jet-black hair slicked back and wearing square-framed glasses, giving off a scholarly vibe. Khem vaguely remembered his name was Chanwit.

“Is your name Chanwit? Thank you for helping. Otherwise, I’d have fallen flat on my face. Here, let me take it now.” Khem said, checking his hands and shirt, which were already stained with paint. He then extended his arms to take back the bananas, thinking he could manage now that his arms were free from the other bags.

However, Chan shook his head in refusal. He stole a quick glance at the red mark on Khem’s arm before replying.

“I think it’s better if I hold it for you.”

“Let me choose one for you to hold.” Jett quickly said, feeling a strong aversion to Chanwit since the earlier incident, wanting to send Chanwit away.

But Khem felt an immediate liking for Chanwit, sensing he was probably a good person. There was something about Chanwit that made him feel safe, and he seemed more mature than both Khem and Jett. If they could be friends, it wouldn’t be bad at all.

“Then, how about we go sit and eat some snacks? We’ve got so much, no way we can finish it all.” Khem suggested with a flushed face. Chanwit looked at him and felt a sense of endearment, so he nodded.

“Sure, there’s a small wooden pavilion up ahead where we can sit and rest.”

“No way, Khem, let’s just go home. I want to take a shower.” Jett objected with a displeased face, but he was taken aback when Khem turned to look at him with a pout and raised eyes.

“Can’t we sit and have some snacks first, Jett? I’m hungry, and if we walk all the way to the master’s house, I’ll definitely faint.” Jett’s mouth opened and closed as he glared at his friend in annoyance.

“Fine, but you turned to stone in front of the master, remember!” Khem put both hands over his ears as if to block out the words, just thinking about the master’s face made his legs tremble.

“Alright, alright, Chan, lead the way.”

While eating snacks at the village’s central wooden pavilion, Khem eagerly asked Chanwit about himself, his major, and year of study. It turned out Chanwit was studying Social Sciences, majoring in Psychology, and was in the same year as Jett and Khem.

“Wow, you’re really smart.”

“It’s just okay, ouch.” Jett yelped as Khem pinched his waist. Chan wasn’t paying attention to Jett. He nodded to Khem and responded,

“Khun Khem, you are smart too.”

“Ugh, sorry, sorry.”

“Sorry on behalf of Jett, he’s just got a foul mouth like this, but he’s actually a good person.” Khem apologizes on behalf of his friend while Jett turns his face away, and Chan gives a small smile.

“I don’t mind crazy people.” Jett says, turning back with his neck almost snapping.

“Damn, do you want a punch, Khem? My waist is all bruised now!”

“Jett, calm down!”

For the sake of Khem, both Chan and Jett temporarily stop their bickering and focus on eating, with some small talk about tomorrow’s plans. After eating, they helped clean up the trash, but Khem had set aside some food for himself, his mother, and the priest. Khem hadn’t properly thanked the priest for the events of the previous night.

Then, Chan walked Khem and Jett to the end of the concrete road, flanked by banana trees, with a rubber plantation ahead where a narrow dirt road cuts through.

Earlier, Chan found out that Jett and Khem were staying at the house of Master Pharan, a respected shaman in the village. Khem explained that Jett was also a disciple of Master Pharan, which is why they were staying there since Jett’s real home was far away in the district.

“Just drop us here, you can go back.” Jett quickly grabs a bunch of bananas from Chan, while Khem stands waiting not far away.

“About what you asked me, don’t go asking Khem about it, got it?” Jett warns as a final note. Even though Chan didn’t mention it to Khem earlier, one can never be too sure in the future.

Chan shrugs.

“Next time, if I ask you and you don’t give me a good answer, I’ll ask Khun Khem.”

Jett glared at him.

“Damn, you’ll get it from me.” Khem shouts, hearing something about getting

‘it’.

“Jett, what are you saying!” Jett immediately gets annoyed.

“Ugh, you’re really annoying, you know that!”

KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 9:

  Khem felt as though he had drifted into a vast, empty void. Everything around him was pitch black, with only a dense white mist and smoke swirling in the air, obscuring all visibility.

Where is this place…Khem could only ponder to himself, the uncertainty making him too scared to even move.

Khem was certain he was dreaming, but the unfamiliar situation filled him with fear.

Please wake up, Khem, I beg you.

Time passed slowly. Khem felt like he had been standing there for hours. Just as he was about to reach the peak of his anxiety, he suddenly heard a voice:

‘Khem…come this way, my child.’ In the distance, a woman in a white blouse and a traditional Thai skirt was standing, waving him over.

“Mom…is it really you, Mom?” Khem bit his lip, holding back tears, his heart beating rapidly out of fear that it might not truly be his mother.

‘It’s me, my son. Don’t be afraid, I’ll take you out of here.’ Her voice was warm, something telling him that it was indeed his mother.

“Mom!” Overwhelmed by his longing for his mother, Khem quickly wiped his tears and ran towards her with joy.

“Mom, I missed you so much.” Khem embraced his mother, but he could not feel her warmth, as if he was hugging emptiness itself.

This only confirmed that she was no longer alive in the real world, merely a spirit appearing in his dream…

His mother nodded and smiled at Khem, then took his hand and led him forward.

Not long after, Khem saw a light, and suddenly his mother stopped walking. She turned to him with a smile and said:

“Khem, follow that light, my child.” Khem looked at his mother with concern, his heart aching so much he almost cried.

“And…what about you, Mom?”

“I can’t go, dear. Hurry up, don’t worry about me.”

“But…” Khem was about to argue when another voice intruded into this dimension.

“Khem, can you hear me, Khem?” It was Jett’s voice, sounding very urgent.

Khem bit his lip to hold back tears, gently squeezing his mother’s cold hands.

“Mom, come find me again, okay? I’ll wait for you, Mom.”   His mother smiled and nodded.

“Go quickly.” After his mother agreed, Khem reluctantly turned and ran towards the white light that was not far away, which was growing larger and larger until…

Gasp!

Khem jolted awake, his heart pounding so fast he was breathing heavily, then he saw Jett’s face sitting by the bed.

“Jett…”

“Yeah, you finally woke up.” Jett looked greatly relieved. Khem slowly sat up, gently rubbing his face.

“I dreamt I was somewhere unknown, it was so dark, full of fog and smoke…At first, I was really scared, but then suddenly Mom came to me, Jett. Since she passed away, I’ve never felt her presence until now. What happened…?” Before Khem could finish speaking, he noticed how weary Jett looked, with dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept at all.

“Jett, what happened last night?” Khem asked, his large eyes flickering with curiosity.

Jett had already told Khem about the incident on the tour bus before they went to sleep, how he had nearly put everyone in danger.

He hadn’t realized that it wasn’t over yet…

Looking at Khem, Jett felt pity for his friend. He didn’t want to tell him, but Khem needed to know because it was Pharan and the other village shamans who had saved him.

“Khem. You need to calm down and listen to me…” Jett recounted everything he knew. From hearing the loud screeches of the owls on the roof, which are considered an ill omen since owls are believed to be ghost birds, to many people with magical abilities coming to this place. Jett heard the master chanting the Assembly of Deities spell, which the master had once used to subdue numerous spirits during the incident of the forest breaking five years ago when he was still a monk.

Last night was the second time Jett heard the master chant this spell, indicating that a large number of spirits were approaching, which turned out to be true. After that, Jett heard the high-pitched shrieks of the pretas, similar to what he heard on the tour bus, along with the stench of decay like that of corpses, and the foul smell of ghosts carried by the wind.

Jett thought they must have come for Khem.

“Five years ago, after the master finished invoking the deities, the spirits retreated back into the deep forest. They didn’t bother the villagers again, but last night, I heard the sound of rain and thunder multiple times consecutively. After that, the sun rose, and everything returned to normal. It was amazing, but I regret not going out to see it.”

Khem bit his lip tightly.

“I’m sorry, Jett.”

“Hey, I didn’t say it to make you feel bad, I just wanted you to know that last night, the master and the villagers saved you. Go take a shower and then go see the master. Thank him properly.” Khem nodded in agreement, although his eyes were still somewhat downcast.

It was now only half past six, with half an hour to spare. After showering and dressing, Khem followed Jett to the central area used for ceremonies. The master, in a long-sleeved black shirt and matching trousers, was still sitting on a raised wooden platform.

Jett crawled forward, stopped at a respectful distance, and bowed, then looked up to pay respects with his hands clasped, smiling shyly. Khem followed suit, but after bowing, he kept his eyes down, unable to meet the master’s gaze, who looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes far worse than Jett’s, feeling guilty.

Pharan looked at Jett with a gaze as sharp as a knife before turning to the other boy who was sitting small beside him.

“You, are you Khem?”

“Yes, that’s me, sir.”

“Come closer.” Khem gave a small start, looked up, blinking as if unsure whether he heard correctly.

“Go ahead.” Jett, still with his hands clasped, leaned in to whisper. Khem opened his mouth slightly and then closed it, quickly crawling forward to kneel and clasp his hands before the master who was seated higher, but he didn’t dare to look up at the master’s face.

After taking a shower earlier, before meeting the master, Jett had told Khem not to make eye contact with the master for more than three seconds, but he didn’t explain why. If Jett didn’t tell him, Khem wouldn’t ask; he always followed what Jett said without question.

Pharan wasn’t concerned with how Khem reacted to him. What he was curious about and had been pondering since last night were the words of the ghost Madam Ramphueng, the nemesis of Khem.

“But I’ll tell you this, your grandfather’s magic can’t do anything to me…”

  Madam Ramphueng knew Pharan’s grandfather, no doubt they had met before, and he felt very familiar with Khem’s real name, so he wanted to verify something to put his mind at ease.

“The thing you’re wearing around your neck, show it to me.” He said calmly. The other boy trembled slightly before pretending to take off the necklace.

“Just show it, no need to take it off.” Khem swallowed, slightly startled by the stern tone of the master, but complied by pulling out the sacred thread necklace over his shirt, then placed his hands on his lap and tilted his head back, closing his eyes for the master to see clearly.

“Here it is.” The master’s face was expressionless, while Jett tried hard not to laugh. He had never seen anyone so scared of the master yet look so funny in their fear.

Pharan, who was sitting in meditation, unfolded his legs and placed his feet on the ground, picking up a betel leaf from a brass tray, using it to lift Khem’s talisman. He leaned in close to examine it. Khem caught a faint pleasant scent from the master and closed his eyes tightly, not daring to breathe deeply.

Pharan narrowed his eyes. This was a genuine tiger-hide talisman, one of only three in the world, blessed by his grandfather. One was in the possession of his grandfather’s close friend, a well-known monk who now lived as a forest-dwelling monk; Pharan hadn’t heard from him in years.

The second was his, as he was his grandson.

The last one, he never thought, would belong to this boy who had no apparent connection to his grandfather.

Pharan remembered now. This was about sixteen years ago. At that time, he was in middle school, and his grandfather often traveled to various provinces to exorcize ghosts as requested, accompanied by three disciples: Uncle Chaiya, Uncle Lah, and Uncle Mek, the three most powerful shamans in this village.

That day, Grandpa came to visit him at home. At that time, he was still with his father. Grandpa brought snacks and local souvenirs from the provinces he had visited, and as usual, he shared stories about his work.

Grandpa had met a family in Kanchanaburi; it was a family of three – father, mother, and child…

“The parents aren’t the issue, but the three-year-old child has a bad fate, cursed by a spirit with a vendetta against his life. No matter how many times they tried to ward off the curse, it didn’t get better. Every time the child gets sick, he’s on the brink of death. At this rate, he probably won’t live to see five…”

“Oh, the child’s name is Khemjira, it’s quite fitting, but the bearer of the name is a boy, you know…”

Seeing the child’s adorable face, Grandpa took a liking to him. So, he gave him a tiger claw amulet. “Haha.” Grandpa laughed merrily, but at that time, Pharan, not quite understanding, frowned and asked:

“Grandpa…Didn’t you say we shouldn’t interfere with others’ karmic debts?”   Grandpa nodded.

“Well, yes, but when I saw his face, I couldn’t help but feel pity for him. Once you help, you help.”

After that, ten years passed, and Grandpa died of old age, but before passing, he suffered greatly and was in excruciating pain. The image of Grandpa vomiting black blood, writhing in pain, and deliriously seeking death every night was still vivid in Pharan’s memory, especially Grandpa’s dying wish that he would remember forever:

“Be a white magician, not a black one, and don’t meddle in others’ karmic affairs. Unless you want to suffer like me.”

Pharan let go of the amulet and moved back to his original position after receiving the answer. What he was about to tell the boy in front of him was this:

A pottery jar inscribed with runes to bind a spirit was placed in front of Khem.

The master said:

“The spirit in this jar is your mother’s.” Upon hearing this, Khem’s heart sank, his eyes widened in disbelief, staring at the pottery jar as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Ma…Mom?” Pharan nodded slightly, not caring whether Khem believed it or not.

“Your mother has been with you all this time. She’s a spirit with little power, but she’s managed to stay because of her pure intention to protect her child.”

“…”

“Her accumulated merit from when she was alive, combined with the protective amulet you’ve worn since childhood, has kept her from being taken by other spirits to become their servant.”

“…”

“But now, the magic in the talisman has completely faded. Your mother only survived because someone has been sending her merit and loving-kindness…” Khem’s eyes burned with emotion. The person referred to must have been the father abbot, as Khem hadn’t had time to make merit for his mother in recent months.

Pharan watched Khem’s face, which was beginning to tear up, without any intention of sparing his feelings.

“Your mother isn’t a protected spirit; last night, if I hadn’t sheltered her in this pot, she would likely have been destroyed by the stray magic.”

Remembering the dream he had this morning, Khem couldn’t hold back his tears. He believed every word the master said, so he bowed down to the floor.

“Thank you so much, masterer, thank you for saving my mother.” Pharan looked at Khem without acknowledging the thanks, then continued,

“From now on, the ghost that’s your nemesis will grow even more powerful. If your mother continues to linger around to protect you like this, it won’t be long before that ghost takes her.” Khem shook his head in refusal, tears streaming down his face, his large eyes pleading as he looked at the master’s face.

“Then…what should I do, master?” Pharan placed the magical pot in front.

“Take it to the temple, perform the rites to send her spirit to the reincarnation where it should be.”

“Huh.” Khem nodded, wiping his tears with his sleeve before embracing the pot.

“Can I do it tomorrow, master? I…I want to spend one more night with my mother.” Pharan watched Khem, who was crying with a runny nose. Not wanting to admit he felt sorry for him, he pretended to sip his black coffee and replied softly,

“Do whatever you want.”

“Thank you, master.” Khem bowed again with joy, it was almost time to meet with the club members. He quickly took the pot containing his mother to his bedroom.

Khem placed his mother’s pot on the head of the bed, before leaving he gently stroked the lid and spoke to his mother’s spirit,

“I have so much I want to talk to you about, Mom. I’ll come back soon.”

As for Jett, as soon as Khem waddled off with his mother’s pot, he quickly crawled closer to the master.

“Master, was it the vengeful spirit after Khem last night?” Pharan looked at Jett with a reprimanding gaze before answering curtly:

“Yes.” Jett gave a strained smile.

“Thank you for protecting Khem, Master. You’re truly amazing!” Jett exclaimed, but then yelped as the master tapped his head with the edge of a stainless steel tray, causing tears from the pain.

“Just this once. If anything happens again, I won’t help. You deal with it yourself.”

“Oh, Master, don’t you see how pitiful Khem is? He’d be blown away by a mere breeze. How could he possibly confront such a spirit?” Pharan fixed Jett with a stern look.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” Jett clenched his lips. He usually didn’t argue with the master. If the answer was no, then it was no. But he wanted to plead just this one time for Khem.

“Master…if you won’t help Khem…I’ll leak your phone number to-…ouch!” Pharan kicked Jett, sending him sprawling backwards.

KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 8:

  The magic practitioners in the village opened their eyes simultaneously, sensing danger creeping in. The sound of the owls carried on the wind from the west, the direction where Pharan, the revered spirit doctor of the village, lived.

Everyone threw off their blankets, got up, and packed essentials into cloth bags.

Including Chai, the owner of house number forty-six, one of the ten most skilled magic practitioners in this village.

“What’s happening, dear?” Mrs Kaew felt uneasy when she saw her husband suddenly get up to change clothes, looking hurried as if he intended to go somewhere.

“I’m going to Pharan’s house. It seems something bad is about to happen. Please take care of the students, don’t let anyone go outside until morning.”

Mrs. Kaew nodded in agreement. If her husband was set on helping Pharan, she wouldn’t try to stop him; that man had done much for their family and the village. “Take care of yourself.” Chai nodded, slung his satchel over his shoulder, and left the house. Outside Chai’s house, Lah and Mek, who were of similar magical prowess, were waiting. After a brief conversation, they headed towards Pharan’s house.

At that time, Chanwit, who hadn’t been able to sleep due to a strange feeling, opened his eyes in the dark of his bedroom. He heard the sound of the door opening and voices talking outside.

‘Who’s doing what at this hour?’ Chanwit furrowed his brows. Unable to resist his curiosity, he got up, slightly opened the window, and peered out to see Uncle Chai with two other men whom Chanwit recognized as the owners of the houses where club members were staying.

“Where are they going?”

Chaniittaya’s mind was filled with doubt. Apart from these three, there were several other strong-looking men with a similar aura walking on the road, passing by Chanwittaya’s house, heading west.

Isn’t that the same direction Jett Na and Khemjira went earlier in the evening?

The incident on the bus was still unanswered, and now this!

What exactly are those two and the people in this village hiding?

Chanwittaya opened the door, intent on following Uncle Chai to get to the bottom of it. However, upon opening the door, he saw Aunt Kaew, Uncle Chai’s wife, sitting in the middle of the house, sewing by the light of a lantern.

“Oh, where are you going?” Aunt Kaew asked. She was also surprised that Chanwittaya was still up at this hour.

Even though; before leaving, her husband had cast a spell to make everyone in the house sleep soundly, except for her, and the two girls sleeping in another room. She had tried to wake them only to find they were deeply asleep. How could this young man still be awake?

“Where is Uncle Chai going, Aunt Kaew?” Chanwittaya asked directly. Aunt

Kaew looked into the young man’s eyes for a long time, realizing that Chan Wittaya had a strong mind. Even if she told him, he might not believe her, thinking it was superstition.

“There’s nothing, son. Uncle Chai has some business with a friend. It’s late, go back to sleep, don’t go out anywhere, trust me, okay?” Chanwittaya wrestled with his curiosity for a moment before letting out a soft sigh and nodding. As much as he wanted to know, he shouldn’t cause trouble for his hosts, so he went back to his room to sleep.

But no matter how he tried, he couldn’t fall asleep.

The small temple in the village housed only thirteen monks and novices. At this time, the abbot, Luang Por Sua, paced along the path and stopped in front of the hut of one of the monks, calling softly:

“Phra Amorn.” The door to Phra Amorn’s hut opened, and Phra Amorn, who was kneeling behind the door, bowed three times before clasping his hands together and asking:

“What can I do for you, Venerable One?”

“Go fetch the other monks and novices to the pavilion…right now.” Phra Amorn sensed from the abbot’s tone that something ominous was about to happen. The young monk accepted the command and bowed before heading off to fulfill his task.

Soon, thirteen monks and novices gathered at the pavilion; some were calm, others looked alarmed, not knowing why the abbot had called them at this hour, but none dared to ask. When the senior monk instructed, they followed.

The temple boys had prepared seats for all the monks to sit in a row, holding rosaries that were passed along until everyone had one. When the abbot began chanting, everyone joined in unison:

“Burapharasang, Prakhutta-khunang

Burapharasang, Prakhamma-tang

Burapharasang, Prakhasakhanang

Dukkha-rokha-phayang, Viwanchai-ye

Sappha-dukkha, Sappha-soka, Sappha-roka, Sappha-phaya

Sappha-koroh, Seniyad-chonrai, Viwanchai-ye

Sappha-tanang, Sappha-lapang, Bhavantume, Rakkhantu, Surakkantu…”

The harmonious chant filled the temple grounds, creating a sense of calm. Golden Pali script, invisible to the naked eye, began to form a protective wall around the village, safeguarding it from any malevolent forces that might try to intrude.

Monks have their path of practice, and so do those with magical abilities, but above all, their purpose is the same: to protect themselves, their families, and the people of this village.

Upon arriving at Pharan’s house, some dispersed to stand guard around the perimeter of the house, readying themselves for battle. The ten most powerful magic practitioners marched up the stairs in formation.

The sounds of footsteps on the stairs creaked.

At the foot of the stairs, two boys who looked alike were kneeling, hands clasped in prayer on either side, as if inviting the assembly of practitioners to ascend.

If one arrives here without encountering these two spirit servants waiting at the stairs, it means that on that day, Master Pharan is not available to meet anyone. This is well known among all the spirituals.

Chai, Lah, and Mek, once students of Master Sek, the grandfather of Master Pharan, believed that Master Pharan was born with significant spiritual merit. His character and disposition from childhood suggested this to them.

Master Sek loved this grandson dearly, and before he passed, he entrusted the villagers to look after him. However, it was usually Master Pharan who ended up taking care of the villagers. For instance, ten years ago, when Chai’s six-year-old son wandered into the forest and was lost for three days and nights, it was Master Pharan, then a monk, who found and carried the exhausted child back. That image was indelibly etched in Chai’s memory. Lah and Mek, too, had been helped by Master Pharan on numerous occasions, much like everyone who came here.

There had been no chance to repay his kindness until now when numerous malevolent spirits were heading towards this Thai house. They would not stand by idly.

Upon reaching the house, they saw Master Pharan’s towering figure in front of the Buddha altar. They all knelt down and bowed in reverence.

Master Pharan was still in meditation, aware that both his and his grandfather’s disciples would come. His lips continued to chant mantras without pause.

Chai, the eldest among the ten, crawled forward, took out a tray with candles, and distributed them for everyone to light, arranging them in a square formation around themselves and the master.

Then, they crawled to kneel behind the master. Some pulled out books with written chants, opening them and beginning to chant in unison with the master.

“Lakke, game, charipe, kirisu kara tate…”

Jett also felt a sense of foreboding, which he had been feeling for some time now.

The loud, piercing calls of the owls resounded, startling Jett awake, though Khem continued to sleep deeply.

The owls called for a while before going silent, dispersing in different directions. But no matter how tired Jett was, he dared not sleep again. He wanted to check outside but didn’t dare, as the master had instructed not to leave the room until morning.

After a while, the sound of several footsteps climbing the stairs could be heard. Jett woke up with wide eyes and sat up, looking over at Khem who was sleeping soundly on the bed.

“Khem…Hey, Khem.” Jett tried calling out a little louder than usual, but Khem didn’t wake up. Jett then got up to check his breathing, letting out a sigh of relief when he confirmed that Khem was still breathing.

But this wasn’t good. Each day, Khem seemed to be sleeping more deeply, to the point where he could sleepwalk outside, which was very dangerous. Jett was worried that one day Khem might fall into such a deep sleep that he wouldn’t wake up again.

Jett was restless and uncomfortable. He didn’t know what was happening outside, but when he heard the sound of chanting, he paled instantly.

The chant he heard was the Assembly of Deities Chant, meant to invite gods from all realms to listen to the Dharma prayers, seeking their protection against dangers and evil forces.

It was believed that the louder the chant was, the higher the spiritual power of the chanter, reaching up to the highest heavens.

After the incident in the haunted forest five years ago, Jett hadn’t heard the master recite this chant. There was no need to guess what was about to happen.

Jett quickly got up, lit a candle, placed it in front of him, clasped his hands in prayer, closed his eyes to focus on the chant, and listened to which part they were at before joining in:

“Titthanta, Santike-yang, Munivara-wa, Jana…”

The spirit of Pharan saw a large group of ghosts and demons, numbering over a hundred, advancing towards this village. These malevolent spirits were heading straight here, aiming to take Khemjira’s life.

Why go to such lengths?

  Pharan pondered inwardly while his spirit spread out, searching for the malevolent spirit that was Khemjira’s nemesis, a woman from four hundred years ago, dressed in the attire of a slave owner from that era.

But he couldn’t find her, nor could he find the spirit of Chayot, his brother from a past life.

Where could they be?

As one of the spirits was lingering in the deep forest for a long time, the scene in front of Pharan suddenly changed.

From a horde of terrifyingly shaped and grotesque spirits—some running, some walking, some crawling—the scene transformed into an ancient, abandoned Thai house, now filled with dust and debris.

“Are you looking for me?”

Master Pharan heard only the cold voice of a woman but saw no one speaking, so he did not respond.

“Don’t meddle in this. Hand over the boy and his mother’s spirit to me, and I’ll let you all go.”

Master Pharan replied softly, “What does the boy have to do with this? Can’t you just let him go?” The disciples sitting behind could hear the conversation, but they continued chanting.

“Shut up! What I do is none of your business!”

“…”

“Will you surrender them, or do you want to test me?”

“…”

“But I’ll tell you this, even your grandfather, Sek, couldn’t do anything against me. A child like you dares to challenge me!”

“…”

“Because no matter what, I will never give up on them!”

Master Pharan called his spirit back to his body. His sharp black eyes opened, looking at the candle flames while his ears caught the sound of wailing and shrill shrieks not far away. The stench of decay and the foul odor of spirits wafted through the air. Thirteen pretas and over a hundred spirits had emerged from the forest to encircle his house, but they couldn’t enter due to the multiple layers of magical barriers set by several skilled practitioners.

Chaiya and the other disciples could hear, smell, and sense the presence of these spirits, but they did not show undue panic. Despite the sweat dripping down to soak the collars of their shirts, they remained with hands clasped, waiting to see what Master Pharan would do next.

After finishing the chant to summon the assembly of deities, the next step was to invoke the gods and all sacred entities.

“Everyone, maintain your concentration, keep your minds clear, let go of all attachments, don’t let your focus waver even for a moment.” Pharan warned while still sitting with his back turned. He closed his eyes once more to recite the invocation:

“I, Pharan, with my power, hereby invite the authority of all my masters, all the Buddhas, the Dhamma, the Sangha, my parents, those who have given birth to me and those who have nurtured me in all lifetimes,

All the deities that protect me, including the great deities, the great Bodhisattvas, and all the exalted beings in the nineteen heavens, the sixteen Brahmas, the fifteen layers of earth, the fourteen subterranean realms, the twenty-one realms of Mother

Earth, and the sacred river Ganges,

Please protect, guard, and keep safe…me, my loved ones, my students, and all the lives in this village from any harm. Let no danger approach.”

Luang Por Sua who was leading a chant at the temple seemed to hear Pharan’s voice carried by the wind, sensing the pure and compassionate spirit of the young man who wished to keep the village safe.

Feeling inspired and emboldened, Luang Por Sua raised his chant louder, prompting the other monks to follow suit.

“In this auspicious universe, in all eight directions, may a wall of glass, in seven layers, come forth to protect and encircle us, Anatta…”

At that moment, after finishing the invocation of gods and sacred beings from all realms, suddenly the sky flashed with golden light, and rain began to fall, but not ordinary rain. The demons writhed and screamed in agony as the rain touched them, and thirteen bolts of lightning struck down, hitting the heads of thirteen ghostly figures, the sound shaking the entire house. Jett was jolted out of his meditation, but Khem remained in deep sleep.

  Besides the falling rain, the ground that was getting wet began to turn into a mud pit, pulling down the malevolent spirits struggling to escape, their screams of protest echoing before the mud flowed into their mouths, all under the watchful eyes of the practitioners below who were standing in the rain, chanting their spells. Those above could see this through their own visions.

  Everyone thought the same thing: that the rain and lightning were sent by Indra, and the mud pit that swallowed the demons was the work of Mother Earth.

  Both deities had responded to the call, and if the one invoking them were not of great merit or of a pure heart, such a result would not have been witnessed.

  Soon, everything vanished, and calm returned. The soft morning sunlight streamed into the house, touching the figure of the master, who was still seated. At that moment, all the disciples bowed in unison.

     KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 7:

  Chayot, upon hearing the greeting, instinctively sensed that the man before him remembered the tales of times past. The sharp, coal-black eyes that looked at him seemed like a predator eyeing its prey, and the aura of dark magic spread throughout the area like flames from hell capable of scorching even souls.

His eyes remained wide open, fearing he might be obliterated, so he immediately retreated into his own dimension to hide.

Pharan let Chayot go. Despite his lingering suspicions about his former younger brother, leaving the two children standing there like dewdrops was out of the question.

He moved away from the young man who had been asleep since earlier, glancing at his disciple who stood there with a forced smile before turning to walk back to the house.

“Khem, has the spirit escaped yet or what?” Jett asked, lightly patting Khem on the shoulder. Khem turned to look at his friend, his mouth twisting as if about to cry; the master was far more frightening than he had anticipated.

“Jett. I want to go home.”

“Oh, you scaredy-cat, let’s go!”

Once they reached the second-floor balcony after climbing the stairs, the master took a lantern from another post and handed it to Jett.

“Go wash up, then go to bed quickly, and don’t leave your room until morning.” Pharan instructed. Jett felt an ominous chill from the master’s gaze but quickly nodded in acknowledgment, fearing the master might change his mind.   “Uh…hello.” Khem said softly, raising his hand in a respectful gesture when there was a pause. The master glanced back, his dark eyes reflecting the lantern’s light, before nodding and walking away, leaving Khem to watch his broad back with a sense of unease and despair.

“Come on, Khem, our room is that way.” Jett said, his lips tight, as he followed Jett who carried the lantern through the darkness.

The room Jett led to was on the left wing of this Thai house, a bedroom with a large bed. The bathroom was downstairs. Once they reached the room, they set down their bags, arranged the bedding, and then went downstairs to take a quick shower as instructed by the master to get to bed swiftly.

As for Pharan, after parting with the two boys, he returned to the central part of the house used for ceremonies.

The tall figure sat down on a dark carpet near the altar with the Buddha statue, placed the still-lit lantern beside him, and clasped his hands in meditation. He steadied his mind to meditate, for the first time allowing his spirit to journey back into the past.

…

In the year 2482 B.E. (1939 C.E.), in a traditional Thai house on stilts with a hip roof in the center of a town, lived the “Wongpradit” family, consisting of four members: the father, a military officer; the mother, a master; the eldest son, a doctor named “Phawat.” who is Pharan in this life; and the youngest son, who was about to be inducted into civil service as a master, named “Chayot.” who now haunts Khemjira.

Pharan wanted to understand the cause of this, because if there was karma between them and he was somehow involved, he could seek a solution to release Chayot’s spirit to where it should go.

  The first image he saw was of the four family members having dinner together at the dining table, the atmosphere within the family was relaxed and normal.

  The scene shifted to a petite woman who looked very similar to Khemjira. Her name was “Khemika.” daughter of the district officer, a close friend of Chayot, and Phawat’s lover.

  Phawat and Khemika first met at a birthday party for a high-ranking civil servant. During a dull moment, both escaped the party’s chaos to stroll in the garden behind the house, where they coincidentally met.

  Phawat recognized Khemika as his younger brother’s close school friend, having seen her from afar a few times, so he took the opportunity to strike up a conversation to get to know her better.

  They hit it off until it was time to return to the party. On the way back, they heard a cat meowing from a tree.

  Phawat discovered that Khemika was quite the spirited and mischievous woman. This was evident when she took off her high heels and climbed the tree despite wearing a skirt. Phawat tried to dissuade her, but she didn’t listen, and he had to turn away in embarrassment.

  Ultimately, she safely rescued an orange kitten from the tree by sending it down to Phawat waiting below, while she herself ended up stuck in the tree, unable to get down.

Phawat laughed, breaking his usual gentlemanly demeanor, then went to fetch a wooden ladder for the young woman to climb down by herself because the young man was too shy to touch her as she was a lady.

  After the party, Phawat returned home, unable to sleep as thoughts of Khemika filled his mind. He realized instantly that he had fallen in love with Khemika.

Therefore, he decided to earnestly pursue her.

  After several years of courtship, Khemika finally agreed to be his girlfriend, and accepted the engagement, amidst the joy of relatives and friends at Phawat’s birthday celebration.

  Pharan, in his spiritual form, saw the pained look in Chayot’s eyes as he stood at a distance. His red, sorrowful eyes gazed at Khemika and Phawat as if holding back. He began to understand more.

  Chayot loved Khemika…perhaps he loved her even before Phawat did.

  Phawat and Khemika had been together for six years and planned to marry after Khemika completed her master’s degree. Phawat’s father even favored his future daughter-in-law, investing in building an eggshell-colored wooden house for their marital home. Phawat and Khemika often spent their free time there, with Chayot and another maid accompanying them to prevent any gossip from the villagers about impropriety.

  Only three months remained before Khemika would graduate, and their dream of marriage was coming ever closer. However, one day, Dr. Phawat, who was the provincial doctor, was transferred to a military camp on the border due to ongoing border conflicts, and he couldn’t refuse the orders of his superiors.

The wedding had to be postponed indefinitely.

  “Yot, take care of Khemika for me, I’ll come back as soon as I can.” Phawat told his younger brother.

  “Phii Wat, don’t worry, I will look after Khem forever; this is something I can do.” Chayot replied with a smile, but Phawat didn’t suspect the underlying implications of those words. He simply hugged his brother one last time.

  After that day, Chayot began to approach Khemika, taking on Phawat’s role. He was straightforward about his feelings, confessing that he had loved her since high school, but Khemika was steadfast in her love for Phawat, unable to return Chayot’s feelings, no matter how much he tried to win her over.

  Every day, Khemika seemed to live just for the letters from her lover. Both she and Phawat kept in constant contact through letters for nearly two years.

  However, Khemika, despite her lively nature, had a frail body, and her longing and worry for Phawat led to her health deteriorating significantly. Chayot watched in pain as Khemika coughed up blood.

  But after two years, the letters that used to come regularly suddenly stopped. No matter how many letters Khemika sent, there was no reply.

  Four years passed before a letter from the Army, addressed to Khemika, arrived at her home:

  “Dear Ms Khemika, fiancée of Dr. Phawat, we regret to inform you that Dr.

Phawat has perished in a bombing incident…” Before she could finish reading, Khemika coughed up blood, and the maid beside her screamed in shock.

Eventually, Khemika was rushed to the hospital.

Chayot drove to the hospital upon hearing the news, his face filled with horror at Khemika’s sudden deterioration upon receiving the Army’s letter.

  Chayot intended to use this opportunity to change Khemika’s mind, hoping that with Phawat gone, she wouldn’t have to suffer waiting anymore and could start anew with him.

  However, the outcome was the opposite. Khemika went into shock and suffered a heart attack, dying that very evening.

  Chayot felt as if he had been struck in the head by a hammer, confused and dizzy, before his heart shattered upon seeing Khemika’s lifeless body. The young man collapsed, crying as if to bring down the heavens, for he had never anticipated this outcome.

  He had never thought that this situation would lead to Khemika’s death.

  Ironically, no one could have foreseen that Phawat, whom everyone thought was dead, would return, on the very last day of Khemika’s funeral rites…

  Pharan could feel Phawat’s heart-wrenching pain through the spirit’s eyes, seeing despair with no way out in those grief-stricken eyes, leading to an uncontrollable surge of emotion within him.

  Pharan steadied his meditation, moving past the sorrow of the past to focus on unfolding the rest of the story.

  It turned out that Chayot had forged the letter to deceive the family and Khemika so that he could marry her in place of Phawat. Additionally, all the letters Phawat sent back were intercepted by Chayot, who had bribed the postman to destroy them before they reached anyone else.

“How could you do something so despicable, Yot? I’m your brother! Khem is your friend!” Phawat yelled through tears, clutching the forged letter tightly in his hand, his tall frame trembling with anger.

  If it hadn’t been his own flesh and blood before him, Phawat swore he would have killed him with his own hands.

  Chayot was kneeling on the floor, crying like a madman, hands clasped in prayer, repeating apologies that were now utterly pointless.

  Phawat looked at his brother with bloodshot eyes, his voice quivering as he spoke, “All the inheritance, everything that was mine, I bequeath to you. From now on, you and I, we’re no longer brothers. I’m going back to the military camp. If I die, let me die as a ghost without a brother. Don’t bother bringing my body back for ceremonies. This family can have you, but it won’t have me.”

  From that day forward, Phawat could not bear to look at his brother’s face, but he also couldn’t bring himself to throw him out to fend for himself. So, he decided to leave instead.

  The spirit of Pharan observed his past self, bowing to apologize to his parents for the last time before his physical body called back his spirit, and he slowly opened his eyes.

  …

In the darkness, only the light from the lantern illuminated the room. In the distance, there was the figure of a young woman in a white blouse and traditional skirt, sitting serenely, waiting for him to wake.

“Hello, master, my name is Kae, I am Khem’s mother. Thank you for letting me come up.” The female spirit said. A child ghost had been the one to invite her, saying it was the master’s order.

Pharan’s expression softened slightly, as he could guess who she was. He nodded in acknowledgment. This spirit was one that lingered to protect her son with a pure heart, possessing only minor powers, not considered a threat.

“Do you know the ghost of the man in the khaki uniform who’s been following

Khem?” He asked politely. This was why he had instructed Thong to bring her up.

Kae nodded in response.

“I know, that man has been protecting Khem from the ghost of Madam

Ramphueng all this time.” Pharan didn’t respond, his sharp eyes fixed on the female spirit, signaling her to continue.

“Madam Ramphueng’s ghost comes from four hundred years ago, from the time before the abolition of slavery. I don’t know the other details, but I know she harbors intense resentment towards the family. She curses and pursues the lives of all male descendants born into the family, turning them into her spirit slaves.”

“…”

“The reason Jett sees so many spirits following Khem is partly because of these deceased descendants.” Pharan furrowed his brows slightly. Since Khemjira arrived here, apart from Chayot’s ghost and Khemjira’s mother, he hadn’t sensed any other spirits.

Chayot’s ghost isn’t one that follows Khemjira’s life. It doesn’t possess the power to rally all the spirits of the forest or cause the bus Khemjira was on to nearly have an accident. But there’s another ghost not present here.

And where could it be?

Pharan closed his eyes to meditate once more, focusing his spirit to search for the malevolent ghost. His spirit extended out from the Thai house in all eight directions, rushing into the dense forest, before he had to open his eyes abruptly when he saw something.

Pharan took a pot that had been blessed and placed it in front of Khemjira’s mother’s spirit, saying:

“Hide inside for now, it’s dangerous outside.” The spirit of Khae Khai looked into the eyes of the young man before her as if under a spell. She felt no fear or suspicion at his words, willingly stepping into the pot.

Pharan closed the lid and held it in one hand, the other gripping the lantern as he walked to a room where ancestral portraits and bone urns were kept. He placed the pot in an empty spot, raised his hands in a respectful gesture above his head, asking his ancestors to look after this spirit, before turning to leave.

Pharan then took a large bundle of sacred thread downstairs, tying it around the trunks of the tamarind trees, one after another, that encircled the house, then returned to the altar with the Buddha statue to light a large candle that stood in front of it.

Suddenly, a fierce wind began to blow without cause, a large flock of owls circled in the sky, some perched on the house’s roof, screeching in unison as if to disrupt the concentration.

Eyes the color of midnight stared at the candle flame, using the fire element concentration technique to keep the flame steady, unaffected by the wind. Once he had focused his mind, he clasped his hands together, moving his lips in a chant.

“Saratchang, Sasenang, Saphantung, Narinthang…”

KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 6:

  Jett was talking with the bus driver, as he had previously told Khem he was going to retrieve the sacred necklace. Khem, therefore, separated to help others unload the luggage to store at the village’s primary school, which was not far away.

During the school holidays, the roof of the school will be repaired, and a new library will be built within the school premises. The temple roof will also be repaired and expanded where necessary. Additionally, water filtration systems will be installed at various points around the village to provide clean drinking water for the villagers. The team will also visit each house to check if any villagers need help with anything, and if it’s something they can assist with, they are more than happy to do so.

After all the details have been communicated, everyone will disperse to rest at their leisure, saving their energy for the next day.

“Now, I will announce the names of the householders by house number. Please raise your hand if you hear your name; the volunteers will come to you. House number thirty-six, Girl Ampai…”

For accommodation, the volunteer group has been divided into ten groups of three members each, with two members, Jett and Khem, left over. However, Jett has already mentioned that they would find accommodation on their own.

We will be staying with the villagers that Jett coordinated with the village chief. Each selected house has more than two family members to help look after the students.

One thing Jett didn’t tell anyone is that all ten houses belong to individuals who possess magical abilities.

This village is located at the foot of a mountain near a forest. Known for its forest, aside from wildlife, there are also wandering spirits and ghosts. Villagers often venture into the forest to gather items to sell, or to collect herbs to boil and drink, especially since the nearest hospital is many kilometers away.

However, entering the forest isn’t something anyone can do. Some people without magical protection have been known to wander lost for weeks, nearly losing their lives. Therefore, it’s necessary to learn occult arts for protection against unseen dangers.

In modern times, however, those with magical abilities are rare.

Considering the incident that occurred on the tour bus earlier, Jett thought it wise to have the club members stay with these knowledgeable villagers.

The village chief and many villagers are aware of the incident. They have promised to protect and look after the children who have traveled far to help develop their village’s living conditions in return.

“House number forty-six, Boy Chaiya and Boy Kaew.” After mentioning the last host’s name, the two kind-hearted village chiefs raised their hands in unison. The group led by Chanwit, consisting of one man and two women, then walked towards them.

“Alright, from now on, please rest well, and we’ll meet at the school at seven in the morning. Let’s not be late.” concluded the club president. After that, he turned off the portable microphone and speaker, packed up his things, and everyone dispersed.

“Come on, Khem, I’ll take you to the monk.” Jett said, helping to pick up Khem’s clothes bag from the ground and sling it over his shoulder, followed by the bedsheet. Khem hugged his belongings, following Jett with mixed feelings of worry. He imagined the monk as someone similar to the abbot he knew, likely covered in tattoos, stern-faced, ready to strike with a cane the moment Khem stepped into his home.

“What if the monk chases us away?” Khem couldn’t help but ask, remembering that Jett had just confessed on the bus that he hadn’t informed the monk about Khem staying over. They might have to rely on whatever good karma they had left. Every step Khem took was filled with fear, but now that they were here, turning back seemed impossible.

“Don’t be scared, I’ve got a last-ditch plan.” Jett grinned wickedly. Khem didn’t know whether to laugh or be scared, but decided to go with the flow. If you don’t try, you won’t know.

Jett and Khem walked towards the western part of the village, going in the opposite direction of everyone else, heading where it didn’t even look like houses existed.

Again. These two are doing something odd, separate from the group.

Chanwit felt uneasy and wanted to follow them. For some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off them, even though he wasn’t usually one to meddle in others’ affairs to this extent.

“What are you looking at, Chan? Aren’t you coming?” asked the female friend who was staying at the same place, following Chanwit’s gaze, but all she saw was a dark path and banana trees by the road.

“Nothing, let’s go.” Chanwit adjusted his glasses as he answered, then turned to follow the host who had already walked a considerable distance.

Until he found an answer for himself, Chanwit would keep an eye on Jett and Khem to see what secrets they were hiding.

Some parts of this village still lacked electricity. Jett used the flashlight on his phone to guide them to the monk’s house at the end of this road, walking past banana plantations and rubber trees that lined the path on both sides.

The eerie whistling of the wind could be heard, and the deeper Khem walked into the forest, the more his heart filled with trepidation. The cold wind made the hairs on his body stand up, and he clutched his blanket tightly, looking around with suspicion, but all he could see was darkness.

Khem, frightened, couldn’t help but ask:

“Are we almost there, Jett?” Jett raised his finger to his lips, signaling for silence without hesitation.

“Shh. Don’t make any noise. Don’t acknowledge anything you see. Just follow me quietly.” Khem swallowed hard. He didn’t dare ask more because so far, by following Jett’s instructions, he had managed to survive until now. Whatever Jett said, Khem was ready to comply.

Jett tried to keep his mind focused, not letting his fear, a natural human response, distract him. The atmosphere was too strange.

The forest was too quiet…

No sound of birds.

No sound of insects.

Only the howling wind, seemingly on the verge of turning into a storm.

Something bad was surely about to happen.

Finally, Jett and Khem arrived. Khem looked at the large traditional Thai house surrounded by tamarind trees as tall as a person’s head. Tamarind trees are believed to protect against and repel bad omens. Khem had noticed that other villagers also planted them, but only a couple of trees at most, unlike here where they formed a fence around the house…

“We’re here. When you see the master, make sure to bow respectfully.” Khem swallowed audibly again as his blanket was taken from him. His wide eyes looked up to the second-floor balcony of the house, where two kerosene lamps provided light, casting it down below.

Previously, Pharan had become aware of everything that happened since the bus carrying his disciples nearly met with an accident due to the forest spirits, as told by his “spirit followers.”

“Were there a lot of them?” He had asked while he was still asleep, opening his eyes upon receiving the answer.

“The whole forest was full of them, Master.”

Pharan walked over to sit in front of the Buddha statue, lighting three incense sticks and clasping his hands in prayer, focusing his mind on helping his student.

However, Jett’s mind was so filled with fear that he couldn’t maintain his focus, his concentration scattered almost beyond control. He could only chant prayers for divine protection to keep them safe. Thankfully, he remembered one mantra, which had narrowly saved his life.

All of this was because he got involved with that kid named Khemjira.

But it seemed that Khem’s karmic debt was not with an ordinary ghost. It could summon dozens of hungry ghosts to gather in one place, when typically these spirits are solitary and avoid even their own kind.

To have such power, one must have accumulated karma for hundreds of years, gaining immense strength.

“Phii Jett is bringing that friend here, Master.” ‘Thong’ , a spirit disciple in the form of a twelve-year-old boy, crawled over to whisper. This made Pharan’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

Such stubbornness was indeed inherited from generation to generation.

But it seemed Jett cared deeply for this friend, enough to disregard warnings and even dare to bring him here. He was genuinely curious about what kind of kid this was; if he didn’t like what he saw, they might have to spend the night under the house with the spotted dog.

A mixed-breed dog ran out to bark at Jett and Khem. When it heard Jett call out, it stopped barking and approached to nuzzle their legs. Jett gave it a large boneshaped cookie he had prepared for this purpose as a passage fee, and the dog ran back under the stairs to chew on it.

Khem and Jett didn’t have to wait long before the light from the upstairs balcony flickered, revealing the figure of a man slowly walking out. The man stopped at the wooden fence, looking down at Khem with an expressionless face.

From where he stood, Khem couldn’t clearly see the man’s expression, but his heart thumped violently, causing him to clutch his shirt over his left chest with shock.

What was this feeling…

Pharan looked at Khemjira’s face, half-illuminated by the lantern light.

The moment their eyes met, countless scenes from past lives flooded into Pharan’s mind without warning.

Pharan had known since he was young that he could remember his past lives, but he had never desired to recall them. He never wanted to know who he was or what he had done before; he only wanted to live in the present and lead a simple life like an ordinary person.

Remembering or not, it served no purpose, that’s what Pharan had always thought.

However, at this moment, he felt a peculiar sensation in his chest. The face of Khemjira greatly disturbed Pharan’s mind.

This boy was his lover from a past life, from whom he had been separated.

His sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he looked past Khemjira.

And the man standing behind him…

Khem swallowed as Pharan descended from the second floor holding a lantern. He stood rigidly like Jett, who didn’t dare even to greet the master, the atmosphere around the master making one feel uneasy, with chills running down the spine, despite his handsome face showing no emotion.

Khem held his breath as the master approached, the scent of a cool fragrance tickling his nose. He saw the tattoo of a pair of magpies and lotuses on the master’s chest, clear as day, but he didn’t dare look up to see what the master was doing.

Pharan paid no mind to Khem, who was trembling. He slowly raised the lantern above the young man’s head to see the face of the person standing behind him more clearly.

The other thing was a tall, slender young man dressed in khaki, indicating a government job, but his clothes were stained with blood down to his trousers. His skin was pale, almost a light green, and one eye was rolled up so much that the pupil was barely visible, while the other stared at him in astonishment.

Pharan spoke emotionlessly:

“It’s you.”

This spirit’s name was “Chayot.” but in a past life, he was bound by blood to Pharan as a sibling.

  Memories, half-remembered, flowed into Pharan, telling him this.

     KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 5:

  Khem had run to the end of the bridge, but just before he could jump, he was pulled back from behind.

Khem opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the face of his best friend.

“Hey, Khem! What are you doing?” Khem looked at Jett’s alarmed face in confusion, then glanced around and realized he was standing at the edge of the balcony.

How did I get here…

  Khem’s eyes widened as he realized the cause, almost collapsing to the floor, but Jett supported him.

“Jett, just now, I…I was dreaming.” Khem hastily recounted his dream to Jett, his voice trembling. Upon hearing this, Jett grew even more frustrated, quickly pulling Khem back into the room and locking the balcony door.

“I think the master’s talisman might be losing its power.” Jett said after sitting Khem down on the floor to talk. Hearing this, Khem swallowed hard, his tightly clasped hands turning cold.

“Normally, one of the master’s simple talismans would last for years. This ghost must be extremely malevolent.” Jett continued, noting that Khem had heard a woman’s voice urging him to go to the water, when in reality, it was leading him to the balcony on the fourth floor to jump off. Such malevolence likely indicated it was the karmic creditor of Khem that the master had mentioned.

Khem’s face was pale, drained of all color. If Jett hadn’t woken up just in time, something terrible could have happened. The thought alone made him want to cry.

“Sorry, man, Khem, you almost went away. If no one had woken me up, I probably wouldn’t have woken up.” amidst the fear, curiosity arose. Khem furrowed his brows slightly, his eyes still red.

“Who was it?”

“I don’t know, but it was a woman’s voice, she called me Jett, and when I woke up, you were standing right there on the balcony. I think it might be some spirit looking out for you.” Khem’s heart beat faster. He could only think of one person, the only important person in his life who was no longer alive in this world, the one who had always cared for him even in her last moments.

“It must have been Mom…” Khem cried uncontrollably, both scared by what had happened and relieved that his mother’s spirit was safe.

Jett let Khem cry for nearly ten minutes, not being very good at consoling people, he just handed him tissues to wipe his tears.

“Jett, I’m scared to sleep now.” Khem said after he finished crying.

“Yeah, me too.” Jett glanced at the wall clock then turned back to say, “Let’s watch a movie. It’ll be morning in two hours. We can sleep on the bus.”

Khem nodded in agreement. Once he regained his composure, he didn’t forget to say something.

“Thanks for saving my life, Jett.” Jett ruffled Khem’s hair.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. When we get to Ubon, I’ll take you straight to the monk. He’ll definitely help.”

Jett had planned it out. If the monk didn’t want to help, he’d hand out his phone number to every young woman in the village.

Arriving at the university, both Jett and Khem were in a state of sleep deprivation. Upon arrival, they had to wait for the tour bus with others who hadn’t arrived yet. Unable to bear it, Jett dragged Khem to buy some coffee.

“One iced Americano with an extra shot.” Jett ordered first.

“Yes, and what would the other gentleman like?”

“An iced cocoa, um, make it strong.” Khem answered hesitantly, also sleepy but finding coffee too bitter for his taste.

Hearing this, the staff smiled indulgently but didn’t comment further, quickly turning to prepare their orders.

After getting their drinks, they walked out of the shop to sit in their usual spot, watching the seniors and other club members going back and forth until they felt dizzy. By the time they boarded the bus, they had just finished their drinks.

Jett suggested sitting near the back. He took the window seat and had Khem sit in the aisle, fearing that Khem might see something strange during the journey.

But after a while, they couldn’t resist the sleepiness and both fell into a deep slumber.

When they reached a gas station, which was a rest stop, Jett woke up. He furrowed his brows, looking around, realizing this wasn’t the usual route people took. Seeing that Khem was still asleep, he slowly got up to talk to one of the senior staff members, calling out to her by the name tag around her neck.

“Excuse me, Phii Sam, why are we going this way?”

“Oh, Nong  Jett, um…the club president didn’t want to arrive too late, thinking we might not have enough time for activities. He consulted with the driver, who suggested this route, saying it was shorter.” Jett furrowed his brows.

“But this route is dangerous.” Jett wasn’t lying; from here on, there would only be forest, no more gas stations to stop at, the road was narrow and secluded. Although he had used this road before with the master, the master would never take this route unless it was an emergency.

Because it was known to be a haunt for spirits.

This road might get them there faster than the main route, but what if they actually arrive dead?

“Oh, well, too late to mention it now, Jett. I’ll tell the driver to drive slowly, alright?” Sam gave a strained smile, respecting the political figure’s son and the main sponsor of the event. The decision was made in the morning without informing Jett beforehand. She didn’t expect him to be this displeased.

Realizing that arguing would only stress them out, and they were unlikely to change routes now, Jett nodded and went to buy some snacks and butter for Khem in case he woke up hungry.

And he quickly ate something to stay awake. From now on, he won’t be able to sleep.

As the bus entered the forested area, the atmosphere began to change. Jett started seeing shadowy figures resembling people emerging from both sides of the road. But even more alarming was their number, and how they chased and clung to the bus.

Jett jolted when a spirit climbed up the window to stop right in front of him. It seemed to look past him towards Khem, who was still fast asleep, and other spirits began to gather at their window.

Jett steadied his mind, silently reciting a mantra, staring intently at the dark mass in front of him.

“Itisukato, Araham Puttho, Namoputthaya…”

The dark masses in front of him started to retreat, some jumping away, but new ones kept appearing incessantly. Jett chanted continuously, thankful he had brought a large bottle of water. Otherwise, he would have died of thirst.

At that moment, Jett didn’t realize that someone else, sitting across the aisle from him, was watching him with suspicion.

“What is Jett doing, mumbling to himself for nearly half an hour now?” That was what ‘Chanwit’ was thinking.

Chanwit knew Jett and Khem as freshmen from the same club, but they weren’t particularly close. He was sitting in the aisle seat next to where Jett and Khem were, giving him a clear view of what they were doing.

  ‘They look like they’re playing with spirits like in the movies,’ Chanwit glanced at the sleeping Khem. Although he wasn’t one to believe in black magic or occult practices, he found Jett’s actions unsettling for some reason.

Jett and Khem were close, but Khem seemed naive, possibly being tricked. He should find a moment to warn Khem to be careful of Jett.

At that moment, Jett, who was in the midst of chanting, suddenly forgot the verses he had learned when he looked up and saw dozens of tall, shadowy figures emerging from the forest.

“Shit…” Jett exclaimed in disbelief.

“Ghosts of the dead.” with such numbers, and encountering them in broad daylight like this, honestly, Jett had never experienced anything like it before in his life.

A piercing, ear-piercing screech reached Jett’s ears, but it seemed like no one else could hear it.

They’re following Khem.

Jett broke into a cold sweat, frantically trying to recall the monk’s chants and started reciting again, but to no avail; none of the spirits disappeared from his sight. Some of them were so close they were almost touching the bus’s window. One of the ghosts standing in front of the bus made a gesture towards them, prompting Jett to raise his arm to shield Khem and immediately close his eyes.

All these actions did not go unnoticed by Chanwit, who was watching intently, his brows furrowed, his demeanor suggesting he was still questioning.

Screeeeeech!!

“Hey, what’s happening!”

“Scream!”

When the bus suddenly braked and started swerving, Jett decided to get up from his seat and make his way to the driver’s area with difficulty. Chan wanted to follow but was held tightly by his friend sitting next to him, unable to move, and could only watch Jett go.

Jett reached the driver’s zone where both the driver and his assistant were passed out, unconscious. The driver’s eyes were rolled back, his mouth agape with drool hanging, indicating his spirit had left his body, likely from seeing the apparition clinging to the front windshield, which Jett could only see as a dark, blurry femalelike shadow hanging its head down.

Jett quickly took off his own Buddha pendant and put it on the driver, holding the steering wheel with one hand while the other was clasped in prayer, asking the spirits of the forest to return the driver’s soul, or “khwan.” Then he chanted a newly remembered mantra:

“Sabbe Deva Pisajewa Alawakathayo Pi Ya…” The dark shadow in front of them writhed briefly before being whisked away by the wind.

Gasp!

The driver’s assistant woke up first, and upon seeing the situation, he screamed in shock, quickly took over the steering wheel from Jett, and shouted to wake the driver. After a few shouts, the driver jolted awake with a dazed look, and together they managed to steer the bus back into its lane.

Jett, breathing heavily, wiped the sweat from his face, thinking the danger had passed. He turned back, planning to ask for his ancestral pendant back from the driver once they reached their destination.

“Jett, what happened?” Khem asked when Jett returned to sit beside him. Woken by the shouts and chaos, Khem had seen the bus swaying dangerously close to the edge of the road.

Khem figured Jett must have gone to the driver and done something, because soon after, the bus stopped swaying and realigned itself on the road.

“I’ll tell you when we get there.” Jett said, not wanting others to overhear. Khem nodded, making room for Jett to sit and rest, then handed him water to drink.

“You truly are my friend.” Jett, who had been chanting until his throat was dry, drank almost the entire bottle. Khem gently patted his friend’s head.

“You did great, Jett.”

“Should I start barking now?” Jett asked, causing Khem to laugh before getting a light tap on the head. They chatted about other things for a while before both fell asleep, as Jett assured they were now out of danger.

All these actions were almost constantly observed by Chanwit.

The tour bus arrived at the village in Ubon Ratchathani in the late afternoon, where the village chief and familiar villagers came out to welcome them. After that, they helped unload the luggage from the bus.

Jett took the opportunity when not many were paying attention to him to go and retrieve the sacred necklace from the driver.

“Hey kid, thanks a lot for stepping in to help. Otherwise, things would have gone really bad.” ‘Uncle’ said as he placed the necklace back into the young man’s hand. The assistant driver had recounted the incident when he woke up to find the young man helping to steady the bus, and even gave him his own sacred necklace to wear.

Jett nodded, took the necklace, and put it back on before asking out of curiosity,

“Uncle, what did you see? Did you know you were so shocked you lost your spirit? I had to call out to you for so long before you came back.” The driver swallowed hard, brought his own Jatukam amulet to his forehead in a gesture of apology, and said,

“I saw a woman in ancient Thai dress, who looked like a servant from the old times, very pale with visible veins, long hair hanging down from above, small black eyes, and dark lips that were grinning.”

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KHEMJIRA, Chapter 4:

  In the silence of the night, inside the monk’s quarters of Phra Pinto, in his dream, there appeared the figure of a young woman wearing a white blouse and a traditional Thai skirt, sitting with her hands clasped in prayer at the foot of the stairs to his hut. Phra Pinto stood at the top, looking down at her.

“It’s been a long time since we last met, Mae Khae.” Phra Pinto spoke, and the woman bowed three times before looking up with a faint smile, her once beautiful eyes now showing signs of fatigue and sorrow.

  “Paying respects, reverend brother.” Said “Khae.” or “Khaekhai.” Phra

Pinto’s deceased wife who had passed away over seven years ago. Yet she still lingered by their child out of concern, occasionally entering dreams to convey messages.

  “What brings you here this time?”

  “Reverend brother, please prevent Khem from returning here.”

  “Why?” asked Phra Pinto, and Khae Khai proceeded to explain what had happened to Khem.

  “The protective powers in the amulet blessed by the master have faded. Khem’s luck has started to wane, and he’s been having accidents frequently. But after meeting a friend, he has found something to protect him, keeping spirits at bay…including myself.” She added in a quiet voice at the end. She, too, was considered a spirit.

  “…”

  “The boy’s name is Jett, he’s a disciple of a master, with a much stronger spirit than Khem’s, and he’s been helping him all along.”

  “…”

  “If Khem is away from Jett during this break, I fear that this time, they might really take our son away.” Khae Khai said with tears before bowing again to the ground.

  “…”

  “Please help our child once more.” After that, everything in the dream slowly faded, and Phra Pinto woke up.

  After Khem had the handkerchief with the talisman from Pharan, Jett’s master, things returned to normal for him. Accidents, whether small or large, ceased to occur frequently. And the recurring dreams of the old Thai house from two different eras no longer came.

As for seeing spirits, Khem still had the ability, but because they weren’t aggressive towards him, and with the monk’s talisman on him, he wasn’t as scared anymore.

However, since that day, Khem hadn’t dared to draw his mother’s portrait again.   Now, nearly six months have passed.

The old portrait, which Jett had crumpled and discarded, was taken by Khem to be burned at the temple, where he then offered merit to appease the spirits as suggested by Monk Pharan.

This period was the time for final exams, and soon Khem’s university would be closing for the term.

While Khem was hanging out laundry on the balcony, his phone rang. Without needing to look at the screen, he knew who it was.

“What’s up, Jett?”

[Khem, got any plans for the term break?]

  “Well, my abbot is unwell. I was planning to go visit him. Why?”

[I wanted to invite you to join our volunteer camp. At first, the seniors planned to go to Ubon Ratchathani, which is my hometown. I suggested we go to the village where my monk lives, there’s a lot of development needed there.

Plus, you’ll get activity credits, and I figured it’s a chance to take you to see the monk.]

  The club Khem and Jett were part of was a volunteer club. Usually, every year they held camps in nearby provinces, but this year the university had provided a larger budget, allowing them to go as far as Ubon Ratchathani.

For Jett, he had initially planned to bring Khem to see the monk during the term break. But since the club was organizing a volunteer camp in his hometown area, it was a perfect opportunity to do some good deeds together. He proposed they go to Monk Pharan’s rather remote village, which would allow him to bring Khem directly to the monk.

At first, there were objections because people were worried it would be too tough, but Jett convinced his father to sponsor the event, and the seniors agreed to it.

[So, what do you say? Want to join? I really want you to come.] Jett asked, and Khem hesitated for a moment before responding.

“Let me call and ask the abbot first.”

[Okay, let me know.]

  “Alright.” After Jett hung up, it wasn’t long before the abbot, Khem’s father, called. Khem hadn’t even had the chance to call him yet.

“Paying respects, father abbot. How are you feeling?” Khem asked first, then furrowed his brow slightly when the abbot replied:

[I am well. No need for concern. During the break, you don’t need to come back to visit.]

  “Oh, is that so?”

[Yes, if there’s somewhere else for you to go, go there. It might be for the better.] Khem’s heart skipped a beat.

“father abbot, do you know where I plan to go?”

[I’m just saying, follow your heart. Take care of yourself while you’re away.] Khem bit his lip gently before nodding and responding, agreeing to whatever the abbot suggested.

“Alright, father abbot. Please take care of your health too.”

That night, Khem called Jett back to confirm and asked him to sign up with the club on his behalf. The travel was set for the following week after the exams, with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

Before the departure day, Jett stayed over at Khem’s place. They planned to go to the university together to catch the bus the next day.

“Khem, pack more clothes.” Jett said, lying on the bed, watching Khem pack.

“Why? It’s just a four-day trip, isn’t it? I’ve already packed two extra sets.” Khem replied without turning around.

“I don’t know, you might end up staying with the master until the term starts.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

“Not crazy, I just don’t want you to come back and be alone. I might have to stay home to help with family business during the whole break.” Khem considered this, wanting to reassure Jett not to worry, but honestly, he was scared too about being alone, so he asked:

“Then…can’t I just stay at Jett’s house?”

“It’s possible, but how can I help you there? Being with the master is the safest place for you.”

Khem’s face showed concern.

“Will it bother the monk…?” Khem felt hesitant; after all, Monk Pharan didn’t even know him, unlike Jett who was his friend.

“You don’t have to worry about that. The monk’s house is as big as a temple, a small guy like you won’t take up much space.”

“But I feel bad about imposing, and besides, the monk already said he doesn’t want to get involved with my issues.” Jett slapped the bed with a loud thud, making Khem jump.

“This! This is the face! Remember this expression, when you see the monk, just make this face, guaranteed to soften his heart a hundred percent!” Khem’s eyebrows twitched, almost throwing his deodorant at Jett, “You talk too much, how do you know the monk will soften up?” Jett shook his head, recalling his days from when he first became the monk’s disciple up until now, then he gave a sly smile and answered.

“You’re exactly his type.”

“Cough!” Khem choked on his own saliva, then grabbed something to throw at Jett, who easily dodged it.

“What are you talking about? That’s a monk master.”

“My master, not yours. Trust me. If you want to save your little life, do what I say.”

Khem glared at him, “If I do what you say and it still doesn’t work. I’ll be the first ghost to haunt you, Jett.”   Jett laughed heartily.

“Yeah, I’ll even tear up the monk’s talisman and throw it away for you.”

When it was time for bed, Jett laid out a mattress on the floor next to Khem’s bed, just like he always did when staying over here because his sleeping habits were like clockwork, always waking up with his head at the foot of the bed, fearing that one good night he might accidentally kick his small friend off.

“Sweet dreams, Khem.”

“Sweet dreams, Jett.” Jett chuckled at Khem’s sarcastic reply; his friend’s reactions were what made him enjoy teasing him.

After turning off the light, silence enveloped the room, and soon both Jett and Khem fell into a deep sleep.

Khem was dreaming again…

  He dreamed of an old, large Thai-style house by the river. Khem saw the lifestyle of the people in the house, a young girl of about eight or nine playing mischievously with the servants, and a noblewoman in traditional Thai attire, weaving flower garlands. This time, the dream seemed clearer than before. Khem looked at the face of the young woman and softly exclaimed,

  “Mother?” The young woman had pricked her finger with the needle while stringing flowers. The maid, who was sitting and weaving garlands below, quickly crawled over to check her wound. Khem, with concern, intended to go to her, but as if pulled back by an unseen force, he was transported to the eggshell-colored house from a different era.

  As always, when Khem dreamt of the ancient Thai house, he would be brought here without much chance to observe or do anything more than watch, looking through the windows from outside.

  Khem often saw a couple, though he could never clearly discern their faces.

Sometimes, he would see only a woman, looking forlorn, eating alone in the house.

  And there would always be a chilling male voice from behind asking if he wanted to stay here, but Khem never responded. Not long after, he would wake up.

Lately, he had become somewhat numb to it, until receiving the talisman from Jett’s master, after which he stopped having these dreams until now.

  This time, the atmosphere felt strange.

  Khem saw no one, not even the lady of the house at the dining table…

  A cold shiver ran down Khem’s back again, making him straighten up. He felt someone standing behind him but, as usual, couldn’t turn around to look.

  Khem was certain it must be the owner of the mysterious voice that always asked if he wanted to stay, but this time, the other party remained silent, no matter how long he waited.

  Usually, Khem would wake up after the voice spoke, but several minutes had passed, and he was still here.

  Khem began to feel anxious, to the point where he spoke first.

  “Why aren’t you speaking?”

  The ruler of this dream dimension was overjoyed to hear a response from Khem for the first time, but it couldn’t voice out to send him back to reality because another malevolent spirit’s pale hands covered its mouth from behind, while its legs wrapped around and tightly clenched its waist, causing pain.

  How did it get in here? That was the question echoing in its mind now.

  Normally, it was already difficult to deal with this evil spirit. This time, it seemed like its power had grown even stronger than before, to the extent that it could encroach upon others’ territories, which was very dangerous…

  Khem didn’t get an answer, even though he could still feel the presence of the mysterious voice behind him, but instead, he heard another voice that felt very familiar.

  Khem…

  “Mother? Is that you?” Khem’s body trembled with urgency, it was the first time he had heard his mother’s voice so clearly.

  ‘Help me, I’m in so much pain.’

  “Mother, where are you!” Khem shouted in panic upon hearing his mother’s voice in pain, and without thinking about looking back, he rushed out to find her.

  The mysterious man who owned this dimension was now wide-eyed, yelling out loud,

  ‘Don’t go!’

  Khem returned to the first Thai house, still hearing his mother’s cries for help in his ears.

  “Mother! Where are you!” Khem cried. He ran around the house, now seemingly abandoned, as if it had turned into a desolate place. Then Khem heard another woman’s voice he had never heard before.

  ‘Come to the pier,’ the voice was slow and cold, showing no emotion, but Khem felt that the speaker was smiling…

  He didn’t have time to care, knowing where the pier was, Khem ran out of one of the bedrooms directly to his destination.

  Outside, it was pouring heavily like a storm. Khem saw his mother’s figure clinging tightly to the edge of a mooring post on the bridge, her lower half submerged in the swift current.

  ‘Khem, help me, help me!’ Khem heard his mother’s voice even though he was still far from the spot, and then his eyes widened in horror as his mother could no longer hold onto the post.

  She disappeared from sight as if she had never been there.

  “Mother!” Khem’s heart was torn in that instant; he shouted for his mother amidst the raging storm, rushing forward intending to jump into the river to save her.

  Jett was in deep sleep when suddenly the voice of a woman shouted into his ear:

  “Jett!”

  Gasp!

Startled awake, he sat up abruptly, pulling off his cartoon-patterned sleep mask. The first thing he saw was the balcony with the light still on, and he noticed his small friend, who should have been asleep on the bed, was up to something.

“Hey, Khem!”

KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 3:

  Khem’s legs were shaking so much he collapsed onto the floor. Just then, his phone vibrated, so he pulled it out of his trouser pocket and answered without waiting for the other person to finish speaking.

[Khem, you…]

  “Jett! Jett, help me!”

[What’s wrong? What happened?]

  “Please, come over, Jett, hic, sob.”

At that moment, Jett, who was drying his hair, widened his eyes in shock, threw aside the towel, grabbed his motorcycle key, and rushed out of the room.

“I’m on my way. Stay calm and don’t hang up!”

Jett arrived at Khem’s apartment in less than ten minutes on his motorcycle. After parking, he ran up to Khem’s room and started knocking. However, after a long time of knocking, nobody opened the door.

“Khem, it’s me, Jett. Can you hear me?” The knocking turned into pounding, and he tried twisting the doorknob frantically.

Click

Suddenly, the door, which was locked from the inside, opened. Jett didn’t hesitate and immediately pushed it open.

“Damn it, Khem!” Jett found his friend passed out on the floor, with an easel set up in front of him.

“Shit…” The terrifying face of a woman in the painting gave Jett goosebumps, prompting him to quickly walk over, tear it off the easel, and crumple it up.

Jett tried to wake Khem a few times, but he wouldn’t stir, so he had no choice but to carry him out of the room, intending to take him back to his own place for the night.

Jett lived in a condominium that his mother had bought as a gift for him. His family was quite wealthy; both his parents held high-ranking government positions.

That night, Khem ended up with such a high fever that he couldn’t go to class, so

Jett had to attend alone to take notes for him. At noon, he came back to check on Khem, ensuring he ate and took his medicine before heading back for the afternoon session.

“Khem, I’m going home tonight. You stay here for now.” Jett told Khem, who was lying on the bed with a cooling gel pack. In truth, he wanted to take him along, but he was afraid Khem might collapse on the way.

“When will you be back?” Khem asked with a hoarse voice.

“I’ll be back on Sunday.” Jett answered.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.” Said Jane, or “Sis.” Jett’s older sister, with a sweet smile as she leaned against the door frame watching them.

Jane was an office lady, five years older than Jett, and she occasionally stayed over here. This time, Jett called her to look after Khem over the weekend while he was away visiting his family in another province. Of course, nothing in life comes for free; Jett had to pay for her new lipstick, which cost several thousand baht, as her fee.

“Thanks, sis.” Jane, whose salary was still intact, replied with a sweet smile.

“Sure thing.”

Jett took a flight back to Ubon Ratchathani, spending over two hours traveling in the morning of the next day. He went to see “Pharan.” The shaman he respected as his master. The master lived in a large traditional Thai house at the end of the village, quite a distance from the other villagers, almost into the forest.

It was well known in the village that Pharan was skilled in exorcism and treating various ailments. He had many disciples and now mostly waited for people to come to him. Most of his clients had bad luck, were cursed, or were being harassed by spirits to the point of despair. In his spare time, he made and sold amulets to make a living.

There were two things Pharan would not do: cast spells to harm others or interfere with karmic debts.

A man in his early thirties walked out from a corner inside the house and sat down at his usual spot covered with a dark carpet. Behind him was an altar with a Buddha statue, surrounded by traditional offerings like silver and gold umbrellas, similar to other spirit mediums’ settings, but since Pharan practiced white magic, there were only Buddhist images on his altar, no spirits.

Jett gave a flattering smile and quickly raised his hands in a respectful wai, but before he could speak, Pharan interjected in a stern voice,

“Jett, what have you brought into my house this time?” Jett, who was clasping his hands in prayer, felt a chill run through him before forcing a nervous smile.

“Haha, just as expected from the monk I respect.” Jett quickly took out Khem’s handkerchief from his pocket and placed it on the golden tray beside him, along with a piece of paper containing Khem’s real name, surname, and date of birth, then set it in front of the monk.

“Master, could you please see if there’s anything you can do to help?” After that, Jett recounted Khem’s situation to the monk.

Pharan felt like kicking the troublemaker out of the room, but the faint pleasant scent from the handkerchief drew his attention, making him bend down to examine it closely.

The scent was nice, but sometimes it was mixed with the stench of spirits, more than one, and one of them was quite powerful…

Pharan placed it back and pulled out the paper with someone’s name and birthdate written on it to read.

‘Khemjira, Jantrapisut’ The young man furrowed his brow.

Khemjira?

Strange. He felt oddly familiar with that name, though he couldn’t recall where he had heard it, so he stopped trying to remember, read the birthdate, then took out his own notebook and pen, writing down the numbers and calculating.

Several minutes passed before he finished, the result being quite alarming.

“Who is this?” Pharan asked while still reviewing the numbers in his notebook.

“He’s my friend, Monk. How is it looking?”

“Tell your friend to do whatever he wants to do quickly. He’s definitely going to die within this year.”

Jett turned pale, spoke urgently,

“Ca-can’t you help, Monk?”

“I’ve told you, I don’t interfere with karmic debts.” Jett clenched his jaw, looking at the monk with reluctance because if the monk said this, it meant he could help but chose not to…

“Oh, please, even just a little would help, Master, have some sympathy. Khem is a good person, he wouldn’t even dare swat a fly or step on an ant, right?” He hadn’t even finished speaking when the monk raised a finger to shush him, causing Jett to pull back his neck in embarrassment.

“Jett, other people’s karmic debts are not something you should meddle with.

Just because someone is good in this life doesn’t mean they were good in past lives. You yourself should be careful, don’t think just because you’ve got strong luck nothing will happen to you.”

Jett’s face fell immediately, knowing that the master was firm and spoke decisively, never changing his mind easily, but he couldn’t help but argue.

“Khem is so pitiful, Master. His mother died, his father became a monk for life when he was young, his maternal relatives wouldn’t take him in, and his paternal relatives abandoned him, taking his money with them. During high school, no one would befriend him because they feared the curse. It’s only me who dared to be his friend…”

While he was looking down, still grumbling, Jett didn’t notice that Pharan was writing a protective talisman on a piece of cloth, which he then tossed in front of him.

“Take this, that’s all I can do.”

Normally, one of Pharan’s ghost-repelling talismans would cost five to six thousand baht and was very effective, as confirmed by actual users like Jett. No spirit could enter Jett’s room.

Jett didn’t know if it was given out of annoyance or pity for Khem, but he was so happy he almost jumped to hug the master, though he only thought about it because if he actually did it, the spirits in the house might break his neck.

“Thank you so much, Master!”

Jett flew back from Ubon Ratchathani early on Sunday morning, and upon arriving in Bangkok, he quickly took a taxi back to the condo, finding Khem had recovered from his illness.

“I’m leaving now.” Jane said, shouldering her bag before leaving, not forgetting to add a last remark,

“Jett, be careful, his ghost is strong. Last night they were all over the balcony.” She said with a somewhat fearful expression before rushing out of the room.

Soon after, Khem came out of the bathroom.

“Oh, has Sis Jane left already?” Khem blinked and asked.

“Yeah, her boyfriend was waiting for her downstairs so she left in a hurry.” Khem looked disappointed upon hearing this.

“I haven’t even properly thanked her.” Over the past two nights, Jae Jane had stayed awake to watch over him. Khem didn’t quite understand why she was so dedicated, but she had told him one thing, “I’m too scared to sleep, Khem.” At that time, Khem had a terrible headache, so he didn’t press her to sleep.

Jett ruffled Khem’s hair affectionately, deciding not to tell him what Jae had said, thinking it would only make him worry needlessly.

“Yeah, sis will come over again next time, we can thank her then.” Seeing Khem nod, Jett pulled him over to sit on the sofa and handed him back his handkerchief, which now had white inscriptions on it.

“Thanks, oh, there’s a talisman too.” Jett nodded.

“…”

“Yeah, keep it with you. The monk’s talisman can ward off spirits, but it might only work for a certain distance.” Khem quickly tucked it into his shirt pocket, feeling strangely comforted.

“And what did your monk say about my situation?” He looked up, eager to know.

Over the past two days, if it hadn’t been for Jane’s companionship, Khem would have probably been driven to madness or shock from his recent experiences. He was dying to know if Jett’s monk would agree to help, but the area had poor phone reception, so they hadn’t been able to communicate.

Khem didn’t want to go through something like that again.

“Sorry, I tried. But the monk doesn’t really want to get involved with karmic debts.”

Karmic debts, huh…That’s worse than your average ghost story, right?

  Khem bit his lip, his spirits sinking.

  “Hmm. It’s okay. I understand.” Jett, seeing his friend’s dejected look, felt a surge of determination.

“You don’t have to worry. I won’t let you die easily. I’ll find another way myself.” Hearing this, Khem’s hope was reignited.

“Is there another way?” Jett shrugged.

“Nah. Same old way, but this time I’m taking you with me.”

“Huh?”

“Even I soften up when I see your face. Let’s see if the monk can stay hardhearted then.”

Khem stood there with his mouth open, the logic baffling him.

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