KHEMJIRA, Chapter 14:

  When the light revealed something she did not want to see, Phraemai, in her utmost fright, threw the lantern away and ran for her life, not caring what lay ahead, only knowing she couldn’t stay there for even a second longer.

The sound of the Thai-dressed woman in red repeatedly echoing in her ears:

“Leave! Leave! Leave! Leave! Leave!”

  “AAAAHHHHHH!” Phraemai’s scream echoed through the forest, startling the birds into flight from their nests. Simultaneously, Pharan, who was meditating with his eyes closed in a room lit by candles, opened his eyes abruptly.

It was almost midnight. While the villagers were asleep, suddenly there was crying and loud banging coming from one of the houses.

Bang bang bang!

“Open the door! Please open the door! Help! Help! Sob!” Chan, who was sleeping in a room near the door, was startled. The voice he heard now sounded a lot like Phraemai’s. Realizing this, he quickly got up to check the situation and found that Uncle-Chai, Auntie-Kaew, and Mint, Phraemai’s close friend, were also rushing out of their rooms to the front door.

Knock knock knock!

“Mint, Chan, Auntie-Kaew, Uncle-Chai, help me!” Uncle-Chai, who tried to sense if it was a ghost or some other entity, realized it was truly Phraemai, not an apparition, and quickly opened the door.

“Prae!” Mint’s eyes widened, and she rushed out to meet her friend. Chan was fully alert when he saw Phraemai’s condition, as if she had just run through a battlefield, covered in mud, her hair disheveled, her usually sweet face marred by tears and scratches, with bits of wood and leaves stuck to her clothes.

“Help! Help! I’m scared! Help!” Phraemai, her hands clasped in a pleading gesture to Mint, cried out as she slumped to the ground, shaking her head in a panic. Auntie-Kaew and Uncle-Chai exchanged concerned glances.

This wasn’t the first time they had seen someone in such a state, but they were curious about what had caused it.

“Scared! Scared! Sob!”

“Prae, calm down, try to gather yourself. What happened!?” Mint knelt down to hug Phraemai, asking gently.

The more she was asked what happened, the more the previous events replayed in Phraemai’s mind, despite her attempts to forget. The image of the woman in the red Thai dress and her shrill voice still echoed in her head. The overwhelming fear caused Phraemai’s eyes to roll back, her lips to twist, and her limbs to stiffen and convulse.

“Prae!!” Mint cried out in shock upon seeing her friend’s condition, starting to weep out of fear.

“Oh no.” Uncle Chai exclaimed, along with several villagers and students who had come out to see what was happening. Once almost everyone had gathered, the host of Kornkan, Lah, spoke in the local Isan dialect, looking around immediately.

“AiTud, I heard that my student said he was going to sleep at your place. Where is he now?” Tud shook his head.

“No, he’s not at my house. My kid also said he was going to sleep at your place.”

“Yeah, that’s what mine said too.” Mek added. Hearing this, the village chief’s face tensed up, a vein popping out on his temple.

“I think they sneaked into the forest to have fun. They told me they wanted to go up, but I didn’t allow it; they must have not listened. This girl probably went with them.” Mint, understanding the local dialect, quickly nodded in agreement, wiping away tears.

“Yes, Prae told me she was going to sleep with Te, the one staying at Uncle Tud’s house, but I didn’t know they would sneak into the forest. If I had known, I would have stopped her.”

“village chief, can you take Prae to see a doctor? I’ll fill up the gas.” The club president said with concern, knowing if something serious happened to Phraemai, it would become a big issue.

However, many villagers, including the village chief, shook their heads.

“By the time we get to the hospital, your friend might be dead. Besides, doctors can’t help with this; only a shaman can.” The village chief said. Chai then nodded quickly, instructing his wife to bring out their sidecar motorcycle from the garage. Madam Kaew hurried to comply, as they would take this child to see Master Pharan.

“Come on, let’s carry Prae up.”

When Madam-Kaew brought out the sidecar motorcycle, Chan, who was nearby, helped lift Phraemai onto the bike, with Mint holding her close. They all got on.

Chai started the motorcycle, letting his wife ride behind, and before driving off, he turned to tell the village chief,

“Village chief, go get Grandma-Si, take her to the master’s house. This ghost girl is MaeYing, the master won’t handle this himself.”

“Alright, alright, go go.” The village chief agreed and quickly headed towards Grandma-Si’s house. Meanwhile, Chai drove the motorcycle with Phraemai towards Pharan’s house. At that moment, someone else brought a pickup truck, and the students, too worried to go back to sleep, hopped on to follow the villagers.

The president of the volunteer club wasn’t confident in Pharan’s father’s abilities at all. He didn’t even know the man, but what the villagers said made some sense. The hospital was nearly a hundred kilometers away from the village, and without preliminary treatment now, she might not make it there in time.

“What should we do, Kit? Should we call her parents?” Som, a fellow staff member, asked. Kit, the club president, quickly shook his head.

“Let’s not call yet. It’s too late. Let’s wait and see. The master might really be able to help.” Som bit her lip, hoping Kit was right, before they both followed the others to another truck heading to Pharan’s house.

At that moment, the lights around Pharan’s house were already on, as if anticipating the arrival of many people. Jett, sensing something was amiss, woke Khem from his sleep, and they went to find the master at the central ceremony area. They saw Pharan lighting incense and candles, paying respects to the Triple Gem, so they quickly crawled in to pay their respects as well.

Ekk and Thong stood waiting at the bottom of the house stairs, some noticed, some didn’t. Soon, Phraemai was carried up by Chan, followed by Mint, UncleChai, and Auntie-Kaew, along with nearly all the villagers and students present.

“Prae!” Khem couldn’t help but shout, trying to get up to go see his friend, but was held back by Jett.

“Don’t go near her.” Khem swallowed hard, sat back down next to Jett, but kept watching intently as Chan laid Phraemai down in front of the master, who was seated higher up, following Uncle-Chai’s instructions, then sat back next to Khem.

“Chan, what happened?” Khem asked with a pale face, but Chan shook his head, having not understood the villagers’ earlier conversation, so he just reported what he had seen.

“I’m not sure, but it looks like Phraemai went into the forest, and when she came back, she was like this.” Khem turned even paler. Jett, upon hearing this, could only think ‘Oh no’ repeatedly in his mind.

“Master, it seems this young lady and three other guys sneaked into the forest, but only she came back, and in this state.” Chai explained with his hands clasped to Master Pharan. They had brought her to see the Master first because the forest was still dangerous. It wasn’t safe to go in carelessly, so they came to consult Master Pharan on what to do next.

Master Pharan looked at Phraemai, who was still twitching, and spoke calmly,

“It’s good they let her return.”

The students, who had gathered in the house until it was packed, exchanged looks upon hearing this. Some, observing Phraemai’s condition combined with Master’s words, got goosebumps and rubbed their arms.

“Where’s Grandma Si?” Master Pharan asked Chai. Before Chai could answer, Grandma Si walked into the house with a white shoulder bag and a bamboo container of sticky rice, followed by the village chief. Grandma Si sat down and raised her hands over her head to pay respects to Master Pharan, who was younger than her. Master Pharan, in return, clasped his hands in respect as he always did when meeting her.

Master Pharan considered Grandma Si as a senior relative because she was friends with his grandfather. When he was young, Grandma Si had helped raise him when his grandfather was out working. His grandfather was a shaman, and Grandma Si was a soul healer, the best in the village.

“Master, how should we proceed? Can we go up the mountain? If we don’t call back her spirit, it might get worse.” Grandma Si said, having prepared everything necessary for the ritual after hearing from the village chief, ready to act if Master Pharan gave the go-ahead.

Master Pharan nodded, replying in the same dialect but with a softer tone,

“We can go. It’s fine. Take many people with you to help find the other three children.”

Grandma Si raised her hands over her head once before looking around.

“Anyone close to this young lady, come with me, I’ll perform the soul-calling ritual to bring her spirit back.”

The soul-calling ceremony, also known as the spirit-fetching ritual, is an ancient rite among the Isan people. It’s believed to cure ailments caused by accidents or shocking events that might cause someone to lose consciousness, like Phraemai.

Mint, who had just finished crying, quickly raised her hand and crawled towards Grandma-Si. Then, the village chief explained the current situation to the students. The atmosphere grew tenser when they learned that three of their club members were missing.

“Right now, the forest is quite dangerous. I’m looking for men who are confident they have strong luck, born on Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Sunday. We’re going into the forest to look for your three friends. We might be searching all night until noon.”

One of the male students raised his hand, puzzled.

“Why before noon?” The village chief hesitated, not wanting to answer, but had to tell the truth.

“If we haven’t found them by noon, it means they’re dead.”

A collective gulp could be heard from the back, fear and anxiety gripping the students. The club president, born on a Tuesday, quickly crawled towards the village chief to join them first, not wanting to delay any longer, followed closely by the other nine men.

Khem, seeing there were few volunteers, stood up to join, but the master was quicker. He swung a cane through the air in front of Khem, startling him back into his seat. Jett and Chan were startled as well.

The master’s stern gaze seemed to tell Khem not to get involved, suggesting he would likely be more of a burden than help, as had been the case before.

Realizing this, Khem sat back down, looking dejected. Jett understood both the master’s and his friend’s feelings but could say nothing, only patting Khem’s back to comfort him.

“You know why he can’t go, and you…why aren’t you going?” Pharan glanced at Jett, who was born on a Sunday and known to be quite tough-minded.

Jett quickly clasped his hands together, lying, but Pharan knew it immediately from just a look.

“Who will look after you and Khem if I go?” Jett gave a cheeky smile; the truth was he just didn’t want to help. Those guys had loose tongues, they deserved whatever was coming to them!

Pharan frowned at Jett, seemingly aware of his thoughts, then turned to another bespectacled boy sitting next to Khem.

“And you, why aren’t you going?” His sharp eyes locked onto the eyes of the boy, who looked slightly astonished.

Chan was born on a Wednesday night, which according to the village chief’s rules, could have implications, but he was hesitant about whether to go or not. On one hand, he was worried about Phraemai, who was his housemate, especially since Mint had gone with Grandma Si. On the other hand, he also wanted to help search for the missing three.

Right now, Chan felt like a child caught hiding something by an adult, so he started to stand up to follow the village chief and the others.

However, Jett reached around Khem to pull Chan’s shirt, making him sit back down.

“Master, Chan is very nearsighted and also very clumsy. If he loses his glasses in the forest, he’ll just be a burden to others.” Jett said. In truth, he just didn’t want Chan to go help find those three, especially since Chan shouldn’t be the one to go out of his way to help them.

Master Pharan immediately sensed that Jett had issues with the group of missing kids, which explained his reaction. He was surprised that Jett had made a new friend and was now preventing this friend from helping others. This kind of extreme loyalty and dislike was something Jett had exhibited since childhood.

Master Pharan sighed and nodded, not wanting to prolong the discussion.

“There’s nothing more to do here. Uncle Chai, have someone take the rest back to rest. Lock the doors well, and don’t go out until morning.” Uncle Chai acknowledged the order with a bow before passing it on to another student who had brought a pickup truck, to take the rest back home to wait for news, making sure to emphasize Master Pharan’s instructions.

Soon, only a few people were left in the house. Master Pharan closed his eyes to meditate, sending his spirit out to check on Grandma Si’s situation. From afar, he saw several lanterns slowly moving up the mountain.

Once Grandma Si reached the destination with help, she saw the scattered remains of civilization. Her heart sank, realizing why the three children were taken, but she knew she couldn’t do much; this was beyond the capabilities of a soul healer like her.

Grandma Si took out her equipment from her shoulder bag: a banana, a boiled egg, a ball of sticky rice, and a garland of jasmine flowers, arranging them on a plate and lighting a candle, placing it near the extinguished campfire.

“Come, spirit.” Grandma Si said before opening the bamboo container of sticky rice, now containing Phraemai’s personal items like a face cloth, a compact of powder, and lipstick, which Mint had run to get from the house. Grandma Si lifted the container and made motions as if scooping the spirit from the air, all while calling for Phraemai’s spirit to return.

“Come on, Phraemai, do not stay among the crows in the fallow fields, do not stay among the chickens in the rice paddies, do not linger in the wide wilderness that is not home, come back, come back to our home.”

When Grandma-Si called out, Mint, who was kneeling nearby with her hands clasped, also helped in calling.

“Come back to me, Prae, I’ll take you home to your parents.” This time, not only the village chief, but also the villagers and the male student friends started calling out. Something tried to approach the rice basket, but Grandma-Si quickly closed the lid. She frowned and shooed it away:

“Go away! I didn’t call for you, leave, leave!”

The master opened his eyes at that moment, looking down at the piece of paper someone had given him with Phraemai’s real name and surname written on it. He clasped his hands together and chanted incantations to ward off forest spirits, preventing them from scaring away the soul and taking its place.

“Buddhang, Vantami, Dhammang, Vantami, Sanghang, Vantami, by the power of the Triple Gem, please dispel the forest spirits, do not let them near, and call back the spirit of Phraemai, so that she may return home safe and sound.”

Not long after, Grandma-Si opened the lid of the sticky rice basket, scooped something out, and quickly closed it, then said loudly:

“She’s back, Phraemai is back, let’s go home.”

KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

KHEMJIRA, Chapter 13:

  At a time when many, including Jett and Khem, were filled with faith in Master Pharan, a whisper could be heard from two young men standing at the front.

“I think the villagers are just being superstitious.”

“Right, like any ordinary person could summon rain.” ‘Kornkan’ replied, with

‘Pondit’ nodding in agreement. This was their reaction after seeing the villagers almost bowing to the man in a white shirt leading the ceremony, believing the rain was due to mere coincidence.

Both were first-year engineering students who had ended up joining the volunteer club because their preferred clubs were full. They weren’t really enthusiastic about participating in this event, but they were worried about not meeting the activity points criteria in the future, and also wanted to experience a trip out of town, so they reluctantly agreed.

Upon hearing this, Jett’s eyebrows furrowed sharply. Khem, who heard the same, quickly grabbed his friend’s sleeve, tugging to prevent Jett from saying or doing anything, as the ceremony was still in progress.

Chan, standing quietly beside Khe, couldn’t help but furrow his brows as he looked towards the two people. He himself had a rather agnostic view on religious matters. Although he had some experience, he wouldn’t believe anything unless he saw it with his own eyes, yet he never disrespected or spoke out in a way that made others feel uncomfortable, unlike what those two were doing.

People don’t necessarily have to say everything they think, but they should think before they speak…

Jett could only seethe internally because there was nothing he could do except remember the faces of the two men in front of him. Next time if he hears them say anything offensive, he won’t just stand by.

Pharan was invited by the village chief to watch the traditional dance performance accompanied by local music inside a tent, seated on a long wooden chair reserved for the chief of the ceremony. Before the performance, one of his students brought a clean cloth for him to wipe his face.

Once the performance ended, Pharan prepared to walk back home, but someone half-walked, half-ran, pushing a bicycle alongside him.

“Uh, Master, your bicycle, sir.” Khem spoke kindly, with beads of sweat on his face, fearing he might get scolded.

Pharan looked at Khem for a moment, then his gaze went over the young man’s head, spotting Jett hiding behind a mango tree, using his friend as a scapegoat.

Although he felt annoyed, he kept it to himself, planning to deal with it later.

Pharan placed his hand on one of the bike handles, causing Khem to let go and step back.

“What are you guys planning to do next?”

Khem, who had been looking down in fear, immediately looked up at the master, surprised he wasn’t scolded and was instead being asked a question.

“Uh, after we finish installing the water purifier, the village chief will take us to plant trees in the forest, and then we’ll go to the waterfall, sir.”

Pharan slightly frowned at the mention of the waterfall; this village indeed had a small one, about five hundred meters north into the forest.

At this time of year, the water wasn’t swift or deep enough to be dangerous, making it possible to play safely, but with Khem, who knows…

He considered forbidding him from playing in the water but was afraid it might cause an unnecessary fuss. Pharan sighed softly, pushed down the bike stand with his foot, and said…

“Give me your arm.” Khem blinked once before quickly extending his arm to

Master Pharan. The other man took a thread from his shirt pocket, tied it around Khem’s wrist, and mumbled some incantations that Khem couldn’t understand.

Then he tapped Khem’s wrist and blew on it softly.

Master Pharan’s actions shocked Khem so much he almost fainted, his face growing so hot it felt like it would burn.

“Don’t let it come off.” Master Pharan said with a calm voice after raising his head, and Khem felt fortunate that Master Pharan was wearing sunglasses.

Otherwise, he would have seen how red his face had become.

“Yes, understood, thank you, Master.” Khem said with a bow. Master Pharan then let go of his arm and turned to mount his bicycle, cycling back to his home, leaving behind the warmth at Khem’s wrist, which he absentmindedly touched while his light brown eyes followed Master Pharan until he was out of sight.

The village chief had brought the volunteer club students to plant trees in the forest because the students wanted photos of their activities to post on the university’s page to promote their club. They also wanted to visit a nearby waterfall.

Seeing that the kids had worked hard for two full days and needed a break, the village chief reluctantly agreed to take them, despite not wanting to go into the forest during this time.

The volunteer students worked with zeal to finish planting the trees quickly, eager to head to the waterfall sooner rather than later, as the later it got, the less time they would have to enjoy. Except for Jett, who was already tired of playing.

It took less than an hour to finish planting. The village chief led the students deeper into the forest, about three hundred meters further. Soon they encountered a small waterfall, about waist-deep and ten meters wide, cascading from the mountain through the forest.

But before letting the students play in the water, the village chief lit incense to ask for forgiveness from the forest spirits, to prevent any disturbance or unintentional disrespect.

The villagers here had been taught from their ancestors that every part of this forest has its guardians, and one cannot do as they please without regard.

“Man, even for playing in the water, they have to light incense and pray.” Kornkan’s voice remarked to Pondit, shaking his head in disgust.

“I don’t know why these villagers are so blindly believing in things science can’t prove. None of what they do makes any sense.” Pondit laughed under his breath, nodding in agreement.

Yet, it was Jett, Khem, and Chan who once again overheard this conversation.

However, before Jett could take a step, Chan moved in first to speak with Kornkan and Pondit.

This time, Khem didn’t think to stop Jett because what those two had said was too harsh, even for him who was much calmer than Jett.

“Both of you should watch what you say. How do you think people who believe feel when they hear you talk like this?” Kornkan and Pondit, feeling embarrassed after being scolded like that, one of them even pushed Chan’s chest in response.

“Who are you to lecture us, you glasses-wearing nerd? Want to get hurt? I’m already in a bad mood.” Kornkan said aggressively, but Jett stepped in front of Chan with an even more confrontational stance, pushing the other back. Khem, unable to intervene in time, could only follow and stand nearby.

“Whoever I am, it doesn’t matter. You two have filthy mouths. Who could stand by and not say anything?” Kornkan nearly threw a punch at Jett’s face, but Pondit held him back.

“You, you are the son of…” Hearing this, Kornkan gritted his teeth in anger but didn’t dare do anything to Jett and stormed off in frustration.

Khem sighed with relief as the situation ended peacefully, without the violence he initially feared.

“Let’s go clean ourselves up.” Chan said calmly after looking at his own dirtstained hands, then started walking away. Khem tugged at Jett’s shirt to stop him from glaring after Kornkan and Pondit, and Jett reluctantly followed Chan without his usual hostility.

After cleaning up, Jett and Chan stood on a large rock above a waterfall stream, watching Khe playing in the water with a girl named Phraemai. One seemed to have played until bored, the other never liked such childish activities, despite knowing how to swim.

Jett standing there watching over Khem wasn’t unusual, but for Chan, who had only recently met them, it felt odd to share Jett’s concern for Khem without any apparent reason, and Chan wasn’t even trying to figure out why anymore.

“Thanks for earlier.” Jett said quickly, almost too fast for anyone to catch, causing Chan to turn and look at him, asking for clarification.

“What?” Jett frowned in irritation but repeated himself slowly and clearly, “I said, thank you.” Chan blinked once.

“I must have misheard, could you say that again?” Jett nodded and then kicked Chan into the water without warning.

Chan, not expecting this from Jett, fell into the water unprepared.

Thump!

“You deserve it for annoying me!”

“Hey! Chan!” Khem, seeing the incident, quickly swam over, and Phraemai, who also witnessed it, followed to check if their friend, who lived in the same house, was okay. Phraemai had met Chan when they both joined the club, but they weren’t particularly close; they only started talking more frequently when they came here.

Hearing Khem’s voice, Chan slowly stood up, his wet black t-shirt clinging to his body, revealing his abdominal muscles clearly. He brushed back his now disheveled, water-soaked hair that was once neat. His sharp, dark brown eyes narrowed slightly before he turned to Khem and said,

“I’m fine, Khem, please continue playing in the water.” Khem slapped his forehead in frustration.

“Chan, that’s Phraemai. We’re over here!” Phraemai, momentarily stunned by Chan’s appearance without his thick glasses, quickly came back to her senses and burst out laughing.

“Oh my, are you short-sighted or just blind, Chan!” She exclaimed.

“Sorry, uh, where did my glasses go?” Chan tried to dive back into the water to look for his glasses. Seeing this, Khem put his hands on his hips in anger, pointing at Jett who was standing on a rock, and shouted an order,

“Jett, get down here and take responsibility right now!”

At first, Jett seemed reluctant to help search for Chan’s glasses, but Khem chased him down and dragged him into the water, so he ended up helping look for the glasses anyway.

“Found it!” Phraemai, who was several meters away, shouted. Luckily, the glasses had floated to a crevice in the rocks and hadn’t been swept further away.

She quickly swam over to retrieve and return them to Chan.

Chan put his glasses on immediately, even though they were wet, but it was better than not having them at all.

“Thank you very much.”

“No problem, I’m off now, see you later.” Phraemai said before waving goodbye to Jett, Khem, and Chan, as another female friend called her to come out of the water.

Khem gently patted his friends on the shoulder to stop them from glaring at each other.

“Let’s stick together, the three of us.”

On the other side, Kornkan, Pondit, and another male friend named Tejathon, who had been close friends since middle school but went to different university faculties, approached the village chief who was waiting for the students to finish their water activities under a banyan tree. It was now time to head back.

“Village chief, I heard there’s a viewpoint up there. Can we go up and take some photos?” Kornkan asked, pointing towards the forest on the opposite side of the waterfall where steps had been cleared for climbing the mountain.

He had learned about this from Tejathon, who heard it from Phraemai, his girlfriend, but he lacked the courage to ask the village chief himself. Kornkan, being the bravest among them, took the initiative, partly because he also wanted to enjoy the view from the top.

However, the village chief shook his head, quickly denying the request.

“No way, young man. It’s getting late. Better we all head back to the village.” The village chief didn’t provide the real reason for not allowing them up there, fearing it might scare them or they might think he was making up stories. He simply walked away to gather the students from the water.

Kornkan frowned in frustration, compounded by his earlier altercation with the likes of Jett. He was now even more irritated.

“Seriously, what’s the big deal about just sitting up there?” Pondit was equally annoyed. Tejathon sighed in disappointment.

“I say, let’s sneak up there anyway. The path isn’t that complicated, we’ll be back fine.” Kornkan proposed. The three hadn’t gone into the water because they didn’t want to get wet, so they weren’t enjoying themselves like the others. They wanted to do something they liked before returning to Bangkok the next day. Otherwise, it would feel like they hadn’t really been there.

“Yeah, count me in. What about you, Te?” Pondit asked Tejathon, who thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. Seeing his friends ready to join, Kornkan smirked with satisfaction.

“Great, I won’t let you guys down.”

Back in the village, Kornkan arranged to meet Pondit and Tejathon at a wooden pavilion near the forest edge, a place not frequented at night. Each brought their backpacks and lanterns. Fortunately, they were staying in different homes, so they had told their hosts they would be sleeping over at a friend’s place, confident they wouldn’t be caught.

“Hey, Prae.” Pondit greeted Phraemai as she walked over with Tejathon, though it looked like she wasn’t too keen on coming. Phraemai smiled awkwardly before greeting Pondit and Kornkan somewhat reluctantly.

“Hi, Korn, hello, Poon.” Kornkan nodded in acknowledgment. Having Phraemai here was good; if they got caught tomorrow, they’d have company for the scolding.

Phraemai didn’t want to come because she was afraid of the dark and the unseen, but she couldn’t resist her boyfriend’s insistence. She and Techathorn had been dating for five months, and since she was the one who pursued him, she didn’t want to upset him. She was willing to compromise for the person she liked a lot.

However, Phraemai didn’t particularly like her boyfriend’s two friends; both were troublemakers who often didn’t listen to others, frequently got into fights, and liked to drag her boyfriend to bars, even introducing him to other women. Despite this, her boyfriend always returned to his room on time and never cheated on her, as per his friends’ teasing.

Once everyone was there, Kornkan spoke up,

“Shall we go?” Pondit nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, lead the way.”

Kornkan used a lantern to guide everyone along the path he remembered. When they reached the waterfall, they crossed a wooden bridge to the other side, then climbed a set of stairs leading up, as Phraemai had mentioned there was a viewpoint not too far away.

But Phraemai hadn’t expected to be taken to see the view at night like this.

Suddenly, she had an uneasy feeling.

“Te, I want to go back.” Phraemai said with a trembling voice. Tejathon didn’t want to give in to his girlfriend’s wish, not wanting to upset his other two friends.

“Why go back, Prae? We’ve come this far. Don’t be scared, I’ll hold your hand all the way.” Techathorn said. Phraemai bit her lip, and seeing Kornkan and Pondit look back at her with annoyed expressions, she was too scared to say anything more and quietly followed the three of them.

Finally, they reached the viewpoint, which was a flat area with a large rock jutting out from the cliff, well fenced with wooden railings to prevent falls. It seemed like this spot was frequently visited because there were no weeds or undergrowth, making it look neat.

Above all, the air here was much fresher than below, and looking down, you could see the village still brightly lit. The cool breeze gently blew, and the sky was full of stars, a rare sight in the urban areas of the city.

“Damn, this is how it should be.” Kornkan said with a proud smile, feeling justified in convincing his friends to come up here.

“Yeah. You three set up the tents, I’ll start the fire.” Pondit said cheerfully, equally pleased. Phraemai, seeing that things weren’t as bad as she had feared, felt reassured and went along with them. Soon, three tents were set up, and the fire was lit. All four sat around the campfire; Phraemai boiled water on the small stove she brought to cook instant noodles. Meanwhile, Tejathon took out his acoustic guitar to play and sing happily.

Kornkan raised his hand in a mock salute, then opened his bag and placed what he had prepared on the ground for everyone to see.

“Holy crap, Kornkan, you actually brought it?”

“Heck yeah, would I miss out?”

What Kornkan laid out were over ten cans of beer. He had bought them and stashed them in his backpack back at the rest stop, anticipating that the staff would check bags for illegal items, including alcohol, before boarding the tour bus.

Pondit burst out laughing.

“True to form, Kornkan, your life revolves around booze. You carry it everywhere.”

“Talk too much and you won’t get any.”

“Hey, I was just kidding, give me one.” Pondit then distributed the cans to everyone except Phraemai, who wasn’t much of a drinker and was worried about getting drunk and falling off the cliff, so she politely declined.

After finishing his first can, Kornkan habitually tossed the empty can off the cliff, which furrowed Phraemai’s brows because she didn’t approve of such crude behavior, but she didn’t dare to say anything. She quickly picked up the can Tejathon had discarded and put it in a trash bag, fearing he might follow his friend’s example.

Time passed leisurely as they relaxed until Kornkan stood up, announcing he needed to pee. Pondit and Tejathon, having consumed several cans themselves, felt the same and followed him. This left Phraemai alone by the nearly extinguished fire.

But several minutes passed, and neither her boyfriend nor his two friends returned, and the firewood they had brought was all used up. Not daring to go alone to fetch more wood, she got up and walked in the direction where the three had disappeared.

“Te, Korn, Poon, do you hear me, Phraemai!” Phraemai called out in a rather loud voice, but there was no response from anyone.

Phraemai started to feel disheartened. She lifted her lantern, looking around, seeing only trees of various sizes. But as she looked, her imagination conjured faces peering out from the darkness.

The darkness and silence gnawed at her mind until she could hardly stand it. Phraemai’s mind was in turmoil as fear took root, her delicate face covered in sweat from the pressure, yet her concern for her boyfriend and the others still outweighed her fear. She forced herself to take short steps deeper into the forest to find the three of them.

“Te, can you hear me, please answer me.”

“…”

“Te, don’t play around like this with me, I’m really scared, Te.” The deeper she went, the quieter it got, and Phraemai began to cry. She thought they might have left her alone up here, perhaps everyone else had gone back down.

Fear, disappointment, and anger mixed together in her heart until she burst into tears, thinking that if she made it back and found them, she would slap each one for daring to do this to her, and she would break up with her boyfriend.

Ding

Suddenly, Phraemai heard a sound like a bell from behind. With hope that her boyfriend had stopped teasing, she turned around immediately.

But what she saw was not Tejathon, Kornkan, or Pondit. Instead, it was a woman in a vibrant red Thai dress, her face pale with dark veins spread across it, her eyes completely white without pupils, her lips a dark purple, open wide as she screamed at her,

“Get out!!!”

     KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME

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.”

   KHEMJIRA CHAPTERS HOME