Chapter 11 Searching For A New Home

• Chapter 11 Searching for a New Home
• ‘The lease on the rented house is about to expire. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. It’ll end at the end of this month. If you want to renew, you better hurry and do it yourself. If not, you’ll need to move out so the owner can rent it to someone else.
• P.S. Take care of yourself.’
• Waking up late in the morning, she read the message from the elder sister and let out a bitter laugh. She didn’t know whether to cry or to yell. The lease was ending this month. Normally, her sister handled the monthly rent while she covered utilities and household items. But now, with her sister gone, it was all on her.
• If she chose the lease, her current savings wouldn’t last long, especially since she hadn’t started her new job yet—it wouldn’t begin until next month. The reality hit her hard: she was still technically unemployed for the next month.
• Ladapha nearly collapsed from the stress. Not only did she need to find a part-time job, but she also had to find a new place to live.
• “I can’t let this happen!”
• Ladapha jumped out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and headed straight for the bathroom. With twelve days left to find a new place to live and secure temporary work before starting her new job, sitting idle was not an option.
• After getting dressed, she realized one important thing—the car belonged to her sister. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she stepped out the front gate and walked to the bus stop at the end of the street. She remembered there were several condos and apartments nearby, but after checking, none had vacancies. Reluctantly, she hailed a taxi and decided to explore further, about ten minutes away, to find an affordable apartment. Renting a condo was simply too expensive, with all the additional utility and miscellaneous costs.
• The taxi dropped her off at the entrance of a lively alley with steady foot traffic and passing cars. Ladapha surveyed her surroundings, taking a deep breath and silently hoping to find a decent place to stay. Guided by a friend’s recommendation and the taxi driver’s advice, she approached an eight-story apartment building. The open gate revealed a parking lot, security post, and convenience stores, including a small food stall. It was an ideal location, with everything from a pharmacy to a mini-mart nearby.
• Without hesitation, she walked into the lobby to inquire.
• “Hello, I’d like to ask if you have any rooms available.” Ladapha addressed a middle-aged, bespectacled woman with a warm demeanor.
• “Yes, we have rooms available,” the woman replied.
• “Oh, that’s great! How much is the rent?”
• “Fan room is 4,500 baht a month, air-conditioned is 5,700 baht. Utilities and the internet, which is 400 baht per month, are not included,” the owner explained.
• The pricing made Ladapha hesitate, her smile faltering slightly. It was typical for the area, but she needed to be careful with her budget.
• “The fan room is 4,500, right? Does it come with a fridge or...?”
• “It’s fully furnished, dear. Bathroom, a small kitchen, and even an electric stove are included. In this area, my rates are the lowest. Anywhere else will cost you 8,000 to 10,000 baht.”
• She knew the woman was right. Ladapha gave a small, thoughtful smile before nodding. “Alright, I’ll take it.”
• “Great, let’s go over the details. Wait for me inside the office,” the owner instructed.
• With a nod, Ladapha walked into the small office as instructed, ready to finalize her new home.
• It was well past 2 PM by the time Ladapha finished sorting out the rental agreement, paying the deposit, and prepaying the rent. Exhausted but relieved, she stepped out of the alley to catch a bus, following the landlady’s advice. The landlady had mentioned that if she got off at the next intersection, she could transfer to another bus with no need to spend extra money on a taxi.
• Stepping off the bus, Ladapha noticed a restaurant with a flyer advertising temporary job openings. Eagerly, she rushed to check it out, only to find that the positions had long been filled. The flyer simply hadn’t been removed yet. She walked away, sighing in frustration, and boarded another bus to return home.
• As she settled into her seat, a notification buzzed on the phone with a message from her older sister.
• Chom, could you throw out all the stuff Art gave me? I left some things behind by mistake. Thanks!
• Ladapha nearly screamed in exasperation. Why did she have to deal with this on top of everything else? Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she got off the bus at her stop, made a quick detour to buy some vegetables and fruit from a street vendor, and headed back home.
• “I need to find a job fast and get this move sorted out. Ugh, life is exhausting!” she muttered to herself, putting away groceries in the kitchen.
• Truthfully, she could just dip into her savings to cover the moving expenses without worrying about finding immediate work. But the thought of depleting her savings for nothing gnawed at her—it wasn’t in her nature to be wasteful. And the idea of moving back home to live the way she had before? No way. She’d rather struggle and figure things out on her own than go back to that.
• “You’re back?”
• Phorngrampai, the housekeeper, approached as the man set his belongings down on the sofa.
• “Is Ayu asleep?” Yin Yue asked, his weariness evident. It had been a particularly taxing day at work, and by the time he wrapped everything up, it was already past 9 PM. He hadn’t been able to pick up his son and had instead asked Phorngrampai to do so.
• “Yes, he’s asleep. He came home quietly and didn’t say much,” she replied.
• Yin Yue nodded, his expression showing the guilt he felt. “Could I trouble you to pick him up from school again tomorrow? I don’t think I’ll make it back in time.”
• “Tomorrow? Sure, I’m free. But next week, I’ll be away visiting my father in the countryside, so I won’t be able to come by for cleaning,” she informed him.
• He acknowledged her with a nod, saying little. He couldn’t help but feel apologetic for relying on her to handle something he believed he should do himself. In the past, he had hired nannies to look after his son, but none had stayed long. Eventually, he stopped hiring altogether.
• “That’s fine. I’ll make sure to come early next week,” Yin Yue assured her, though he wasn’t sure he could keep the promise. Over the years, he had juggled raising his son with the monumental task of repaying the company’s debts after it had once gone bankrupt.
• Phorngrampai observed him thoughtfully, her sigh heavy with sympathy. She had suggested he remarry to find someone to help care for his son, but Yin Yue never entertained the idea, leaving her to understand that he was still struggling to heal from past wounds.
• “In that case, I’ll try to find someone to help with the housework and looking after Ayu. That way, you can focus on your work,” she offered.
• “Thank you,” he said, rising from his seat and heading further into the house. Phorngrampai gathered her belongings and left through the gate, but not without looking back with concern. She had once been offered the chance to live in the house to take care of household matters and his young son full-time. However, with her own family—her son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren—she had opted to prioritize them instead.
• Yin Yue entered his son’s room quietly and found Ayu fast asleep. He knelt beside the bed as the boy stirred, opening his eyes groggily.
• “Papa...” Ayu mumbled sleepily.
• Yin Yue smiled warmly at his son.
• “Will you sleep here with Ayu tonight?” the boy asked.
• Yin Yue nodded silently before standing and leaving the room.
• Even as he sought to forget the pain that weighed on his heart, he knew he couldn’t open it to a new love. The scars from the past lingered, and though time might dull their ache, they remained a constant reminder of what once was.