Man of Service

Crickets sing and wind echoes through narrow spaces inside the house. Dark hovers the sky while the trees are dancing. Roosters were shouting with pride.

A glimpse of light seen in one of the windows in a two story wooden house. Smoke broke free as the aroma flood. A retro semi wooden mechanical box with black and white visuals in a wooden living room was being played.

A man dressed in formal was talking on the screen. "Turn it up Miko!" a bass husky voice shouted.

"Khrap!" He twisted one of the button then he slightly bend the antenna. The sound was getting louder and louder as the presentation was becoming clearer.

"…alert the residence. On the other hand, Phuket will be considered as signal no. 2 , all resident of the area is advised to stay away from the waters until the storm ended."

"Thank you, Kahun. In Bangkok , there were 3 men found dead around midnight. According to the witnesses , they heard gun shots around 11 pm and ended around 3 in the morning. The corpses were suspected as part of drug dealers due to heroin found near the area of the bodies.

Further investigation is being conducted …" The woman properly dressed was reporting.

A tall thick man came out to the living room half naked with a long towel covering his lower body. He sat on a bamboo made couch. He spread his arm on the couch as he listen to the news. "Miko! Are you done?" he shouted.

"Almost, ready!" Miko replied. Not long , a teenage handsome looking guy with a pale skin came out. He was holding a cup of coffee and a small plate. Miko carefully placed the coffee on the top of a small wooden table in front of his father. Miko went to the kitchen to fetch their breakfast.

His father lean forward to drink his hot coffee that his son made. He took a sip, he felt warm in a cold morning. "Ah~ , this is the best coffee ever!" compliment.

Miko heard it , he was pleased but shy. "auh! Let's eat " Miko said. They fill their bellies with a hot stew in a cold morning dew. Sun hid its face as the wind went crazy.

Miko's father went back to his room to wear his clothes. His son followed him. He ironed the top as his father was tucking in. "When are you going to visit mom?" Miko asked. "I might be busy but visit her for me, ok?" He nodded

He gave the ironed top to his father then he helped him to button it. "you are the best son I have." His father said. Then Miko hugged his big round belly fat father warmly. "Go now or you'll be late." He said.

His father went down and fetched his motorbike. Miko saw an umbrella then he remembered his father. He quickly went down and gave it. "Stay safe pa, watch the road it will be muddy." Miko said.

He started the engine as he kicked back and fort. The motor was talkative and the wind was alarming him. "see you later." He said. Slowly the bike move forward, he saw on the side mirror that his son saluting him as he get smaller and smaller from the reflection.

Moving near the beach, the locals recognize a biker wearing a dark colored uniform with badges. They waved their hands as he passes by. Reaching one of the District Station in Phuket, the man in uniform parked his bike and went inside.

"Good morning sir!" the men in the station saluted him as he went further inside. He saluted back. On his office , he read the files that was laid on his desk.

Time passed , there was raining of cats and dogs. Some of the men were soaked , their floor was muddy and the droplets were like machine gun.

A woman went to his office, she saluted first then she reported immediately. "Chief Thanwitti, an old woman reported of fishermen went to fish near one of the islands before the rain. 4 hours already passed but there were no sign of them."

"prepare the boats and tell Delta for search and rescue." Chief Thanwitti replied. Team Delta lead by Chief Thanwitti went to search for missing fishermen on a raging sea in the midst of the storm. Thunder flashes like a sword and a great stampede noise were in the heavens.

Risky but they were dedicated to rescue the fishermen. On the shore there were few men guarding , preventing other people to come near the beach. The old woman who reported the missing fishermen was waiting in the shed.

"THEY WERE BACK!" shouted from one of the guards. The old woman stood up blinking , trying to look for the boats.

When arrived, the old woman ran but she was blocked by one of the guards. The fishermen went down with the Delta team. They were safe but wet. On the shed , they were provided with hot beverages and a towel. The delta team and Chief was there too.

It was a successful rescue mission but they have to clean up the mess. The boat that the fishermen was riding crashed in to one of the coral reefs. The water went in due to rain and the broken reef will be reported to the National Environment Conservation Department on their local.

The news spread fast in Phuket as locals knew each other. Chief Thanwitti finished every paper works and other problems that occur.

He was so eager to meet his son that he left the station with the night shifters.

Dark ocean waves and a hiding moon, dogs barked and howl as the time already flew.

No one in Phuket noticed that it was already night because of dark crying clouds with angry thunders.

He rode his bike in a muddy and slippery road as sharp droplet of waters hit his face. His hair against the wind and firm grip to the handle.

On an isolated house away from the beach, a small light was visible from a window. Miko saw it so he heated a hot water on a kettle, fixed the dinner table and prepared a warm chicken broth.

Beep! Beep! Horn of the motorbike. Chief Thanwitti parked his bike and left his boots before entering the house. He went to the bathroom to take a bathe in a warm water that Miko prepared.

Miko wiped the muddy and watery tracks that his father left. Miko was so reliable in household chores that even his father depends on him.

Overmorrow comes and yet the storm wasn't finish. The danger level was lifted and yet intermittent rain was expected. On the District Station of Phuket came a man with high rank to visit Chief Thanwitti.

Privately, they discussed about the latter incidents but most especially the case of the lost fishermen. It turns out that someone from Phuket spread the news about the heroic act in the middle of the storm. Risking lives that is worth to share.

"Chief Thanwitti, we will held a ceremony this coming Saturday October 15,1975"

"Khrap?" confused

"Apparently the Prime Minister recognize you and your team's effort. The Chief Executive will be the one to attend the ceremony."

"Why?Khrap"

"Prime Minister wanted you guys to set a good example for other districts and officers , I'm thinking that Promotion will follow after that."

"You mean , I might be promoted to the City?"

"Yes! Just keep up the good work"

"Khrap!"

"Before anything else, Here" He gave a file concealed with papers inside. "What's this?"

"That's classified so keep it to yourself."

"Khrap" He saluted the man then he left his office. Chief Thanwitti locked the door and open the documents. Puzzled , he tried to decipher each names that was listed on the document.

It was a capture mission, dead or alive . The listed names were involved in illegal transactions. Some of them are immigrants. There were some description of the previous sightings and the operations that were conducted by different districts.

While reading the descriptions , he remembered the report about the 3 men died in Bangkok, it turns out that those men were not on the list but connected to one of the names on the list.

He thought that his eyes were opened after reading the files. He thought that it was clear to him that this people were using their connection as an escape route to the law. He also thinks that these people are hiding in the woods or to a less most likely crowded places, camouflaged , engaging to other people without notice.

He thinks that these cases were not just an ordinary illegal drug dealers, this is a rebel movement against the Government. Using immigrants and letting people think that it was just an illegal drug dealing people instead they were using it so the people would not think of a secret revolution against the government.

After hours and hours of further research , his office turned into a mess.

Papers were on the floor, folders opened, documents scattered on the table and books of different sort were stacked together.

For a man of service, he was so dedicated at his job. He diligently read every single one of them that were related to the classified file that was given to him. He was a bit of work-caholic.

"Sapulpol!" he called out. A young man of low rank came. "Gather every team leaders and tell them for a meeting tomorrow noon."

"Khrap!" young man saluted then went a head.

On the other side of Phuket, Miko went at the back of their house. It was a jungle, trees and vines are everywhere. He was wearing a loosed t shirt with short and a slipper. His small bag around his waist and a flower on his hand.

The grass was getting thicker and muddy. He has his umbrella with him. As he went deeper in to the woods, there lay a small rock with a name written on it. He cleaned the surrounding area of the rock.

There he laid the flower and put a small candy beside it from his small bag. "Pa was doing fine , I hope you were doing fine too." He said. Then he heard a small voices. He was startled, it was laughter of girls and boys.

Miko boldly followed the voices so he went deeper to the woods. He kept on walking as his foot prints getting deeper in to the mud. The voices were getting louder and louder. Suddenly , there came stillness. He didn't hear anything except the nature's echo. He was getting a bit scared but then he bumped in to a large bark of tree.

He tripped backwards and fall back first. Luckly , his head fell on a muddy grass. Scared and in pain , he opened his eyes and saw a cave. He quickly stood up and stare at the cave.

He noticed that the rain was getting heavier, he gazed on his previous accident and saw that his umbrella was of no use. Soaked in mud and rain, he haste to the dark cave for shelter. Inside, it was dark and cold, he heard again the voices inside so he went near. After few minutes , shout of a teenage boy echoes in the nature.

Night comes, Chief Thanwitti came home. There were no lights on the house , there were no scent of food and the roosters and chickens were too quiet. Chief thinks that this was odd.

"MIKO! MIKO!" He shouted. He kept on calling but no one answered. Then he went at the back of their house in to the woods. He saw tracks from the mud. He then realized that Miko went in to the woods. He immediately called for back up.

Chief did not wait for the back up to arrived so he went through the woods. He followed the tracks as it gets deeper and darker. With flashlight as the only source of light and a small gun on his other hand for defense.

The woods were noisy as nature looks gloomy. He kept on walking and following the tracks , then he saw a flower on a rock with a candy with it. He knew that his son was there.

The back up responded to Chief saying that they were on the woods already. Chief heard a small rustling sound. He sneaked to the sound as he gets further from the rock. He saw from the mud a rock salt like substance.

He followed the white particles on the mud as it lead to a cave beside it. He saw a man figure beside the cave, palpating as if it was having a seizure. Then Chief shot the man and it fell. He hid from a tree near him when a group of people went outside the cave in Havoc.

The woods were filled with gunshots and screams of agony. Chief secretly went to the body that he shot a while ago. There he saw a shirt with blood and a bag around the waist.

Miko was salivating of white bubbly goo as blood oozes on his chest. Chief dropped his gun and flashlight as he fell from deep pain. Chief burst out of sorrow. He cried and shouted in pain seeing the body of his boy.

He slowly embraced his son as tears falling down from his eyes to the cold muddy body. He held his hand and he embraced it to his cheeks. He felt the cold and heavy body of his son.

Moments later came one of the back up to check Chief. "Chief Khrap, we captured few people and killed some. It was confirmed Khrap that they were on the list just like you told us."

Chief on the ground holding his son, "that's good…" he sniffed "…hey I have a favor"

He looked at the Chief and listened.

He was commanded to do something then he nodded.

On the Hospital in one of the private rooms, there was woman on bed with an IV fluids watching the TV.

On the door someone knocked, she smiled and expecting of someone "come in" Chief entered the room , looking so gloomy she asked "what happened? And where's Miko?" her smiled turned in to grief. The hospital hallway was so quiet and isolated. Cold night for the cold news.

TV flashes a report in Phuket, a man wearing a formal attire reporting from a studio.

"…. Drug den was found in Phuket in the woods where a ton of heroin and other illegal drugs were found. Few were captured and undergo trials while some died after wrecking havoc.

Another news from Phuket, a teenager found dead in near cave, according to the investigation he was innocent, killed during war on drugs. It was said that he was killed for the promotion and monetary value and so he was planted with drugs. The person who killed the boy will under go further investigation…"

~ END of chapter