It did not take Khaohom long to put her things away before she walked to the fresh coconut milk stall to find her grandmother. She ordered a large quantity of coconut cream and coconut milk base to ensure she had enough for the desserts she planned to sell the next day. Before leaving the market, Khaohom spoke to the stall owner, arranging to rent her grandmother's stall on a long-term basis. The owner was delighted that she wouldn't have to search for a new tenant, as Grandma Sa was getting older and rarely came to sell anymore, and the owner had been worried about her stall lying vacant.
Khaohom paid one full year of rent in advance. She preferred the simplicity of an annual payment over the hassle of monthly payments. She wasn't sure how well her desserts would sell, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about securing the rent money for the stall.
"Let's go home, dear," Grandma Sa said, seeing Khaohom had finished dealing with the rental agreement.
"Yes, Grandma. Let's go." Khaohom walked slowly beside her grandmother, her small hands still carrying several kilos of coconut milk bags.
"What would you like to eat tonight? I'll make it for you," Grandma Sa offered, concerned that her granddaughter might be tired.
"It's alright, Grandma. I'll cook. Just tell me what you feel like having," Khaohom smiled brightly.
"I can eat anything, dear. Go ahead and make it," Grandma Sa replied with a gentle, aging smile.
"In that case, how about chicken curry, steamed fish, and steamed vegetables? I can also make some Nam Phrik (chili paste dip) for you."
"That sounds lovely. Just let me know if you need any help, dear," Grandma Sa said caringly.
"You can just sit and watch TV until dinner is ready. I can handle it."
Her granddaughter's clear voice made Grandma Sa smile widely once more. The journey back from the market didn't take long. Upon arriving home, Khaohom sent her grandmother inside to watch TV while she prepared dinner, sending her off with a warm smile. Khaohom then went back to unload the purchased groceries from the car and immediately began cooking.
Khaohom's soft humming while she cooked drifted to Grandma Sa, making her smile to herself again. It had been years since this quiet house had heard Khaohom's song. Grandma Sa felt a sense of relief now that her only relative was back home. She knew her current age prevented her from looking after her granddaughter as before, but at least Grandma Sa could be a source of encouragement for her only kin.
In truth, Grandma Sa had noticed Khaohom's vacant stares, but she didn't want to ask about what Khaohom was hiding. Her own daughter, Nongkran, had exhibited similar signs when she brought Khaohom home to be raised, though Nongkran's condition was much worse. She had cried and heavily cursed Khaohom's irresponsible father. Although Grandma Sa didn't know the identity of Khaohom's real father, judging by Khaohom's face, Grandma Sa thought he must have been quite handsome. Otherwise, Khaohom wouldn't possess such sweet beauty. Not to mention her height, which was now a head taller than Nongkran. Grandma Sa concluded that Khaohom's father must have been exceptionally well-built.
Khaohom finished cooking shortly thereafter. She sat and ate with her grandmother comfortably, her mind wandering as she considered which desserts to make the next day. She wasn't sure what kind of sweets the local customers preferred, having been away from her grandmother for so many years.
"Grandma, what kind of desserts do people around here like to eat?" Khaohom asked, serving her grandmother some chili paste and steamed vegetables.
"Mmm… The kind of desserts I used to sell when you were a little girl, dear," Grandma Sa admitted she hadn't really paid attention to her customers' specific preferences, always making a rotation of different sweets over the years.
"In that case, tomorrow I'll make Sangkhaya Bai Toey (pandan custard), Foi Thong (golden threads), Thong Yip (pinched gold egg yolk), and Thong Yod (drop gold egg yolk). Is four kinds enough, Grandma? I want to test the market first," Khaohom asked with a smile.
"Yes, dear. No need to make too much. Just four kinds that you can sell out will be enough," Grandma Sa smiled in reply.
The two shared their meal and conversation until they were full. Khaohom asked her grandmother to go shower and rest while she went to the kitchen to put away the leftovers and clean the dishes, before going to bed early herself. She needed to wake up at three in the morning to prepare the desserts.
The next day at seven in the morning, Khaohom drove her grandmother to the market to sell. She was worried her grandmother would be lonely. Now that she was back, Khaohom wasn't going to let her grandmother be alone again. The market wasn't too crowded yet; most people came around seven-thirty, giving Khaohom time to set up her stall and pre-package the desserts.
"Well, Grandma! Did you switch to a pretty young vendor today?" a regular customer of Grandma Sa asked with a wide smile. She hadn't seen Grandma Sa two days ago and thought she might be sick.
"My granddaughter is back to live with me, dear. We have four kinds of desserts today. What would you like?" Grandma Sa replied, clearly familiar with the customer.
"I'll take four pieces of the pandan custard, please," the customer took forty Baht out of her purse. The price of these desserts hadn't increased in decades.
"Here you are, Auntie," Khaohom handed the middle-aged customer the bagged desserts with a sweet smile.
"Thank you, dear. I'll come back to support you another day,"
"Thank you so much," Khaohom's smile widened, realizing she was about to gain a regular customer.
Khaohom continued selling at the market until nine in the morning, by which time all four kinds of her desserts were sold out. Khaohom quickly packed her belongings into a basket and carried it back to the car. She asked Grandma Sa to wait at a shop so she could buy more groceries to take home.
One week passed.
Khaohom's daily routine was unchanged from the first day she returned. She made and sold desserts every day, without fail. Grandma Sa occasionally kept her company, especially after she saw Khaohom had become familiar with her regular customers.
Today, Khaohom had many new customers buying desserts. This was thanks to the word-of-mouth recommendations from old customers who praised Khaohom's Thai desserts for not being excessively sweet, allowing them to indulge without fear of gaining weight. Khaohom silently thanked Alan, who also disliked overly sweet things; she had been adjusting and improving her dessert-making skills over the years because of him.
"Isn't Grandma with you today, vendor?" one housewife, who loved her desserts, asked.
"I wanted Grandma to rest a little, so I left her at home," Khaohom replied while scooping a dessert.
"Mmm… It's good that you came to sell instead of her. I was worried seeing Grandma getting so old," the customer said. She hadn't bought often before because Grandma's sweets were too sweet for her.
"Thank you for your concern for Grandma. This piece is on the house," Khaohom gifted the customer an extra piece of dessert.
"Thank you so much, dear. I'll be back to support you tomorrow," the customer smiled widely before walking away.
Other customers waiting in line ordered one or two pieces each. Khaohom quickly sold out of the day's batch. She hurried to pack up and buy food to take home and eat with her grandmother late in the morning, as she was sometimes afraid her grandmother would tire of her cooking.
While they were eating, Grandma Sa, who had been observing her granddaughter for days, decided to ask what had been on her mind all along.
"Khaohom, is there something bothering you, dear?" Grandma Sa looked at her granddaughter with concern.
"Hmm? Why do you ask, Grandma?" Khaohom frowned in surprise. She hadn't realized how often she must have been spacing out to cause her grandmother concern.
"I've seen you staring blankly many times, almost causing accidents. If something is wrong, you can tell me, dear. It's just the two of us. You don't need to hide anything from me," Grandma Sa smiled softly.
"Grandma… Huk… I'm sorry," Khaohom fought desperately to hold back her tears, but sadly, upon seeing her grandmother's gaze, her floodgates broke.
By the time Khaohom finished telling the full story about Alan, her tears were almost dried up.
"Sigh. If you weren't destined to be together, it's good that you walked away, dear. I will be your encouragement and stay by your side from now on. Stop dwelling on it," Grandma Sa said, giving her granddaughter an aged smile.
"I understand, Grandma. I will be strong and take good care of you from now on," Khaohom forced a smile for Grandma Sa before excusing herself to clear the dishes from their meal.
Grandma Sa could only look after her only granddaughter with deep concern. She never thought her granddaughter would face a situation almost identical to her daughter's. It was fortunate that her granddaughter was not too overwhelmed by sorrow. Perhaps because Khaohom had been taught to let go and face reality since she was young, she had a stronger spirit than most children.
In less than a month, Khaohom became the beautiful dessert vendor of the market in Tha Phae District. The novelty and lower sweetness of Khaohom's Thai desserts were a hit with both male and female customers, to the point where she could barely keep up with demand. From making four kinds daily, Khaohom had to start preparing ten kinds of sweets instead.
Grandma Sa helped her granddaughter prepare the desserts every afternoon, so that the next morning, Khaohom only needed to do a little finishing work before taking them to the market.
Although the income from selling desserts wasn't as high as when she worked in the city, Khaohom found far more smiles and peace of mind in her new life.