Kumlai Faa (Bracelet of My Sky)

Nericera started out first, then, Wentamali joined in. Lastly, Giawon came in. Their song was the saddest song they had learned from Tanajan, and even without Giawon's crying power, everyone was weeping silentlyIn a land called Chaht-Nahm (Clear Water), there is a palace. In that palace, there are soldiers gaurding the entrance and maids making food for the royal family at sunrise. Ong Ying Nericera who is 16, was already awake and got into her royal attire.
She put on her turquoise seu-uh pah (a strip of cloth that wraps around the chest all the way to the stomach) on and put a strip of cloth, that covered her tanktop and went across her shoulder and down to her back. She wore her golden dress and fixed up her hair. She put her hair in a way so she could twirl her crown into her beautiful dark brown hair (with a tint of black).
Nericera is very impatiant sometimes and has a very bad temper, but she can also be so . . . accommodating. She can play the bau bpee (Thai oboe). She has a lot of experience with her bpee and she could heal herself and others around her. She can also have it be really loud if she wanted to and she could play her bpee and make others around her, be who they really are inside. She has a really special bond with her bpee. As the youngest of the family, she needs protection.
She opened her door and walked throught the palace halls. Nericera saw her personal maid yawning, and chuckled,
"Syut, is everybody still sleeping?"
Syut did a wai (folding hands into a triangle by your chin and tilting your head downwards towards the thumbs),
"As usual, Ong Ying," Syut retorted,
Nericera sighed and smiled, the kind of smile that people had when they had a brilliant idea.
"I'll help make breakfast," she informed.
Before Syut could answer, Nericera was already walking towards the cabin where they made food.
As Nericera walked into the cabin, the aroma of rice, chicken and Udon noodles filled her nose. She helped frying the vegetables with some beef. After she mixed all the fruit into a fruit salad, she poured everything into bowls. Lastly, she mixed up some noodles into a pot and mixed all the spices in. She stirred the noodles, until the smell was almost mouth-watering. She poured some tea into 5 separate teapots and poured all the food into trays. Before she sent the maids off, to give the food to her family, she placed her favorite flower, a Ku Ra (Plumeria) flower on each tray.

* * *
In Kleun (Waves), Ong Chai Kanokwam who is 17, had finished his breakfast and started to play his qwe (Thai flute). The music filled the palace with brightness.
Kanokwam has black hair (which is spikey in the front), and his necklace crown (A crown, but goes around the forehead and around the back of the head). He has a muscular body, tan skin and brown eyes. He is wearing his gold t-shirt, covered with gold diamond-like jewels and a clip at the top left of his t-shirt with a string of jewels hanging down all the way to his right waist. He has his cloth kapris with a belt, that went around his kapris and hung off to his side. Kanokwam had learned how to fight when he was just 9 years old and was proud of it. He learned how to play the bau qwe, fight and pretty much . . . everything from his teacher in the Kumlai Forest, Tanajan.
Kanokwam stopped playing his qwe when his sidekick, Hok-Vai (who is a horse, can fly and talk) came in with Kanokwam's dad, following not too far behind.
"Kanokwam," his dad said, mirthfully. "We need to go on an adventure."
"Really?" Kanokwam asked, astonished.
"Precise," his dad answered. "Go get Prommin,"
Prommin is Kanokwam's older brother, Prommin is 18 and can play the bau bpee (Thai oboe) really loud and have everyone on the ground covering their ears. Prommin has black hair, that is wavy and a muscular body, along with dark brown eyes. His skin is a whiter-tan, and he never smiles. www
Packing up was easy. Prommin and Kanokwam planned this day for months. They would go tto the waterfall that is in the Kumlai forest in Chaht-Nahm. There, there were lots of things to explore. The waterfall has a rainbow across the top and rocks making a dam so the water doesn't run off into the sunny campsite. The campsite is always sunny, and if you watch at night, you can see the moon and stars lighting up the sky. The waterfall's water is clear, but still with a hint of blue.

* * *
Nericera walked into her room and sighed. She gradually gorged her food until it was gone. She washed her hand in a bowl and got out her bau bpee. She remembered when she was 5 years old, Tanajan, laughing and smiling, while teaching her. She was thinking of visiting him again. He'd love that!
Her parents walked in and beamed. Nericera set her bpee down and did a wai. She let her mom (Wee-Chaa) and dad (Go-Met) sit on the table and she sat on the steps.
"Nericera," her dad stated. "We need you to go get your sisters and meet us in the meeting room, oh, and tell them to bring their instruments."
"Picka, okay," She answered as she grimaced.
She picked up her bpee and walked off to Giawon and Wentamali's room. Giawon is the oldest in the family, she is 17. She is a very . . . passionate sister; whatever Giawon want's, she gets. She has the power to have others get her point of view and she has a spell where she can make a certain person like her. Giawon plays the violin and it can make others cry at the sound of it.
Wentamali is 17, she is very much like Nericera. She has a bad temper and is very impatiant. Wentamali is very passionate about how the world is. Such as, the poverty in her country. Wentamali plays the xylophone, she can lure others to where she is, if she concentrated really hard.
"Oh," Wentamali and Giawon asked Nericera. "Did you make the food . . . again?"
"Why, yes," Nericera answered, "Like it?"
"Whatever," Wentamali snorted as she rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" Nericera shouted, then, calmed down. "Mom and dad want you in the meeting room, and bring your instruments too."
Nericera winked.
Wentamali got on a seu-uh pah, put her hair into a ponytail, and set her crown in that. She got on a green and red dress, and got on a red cloth that covered her seu-uh pah, by the time she was done a soldier was already carrying her xylophone.
Giawon got in a purple seu-uh pah, a purple dress, put her hair into a ponytail, and set her diamond-covered crown into her hair.

* * *
The tents were set up in a straight line; mom and dad's room, to the far right (away from the waterfall), Kanokwam's tent, the closest to the waterfall, Prommin's tent, right next to Kanokwam's tent, and in the middle were two veiwing areas (just a place to sit and a table).
Kanokwam set his bed in the far left corner of the tent. Then, he put his three-foot table right next to his bed and he set down his bag next to the entrance. Prommin set his bed in the middle, his table near the entrance, and set his bag down on his bed.
Prommin and Kanokwam, took their shirt and shoes off, and jumped into the waterfall. They spent about thirty minutes there, then, they split up to go exploring.
* * *
Nericera met Wentamali and Giawon at the door to the meeting room. Giawon had her violin at her side and saw a few soldiers, carrying Wentamali's xylophone.
"Uh . . ." Nericera started.
"Don't even ask," Wentamali infringed.
Nericera and Giawon giggled.
They all walked in and did a wai at the same time.
"Giawon, Wentamali, Nericera," their mother happily called to them.
"Play your instruments individually then," their dad paused to clear his throat, "play your instruments in a group.
The girls looked at each other and beamed. They had never thought that this day would ever come.
"Yes, mom, dad," they said, as calm as they could, trying not to show their excitement.
They sat down on the steps, where their mom and dad were.
Giawon went first, apparently she's the oldest. She sat down in the music area's floor, to the left of the meeting room and started to play. Her fingers moved on and off the strings of her violin and her hand moved up and down, side to side. Her song was a sad, smooth moving song. Giawon tried not to concentrate too hard, she didn't want everyone to start bawling in front of her.
She finished her song and grinned. Everyone clapped and Wentamali went over to her xylophone, that was already in the music area. Her sticks swiftly and gently moved accross the bars. As Wentamali went on, Nericera was getting suspicious.
"We haven't done this in a long time, why now?" she notioned.
"Nericera," Wentamali whispered, "your turn."
Nericera blinked, shook her head, and stood up. She sat on the ground and pushed her legs to the side. Her fingers gently moved on and off the holes as she blew. Her song was . . . typical. Not too sad, not too happy. When she finished, Giawon and Wentamali walked over to Nericera.
"Three Hearts as One?" Giawon probed.
They all nodded.
"5,6,7,8," Nericera slowly counted.
Nericera started out first, then, Wentamali joined in. Lastly, Giawon came in. Their song was the saddest song they had learned from Tanajan, and even without Giawon's crying power, everyone was weeping silently, all the maids, soldiers, even their mom and dad. When they stopped, clapping started from the back of the room. They looked back and saw three men standing there, smiling. All of them were . . . muscular, but, the one on the way left, looked like he could knock out someone in one hit.
"Girls," their dad called out, "This," he pointed to the one on the right, "is Ong Chai Sucere, Ong Chai Tepruksa," he pointed to the one in the middle and moved on to the last one, "and Ong Chai Luxanavong."
"Dad . . ." Giawon started.
"Introduce yourselves," Wee-Chaa ordered.
"Nice to meet you," Giawon aquainted. "I'm Ong Ying Giawon,"
"Ong Ying Wentamali," Wentamali did a wai.
"Ong Ying Nericera," she smiled.
"These men are going to be . . ."
Nericera suddenly felt like someone hit her face hard, she understood,
"NO!" She shreiked. "You're making us marry them!"
Giawon and Wentamali gasped. Nericera put her hand to her face as she was running out of the room, to stop the tears from spilling over. Giawon and Wentamali shot their mom a look of disbelief and ran after Nericera. They knew so much about Nericera, and one thing they were sure of, Nericera didn't have time to be a wife now.
* * *
Prommin was done exploring almost the whole Kumlai Forest, so he sat down on a rock by the waterfall, and started playing his bpee. Prommin's sidekick, Wong, a wolf, walked by, made a scoffing sound, and plopped his head down on the ground. Wong's tail thumped to the beat.
Kanokwam came back from dinner and walked by to see the sunset. He smiled and shook his head slowly. Kanokwam crossed his arms across his chest and sat down on the ground, leaning his head on a rock. He stared at the horizon, now a color of orange, red and pink. He sighed a releived sigh.
"Long day?" Prommin asked, shaking his head.
"Yeah," Kanokwam replied, tiredly. "Went exploring the forest, played my qwe, flew into the sky on Valahok, not much, how about you?"
"Explored the forest, climbed a tree, almost fell."
Kanokwam chuckled.
"I'll keep playing my bpee, so you can sleep," Prommin offered.
"Thanks, big brother," Kanokwam mumbled.
Kanokwam's head swayed, then fell on his arm.

* * *
"W-why?" Giawon stammered, her lips trembling.
Nericera had crossed her arms and paced around the room. Wentamali sat on the bench with Giawon, patting her sisters' back to calm her down.
Wee-Chaa trudged into the room with a straight face. Nericera stopped pacing and glared at her mom. Giawon pinched Nericera and she stopped. Wentamali rolled her eyes, when she thought her mom wasn't looking. They did a wai and their hands filled with tears.
"We had to do it," Wee-Chaa retorted "You are getting old," Wee-Chaa paused. "The wedding is tomorrow afternoon."
Nericera threw a look of disbeleif to her mom.
"You said you 'had to do it'," Wentamali stated. "Why did you 'have to do it' to Nericera? Huh? Tell me!"
Giawon shushed Wentamali and sighed.
"The rulebook," Giawon reminded her sister.
"Oh," Wentamali had finally caught on.
" 'Any princess may be wed at the age of 15 and older,' " Giawon repeated.
"Why did you have to enforce that law?" Nericera shreiked. "You all know very well that I want to wait!"
"Why do you think you're doing this for?" Wee-Chaa snapped.
Nericera couldn't help but sob.
"Yes," Nericera paused to wipe her tears. "It is our duty to be princesses, it is our duty to get married."
"Why did we become princesses? Is Tawada getting old and is forgetting how to run the world?"
"Wentamali!" Nericera shreiked. "You know that we worship Tawada, he's the one who gave you all the powers you have!"
Wentamali shut her mouth. She remembered a time when Wentamali was talking about Tawada in a bad way and Nericera was just a little 7 year old. Nericera was so enraged, she bit Wentamali on the shoulder. She didn't want it to be Nericera's magical power this time. When Wee-Chaa walked out of the room, not wanting to hear the arguing, that was just seconds to come, Nericera folded her arms across her body and started to pace again.
"We have to do something!"

* * *
"Kanokwam," Prommin whispered. "Get youself to sleep."
Prommin shook Kanokwam's shoulders and then, stalked tiredly back to his tent; Wong, right at Prommin's feet. Kanokwam nodded, then his head dropped on his arms. Hak-Vai stood beside Kanokwam and stared at the midnight moon.
"Kanokwam!" Hak-Vai nearly shreiked in Kanokwam's ears.
"I'm coming!" Kanokwam muttered.
"Yeah right!" Hak-Vai snapped.
Hak-Vai got part of Kanokwam's shirt in his mouth and started to drage Kanokwam. He sputtered when he opened his eyes to see Hak-Vai hauling Kanokwam to his personal hell.
"Ploy! Let go! I can do it myself!" Kanokwam huffed sharply.
Kanokwam dragged himself to his tent and plopped himself on his bed without changing into his night clothing.
"Don't forget your night clothes," Hak-Vai neighed.
Kanokwam scoffed.
"Fine," he replied, too tired to argue. "Get out of my tent and into your own tent."
"Okay," Hak-Vai nodded.
He got on a t-shirt and another lighter, droopy, see throught sweater. He did this in a zombie-like trance. He took his shoes and crown off, he set his things on the table, and got out some clothes for the next day.
* * *
Nericera was too tired to wake up, her head ached, as if someone had slammed it into the pillow all night. She slowly got on her seu-uh pah, wrapping it so slow, you'd think she was raised by a snail. When she finally had on all the appropriate clothing, including a new white cape, someone knocked on the door. Nericera scoffed at who would come this early to her room. It could be Wentamali and Giawon.
"Syut, open the door," Nericera paused and extended her ear to the door. "But check who it is first."
Syut obeyed and opened the door a crack. Syut turned to look at Nericera with pleading eyes, when suddenly, the door flew open and Syut flew backwards, onto the ground. Nericera saw that Syut had bulging eyes. Nericera shook her head and groaned. She grabbed her bpee, just in case and called out,
"Tun bpen krai? Who are you?"
"Ong Chai Luxanavong," He answered in his low, tenor voice.
Great, they look cute, why do they have to sound cute too?
"Why did you knock Syut down?"
"Syut . . . who?"
Luxanavong and his friends walked in, arms crossed around their backs. They chuckled. Luxanavong scratched his head like he didn't know what the heck she was talking about.
"Her!" Nericera shreiked octaves higher than normal.
"Gosh, why are you girls so rude to us . . . we're your guests," Luxanavong reminded.
"Well, you'll be history before you get out of here!" Nericera hollered.
"Nericera!" Wee-Chaa interrupted. "Calm down!"
All the "Ong Chai's" did a wai as Wee-Chaa walked in. Nericera got onto the ground to do a wai. Luxanavong smirked, like he enjoyed Nericera getting yelled at. Nericera rolled her eyes.
"Mom, don't think that they are all angels from heaven," Nericera warned, staring at Luxanavong.
Nericera sat down on a cloth bench, gripping her bpee tightly and looking the opposite way of where everyone else was staring; at her.
"Nericera, why would you say such a thing?" Wee-Chaa cried. "Look at them! Perfect, everywhere."
"Think what you want," Nericera whispered as she ran outside with her bpee still in her hand.

* * *
Kanokwam woke up feeling horrible; his head hurt, his whole body ached. He got dressed in a red, brown, and gold t-shirt on, and put his crown around his forehead. He got on some brown kapris, and washed his face in the water.
"Valahok," Kanokwam called. "Let's go, explore more, I'm bored."
"Jow picka, Okay!" Hak-Vai neighed.
As they explored, Kanokwam named almost every type of grass, tree, glower, even fungus!
"Look there," Kanikwam broke the silence. "The rare Ku Ra (Plumeria) tree. Only found in Chaht-Nahm and near rivers."
Kanokwam tried to find a souveneir that he could take home, when he saw something glinting in the sun, it looked like a ring. He jumped down and picked it up. He examined the ring carefully. He brought it back to the camp, examining it all the way there. The ring is gold and has blue, green, purple, and red jewels decorated around it. When he got to camp, Tanajan was there. Kanokwam ran to Tanajan, did a wai at his feet, and asked him,
"Tanajan, what is this?"
Tanajan gasped in shock as he examined the ring.
"W-wam watana," he stammered. "The most powerful ring in the world."
"What does it do?" Prommin interrupted.
Everyone was now gathered around Kanokwam and Tanajan.
Great, Kanokwam gets all the attention. Why don't I ever get any attention?
Tanajan twisted his head over to Prommin as if he had heard what he had said. Then, Tanajan turned his attention back to the ring.
"The ring helps you come back alive or prevent from dying. It is a gift from Tawada to you, Kanokwam."
Tanajan explained, then, gave it back to Kanokwam. Prommin rolled his eyes, but only when he thought nobody was looking.
"Keep it well," Tanajan warned. "Tawada gave it to you for a reason."
* * *
"Great," Nericera cried when she got on a bench, just outside the castle. "Now dad and mom are on their side,"
Nericera felt tears coming to her eyes. She quickly wiped them and stared at the sun, in the sky. She almost crushed her bpee in her hand, when her hands were balled into fists. She got the bpee to her mouth and promised herself that she would concentrate to make her bpee really loud, for the guys.
"Nericera!" Giawon and Wentamali cried in unison. "You can't do that!"
"I will if I have to!" She shreiked, before she started to play again.
Nericera stared at the blinding sun, right above her head.
I can't beleive how slow this day is going. Maybe I should go cool down in the village . . . yes . . . I 'll go to the village. No need to torment anybody . . . yet.
She stopped playing her bpee and got out her Ku Ra weset. It is a flower that can fly deep into the clouds of the sky and it's petals close when you climb into it if you want it to. She got it as a present when she was born from Tawada.
"Wong, Ku Ra weset," she whispered.
When it appeared, she rushed to the flower, her cape flowing flawlessly behind her. She got to the flower and it started to lift up and its petals closed. Wentamali and Giawon, let Nericera go, she would always come back when she was ready, but . . . would she come back this time?
"Wentamali?" Giawon whispered.
"Hmm?" Wentamali mumbled.
"Do you really want to marry somebody yet?"
"No, who would? We're only 17 years old," Wentamali reminded.
"You know . . . it's almost Nericera's birthday . . ." Giawon trailed off.
"You mean in two months," Wentamali corrected. "I don't take that as soon."
"Well, maybe . . . we could ask mom if she will let the wedding extend until her birthday, so it could be a surprise," Giawon suggested. "That will give us enough time to think of something."
Wentamali put a finger on her chin.
"That's a brilliant idea, Giawon!" Wentamali cried.
Giawon and Wentamali gave each other a high five. They smiled and Wentamali blew on her palm. A flower appeared and got larger, so they could get on it to look for Nericera.
* * *
"Peace and quiet at last," she sighed.
The village came into veiw and she smiled. The aroma of flowers, greens, and roasting food filled her nose. She got some fruits, vegetables, and some already roasted food and happily carried them to her flower. She could go and see Reuy, an old friend of hers, when she was just a little girl. Reuy, now, must be about 23 years old, 7 years older than Nericera. Reuy has medium brown hair with her dark brown eyes. When Nericera arrived with some food in a basket, she heard rustling in the straw house. She looked around, stairs made out of wood, leading to the large bamboo porch.
"Anyone home?" She called out.
"Oh, guys, wait," Reuy whispered.
She saw Reuy walk out to the porch with a gently woven basket in her hands.
"Ong Ying?" She cried when she looked up and saw Nericera. "Kids, come and see Ong Ying."
"Reuy!"
Nericera ran into Reuy's arms and started to cry. Nericera let go and looked at Reuy's beautiful children.
"What are their names?" Nericera questioned.
"This is Pe-tahm," she patted the tallest boy, about 10, with wavy dark brown hair and eyes like Reuy. "This is Yeep-tem." She hugged a little girl about 8 years old, she had long black hair and light brown eyes.
The children smiled and did a wai; Nericera also, did a wai to them, as a first time meeting. Nericera handed the basket to Reuy. The kids sat down and nibbled quietly on the fruits.
"Oh, Nericera," she thanked. "You shouldn't have."
"Go ahead, I have to go anyway," Nericera whispered.
Reuy patted Nericera's hand and shook her head.
"I know what's happening," Reuy nodded. "You should be proud and just get to know them."
"I can't, you know," Nericera reminded.
"Maybe one of them is the right person," she awknowledged.
"Maybe . . ." Nericera muttered. "I have to go and think."
Nericera started to leave, when Reuy grabbed her arm.
"The kids have never heard a bpee, would you please play for them?" she pleaded.
The kids' heads snapped in Nericera's direction and their eyes twinkled. Nericera beamed her teeth and went to her flower to get her bpee. The kids were squirming when Nericera got back with her bpee.
"Okay, ready?" Nericera whispered to the kids.
Their heads nodded furiously. Nericera laughed and set her lips on the tip of the oboe and her hands on the holes and started to play. Everyone's heads moved to the beat of the song and Nericera laughed in her mind. This is so ecstatic, I'm passing time and not thinking about those people.

* * *
"Let's take Hok-Vai and Wong and explore more," Prommin suggests. "It will make us have something to do."
"Okay, whatever you say," Kanokwam agrees. "Anything to pass the time."
"Wong, let's go," Prommin calls. "Hak-Vai, you too."
"Let's go on foot, I don't want to tire Hak-Vai out," Kanokwam suggests.
Prommin nods his head and whistles for Wong to come out. Wong comes running towards Kanokwam, tail wagging, panting. Kanokwam laughs and gets on his knees to pat Wong on the head. Kanokwam gently put Wong's collar on and fastens the tie.
"I remember the first time you got Wong," Kanokwam reminded. "I hated him so much."
Wong tilted his head and rose his ear.
"I remember, it was when we were about 10 years old, you were so envious because I spent more time with Wong."
"I was not!" Kanokwam snapped.
Kanokwam laughed when he saw Wong's face, tilting his head, looking unconvinced.
"Yeah, right," Prommin whisperes under his breath as they jump over a branch.
"Okay, maybe I was . . ."
"Yeah, you were," Prommin teased.