Read Chapter 1: “Preparations,” here!
On Sunday, the Lester family got up at six o’clock in the morning. After breakfast they put their bags in the car, locked the door of the house, and were ready to leave.
“Everybody, buckle your seat belts,” ordered Dad.
The trip had begun. Dad started the car and drove carefully all the way. By the time they were outside Bangkok the children were no longer sleepy. They talked joyously, told stories, and sang songs. Mom told riddles and the children tried to find the correct answer.
“Ok, listen.” Mom opened a book and read, “What has roots as nobody sees, / Is taller than trees, / Up, up it goes, / And yet never grows?”
“It’s a… mountain,” said Brandon. “Am I right?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” confirmed Mon.
“Oh, you’re so fast, Brandon. Please, one more, Mom,” said Alice a bit taken aback.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes,” the siblings said in unison.
“Thirty white horses on a red hill, / First they champ, / Then they stamp, / Then they stand still.”
“That’s difficult,” complained the boy.
“No, it’s not. Teeth,” said Alice with a big smile on her round face.
“Perfect,” Mom congratulated Alice. “Do you want one more?”
“An easy one,” said Brandon.
“Voiceless it cries, / Wingless flutters, / Toothless bites, / Mouthless mutters.”
After a short pause, Alice said, “We don’t know. Give us a clue.”
“Ok, I’ll help you. It starts with ‘w’ and has four letters,” said Mom hiding the book behind her back.
“The wind,” proudly announced Alice.
“Very good. See, it wasn’t that difficult,” said Mom.
But Brandon was not satisfied. Seeing this Alice asked her Mom to read a last riddle.
“A box without hinges, key, or lid, / Yet golden treasure inside is hid.”
“That’s easy,” said Alice. “Come on Brandon, we had some for breakfast.”
“Eggs,” shouted the brother.
“Well done. We’ll save some for later,” said Mon, and put back The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien in her bag.
Dad was not taking part in their games because he was concentrating on the road.
“Why are you slowing down?” asked Brandon.
“We have just passed a sign that says ‘SHARP CURVE – SLOW DOWN’. We have to respect traffic signs. They’re for our safety,” explained Dad.
When they got out of that sharp curve they saw an accident. A car had the two front wheels in a ditch, while the back wheels were still on the grassy ground by the road. A motorbike was lying on the road, and the rider, a young man, was standing on the nearby grass. Only a few meters away the police car was parked near the road, with the top red lights turned on. A police officer was talking to a man, probably the driver of the car in the ditch.
“What happened?” asked Alice.
“I think the man on the motorbike was riding too fast and he fell. The car from the ditch had to push the brakes and avoid running over the motorbike. That’s why it’s now half in the ditch,” said Dad.
“Is anyone hurt?” asked Brandon.
“I saw that the motorbike rider has bruises on his arms and legs,” said Mom while looking outside of the car window.
When they were out of the curve everybody was quiet. They were shocked after what they had just seen.
“When you grow up, and have a driving license, you always have to be careful,” said Dad breaking the silence.
“Even now, when you ride the bicycles around our house, you should always pay attention to traffic signs. If not, accidents can happen,” concluded Mom.
The remaining part of the journey to Kanchanaburi Province was without any other incidents. The children enjoyed the view from the back seats of their parents’ car. When they arrived in Kanchanaburi they were a little hungry, so Dad stopped at a petrol station to buy some snacks for the children and refill the tank with gasoline.
Illustration by Eric Barrientos
