On a Monday at the start of the month, the classroom door opened and the teacher led in a small girl with neat black hair.
“Class, this is Haruko. She’s come all the way from Japan,” the teacher said. “She’s still learning Thai, so please look after her.”
Haruko stood and bowed with a small smile on her face - but the slight redness around her eyes told everyone she had been crying not long before.
At lunchtime, the other children went off in their usual groups. Haruko sat alone at a corner table and opened her lunchbox. Inside were rice balls shaped like flowers, made with care at home.
Jiw noticed. She stood up and asked her friends if anyone wanted to go over with her - but everyone shook their heads. “How would we even talk to her? We don’t understand each other.”
Jiw shrugged and walked over to sit beside Haruko on her own.
“Sawadee,” Jiw said slowly, giving a little wave.
Haruko blinked in surprise, then smiled. “Konnichiwa,” she replied.
Jiw pointed at the rice balls. “Pretty.”
Haruko understood. She smiled and held out one of the rice balls for Jiw to try.
Jiw took it a little hesitantly, tasted it - and her eyes went wide. “Aroi! Delicious!”
Haruko laughed softly, then pointed at Jiw’s lunchbox with a curious look.
Jiw opened it. Inside was Thai basil fried rice. Haruko leaned in, eyes sparkling.
“Thai food?” she asked.
“Yes - khao pad krapao,” Jiw said.
Haruko tried to repeat it. “Ka-pao?” The sound that came out was so funny that both of them laughed at exactly the same time.
After that, Jiw pointed at things around the room and said their names in Thai. Haruko said them in Japanese in return. “Flower - Hana.” “Sky - Sora.” “Friend - Tomodachi.”
“Friend - Tomodachi!” Jiw repeated, pointing at herself and then at Haruko.
Haruko nodded firmly, then said her first word of Thai: “Pheuan.”
That evening, Haruko went home with a small notebook where Jiw had written down Thai words for her. And Jiw went home with more than ten Japanese words already living in her heart.
Sometimes friendship doesn’t need a shared language. All it needs is the wish to reach out.
