In a small village, nine‑year‑old Natchawong — known lovingly as “Ah Pui-Pui” — a kind‑hearted Grade 3 girl, wakes up under the same roof she shares with her grandmother, Li Hua, aged 66. Her grandmother is both her sole caregiver and the person she loves most in the world.
Since the grandfather passed away, Grandma Li Hua has taken on the full responsibility of caring for her granddaughter with unwavering strength. Life has not been easy. Ah Pui-Pui’s parents separated; her mother has never made contact again, while her father works in Taiwan and comes home only once every three years. Their main income comes from the money her father sends back and Grandma’s elderly allowance. Grandma Li Hua also raises pigs and chickens to sell in small amounts, just enough to help put food on the table.
Despite their modest life, the family’s love makes this home tremendously warm.
When asked, “What would you like to say this Valentine’s Day?”
The girl shyly smiles before replying in a bright, gentle voice: “I love Grandma very much. And if I could make a wish, I’d like my whole family to live together again.”
A short sentence, yet full of hope, from a young girl who longs for her family to be whole once more.
Grandma Li Hua, though not fluent in Thai, carries a heart just as full of love.
“I don’t know what to say… I just want my granddaughter to know that I love her,” she says, with the tender smile of someone willing to endure anything for the sake of the one grandchild she raises alone.
When speaking of the future, Ah Pui-Pui’s eyes instantly sparkle.
“I want to be a teacher. I want to teach children,” she says — a simple yet beautiful dream that reflects her gentle heart and her desire to pass on good things to others, just as her grandmother has done for her.
This Valentine’s Day, the greatest love in Ah Pui-Pui’s world doesn’t come in bouquets or boxes of chocolate. It lives in her grandmother’s smile, the warmth of their humble home, and in a tiny hope — that one day, her family will be together again.
Because love is simply being there for one another, even on the days when life is far from perfect.
