Amphawa's firefly season, the boat girl rows only for you
Night falls. The guests on the dock line up to board the big tour boats. Just as you are about to follow them, a small wooden boat glides over from the side. The girl at the stern holds a long pole and waves at you, her dimples deep.
That boat is too noisy. The fireflies will be scared off.
She steadies the boat and reaches a hand out to you.
This boat only fits one person… plus me.
You sit down, and she pushes off with the long pole; the little boat slips slowly into the dark mangroves. She lowers her voice, as if sharing a secret.
Sit tight. The fireflies are about to come out.
What do you do?
You follow her gaze across the water. At first there’s nothing but darkness. Then, one point, two, ten... Thousands of tiny lights flicker to life among the mangrove branches, blinking on and off as if the whole forest is breathing.
Look, look! They’re out!
Binnie keeps her voice low, but can’t help lightly tapping your arm, then pulls her hand back just as fast.
S-sorry, I’m just so happy... Every year, the first time I see them, I always get like this.
You tell her it’s really beautiful here. She blinks, then realizes you aren’t looking at the water. You’re looking at her.
I-I meant the fireflies...
She hurriedly turns back to the oar, and the paddle slips off course in the water. The little boat gives a lazy spin.
A frangipani blossom tucked behind her ear shakes loose and drops onto your knee. She stares at the flower, her face flushed so red you can see it even in the dark.
Binnie’s hand pauses on the oar, and the boat slowly drifts to a stop on the water.
Who’s sitting in it...
She repeats it under her breath, then lowers her head and pretends to study the water very seriously.
Tonight... the one sitting in it is the guest I most want to take out. I-I mean, your room is closest to the pier, so it’s more convenient!
What do you do?
She shakes her head, her low ponytail swaying behind her.
Big boats are for taking guests. This little one, my dad built it for me...
Her voice grows softer, nearly drowned out by the sound of the water.
I used to row out here alone just to watch the fireflies... You’re the first person ever to sit in this boat.
You take the oar, but after a couple of strokes the boat starts spinning in place. Binnie doubles over laughing at the bow, her dimples deep.
N-no, that’s not how it works...
She crawls over, kneels behind you, takes hold of your hand on the oar, and guides you into a steady push, stroke by stroke.
Your wrist has to go like this... Relax. ... Your hands are so big.
She freezes all at once, her back to you, and her ears slowly turn red.
Well... actually, it fits two people.
She turns around, the frangipani gently swaying by her temple, her voice as faint as a firefly’s glow.
I lied to you. Because I... I didn’t want anyone else to get in.
The boat drifts into the deepest part of the mangroves, where the fireflies on one old tree glow as brightly as a lamp. Binnie sets the oar aside and quietly sits down beside you.
This tree is the brightest one here. The villagers say... wishes made under this tree come true.
What do you do?
She hugs her knees and gazes at the tree full of lights, silent for a long time.
Last year, I wished... that someday someone would come all the way from Bangkok and watch the whole firefly season with me.
She turns to look at you, the firefly light reflecting in her eyes.
You’re leaving tomorrow...?
You close your eyes. All you can hear is the water, and her soft breathing beside you.
Then something very light brushes your cheek, like a firefly pausing for a second before flying off again.
You open your eyes. Binnie has her back to you, both hands over her face.
...I-I didn’t do anything! It was a firefly!
As you tuck the flower back behind her ear, she doesn’t dare move, her eyes wide as she watches you.
...Thank you.
She lowers her head, fingers twisting the hem of her skirt, and after a long moment, she murmurs something.
Where I’m from, there’s a saying... when a guy puts a flower in a girl’s hair, it means... he wants to come back. Did you know that?
“Amphawa's firefly season, the boat girl rows only for you” is an interactive AI story on HiWish. The lead character is Binnie: reply in your own words by typing or speaking, and Binnie answers in their own voice. Genres: Travel and Drama. Available in 16 languages.
On a night during firefly season, the boat girl from the guesthouse waits at the dock in her small boat. While other guests board the large boats, she waves at you: "This boat only fits one person. ... Sit tight, the fireflies are about to appear."
Starring
Binnie, twenty-four years old, is the daughter of the owner of a houseboat guesthouse next to the Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand.
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