Thai Girl (28 page)

‘Man, you can have whatever you want in them massage places,' said Chuck, when he could draw breath. ‘But that's for the crazies. Like I said to my ex-girlfriend … blow-jobs suck!'

There was so much raucous laughter that the couple at the next table turned and stared before relative peace was restored.

The rest of the evening continued in similar vein, and somehow the discussion came round to choosing the most congenial ways of killing oneself. Ben's favourite means of suicide was to be run off the top of a cliff by a rampaging mob of topless women with big tits.

‘Where d'you get that one from, you perverted Pom?' taunted Maca.

‘Somewhere in my adolescent subconscious I guess,' said Ben.

Chuck came over all patriotic and, to save the nation, decided to be a suicide bomber at a summit meeting of George Bush, Bill Gates and Michael Jackson.

Typically Maca chose a softer option. To renewed laughter he told them the Thais believe a surfeit of sex and gorging on durian can both be fatal, so he was going for a simultaneous orgy of durian and sex. Chuck expressed doubt that Maca's choice satisfied the strict criteria for suicide, and that anyway Maca would never be motivated enough to do himself in, let alone get round to buying the durian. The late night suicide debate became long and heated.

Ben was relieved that Maca and Chuck did not ask him about Emma and he told them little more of what had happened to him in Bangkok. It was all good traveller talk about ganja, go-go bars and moving on to the next beach. But even in an alcoholic haze and despite good company, Ben could not forget his close proximity to Fon. He wanted the morning to come as soon as possible. The stalemate with her could not go on forever; it was just too painful.

22

The next morning Ben was at the beach early, having breakfast and waiting for Fon. At nine thirty she appeared, carrying her usual box of tricks and came over to his table looking fresh and happy. She seemed to have forgotten her cold.

‘So you still here? Not go Bangkok?' she said with a cheeky grin.

‘Course not. I've come back to talk to you.'

‘Okay, I listen … but not like sweet talk.'

Ben summoned up as much sincerity as he could muster.

‘Fon, I missed you like hell when I was in Bangkok.'

‘Gohok!
You lie me already,' she retorted.

‘No, Fon, I really mean it,' he pleaded, quite taken aback.

‘You not look other girls? Not go with lady?' she demanded.

‘Course not.'

‘Never?'

‘How could I, Fon? I was thinking of you most of the time.'

‘No good! I want you think me
all
the time,' she said, and then without warning burst into peals of laughter. Ben had the feeling he had been subtly sent up. It was always so hard to tell the difference between Fon being deadly serious and a deadly tease.

But Fon had work to do and this was not the time for idle talk. She quickly changed the subject.

‘Today I phone Mama, Buriram,' she said. Ben did not understand and Fon did not stop to explain. ‘Now many people … go find work.'

And with that she was off, swinging away down the beach, offering massage, manicure and hair braiding to the horizontal tourists. Today was work as usual, seven days a week, Ben or no Ben.

But Ben did not feel put out. Already he was able to relax with her again and after Bangkok the beach was blissful. Most importantly, she was as sensational as he remembered and his heart was thumping wildly for her.

Half way through the morning he noticed her sitting with Jinda on the fallen tree at the top of the beach taking a break. As he wandered across to join them, he sensed they were in holiday mood.

‘I bored,' said Fon. ‘Go aeroplane, have holiday! Me buffalo, always work … want to take off, go sea in bikini.' She mimed tearing off her clothes, flinging her arms around in wild abandon.

‘Well why not?' said Ben. ‘I'll take you.'

‘We go England? Tomorrow?'

‘It's my dream to travel with you in Thailand, Fon … Buriram maybe.'

‘Buriram not fun.
Mai sanuk.'

‘But it's your home and I want to see it. I've been reading about Phnom Rung, the Khmer temple and I want to go there too.'

There was a brief pause in the banter as Fon stood up and gazed out to sea. Then she spoke intently with Jinda for a few moments before the two of them broke into smiles and looked across at Ben.

‘Okay,' said Fon. ‘We go together.'

‘What?'

‘We go … you and me. Jinda come too.'

‘Where to?'

‘Buriram. See Mama.'

‘You really mean it? When?' said Ben in shock.

‘Tomorrow, maybe. Gaeo take care Joy … can, no problem.'

Ben could not believe his ears. After last night's fiasco when Fon had seemed so unwelcoming, everything was now turning around. But that was not all.

‘Tonight have party my room. We cook food, have music, dancing.'

‘Can I come too?' Ben dared to ask.

‘Cannot … party for lady. But yes, okay … you want?'

‘More than anything … except going to your village. I want that the most.'

Ben spent the rest of the day walking on air. Fon was busy with her work and left the beach earlier than usual to prepare the food, so he missed out on a massage. But it did not matter; he had an evening with her to look forward to. He was to be allowed to see where she lived and she was going to take him to her home in the North East. Even with Jinda as chaperone, it would be like going to heaven.

Chuck noticed his serene expression and asked him what drug he was on. He wanted to say he was in love, high on nature's greatest narcotic, to shout to the world that love, love, love is a dangerous drug and that he adored Fon and was addicted to her. But he knew he had to tone it down a bit.

‘Hey you guys, I think I'm in with a chance with Fon. She's taking me home to see her mum,' he said, looking pleased with himself.

Chuck hooted derisively.

‘You watch yourself, man … sounds dangerous. I wanna wedding invite.'

‘Get lost, it's just a platonic relationship … so far anyway.'

‘How long you going for?'

‘A few days I suppose.'

‘Well, me and Maca are moving on to Koh Chang soon, so when you're finished with Fon, come and join us there.'

That evening Ben waited on the beach and Jinda fetched him and took him to where she and Fon lived with Joy. He had not seen these huts before. They were built on a slope, hidden in the trees near where the generator throbbed steadily twenty four hours a day.

Fon's room was in a longhouse of four rooms, each separately occupied.

The hut was roughly built of softwood covered with thin fibreboard and had a low-pitched corrugated roof. It was high at the front where the ground fell away, the rear squatting close to the dry yellow earth. Ben knew it was the custom to remove shoes before entering a home so he slipped off his sandals as he climbed the steps, closely followed by Jinda. Fon was inside cooking, surrounded by Gaeo, Gop and Pornpun, who were already there for the party.

Ben looked round the room. Its framework, the rafters and the underside of the corrugated roof were all visible as it had no lining or ceiling. Crawling over the timbers was a tangle of electric wires and here and there the earthy trails of ants. At one end were two fabric-covered boxes with zippers down the front used as hanging cupboards for clothes. There was a pile of dry washing waiting to be sorted and more piles of clothes neatly folded and stacked on cane shelves. Two windows with rough wooden shutters opened onto the jungle at the back of the hut. Between them was a dressing table with cosmetics and a mirror, a table fan, a television and video and a sound system with speakers.

Then to his dismay, Ben saw at the other end of the room, covered in colourful bedding and cushions, a large double mattress. He was assailed by black thoughts. Why ever would Fon need a double bed?

Joy was lying quietly on the mattress looking sorry for herself and did not jump up in her usual excited way when Ben came into the hut. Fon explained why.

‘Joy sick.
Bpen khai.
She very hot.'

‘Oh no,' said Ben. ‘Have you taken her temperature?'

‘Cannot. Not have.'

‘You ought to get a thermometer so you can check how ill she is.'

‘If she sick tomorrow, cannot go Buriram.'

With this new setback added to the shock of the double bed, Ben's face fell even further.

Looking hot and tired after a day's work, Fon now immersed herself in juggling the demands of a grizzly child at the same time as cooking for seven people. She put on a video for Joy, a Taiwanese version of King Kong dubbed into Thai, but it did little to cheer her up. Joy was lost in misery, gazing at the television with big offended eyes, hugging a shapeless soft toy to her chest.

Fon was squatting on the floor, cooking with an electric wok and an electric rice cooker. Somehow she managed to produce fried pork, chicken, fish, vegetables and rice which they all ate with their fingers, sitting round in a circle on the floor. Everyone was used to sitting with their legs crossed except Ben who found it distinctly uncomfortable.

Joy was still being cranky and was extracting the maximum attention from Fon's attempts to make her eat something. Fon, with infinite patience coaxed her down from the bed and fed her rice and chicken, a spoonful at a time. When Ben put his hand to her brow, she cringed away with a ‘don't touch me' look of fury, but she did not seem to be too feverish.

After they had finished eating, the plates were stacked outside and then the party started for real. Gaeo and Gop had been drinking steadily and were plying Ben with generous tots of Mekhong whisky and Three Fingers Chinese brandy. Gaeo in particular had been knocking back the alcohol which was making her talk too much. She fixed Ben with sad eyes and began a sorrowful lament about her husband's philanderings. Her ramblings were difficult to follow but Ben thought he had the gist of it. She confided to him that her husband had another lady and was probably with her now. As she still loved him, she was hurt and unhappy, but there was nothing she could do; she and the children depended on him and she could not rock the boat. The others seemed to take no notice of her, covering their embarrassment with laughter.

Then Fon turned the music up and Gaeo was drowned out. Gaeo, the married woman who could not go dancing with them at the Meridian, now picked herself up and became the most energetic dancer of all. Even Joy decided she was feeling better and began prancing about. The music was Thai pop which had some good dance rhythms and the small room was soon bursting with sound, the floor drumming up and down. Their sense of fun was contagious and Ben got up and danced with them in the tiny space, afraid his big
farang
feet would tread on someone's toes or trip over the flex of the fan.

As he danced he tried to put the double bed to the back of his mind. It looked new and must have been bought since Joy came to live with Fon; he told himself Fon slept there with Joy and perhaps with Jinda. It was a magnificent bed, fresh and bright, and he could not bear the thought of any male sharing it with her other than himself.

After a time, Gop and Gaeo were beginning to look the worse for wear and Gop sat down and lay back full length, her head resting on the hard floor. Gaeo was rapidly turning green and rushed over to one of the open windows at the back of the hut. She leaned out for a few moments, her hands on the sill, retched briefly and then slowly turned back into the room, looking shamefaced, but not for long. A moment or two, some water and a tissue later and she was dancing again.

When everyone began to flag, Gaeo and Pornpun joined Gop lying on the floor. Jinda started to get Joy ready for bed while Fon was tidying up after the meal. When the music was finally turned off, the dull thump of the generator filled the silence.

‘Fon, that was fun. Thanks for including me,' said Ben.

There didn't seem to be much Thai smalltalk in response to this except a smile, while the others just picked up their things and disappeared into the darkness.

‘So what about tomorrow?' he asked Fon.

‘Tomorrow? Go Buriram. Joy okay, no problem.'

‘What time? Which boat?'

‘When we ready, afternoon maybe.'

Stupid
farang
questions. Ben got the message and left. It had been a fantastic evening but now it was over.

Fon, Jinda and Ben did not catch the ferry to the mainland until three o'clock the following day as Fon had decided it would be better to travel on the bus overnight and to arrive in Buriram first thing the next morning. It was going to be a long journey.

On the ferry the mood was upbeat, Fon talking and laughing with her sister as if they had not seen each other for years, Ben happy to watch and wait and occasionally be the butt of their jokes. When they landed in Ban Phe, she did not behave as if there were a bus to catch, but wandered into the clothes shop where she had played the fashion model on their trip to the bank a week before. She dumped her bag on the floor and pointed to a tiny plastic stool.

‘Ben, you sit. I go with Jinda,
raan tat pom.'

‘Where?'

‘Hair cutter. To have my hair cut.'

‘How long'll you be? When are we getting the bus?'

‘Five o'clock,' she said decisively.

The shop girl brought Ben a mug of water and he sat on the stool and waited. When five o'clock was getting close, he began to feel agitated as the bus station was a good few minutes walk away, but when Fon breezed in again after more than half an hour, she still seemed relaxed and unhurried. The untidy ends of her hair had been trimmed and she was looking pleased with herself. There was no sign of Jinda.

‘So what now?' Ben had decided not to ask about bus times again.

‘We get
sorngthaew,'
she said.