Scorpion 2 – The Easy Life
Several weeks ago I sent in my first story <scorpion>. It was my intention to follow up with part two shortly after but somehow I got busy and forgot about the whole thing. To be honest I thought the story line was a little weak and I wasn’t all that enthusiastic about it. It just sat here on my computer waiting to be finished. During this time I have received a couple of comments on my first piece. Quite frankly I had no idea that the incident I was writing about would be considered that bad, even frightening, to some readers. I had to go back and re read my own story. Though the series of events that I chose to write about were slightly unpleasant at one point it was really not a bad experience overall. While I was reacting to the events at hand it was as if I was watching a play unfolding in front of me. The whole situation was so outrageous I actually found it rather fascinating. As Bill Shakespeare put it; “the whole world is a stage, and the people merely actors.” If I needed every situation to be completely predictable I suppose I would have gone to Club Med, or Disneyworld.
As I was leaving early the next afternoon anyway, I chose to spend my last morning with the girl I have written about. During this time I learned a lot more about her, and added to my observations from the previous few days. The story below is essentially background information for the previous one. Of course I can not vouch for every detail but I think the following is not to far from the truth:
SCORPION II
(The easy life)
We were surrounded by a group of young girls in school uniform. They were doing some sort of survey for a class project. “I bet you did well in school” I said, as we continued down the sidewalk. “Best in class” she replied proudly, then a few second later with a voice that was now sharp, almost angry she snapped “what god is that, what you want me do.” “Nothing” I told her, “it was just a comment.” She did not even hear me. “Can work office 90 baht day maybe? How I take care parent … brother … sister family … only 90 baht.” She was not really talking to me she was arguing with herself. “Can go merica (America), girlfriend help … do good in merica … but have to marry chocolate man … children be more black as me even … not sure.”
She was born and raised in a small town near the golden triangle. From the catholic missionaries her family had received the gift of guilt and self loathing, and very little else. She was bright and energetic and made the best out of every opportunity put in front of her. She was trained in classical Thai dance and academically she was first in her class. She loved school but there was no money for a continuing education, certainly no money to be wasted on a girl. As soon as she was old enough she left her home and ventured down to the bright lights and unlimited opportunity of Pattaya. Though her features have hardened a little she is still good looking, but in those days she must have been stunning. Very quickly she figured out that there is not a lot of money to be made for a rural teenager, outside of the bars. She took a job as a waitress but refused to go out with customers. Just about this time she met a nice young Englishman, and soon after they were married. They rented a small luxury apartment and had a son together, but how long was Eve in paradise. After a while her husband's “retirement” money were slowing down to a trickle, and she had to go back working in the bar. Though his income was dwindling his spending habits were unchanged. He would stay home all day sleeping and doing drugs in their apartment, and in the early evening he would head out to the bars for a night of drinking. Often he would take of with some bar girl and not come home for days.
The family never went anywhere outside the bar district, and after a while he managed to get his wife hooked on drugs too. When it became clear that her money was not enough to support the family they packed up and moved to England. He started working again but his other habits did not change. After juggling work, alcohol and drugs for a while he realized that there was no future in this way of living. He decided to change his ways and become a full time bum. They went on the dole as they say over there and continued to scrape by on meagre handouts from the British taxpayers. As she told me later being poor in England is not much different from being poor in Thailand, except it is very, very cold, and the food is bad. Finally she'd had enough and she moved back to Pattaya. “Did pray in church and make pact with God” she told me. “If ever use drug again even one time he strike down dead”. She was still alive. I suspect that God had slipped up occasionally not quite holding up his end of the bargain. At least the girl was trying to take responsibility and improve her life. She was also hoping to get her son back from England, but I really don’t know what would be the best solution for him. I am sure that wherever he stayed the situation would be less than perfect.
One of her brothers has a good civil servant job but for some reason he doesn’t seem to have any financial responsibilities towards the rest of the family. Besides he has about half a dozen children of his own to take care of. Her mother lives up north with her unemployed sister and a bunch of kids. The sister's husband who is crippled from a motorcycle accident can not work, and she is sending money to support them all. Her father who is “too old to work”, and her sixteen year old brother who is apparently to young, have both moved to Pattaya. They both live in her tiny one room apartment. Unlike her, the brother does not think going to school is fun. Instead of studying he spends half the day playing loud video games, and the other half getting into trouble along with his gangster friends. Her father who hardly ever leaves the apartment gets up a few hours after she come home from work and turn on the TV real loud. Sometimes she has to go and stay with a friend, just to get some sleep. She explained to me that he is, “not boyfriend, only friend” (sure). She is not happy with her friend because he is doing drugs, and he doesn’t want to work (I wonder who is paying his bills?). There seem to be an awful lot of “welfare recipients” depending on this poor girl for their livelihood. I wonder who will take over when she can not handle it any more. With any luck her sister will have a couple of teenage daughters old enough to sell by then. “OK, work bar but never go customer”, she told me. “Sometime go customer … father yell, say bad girl … but him understand … him not box me no more”. I suppose the old goat has gotten to feeble to beat her in his old age, but thank god he still has the strength to spend her money. On the rare occasion that her father does leave the apartment while she is out, she can not get back into her home. She has to wait for him. Apparently she is not trusted with a key to her own apartment.
Many people have written about the evil manipulative bargirls who choose an easy life of luxury rather than getting a real job. I have read about the poor innocent guys who get lured into their web, and who can not escape before they are bled dry. I am sure there are a lot of cases just like that, but more often then not there are two sides to a story. One day I will probably read the tragic tale of some young Englishman who lost his heart and his life savings to a wicked waitress in a bar in Pattaya. I suppose I will never know if this is the same guy that I just told you about.
Somewhere in a bar in Thailand a kind innocent angel is waiting for her knight in shining armor. This is not that angel. I think this one is far beyond salvation. Any guy who got involved with her would certainly live to regret it. That does not prevent me from feeling some sympathy for her story and for her situation.
(It is not my intention to expose any of the people I write about. Some minor details have been changed in an attempt to protect their identity).
Stickman says:
This sounds like a cross between a nightmare and a soap opera. It is hard to see any of the stars of this show coming out unscathed.
