On The Crest Of A Wave

It was Christmas day and Noy suspected that in keeping this assignation she was jeopardising everything she had worked for in the past year. It was not that John was a particularly good catch; he was not young, not especially handsome, and not tall for a farang. He drank and smoked too much and for sure was not generous with his money. “Keeneow the most” she found herself saying out loud to no one in particular. She also suspected he was a butterfly with many girls when he was not with her but she did not want to think about this too much. There was a time when she had considered playing a long game imagining he would provide a future for her. But now she was reconciled to the reality of their relationship. Thai girls are not known for having hobbies or interests that did not involve financial gain but John was now the nearest thing to a hobby that Noy could envisage.

Farang was the catch all word used by Thais to describe westerners irrespective whether they hailed from America, Australia, NZ or Europe. She knew it was lazy and failed to take into account their wide diversity. Both of Noy’s men were English but the difference between the two men who probably lived within 80 miles of each other on an overcrowded island could not have been more profound.

Her “husband” Brian at 39 was ten years younger than John, tall, skinny, handsome, non-smoking and teetotal. He was significantly richer and was definitely not Keeneow; he was generous to a fault. But as the owner of a substantial property business perhaps he could afford to be.

The bus journey from Pattaya to Bangkok had been long but uneventful allowing Noy to indulge in that favourite pastime of all Thai girls – sleeping. She alighted the bus at Ekkamai bus station and feeling too lethargic for the Skytrain hailed a taxi. The taxi crawled through the heavy traffic on Suhkumvit Road and she knew it would be at least 20 min before she reached her destination at the Nana Hotel. She toyed with the English one pound coin she wore on a chain around her neck and considered the 65 baht this cost was about one English pound which would certainly not buy a 20 minute taxi ride in England. With 20 minutes of nothing to do she had time to reflect.

She had a happy childhood in a village near Udon Thani in the underdeveloped North East of Thailand known as Isaan. Her family operated a haulage business, modest but successful enough to send the brightest child to university in Bangkok to sit for a degree in business studies. Noy discovered a natural aptitude for the subject and sailed through her first year. In her second year she also met Somchai an exceptionally handsome boy who swept her off her feet. She had little experience of boys, her father a respected Muay Thai boxing champion had always frightened off potential suitors. She became pregnant, her studies cut short they married and moved back to her family in Isaan. The birth of her child was complicated by an unusually small birth canal and the resultant caesarean left her with major scaring on her otherwise unblemished skin.

The family funded a modest café for the young couple. Seizing the opportunity Noy applied natural business acumen and the enterprise quickly became a success. A restaurant by night the premises became a factory by day producing children’s clothing for lucrative foreign markets. Within 2 years the business had 8 employees. Unfortunately Somchai was not cut from the same cloth as his wife and was slowly drinking and gambling the profits away. Another year saw bankruptcy, debts of 500,000 baht and the disappearance of Somchai from her life.

Undeterred Noy left her child with her mother and moved to Bangkok to take up a sales position in a telecommunications business owned by a distant relative. She quickly discovered her business flair extended to sales. Her job involved selling telephone systems to commercial offices in the ever-growing metropolis. A natural marketer all went well for a few years Noy sent money home every month and she had managed to pay off 100,000 baht of her debt. But bad luck would not leave her and the insatiable appetite for mobile phones decimated the market for telephone systems almost overnight. One night her employer vanished along with her job and once again she found herself retreating to her native Isaan.

Totally desolate and with her 30th birthday approaching, a chance meeting with an old school friend altered the course of her life. Wan had been working as a bargirl in Pattaya a lively but somewhat dissolute resort on the east coast about 2 hours drive from Bangkok. Wan had returned to the village for a holiday and regaled her friend with stories of the soft life and easy money from the farang. Although somewhat sceptical of her friend’s tales, with little other options available Noy decided to accompany Wan when she returned the following week.

As she expected it was not quite as Wan had described. As a child her Chinese grandmother had read stories to her from an old bible given to her own grandmother by Catholic missionaries. Noy thought Pattaya must be like the place in the Bible where Lot’s wife had been turned to a pillar of salt. In fact Sodom and Gomorrah was probably a pale shadow of Pattaya which it is believed is the largest contiguous red light district in the history of mankind

Noy went to work in a bar near the famous Walking Street with its celebrated fleshpots and a stone’s throw from Boyzland, which offered similar pleasures for women and gay men. In reality her bar was quiet, a veritable oasis of calm in the mayhem that was Pattaya. It offered western home cooking and its clientele comprised elderly farang who came for the food and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. Never the less the bar saw the occasional middle-aged customer who would provide the young waitresses with an alternate source of income. That every girl claimed to be only cashier to her farang patrons was a source of amusement to Noy as was the number of ageing men who actually believed the girl’s exhortations that they were “Hansum man” and they preferred them to young Thai men.

Perhaps a little too old to be starting out in the oldest profession Noy was set to work in the kitchen, it was not long before the proprietor recognized her organizational abilities and gave her charge of food preparation and the other kitchen staff. Her duties kept her in the busy kitchen and it was a few weeks before she experienced her first encounter with a farang customer. It was a quiet evening and a couple of the waitresses had not turned up for work so Noy found herself serving tables in the main restaurant area. The man was alone, younger than the normal clients by a good 20 years. He was tall and slim but with an air of melancholy. She took his order but he hardly noticed her, he was engrossed in watching Lek the prettiest girl in the bar. As Noy served him his food she observed he had still done nothing about approaching Lek and by the time she came to remove his plate a regular had pre-empted him and barfined the object of his desire. Noy had never seen a farang look so sad and a thought struck her. She came to a decision and approached him “you need friend, maybe me friend”. The man looked at her beckoned her to join him and introduced himself. “My name is Brian and I am from South London in England”. He bought her a drink but Brian’s taciturn demeanour and Noy’s inexperience hampered communication. After ten minutes Brian also came to his own decision and asked her how much she wanted for long time – to stay the night with him. “Leu te khun – up to you” she replied. He barfined her and took her by taxi to his hotel. His hotel was one of the more expensive hotels in Pattaya and his suite seemed palatial. He showered first and lay on the massive bed whilst Noy showered and wrapped in a large white towel, joined him. He took her quickly with a power and urgency she had not expected, his large manhood filling her more completely than she had ever known. She had not had sex for over a year, her orgasm came upon her rapidly and violently and took the breath from her body. She stayed the night with him and the following day he returned to the bar to pay her barfine for the week.

The next few days followed a pattern with large periods of inactivity in his hotel suite in the day whilst he made numerous business calls on his mobile, evenings in expensive restaurants followed by urgent and powerful sex once a night. Noy learned very quickly how to deport herself appropriate to any situation she found herself in and how to take care for a man, running his bath, carefully washing and massaging him and generally being fully attentive to his needs. He was kind and generous but serious and intense and rarely smiled. It was clear to Noy that Brian considered pleasure a serious business. When he left to return to England at the end of the week he gave her 10,000 baht, which is the monthly income of a skilled factory worker. She began to consider the potential of her new business.

With her newfound confidence within a few days she was again barfined this time by a shaven headed young man in his 30s who took her to his hotel. He was heavily tattooed; even his flaccid penis had the word “Ludo” imprinted on it which of course meant nothing to her. Following the shower and towel ritual she dropped her towel as he lay on the bed. He remarked, “I hope you got decent compensation for that chainsaw accident!” She did not understand his comment but guessed it was not complimentary and referred to her caesarean scar. He was exceptionally well endowed and now aroused the word “Llandudno” became evident on his swollen member. The sex was excruitiatingly painful but fortunately swift. When he disengaged and went to sleep, she realized she had torn quite badly and her thighs were awash with blood. She considered the 1000 baht he offered not worth a repeat performance so she crept away. For the first time she felt cheap and realized that the good money sometimes came at a high price.

For the next few weeks she returned to her previous reticence keeping to her kitchen duties avoiding contact with the farang patrons. She often overheard the customer’s conversations and their long discussions of how Thai girls preferred western men because they had bigger dicks than Asian men. She found this poignant, particularly as the pain in her stomach from her last encounter had prevented her passing a solid stool for several days,

Then one evening two men came to the bar, the one was an distinguished looking gentleman in his 60’s typical of the regular clientele but his companion was different, late 40s and at 5’6“ quite short for a farang. He was not especially handsome but she was inexplicably fascinated by him and found she could not keep her eyes off him. When she served him his meal he slowly looked up at her, touched her hand and gave her the most natural friendly smile she had ever seen, that the smile extended to his eyes disturbed her composure. When the two men had finished eating they stood at the bar and from her vantage point in the kitchen she observed him. Within minutes he had engaged most of the 6 or 7 regulars in the bar and they had come to join him. He had an unusual charm. Some of the customers she had never seen smile before were laughing at his stories and although he had the undivided attention of a small crowd he never raised his voice and never uttered the profanities that were so common amongst the farang. One story concerned a famous Black American actor who was filming in Bangkok, he thought every time someone thanked him with a Khun Khrap they were criticising his performance. Although they could not understand the stories the girls in the bar were also captivated and even her old friend Wan was acting like a schoolgirl around him, yet he seemed oblivious to their attentions. Without realizing it Noy had moved from the kitchen and as he made eye contact with her he beckoned her over. Despite herself, she tentatively approached the circle, he pulled out a small camera and asked her “can I have permission to take your photo?” slightly confused she nodded and he snapped her. Immediately the other girls exclaimed “me too, me too” but the man responded “No I am only taking photos of the most exceptionally beautiful- suey mak girls I see”. “I have been in Thailand three weeks” he continued “and this girl is only the third photo I have taken”. She knew this was incredibly cheesy but could not help feeling flattered and the “face” she gained in front of the younger girls was priceless. He touched her fingers and said ”I would like to take you for something to eat” then placing a 500 baht note in her hand told her “please pay your barfine”. She walked slowly to the bar to hand the money to the cashier with great ceremony and collected her handbag inwardly beaming. He offered his hand to her and they walked out of the bar together Noy savoured the envy of the other girls.

They walked in to the next soi and stopped at a street food hawker. “You can have anything you want,” he informed her. “Not take me expensive restaurant?” she asked as she playfully slapped his shoulder. My name is John and yes I am frugal for sure. But the huge smile he gave her dissipated any annoyance she may have felt. They walked together down the soi eating chicken pieces, peppers and chillies on a stick giggling like teenagers. At the end of the soi instead of hailing a taxi he pulled her aboard a passing baht bus, the converted Toyota pickups which allegedly provide cheap transport around the resort.

When they got to his hotel, a more modest establishment than on her previous encounters she began to suspect her time with this man was going to be different. Once in his room he immediately began running a bath, when full to his satisfaction he tenderly undressed her and gently lifted her into the water. He carefully washed her and affectionately massaged her neck and shoulders. Occasionally tickling her playfully and only when he felt she was relaxed did he remove his remaining clothes and climb in behind her. Although she could feel his erection in her back there was no sense of urgency. He continued to caresses her shoulders and breasts planting gentle kisses on her neck. He climbed from the bath and lifted her out of the water wrapping her in a large white towel and dried her as a mother would her young child. He carried her to the bed and lay beside her. Conscious of her scarred belly she attempted to conceal it with the towel but he held her hand away and traced his finger down the scar that caused her such anguish. “Do not be shy of your scars they are part of who you are he” told her and he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. As he lay on his side holding her hand she had never before felt this safe and secure. She gave him a kiss in the Thai manner, placing her cheek next to his and sniffing, and then she planted a huge kiss on his lips. Their lovemaking was gentle and unhurried; when he finally entered her, to her relief he was not too big and fitted her well. Her orgasm came easily. She fell asleep in his arms and woke several times to see him awake looking into her face.

The next morning he woke her with a gentle kiss. As they ate breakfast together he explained he had business to attend to that day but would like to see her later, and after that he was free for a couple of days until he had to return to Bangkok. They had not discussed money but he gave her a 1000 baht note to pay the barfine for two further days and another 1000 baht telling her to go to the cinema that afternoon and buy something for herself.

She returned to him that evening and they went to a little fish restaurant off Walking Street. It was clear Noy enjoyed food and John teased her that she read a menu like it was an erotic novel. Everything was fun to John he went out of his way to make her feel happy as if his aim in life was to make her smile. When she told him she had only had four lovers prior to him, his reply was “well you only have four fingers on one hand”. This had initially bemused her but it was typical of his resolve not to take life too seriously. The days were a whirlwind of amusement, the evenings for eating and the nights for slow gentle lovemaking.

One day she tentatively explored the possibility of John taking care of her on a more permanent basis, he politely but firmly explained that he would never send money to any girl in Thailand, it was a matter of principle he professed (more a matter of Keeneow she thought to herself but nevertheless accepted it). He did however sweeten the pill by saying he would take care for her whenever he was in the Kingdom which pacified her a little. He also jokingly remarked “I will give you a business idea, which is something better than money”. With a huge grin he continued ”If you buy a small internet café I can prepare a series of standard letters that you can sell to bar girls to send to their love-struck farang men. They are guaranteed to pluck on the heartstrings and have them sending money over to their teeruks by the bucketful”. With a huge smile he handed a shiny new one-pound coin to her “Here is my initial investment in your venture”.

After 4 days he told her he had to return to the UK and she was in tears as she helped him pack. He emptied out the contents of his wallet on to the bed. Only 10000 baht “oh well” he remarked I didn’t realize I only had about £150 left but mai pen rai lets split it! It was by no means a kings ransom but by now his money was of less importance to her, she had already paid the barfine for the additional two nights from her own pocket. She knew she had committed the cardinal sin of a bargirl and had fallen for him. As they made their farewells he gave her his business card and his email address.

The next day she went to an Internet café and sent him an email. She was pleasantly surprised when she found a reply waiting for her the following day. The next few months they exchanged missives once or twice a week. John continued to entertain with amusing notes which he took pains to carefully explain. Under his tutelage her English improved at an alarming rate. On her next visit home to Isaan a month or so later she found a long letter from John, which included photos from their time together, a small gold chain and a large pile of the standard teeruk letters he had discussed. She stored the letters away carefully and later that day had the shiny pound coin mounted on the chain to make a necklace, which she hoped would bring her good luck. After reading a few of the standard letters she was intrigued. She contacted John on the Internet messenger the next day curious how he had got to “know too much” about Thai girls and their farang patrons. His rely was unusually cryptic and explained how he had received the enlightenment from the venerated Guru, Ajarn Stickman and had studied his great opus called “Submissions”. Not fully understanding his strange humour and feeling slight pangs of hunger her appetite overcame her curiosity the subject was inevitably dismissed.

Her return to Pattaya the following week proved to be a pivotal event in her life. During her initial week back her first Farang Brian entered the bar and she excitedly greeted him. Although somewhat distracted he seemed pleased to see her and barfined her without much conversation. This time the taxi took a different direction to an out of town development favoured by the wealthy. He showed her the house and explained he owned the site and was building condominiums. She stayed the night and as before the sex was powerful and urgent. The next day he showed her around the development and the new buildings being constructed. That evening they had dinner with some of Brian’s business associates in a fashionable restaurant overlooking Jomtien beach. Dan was American but it was his Thai wife Nok who captured Noy’s attention. Although she was striking, and dripping with gold and jewellery she clearly possessed none of the class that could carry off such an ostentatious display. But it was her hard face and cold eyes that Noy recognized. From her vantage point in the kitchen at her bar she had observed this lady at least once a week visiting Boystown to avail herself of the services of the bar boys there. The thought had struck Noy at the time how a common woman could afford to do this, but had filed it away in her prodigious memory. The third member of the party was Napadon the Thai site foreman. She had seen Dan in her bar drinking with Napadon a man she instinctively knew had a bad heart. Because they considered her a stupid bar girl of no consequence they never made any effort to disguise their conversations. From the few snippets she overheard it was clear they were siphoning off money from their employer into their own pockets. But in a different context and setting they did not recognize her and she did her best to continue acting her role as the dumb bar girl until their departure.

That night as Brian slept she pondered the situation. The next morning she tentatively approached Brian in his study and enquired about the nature of his business. Brian was an intelligent man, he had not become rich from his extensive property interests by being obtuse, but the problems he was encountering in his venture in Thailand especially dealing with the Thais had him totally bemused. He also began to realize he may have underestimated his little teeruk, he had not failed to notice how her English had dramatically improved in the months since his last visit and he was beginning to suspect there was more to her than met the eye. He explained the nature of his business building holiday homes for the growing tourist market. When she asked to see his accounts he was so surprised he retrieved them from his desk drawer and handed them to her without question. A cursory perusal of his accounts confirmed her suspicions and she informed Brian of her view that Dan and Napadon were stealing from him. Despite his initial scepticism a phone call arranged a visit to see his accountant in Bangkok that afternoon. The meeting with his accountant confirmed Nat’s suspicion. In a subsequent meeting with his lawyer he made a decision and on the journey back Brian had formulated a plan of action. The next morning they made the journey together to the police station in Pattaya and related the story. The boys in brown were unusually quick to act and by midday Dan had been arrested but Napadon tipped off, made his escape and was many miles away by the time Dan had been apprehended.

By evening Noy found herself appointed custodian of Brian’s Thailand business interests. The position carried a 15,000 baht /month salary and accommodation in his house. That the job description included satisfying his various needs on his occasional visits was not explicit but clearly implied. When Brian returned to England the following week, Noy applied herself to her new role with relish. Her natural acumen and a focused advertising plan had her selling two properties a month and within 3 months she was returning a small profit for her new employer.

Brian’s next visit to the Kingdom included a trip to Phuket to see a new site he was developing. Noy accompanied him and was treated exceptionally well. Patronising the best hotels and restaurants he seemed determined to demonstrate his affluence to her. He was a skilled lover and the sex was strong and physical. By the time Brian returned to the UK she was firmly established as his mia noi or mistress. She had also been instructed to break all contact with any other male friends.

It had been almost 6 months since meeting John; in that time they had continued to correspond almost daily by email. Her visit to the Internet shop had become a highlight of her week. Always amusing he never failed to make her smile and he knew how to express emotions. He understood her feelings and knew how to talk sweet. Brian preferred the medium of the telephone and then it was mainly business. There was another aspect, Brian was already happily married in the UK and had made the reality of their arrangement patently clear, and she knew there was no long-term future with him. On the other hand John was single and maybe, despite his disinclination to send money, just maybe one day he could offer her a new life. She was therefore reluctant to give up contact with John so she did not, although she took great care to convince Brian that she had obeyed him.

Then out of the blue came an email that surprised her, John was returning next month to Thailand for a holiday. This left her with a dilemma, should she tell him about her new status and risk losing him. Like many of the girls she knew truth was a flexible concept, but she was not especially deceptive by nature so she opted to tell John the truth about her patron. She was even more surprised when John seemed totally unconcerned when told of her new situation and even joked that she was now his timeshare girlfriend. Brian was not due to visit for a couple of months and they arranged to meet in Bangkok. John had booked into a modest apartment near Bumrungrad hospital that was clean and spacious. The week they spent together was probably the most carefree of her life. Days spent doing the tourist circuit the Royal palace, Wat Arun, Royal barges, evenings dining in modest eateries and at night making unhurried love. John made her laugh all the time and was never serious. His favourite amusement was singing, they could never pass a karaoke bar without going in. John would invariably extricate the microphone from some bemused Japanese carouser and belt out a number. He was like a child in a candy store at the Country road bar in Soi cowboy. A classically trained singer in his youth John could hold an tune and an audience and it was rare that he was not requested to join the band for a number or two almost as soon as he entered the bar. Noy often feigned embarrassment when he directed his singing to her from the stage declaring she was shy but inwardly she was bursting with pride to be seen with this strange but likeable man. The week passed quickly. As before on the day he left he shared the modest contents of his wallet with her but by now the money was not important (although she did not refuse it) her addiction to him was now complete.

With John’s return to the UK her life returned to a routine. Brian came to see her the following month the pattern as before. He was generous and attentive but his possessiveness was becoming more noticeable, however she had now become used to the financial security her position afforded. The only dark cloud on the horizon was she still had a 200,000 baht debt from her previous business. This debt had now passed to Frankie Woo, a Chinese loan shark. Noy was making regular monthly payments but this man was a particularly repulsive specimen who had taken great pleasure in informing her of the consequences should the payments stop. Nat knew this man was jai dam, ugly in his heart and she was pragmatic enough to appreciate the implications of his threats. Her regular payments had delayed the legal action that would surely bring loss of face to her family. Her family had also begun to rely on the money she sent home. The reliance on her patron was becoming overwhelming. Brian suspected she had continued to contact someone and on his last visit he warned her of the consequences of doing so on several occasions. On several occasions she had tried to say goodbye to John but could not bring herself to do it.

But this mattered naught when John next contacted her. He told her he was coming over for a couple of weeks and asked her to spend a few days over Christmas with him in Bangkok. She knew Brian would spend the festive season in the bosom of his family in England. A day or so before Christmas she informed Brian she was going to Phuket to sort a problem with planning permits for the site. In truth the problem was minor and she completed the task over the telephone leaving her free to make her assignation.

A sudden movement of the taxi turning off the Suhkumvit Rd broke her reverie and before she knew it had pulled up at the Nana Hotel. Famous for its proximity to the notorious Nana entertainment plaza, its clientele was exclusively middle aged and aging men and probably deserved its nickname of the old peoples home. Compared to the hotels she stayed with Brian this was definitely low budget and typical of John. She observed her reflection in the mirror of the lobby. She was short and not very slim but her Chinese ancestry augmented her Isaan features giving her an exotic appearance whilst the expensive clothes she wore differentiated her from the willowy girls who hung around the hotel lobby in the ubiquitous uniform of jeans and 80 baht tee shirts.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted John near the bookshop, when she saw him and his smile any doubts about the sanity of the situation evaporated. He greeted her and took her to his room. As they entered the lift she caught a glimpse of a man approach the security guard she had just deposited her ID card with but could not immediately place him. Somewhat preoccupied by meeting John she dismissed it and by the time they got to his room the thought was only in her subconscious. Upon entering the room John suggested they freshen up and then go out for dinner. But she had other ideas dispensing with the shower she practically ripped his clothes off and mounted him, surprising even herself with the strength of her passion.

After showering she went to switch on the TV. It did not work but she was not surprised. She smiled to herself at this characteristic trick of John’s. He would often disconnect the TV to ensure she gave him some attention and didn’t spend all day watching mindless Thai soap operas. She even made the ultimate sacrifice for a Thai girl and switched off her mobile phone.

It was Christmas night and they went to a small restaurant on Nana Tai were the girls had dressed in Santa outfits instead of the traditional Thai dress it was renowned for. John was so amused at the rendition of Jinger bell being played he only stopped laughing when his face ached. Noy dissuaded him from getting up on the table and giving a rendition of his repertoire of Christmas music. After watching a couple of impromptu conga lines emerging from the bars of the Nana plaza they returned to the hotel.

Once in the room they showered together and lay on the bed wrapped in big white towels. Their lovemaking started, as always him stroking her hair pushing it away from her brow and planting a soft tender kiss on her forehead eyes and nose. He looked into her eyes for what seemed an eternity terminated by a big smile. Lips trailed down her neck across her collarbone to her breasts. He always lavished attention on her breasts. He took the nipple of her right breast and rolled his tongue around it then sucked it into his mouth. The sensation of warm syrup ran all the way down to her core. As always he made the little joke about the other breast being jealous before transferring his attention to it. As her sensitive nipple enlarged under the warmth of his mouth she luxuriated in the sensation. His tongue continued its journey down the swell of her belly past her cleanly shaven pubis teasingly bypassing the centre of her sex. Trailing his tongue across the soft flesh of her inner thighs, tantalizing her until he finally put his tongue on the soft lips of her labia. She opened like a flower as his tongue finally made contact with the bud of her sex. Bright lights exploded behind her eyes as his fingers gently opened her outer lips allowing his mouth access, the cool air magnified the sensation, as her bud emerged from its protective hood he sucked it into his mouth, her climax surged through her body like a huge tidal wave taking her breath away. Before she could recover her breath he adjusted his position and entered her, her wetness offered little resistance as he sank into her. He withdrew and re-entered at a different angle ensuring the tip of his member rubbed against her already aroused dithery bit. She felt her passion mounting; she reached down and held the shaft of his penis ensuring it entered her at the correct angle to maximize contact. Her arousal felt like a volcano rising from the depths of her body, feeling her orgasm imminent she implored him as he drove deep into her and with a groan ejaculated escalating her own eruption.

They slept in each other’s arms that night and dozed until mid afternoon the following day. Knowing she couldn’t watch TV she did not feel inclined to get out of bed so she woke John and they made gentle unhurried love. It was nearly 7.00pm before hunger impelled them to get out of bed. Too lazy to go out they ordered room service and continued their leisurely Indolence.

Sleeping is never a hardship to a Thai girl and it was midmorning before she emerged from the bed. Nat switched on her mobile as she sat on the toilet and was surprised to see the date was 27th December the day after Boxing Day. They had been in the room for almost 30 hours! A closer examination of her mobile revealed that she had several messages and was astonished to see many of them were from Brian. She did not expect him to be able to escape from his family circle to contact her.

She was contemplating whether to call him or not when the phone rang. To her great surprise it was Brian “what is happening in Phuket?” he asked, his manner abrupt and his voice displaying annoyance. Somewhat at a loss Noy quickly replied ”nothing my love Phuket is as boring as ever, I finished the work this morning and am on my way back home”. A few seconds of silence that seemed like a week was broken with his ”Where are you? Immediately Noy responded with the reflex Thai girl defence “Why you ask like that?” Unfazed Brian continued,” This morning I received an phone text which said: Noy with farang Nana Bangkok”

In that instance Noy realised who it was she thought she had recognised in the Nana reception, it was Napadon the site foreman who had escaped arrest, obviously he had sent this incriminating text, but she collected her thoughts sufficiently to hear Brian persist;” And before you say it, I have already phoned your family in Isaan, they have not seen you. One thing I know for certain you are not in Phuket as you said!”

“Why do you say that? She asked.

He answered, “Because yesterday morning a tsunami tidal wave hit South East Asia, devastating parts of the west coast of Thailand including Phuket, there are thousands of people missing feared dead! And you said you found it boring”

The subsequent silence seemed an eternity and was finally broken by Brian ”I know what you have been doing and as I previously warned you, I have already stopped the payments of your money with Western Union”. I am coming over to Thailand next week. You had better start looking for a new source of income ”.

As the call disconnected, her equilibrium now completely gone, she stared at her phone as the next message came up, it was Frankie Woo reminding her the loan repayment was due the next day. She flushed the toilet and could not help but feel that was where her life was headed unless she could think of something quickly.

As she viewed her disconsolate appearance in the bathroom mirror she become aware of the pound coin around her neck and through the mist of her despair the idea came to her. Yes she thought, maybe I could make the teeruk letter idea work. But first, I must wake John and find out more of this great Ajarn Stik-mon and if the English not too hard, maybe read his famous book submission.

Stickman's thoughts:

Wonderful!