Stickman Readers' Submissions December 8th, 2006

A Thailand Story 2006 Part 7

Bill: What are you talking about Mai?…I do not know anyone by the name of Brad.

Mai: You do..he your friend you…Why you say him, I fucking you?…He say he work for you same company..You know him?

I can tell Mai is really not as mad about this misunderstanding as I first thought. Her voice seems to be a little more relaxing as I talk to her. I can not believe Brad who I thought was my friend, and told me to check on his former girlfriend
with no strings attached. If I remember what we talked about exactly he said and I quote " I just want to find out if she is cheating on me, go ahead and sleep with her if you want to. I do not want to know. If you do not e-mail me back then
I will take that as the answer, she is no good so do not marry her." Well I did not e-mail him back to tell him his future wife was indeed cheating on him, but I guess he could not take the truth, so he calls her and tells her he knows me
and why is she cheating on him. He all so takes a wild guess that I had sex with her and calls her on that. Now she is saying she wants to kill me, but as I am talking to her I notice a little less anger.

He Clinic Bangkok

Bill: Is this the German air man?…I mean come on sweet heart…you know I have not talked to anyone that knows you…Why would you think I would want to hurt you in any kind of way?…Maybe this German man just got lucky and got you to
say my name or something.

Mai: Not German man…Brad his name…You work with him or not?

Bill: Not!…The company name you said is not the name of this company in Thailand…should be same name…Right? So maybe this Brad guy somehow got you to confess and you told him my name…Really I do not know anyone by that name.

CBD bangkok

All right she seems confused, I can tell there is silence on the other end, perhaps she is thinking about this. I better end this and not drag this out any longer. I really do not know these people in Thailand that well and if they are capable
of hurting someone, like me for example, it is best to smooth this out.

Bill: What do you say sweet thing…You know I would never hurt you…this is just some jealous guy…Come on now lets stay friends…you know I miss you a lot…It is really hard to see you and I am sorry, you know working here and all,but
I think of you a lot…really!

Mai: When you come see me?…Why you know come bar?

Bill: Tonight…right?…I will come by tonight…just working a little late but I promise to try and make it to the bar before closing…ok?

wonderland clinic

Mai: Ok, I wait you…but try come see me…I miss you

Bill: Sure my sweet woman…I see you soon….bye

I can not believe this so called friend of mine named Brad. First he tries to take my job here in Thailand, now he wants to get me killed. I think this might be one of the people you keep close. Like the saying keep your friends close but
your enemy's closer. I have just gotten off of work, it is a Friday and I have not eaten. So do I go to see Mai ? No way, I will just make up some kind of excuse if she calls again, besides I really do not like Patpong.

Where I live is kind of mostly Thai people. I say mostly but really I do not see any foreigners, the Thai people stare at me like I am some alien creature, but hey they smile so how bad can it be? I just smile back and keep on walking. Being
that it is mostly Thai people that makes eating out here kind of tough because all the menus are written in Thai language. There was a place close by to eat that had an older women working there that had some good English skills. But she has not
been there of late, due to being sick or something, too bad for me it was a good restaurant. But I have not checked there in a few weeks so I thought of giving it a try, it is either that or the store…again.

As I walk outside I think a lot, this country is really fun, I mean we have it made here. When I say we, I mean us men. We can relax in many different ways here and I notice my stress level is better. I find myself more calm and ready to
talk polite more often then not, the people make me feel good about being around them. I have cut back on drinking but I can have a cold beer with dinner without getting to crazy. Besides it is so hot here, I think that is why the woman here are
so ready for attention.

I stop for a moment in front of the restaurant hoping to see the older lady who helps me order food, but no luck. I think about the super market but decide to take a chance and maybe point to a picture or something on the menu. I sit down
at a table trying not to look so out of place but of course everyone sort of stares at me. I am thinking about doing a quick jump up and leave when I notice one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen taking food orders. Now lets stop here
for a moment. I think all most every lady in Thailand is beautiful. I can say that is for sure, all the women here take care of themselfs and really seem to try hard everyday to stand out with makeup and the way they dress. They are very polite
and seem to understand what it takes to keep a man happy. Now that is what I see from the normal Thai women, not the so called bar girl or massage girl. Heck even the college girls have some non moral values and could make you pay for a mistake.

But I have seen some very beautiful Thai women through out Thailand, so it is hard for me to say this one is the most beautiful. Yet that is what I am saying, this lady working at this restaurant is one of the most beautiful women I have
ever seen. But of course everyone has different tastes and maybe to someone else she might just be all right. I look at the menu thinking about something to order. If I can only remember some of the Thai dishes my work friend Nok mentioned to
me before. I am thinking to myself when…I look up.

Faa: Would you like to order now or should I get you your drink first?

Bill: You speak English?

Faa: Your asking? I just asked you a question in English.

Bill: Sorry, I am not used to a Thai lady who speaks such good English so far out from the city. There was an older woman here before that would help me but I have not seen her here in awhile.

Faa: She quit, so now I can help you, so what would you like?

Bill: Oh!…right I huh…well how about a Singha beer….and…huh…and…well.

Faa: How about I order a couple of menus for you? Would you like white rice?

Bill: Yes! I would like that a lot…thank you…huh…thank you…huh

Faa: Faa, my name is Faa…and your welcome.

She walks away from me and I feel time stand still, her English is very good, her face and body are all so very good. But her age is, well I do not know. She looks young, but sometimes it is very hard to tell age in a Thai lady. It does not
matter anyway, even though I have seen many beautiful Thai women, I have not had a chance to really get to know them, so what is the use of thinking I can get to know this lady, besides maybe she is married, has a boyfriend or plan crazy or something.
It would be my luck that she is all that, and a big waste of time and money for me.

Faa: Here is your beer, staying out this way or are you just lost?

Bill: No staying in a apartment close by.

Faa: Good, so maybe you stop by more often to eat.

Bill: I will now for sure, You speak such good English, are you in college right now.

Faa: No, It was my best subject…I was very good in school and seemed to pick up on it really fast.

Bill: So how long have you been out of school?

Faa:(smiling) Are you trying to find out my age?

Bill: No, really…well I just think you look young…yes I am trying to find out your age…I admit it

Faa: Hang on a minute, I will be right back.

She leaves for just a moment and returns with some great food, smiling and placing the food at my table. She just kind of glides around always smiling at me. Happy to be of service to me, it made me feel very special and I very much appreciated
her help and kindness.As she sets some of the food down for me she says.

Faa: 28, I am 28 years old

Bill: Really? You look younger, but you are close to 30, I mean but you look so young.

She stops for a moment and looks down at me with her hands on her hip, kind of like a mother getting ready to scold a child or something like that.

Faa: You have been talking to a Thai man? Right? Did they tell you that us Thai women are over the hill at age 30 and you should look for a younger Thai lady to take care of you kind of stuff like that?

Bill: Well yea kind of…but no way was I saying anything about your age, you are beautiful and your age does not matter, at least not to me.

She smiles at me and boy did I ever sound and feel stupid, but she kind of made me nervous. I think back about that time of meeting Faa and come to think of it I was nervous. She was different and made me feel like are age deference was not
that far apart, even though it still was. She was very mature and later when she had time we talked a bit. Turns out this restaurant was her second job, she was a hair dresser at one of the five star hotels in Thailand, one of the best I knew
off. She invited me for a hair cut sometime and I was sure to say I would come to see her and cut my hair. She was funny and one of the most polite ladies I have ever meet, and I told myself I would not lose contact with her. She was someone I
felt very close to from the first moment I meet her. Walking home I think of her, she was very nice to me and I hope to get to know her, at least as a friend. My phone rings and my heart jumps, I think Mai is calling me again but no the name reads
Matt. Matt, I think to myself, I have not heard from him in a while, I wonder if he is still in Bangkok waiting for Brad his partner in crime to come to him on vacation. Heaven help Bangkok when those two get together.

Bill: What's up Matt? What can I do for you?

Matt: Bill, listen I need your help

Bill: That does not sound good buddy, and to be honest, I was on my way home, I am not really in any kind of mood to help someone.

Matt: No listen, please listen. I need your help in a big way man, I am in a big jam here.

Bill: Matt your drunk, I can tell by the way your talking. What is it? A bar girl got your money? Live with it will you, it is better to lose a few thousand baht for messing around on your wife than your life if she finds out, go home and
sleep it off well you.

Matt: No Bill listen, I haven't just lost my wallet, she took everything man.

Bill: Who? What are you talking about?

Matt: That bitch from Nana, she left me in the hotel with nothing, help me will you?

Bill: She left you with a phone, call your wife she should be closer then me to help.

Matt: My wife would kill me, I am at some sleazy hotel with mirrors all over the wall, how could I explain this to her? Come on help me, the men here do not understand what I am saying to them.

Bill: What are you talking about? What do you mean she left you with nothing?

Matt: Nothing man, I am telling you nothing, she took off out the door when I jumped in the shower.

Bill: Are you talking about, what I think your talking about?

Matt: Yea man, she took my shoes, my shirt, my pants, even my underwear, bathroom towels and blankets. I am sitting naked in some hotel, with no way of getting clothes and to make matters worse my wife calls me and wants me home in an hour
or she leaves for her home country. She knows everything, I think the lady I meet was one of her friends, this was planned all the way. These Thai men won't even listen to me, they just laugh at me, I think the bar girl told them to let me
sit here. Help me will you. I need your help.

I get the directions the best he could give me in his drunken state and look at my watch and see the time is 11:pm. Maybe I can buy some street clothes for him if I am lucky, so I grab a cab to the Nana area. Thailand the action never stops,
I think about Brad and Matt, about what's going on with there frame of mind, how far am I from ending in such a strange way. When is it that I loss my mind here? How long will it be? I have known these two since there young ages of twenty,
Brad being 35 and Matt 37 years old, these two are not young anymore.

Is it the age, can some men not handle the older part of there life. Does a man feel old in his late thirties? I know I did, I felt the end coming and wondered if I would meet the right lady to be happy with, along with my direction of life,
money, future, what would be next for this man who was growing older. Now at the age of 47 years I really worry about time. I think Brad and Matt are pushing the envelope, trying to relive some of the good times of youth. But that is what Thailand
does to you, it makes you feel young and gives you hope for what ever time left you have on this earth.

I buy some large shorts for a big guy and a t-shirt, along with some flip-flops. It takes me about an hour and a half but I find the hotel, boy what a dive. As I walk to the hotel door number I notice it is outside, the rooms have drive ways
and curtains cover the door when the car is parked, I am guessing the room area by what Matt told me. Also I notice most of the Thai men standing over by his curtain area as I walk up to the curtain, I am surrounded by five Thai men and by the
look of things there is no way I enter. What was I saying about how safe Thailand was?


nana plaza