Stickman Readers' Submissions December 12th, 2006

A Thailand Story 2006 Part 8

Here I am at some sleazy Bangkok hotel ready for five Thai men to end my stay in Thailand. As they walk towards me I hear one say "go now, you go". I just want to drop these clothes off to a friend of mine is my reply, but I get no reply back.
I start to walk forward towards the door, but one of the Thai men blocks my way and by the way he is looking at me I better not push it, so I stop and smile at him. I say please just want to give friend these clothes, someone before take his clothes
and he wants to go home. I really do not think they understand me, they just stare at me. Now what do I do? My friend Matt had a bar girl steal his clothes, and everything else in the room. He has nothing to cover himself to leave his hotel room,
so he calls me for help. But how can I help him without this getting out of hand, these men no doubt want Matt to stay put, maybe because Matt's wife will be by soon to knock his lights out for Matt taking a bar girl to the hotel. Matt says
she knows about all this, no doubt the bar girl paid these guys to stand watch.

Wait a minute, that's it. Pay. I reach into my pocket and pull out five one hundred baht bills, not much but let me give it to them. I give them a hundred baht a piece and I say please, I go inside to give clothes. "More" "you
have more now" is there reply. Let me think, that was the change from the clothes I bought for Matt. What's in my wallet, I open it and look, shit only five hundred left in my wallet. I give it to them and smile and say please I go now.
"More you have more" they say. Now I get mad, I tried the nice thing but there is no way I back down. I know my face is getting red and I can feel my blood boil, so I think to myself let's get this over with, when the door flies
open to Matt's room.

He is standing there with a sheet wrapped around him like a big diaper, he has a chair in his hand for a weapon and his screaming so much angry words out I can hardly understand him, but he is mad and so am I. The Thai men take a moment and
stare at us both which seems like a ten second silence, then they look at each other and start laughing at Matt. To be honest I join them, Matt looked really funny in his diaper. We laughed so loud we were holding our stomachs. The Thai men all
walked away talking and laughing, I wiped the tears from my eyes from laughing so hard at Matt.

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Matt: Shut the fuck up will you, I did this to save your life for Christ sakes. They could have killed you for trying to help me.

Bill: Thanks Matt, thanks for saving my life. I would have never been in trouble tonight, if you would not have called me out here to help you. But thanks for a great Friday night, this is one for the books. I all most die bringing you clothes.

Matt: Thanks man, let me have those, I want to get the hell out of here. Hey lets go for a drink, you up for that?

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Bill: Who's buying? You do not have any money remember? You lost your wallet, and I spent money on clothes for you as well as trying to buy off these Thai thugs.

Matt: I swear I will pay you back for everything, I promise you that. I just need to think, I need to try and fix all this with my wife. She has probably all ready left back to her home town, maybe I have lost her for good. Man she is going
to have a baby, now I have fucked things up.

Bill: All right stop there, lets go to the ATM, I'll pull out some cash, listen your wife did not go anywhere. Remember she has to take a train, there are no trains leaving this late at night. Let's go for a drink baby Huey, let's
cool down a little.

We go to an outside bar and have a cold one, it is around 12:45 am so we really do not have a lot of time. But we drink fast and down three beers. Or should I say Matt downs three beers, I drink two and walk down the street with the third,
Matt is carrying his fourth. We talk on the way back to Matt's hotel, I have no intentions to go inside with him, chances are his wife will be waiting for him and who knows what happens next. Well at least I will walk him home to make sure
he makes it thru the door.

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Bill: Matt, Why did you get married? I mean you no doubt still want to see other women. What gives? Are you not happy with Piak?

Matt: No, I mean I am happy. It's just so tempting around here. It's hard for me, I want to change, but I can't. Hell it's just to much fun here. When I first came here I really thought I could change my life, find a good
women. You know live on a farm and all that village life stuff. But after a while living in her village I just went crazy with nothing to do. Just a bunch of chickens and screaming children everywhere, It was nothing but noise from Thai people
yelling at each other from 5:am to 10:pm at night. It made me crazy, I would just drink whisky with the Thai farmers all day, just doing nothing. Everyday was the same for me, I would drink, eat, sleep. Seems like forever, like my life was never
going to change. I got married because I heard how good these women are here. That they stick with you through thick and thin, no matter how you are or what you do to them. They stay with you for the rest of your life, you know take care of you.
Piak was a bar girl, I know that she had a lot of men. But she treats me good, she really is a good Thai women, that is something I have to admit.

Bill: If she is so good, then why don't you just settle down? I thought you were coming here to start a new life. A new life means working, supporting your wife and child, making Thailand your home. I thought you were really going to
make this work for you out here. Not drink and put on weight like you have, I mean look at you, those are 36 waist shorts but you can't even button the top button. What are you waist wise 38? Heck you were 34 when you left the United States.

Matt: All right I put on a few pounds all ready, I know I have been fucking up and I plan on coming out to your job and turning my application in. I just want a week more to make things better for my wife, you know make up with her. Listen
Brad comes this Sunday, so lets get together at your work, he wants to see the company and I need to know where it is so I can start working. So what do you say we get together, you show us around, we take that director guy to lunch and try to
make a deal. What do you say? Could you help me out?

Bill: I don't make decisions on who works for this company, just call this guy Roy and talk with him. Let him do the hiring, if he needs you he will hire you. Listen here is your hotel, I better go now and please don't call me in
the middle of the night if the wife tries to hurt you, take it like a man will you?

Matt: Hey Bill!! Thanks!! I really appreciate your help tonight, I'll pay you back the money you spent on me tonight, I promise.

Bill: Forget it Matt, just try and get things straight with Piak.

Matt: You going to come out with Brad and I right? When he gets here, it will be like old times for us right? We used to have a lot of fun together.

Bill: Sure Matt, take care of yourself, take care of the little lady.

I really do not know at this time if Matt is going to straighten out or not. He used to be a real fun guy and still is, but he also used to be a business man and new when to slow down and get the job done. It's like I really do not know
this person, not this person in Thailand. I feel sorry for his wife, yes she is a bar girl but I have felt her to be a good woman. Matt is right about one thing, she has been very patient with him and has taken care of him no matter how bad he
has been to her.

I walk to get a cab home, there is no sky train now at this hour of the night. I hear a lot of women calling to me, but I keep walking. I just want to get home and sleep. I stand trying to get a cab, but in Thailand the taxi driver takes
you only if he wants to drive that far. So it takes some time for me to get a cab. As I wait a young very beautiful lady walks up to me and says hello, but I really do not look at her. She will get the hint and move on, but she keeps saying hello
to me. I look at her and smile, but keep trying to catch a taxi. She says Bill, I look at her, but do I know you I ask?

Daw: Yes it's me Daw, you know me, I Joy's friend before.

Bill: Oh yes Daw, How are you? Good to see you.

Daw: You catch Taxi home?

Bill:Yes, I am trying.

Daw: I take taxi with you? I remember, I no live far from your home.

Bill: Huh!! Sure I will take you home, but I no want lady or something like that, you understand?

Daw: What kind of friend I be to Joy? I just want go my home.

We both get into a taxi, having her with me helps out, so soon we are on are way back to are homes.

Daw: You have lady tonight? You come out here for lady?

Bill: No Daw, long story but really no lady. Hey why are you not married and what are you doing out with all the ladies who walk the street? Last I talk with you your boyfriend said he wanted to marry you. Did he not say he was going to buy
you a home here. Is that were we are going to your new home? What was his name? Oh yea Toby, did you two get married? he was in love with you that much I do know.

Daw: He lie, he lie me, he just want me think he care and take me look at homes like he have money. He stay here for free, pay no money for room. I pay for food take care him, give him free everything. He give me no money when he go back
home. then he no call me or e-mail me, everything stop, so I cry, I walk the night hoping for money, but I really do not want. I think I go back home now, maybe family take me. I family lose face because I not even good bar girl, father will be
mad me. All village people have better life because there daughter can give money. I no good for them or me, maybe I try go far away, I fall for lies.

Bill: Sorry Daw, I believed him too. I thought he meant everything he said. I really believed him, he lied to me to. I am sorry for you really I am, I wish there was something I could do for you.

Daw: You good man, Joy say many time. We know you good, Thai lady just want good life, I hope you take care of Thai lady when you find the one you love.

The taxi stops for Daw, when she gets out I hand her 3 thousand baht, she says no to me, I say take it please, but she says no and walks off to the dark night. I really hate this guy Toby, wish I could find him just to punch him out. What
a bad night, not one of the best memories I want to think about, so I will let this night fade to black.


Stickman's thoughts:

We've all had the odd bad night in Thailand…thankfully they seem to be less common here than elsewhere.


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