The Girl Who Broke My Heart I Never Knew

Welcome to the Majestic Grande.

"
Sawatdee Ka. Welcome to the Majestic Grande"

Those were the sweetest words I'd heard for 18 months. It was the start of quick 3 night stay in Bangkok, all I could manage from increasingly demanding boss. It was my fifth trip and I was wise to all the scams and pitfalls that had
soured my previous visits. Nothing could go wrong. There would be no lost tempers, no sweating a few baht lost here or there and it was going to fun no matter what and I definitely wouldn't get stuck with one girl. My raison d'etre was
to enjoy myself to the fullest without hurting anyone in what little time I had. The sharemarket decline was a few months away and I was feeling the wealth effect so one of the nicer rooms at Majestic Grande was the perfect choice. The hotel is
expensive enough to keep any undesirables away apart from the taxi Mafia out the front, girl friendly, in an excellent location and with a little used pool. Of course there were plenty of Middle Eastern guests who were staying partly due to the
hotel's location near Bumrungrad Hospital. This keeps some Farangs from frequenting the place but the presence of Arabs was of no concern to me having worked in Dubai.

A few hours sleep followed by a swim and I was soon ready to hit the nightlife and first on my list was Mandarin bar in Nana Plaza. A favourite of mine that held some sweet memories warranted at least one visit right?

Taking a seat, not much had changed but that was perfect. I ordered a Heineken and then felt someone slide in beside me, bumping me quite hard. A bit shocked I turned to see who the culprit was and I felt my jaw drop. There sitting beside me was the most
gorgeous Thai girl I'd ever laid eyes on.

"Ok, you barfine me" she cooed. "I get drink already", I feebly countered as the service girl returned.

"No problem. Me change uniform, you drink me come back 5 minutes ok" she informed me.

"Him pay bar and checkbin already" she told the service girl with a cheeky smile and that is exactly what happened.
When she returned I had to wonder if she had changed her uniform, so short was her skirt.

"My jean have problem must take skirt my friend, ok?"

Not for the first time she'd read my face.

"
Mai bpen rai. Where do you want to go now?" expecting a night of bar hopping, discos, taxis and street food.

Looking at bit bemused and giggling she looked at me as if I was mildly retarded. "We go your room" and drawing close to me she whispered in a conspiratorial tone "for boom boom". Now it was my turn to laugh.

So 20 minutes later I was back in the lobby of the Majestic Grande which was a little earlier than planned. Quite a few people were milling around, Arabs mostly returning from dinner and shopping trips along Sukhumvit no doubt, so I was happy
when the my new friend whose name I had discovered was Nut completed her ID registration. We made our way to the lifts where a Middle eastern group were waiting. There were 2 heavily set men, 4 women and two children waiting for the lift on the
right so we waited for the lift on left hand side which as luck would have it opened first and was empty. Nut obviously a seasoned skytrain user grabbed my hand and had us inside before the doors had fully opened. Like the Israelis in 1973 I wasn't
expecting the Arabs to invade but like 1973 it happened. So they all piled in lead by the males. Nut shrunk into a corner so I covered her position expecting a few dirty looks as I surveyed my fellow passengers.

The men seem even bigger at close quarters and the women were wearing full abayahs, that is covered head to toe in black with only the eyes showing. As I glanced at the one woman I could see, jammed in the back of the lift holding a small
child, she just for a moment looked directly at me and I gave her a quick smile. We hit our floor which happened to be the same as the Arabs and they got out. As they did the woman dwelt ever so slightly and looking at her again her eyes were
waiting for mine. This time they seemed to radiate a deep sadness. Their room happened to be opposite mine and the same woman being the last to enter turned quickly and made eye contact with me again. It was all very strange I thought but I quickly
forgot it once in my room and proceeded to lose myself in Nut's charm. Next morning Nut informed that I would be keeping her on the rest of my stay.

I wanted to say no but stronger men than I would have surrendered to her beauty. I did demand that she get some new jeans and she happily agreed but countered I was paying in a fit of laughter. We spent the day at MBK shopping, eating and
bowling as you do and her demands stopped at the jeans and not gold bars, thankfully.

My second night with Nut was the bar hopping adventure expected of the first as we hit nearly every bar from Nana to soi 33 where she had plenty of friends, some who met us later at Spicy Disco then later at some Thai joint whose whereabouts
escapes my limited knowledge of Bangkok. We returned to the Majestic Grande where all was quiet and upon entering my room I noticed an envelope that had been pushed under the door. I left it on my opened suitcase whilst I went to have quick shower
before bed. I forgot about it after showering not thinking it important as not a soul knew I where I was staying so I assumed it was something inconsequential from the hotel.

It was quite late by the time we got to sleep around 10pm. I'm a light sleeper so I use ear plugs which are very effective so I guessed It was a around 2 or 3pm when I heard a loud knocking at the door followed later by raised voices
both male and female speaking Arabic. A bit worse for wear I started to get up but the commotion had stopped so thinking it someone's mistake I happily hit the pillow again and promptly fell back to sleep. Nut woke me at 5pm apparently in
danger of dying from starvation.

I was checking out late the next morning so a more sedate and earlier night ensued with Nut though nonetheless enjoyable. The next morning we shared breakfast and later our goodbyes and Nut, bless her, didn't even protest too much when
I told any airport send off wasn't happening. Soon I was winging it it back home, delighted in fact. My trip been my best to Thailand ever, short but sweet. I'd met all my objectives and only a NGO could find fault in my behaviour. My
flight to Australia was overnight and I slept nearly all the way and so went back into work before 11am, to much astonishment.

That night I emptied my washing from my suitcase when I noticed the envelope from the morning of 2 days before. On the front was written "Dear Sir" in a script so perfect I mistook it for machine printing not handwriting. I opened the envelope
and the letter inside was also written in the same flawless small handwriting in light pencil on a piece of the hotels writing paper. It read:

Dear Friend,

A pleasant day to you. It is my pleasure to know you though we have not spoken I feel we have met. You see I saw you smile at me in the hotel elevator last night and I still have the euphoria from that time. I am Epril Macaron Donque. Dear
sir I saw you wore a cross of Christ from your neck. I can feel you have a good and kind heart. I will tell you more about myself. I was born on May 19,1985 in Cagayan de oro, Mindanao in the Philippines. After I stop in college at the age of
18 I was already working as a cashier in different stores and shops. Then I was 22 when I decided to work overseas. I grown up living a simple life. My family is just poor but my parents are trying their best to educate us. Though my Father has
a stable job in company and Mother own a little business but it is still tough because we are a big family. There was a lot of problems financially. As an eldest I saw and knew all the problems were going through. So it came to the point, I decided
to do something to help them in any means. It was against my parents will for me to quit my studies but I did not listen. I did what I thought will be best. I will accept I was stubborn in some of point but it was for them not for my own good.
I was able to get work as a Nanny in Saudi from an agency for the family you see me with. My friend at this moment I must tell of my current situation. Dear Sir as a Christian I must tell you I do not deceive you when I tell you of my misfate..

My arrival in Saudi for my contract till this day is my great mistake. Dear friend I went to Saudi ready to accept whatever my fate heartily for 2 years. Please do not misjudge me. I believe nobody is perfect but believe me I have worked
hard all my contract and take loving care of my children as I would my siblings.

Dear friend as to my employer and my treatment from them you may feel I do not speak the truth. I swear to the truth of all that I tell you as a good Christian. Everything I own was taken from me on my arrival at their home except my clothes.
I know before I can not practise my religion in that place but they take from me even my family photos. Sir I can not speak to any of the other staff never. All that work for that family do not have enough foods. Sometimes the maids must take
us foods in secret such is our hunger. Sir all the staff are beaten not only myself and not from the good work which we do. Sir a more terrible fate has happen to all that work for this family of what I can not say.
Anyway, from all the miseries
I have had I am still here in this world. There were times I am longing for someone to talk too and share my agonies and pains.

Dear Sir I must beg of you for help in this matter. As a Christian I pray you will help me escape my misfate. Dear sir tomorrow this family will leave this city and return to Saudi. In my own endeavour I have obtained my passport from them
in stealth. The family must as a great urgency leave tomorrow and was not planned before. Sir I believe no delay can stop them in the return to Saudi as it their custom. Dear sir I ask only that you take me in your room for 1 hour. Dear sir I
ask at 1pm tomorrow that you take me in your room as it is then that my employer must leave this hotel. Sir I am just longing for simple and if possible happy life back with my family. I thank you and pray for your help in this matter.

All the best and luck. GOD be with you always take care!

Epril Macaron Donque.

Stickman's thoughts:

This is kind of freaky. What would you have done if you had opened the letter earlier? I wonder what happened to her. It's really quite sad.