by J. F. Gump
“You can open your eyes now,” she said, when she was dressed. “How do I look?”
“Khun suay dee mak, khun suay khun. You look absolutely terrific,” he answered, moving his hand from his eyes. He knew she was asking about her new clothes, but his answer was for what he had seen just minutes before. He blushed at his thoughts.
Math’s face beamed at the compliment. “Khun poot bpak wahn, you talk with a sweet mouth,” she said.
“No, really,” Mike said, his face still blushing. “You really do look beautiful.”
Her beaming face softened to a coy, demure smile. Her eyes dropped to look at the floor. “Thank you, Mike. You don’t know how much it means to me for someone to say I am beautiful.”
He said nothing. It seemed there was nothing more to say. He just smiled at her. He wondered if his lust and desire was showing. He hoped not. How would he react if he made an advance toward her and she rejected him? He hated rejection of any sort and went out of his way to avoid situations where he may be rejected.
That reminded him of what Math had said earlier. She said he had asked Lek to go home with him last night. He had never done that before. In the past, when Lek went with him, it had always happened as a mutual decision, which needed no asking or answering. Considering his intense dislike of rejection, it was out of character for him to set himself up like that, whether drunk or not. “Did I really ask Lek to go home with me last night?” He regretted speaking the words even as they left his mouth.
Her smile faded into nothing. She looked up and answered very clearly and very pointedly, “Yes.”
“I guess that wasn’t very nice was it?”
“No, it was not polite.” She stared at him. A short silence grew long. She asked, “Do you love that lady?”
Mike paused before answering. “Not so long ago, I loved Lek as my girlfriend. But that has all changed. Now, I love Lek as my very best friend in Pattaya. Well, until last night anyway. Maybe now she is my worst enemy.”
“Have you ever gone for a short-time with her?” Math used the term she had learned the day before.
Mike was flustered. “That is none of your business. Even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you. Where did you learn that word anyway? Are you sure you are not a bar-girl?”
“No. I told you already, I am not a bar-girl. I learned it from my friend Som Jai.”
Sharp quiet echoed through the room. Mike wished he could take back his words. “I am sorry.”
Math fidgeted with the remote control, but didn’t answer. In a moment she perked up and asked, “Can I change the TV to another program?”
He nodded, glad the silence had ended. “Good idea, I think I’ll read for a while. You can watch anything you want.”
Mike tried to concentrate on his reading, while Math found a program she liked. The show must have been funny because she laughed a lot. His book, on the other hand, was nothing more than pages with words. His eyes went through the motion of reading, but his mind saw only images of Math getting dressed after her shower. Finally, he closed his eyes. Within a minute, he was asleep sitting upright in the chair.
Chapter 8
Math watched TV all afternoon, while Mike slept. She wondered how anyone could sleep sitting like that. More than once she had wanted to move him to the bed, but didn’t. He might get angry if she woke him. It was best to leave him alone.
By seven o’clock, the sun had set. Math called Mon at the restaurant. Her brother had not come home yet and Ziriwat had been gone all day. She decided it would be smart to get her clothes while Ziriwat was away.
Working as quietly as possible, Math peeled and cut the pineapple into bite sized chunks, then put them on a plate and into the icebox. She ate her share in the process. By the time she had finished, Mike still had not stirred. Before she left the condo, she wrote him a note. As she pulled the door shut, she wedged the note in its closing.
Outside, she flagged down a motorcycle-taxi and gave directions to her brother’s house. The Sunday evening traffic was calm and the ride was uneventful. She arrived at the restaurant at eight-fifteen. It was more crowded than it had been the day before. She sat at a table and waited. In a minute Mon saw her, and came to her table.
“Sawasdee ka. Good evening,” Math said. “Pehn yung ngai ka? How are you?”
“Sabai dee, khop khun ka. I am fine, thank you,” Mon answered. “I am surprised to see you. Have you heard from Anan?”
“No, I haven’t. After I talked to you, I decided to get my clothes while Ziriwat is gone. I hope the door is not locked, or there is an open window so I can get inside.”
“Getting your clothes while he is gone is a good idea, and getting in will not be a problem. I have a key to your brother’s house.”
“You have a key?” Math said, excited. “I don’t believe it.”
“I think you should take your brother’s motorcycle too,” Mon continued. “That Ziriwat drives like a madman. I think someday he will wreck it and your brother will not have a motorcycle anymore. I have a key for it also, if you want to take it.”
Math was jubilant. “Yes, I will take it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Mon smiled knowingly. “Are you hungry? I can cook some food while you get your clothes.”
“Yes, I am hungry. Give me the keys, I think I should hurry.”
Inside her brother’s house, Math exchanged her new shorts and tee shirt for a pair of jeans and a long sleeved pullover. She found a couple of plastic shopping bags and filled them with as many clothes and personal toiletries as they would hold. She didn’t want to try riding the motorcycle while holding a suitcase. Finished, she locked the door and strapped the bags to the motorcycle seat. She drove to the restaurant to eat the food Mon had prepared.
Her meal was papaya salad and it was delicious. After she finished eating, she told Mon she should leave before Ziriwat returned. She said her goodbyes and promised to call every day. Then she sped down the highway toward Pattaya.
It felt good to be riding the motorcycle, to be in control of her own fate and destination. Cruising down the road with the wind blowing in her face, she felt free.
At a traffic light on Sukhumvit Road, she glanced at her watch. It was nine-fifteen. She decided to go to Soi 2 before returning to the condo. She wanted to ask Som Jai a few questions about Mike. She seemed to know him very well. Surely, Som Jai would be at work by the time she arrived.
When Math parked in front of Toy’s, she saw Som Jai sitting at the far end of the bar, deep in conversation with Mike. They looked serious. Neither of them smiled. She wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t remove her helmet. Mike looked in her direction, but didn’t seem to recognize her. After a few seconds, she decided to leave. She couldn’t imagine what Mike and Som Jai were talking about, but she was sure it had something to do with her.
Math drove aimlessly down Beach Road, turned left on South Pattaya, then north on Second. Within ten minutes she was in front of Mike’s condo. After a moment of self-debate, she decided she would stay there for the night. She wanted to hear what Mike and Som Jai found so interesting to talk about.
***************
Earlier that same day, Mike was awakened by a click-thud sound. At the time, he didn’t realize the noise was the door pulling shut. It was almost eight o’clock and it was dark outside. The girl was gone and the TV was silent. He did a quick search of the room. Everything seemed in place. He found nothing missing.
In the crack between the door and jamb he found a note. It read, “I went to my brother’s house to get clothes. He has not come home, so I will need a place to sleep. If I cannot stay here, I will stay with Som Jai. I will be gone for a while because I think you want to spend time with your friends. I cut the pineapple and put it in the icebox for you. If you don’t leave the key for me with the lady in the lobby, I will understand and wait until you come home. If my b
rother comes home while I am there, I will stay at his house. I borrowed 100 baht from your wallet for taxi money. I will pay you when my brother comes home. Thank you for your kindness. Math.”
He reread the note. The words ‘I borrowed 100 baht’ jumped out at him. He checked his wallet. If anything was missing, he couldn’t tell. At least it wasn’t all gone.
He ate a few pieces of the pineapple, then took a shower. Yes, he would go out to see some friends, but not the ones Math had in mind when she wrote the note. He wanted to talk to Som Jai about Math. He wanted to know who she really was. He decided he would leave his key with the lady in the lobby, in case she returned before he got home.
He took a quick shower and put on fresh clothes for the second time that day. By nine o’clock he was at Toy’s Bar sipping on a Carlsberg beer and waiting for Som Jai to arrive. She strolled in a few minutes later. He gave her time to stow her purse behind the bar and then motioned for her to join him.
Som Jai smiled as she reached his seat. “Sawasdee ka, Mike.”
“Som Jai,” he smiled in return, “How are you? You look very beautiful today. May I buy you a drink?”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Yes, you can buy me a drink. And what do you want? I know you want something to be so flattering and to buy a drink for me already.” She paused for effect. In her near perfect English she continued, “Do you want to know what you did last night when you were drunk, or do you want to know about the girl you took home?” Som Jai was no one’s fool and she was not one to mince words. She knew he wanted something.
Mike stammered for a moment before saying, “Nothing gets past you, does it Som Jai? I guess I want to know about both.”
Som Jai smiled smugly. “Last night you were very drunk. You asked Lek to go home with you, and you were very noisy about it.”
He cringed. Everyone in the bar must have heard him. “Did I ask her to have sex with me?”
“I wasn’t going to say that, but yes, you did.”
Everyone must have seen Lek’s blatant rejection, too. He changed the subject. “Okay, let’s forget about that. Tell me about that girl, Math. How well do you know her? Is she a bar-girl or what? Can I trust her?”
A motorcycle roared to a stop on the street just outside of the bar. The noise caught Mike’s attention and he looked up. The driver, obviously female, didn’t remove her helmet and didn’t get off the motorcycle. He couldn’t see the rider’s face through the opening in the helmet. After a second, the motorcycle continued down the street. He turned his attention back to Som Jai. “So, tell me about Math.”
“She said she is the sister of an old friend and that we met seven years ago. I don’t remember her, but then there are a lot of things I don’t remember after seven years. Actually, she looks like a girl who used to work at the Mercedes Bar on Soi 8. How can I tell you to trust her, when I do not even know her? Maybe she really is the sister of my friend, but maybe she is just another lady who knows her. I don’t know. You must find out for yourself. But I think it would be best if you were careful, at least until you get to know her. I guess I am not helping much, am I?”
“No,” he answered, “I guess not, but I had to ask. I thought you knew her better.”
“Sorry, I do not,” Som Jai responded.
Mike ordered another beer. He sipped it slowly, as he listened to the music and tried to recall everything that had been said and everything that had happened since he met the girl. He looked for something to make him feel more at ease, but found nothing. Then he looked for anything that should make him be concerned, but found nothing there, either. Som Jai was right. He would just have to wait and find out for himself. It was possible that she wouldn’t come back. That thought repeated itself over and again.
In a few minutes, he finished his beer, paid his tab, and left without saying goodnight to any of the girls at the bar. He was feeling a belated embarrassment from his bold proposition to Lek and her pointed rejection, which he was sure everyone had heard. As he stood to leave, he saw Lek coming toward the bar. He turned and walked in the opposite direction. He didn’t want to see her today. He wasn’t in the mood to face what he’d done last night. Maybe tomorrow he would apologize.
Once away from Lek and the bar, Mike took his time walking back to his condo. It was more like an apartment, but condo sounded classier. He stopped at the service station as usual and went through his routine of buying water, beer, and cigarettes. He also stopped at the Music Lover Bar, which sat along Second Road, just outside of his condo. The girls asked him so many questions about the ‘lady’ he had taken with him last night that he hurried through his drink, left a small tip, then went home.
His key was at the front desk. He cringed involuntarily, as a barrage of conflicting emotions raced through him. Maybe she had already been here and taken everything he had. Or maybe she had come to get her things and left. Or maybe she hadn’t come back at all. Each thought shot a different emotion through his body. Fear, rejection, worry. He took the elevator to the third floor.
Inside his condo, the air conditioner hummed and spit out coolness. The stove light lit the kitchen. He didn’t remember turning it on, but he didn’t remember turning it off either. On the desk, was a note. He picked it up and read, “I left the key at the front desk so you could get in. Thank you very much for your kindness”.
He wasn’t sure what to make of the message. He turned on the overhead light and looked around. Everything seemed normal, nothing out of place. His computer was still beside the desk where he had left it. He went to the closet. His first check was for his passport and return plane ticket. Both were still there. From the corner of his eye he could see that his clothes were still there too.
As he turned away, he did a double take back to the closet. Hanging beside his clothes were dresses, blouses, and ladies slacks. Slowly, he pulled open one of the small items drawers. Inside he found ladies panties and bras. “Oh man,” he said, groaning. “She has moved herself in.”
There was a knock at the door. Mike walked to the entryway and pulled it open. There stood Math, a wide smile on her face. She held a newspaper wrapped package in each hand. He stepped aside and she strutted in, looking happy and confident.
“I bought you barbecue chicken for supper,” she announced. “After you eat, I have a surprise to show you.”
She put plates and silverware on the table then unwrapped the chicken and divided it between Mike and herself. She wasn’t hungry and gave him the biggest portions. Neither spoke much as they ate, but the smile never left her face.
Mike noticed she had changed clothes again and was no longer wearing the shorts and tee shirt he had bought her. The chicken was delicious, but it worried him. If anyone ever saw how some street vendors handled their food, they would never eat from the sidewalk food stands in Thailand. He would know in a couple of hours if the chicken was safe to eat or not. In the meantime, he would enjoy his supper.
When they finished eating, Math took him by the hand. “Come with me. I want to show you my surprise.” She led him out of the condo, down the elevator, and into the parking lot. “There,” she said pointing proudly at a crotch-rocket style motorcycle standing in front of them, “Very nice, don’t you think? It belongs to my brother. I will use it for a few days.”
“Yes, it is very nice,” he answered. “ Does your brother know you have his motorcycle? It looks a little big for you. Did you ride it here?”
She could not contain her excitement over having her own transportation. “My brother will not care. I have my own motorcycle at home and I am a very good driver. Want to go for a ride?”
Mike was sure he did not want to go for a ride with her tonight and maybe never. He glanced at his watch without even noticing the time. “Oh, it is getting very late. Maybe you can give me a ride tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she said, “Tomorrow.” She headed back toward the elevator.
From inside the top desk drawer, Mike pulled out a half-smoked marijuana cigarette. He had picked up the habit a long time ago, when he was in Vietnam. He didn’t smoke a lot and abuse it. He would smoke about three small tokes from a joint every night to relax him. When he was younger, pot used to make him hyper and talkative. Now it made him very relaxed and calm. He lit the J and took a short drag.
“What are you doing?” Math asked, when she smelled the smoke. She walked to the desk
“Smoking ganja,” he answered while holding his breath. “Want some?”
“I do not smoke ganja,” she said. “I have never even seen anyone smoke ganja. Can I watch you smoke?”
Mike shrugged as he exhaled. “Up to you,” he said.
She watched as he smoked his usual three hits, anticipation clear in her expression. She wasn’t just watching him, she was studying him. Long after he had butted the J out, she continued to stare.
“Waiting for me to go crazy, or turn into some kind of freak?” he finally asked.
“You don’t look any different.” A hint of disappointment tinted her words. She continued her expectant staring.
Mike sighed. “I do this to relax. I am not going to turn into some kind of strange UFO alien or anything. I think you should go to sleep now because I want to read for a few minutes before I crash. You can use the bed since you get cold so easy. I will sleep on the sofa.”
Math turned off the TV, returned to the bed, and slid under the blanket. Once covered, she removed her jeans and shirt and laid them on the floor beside the bed. She then pulled the covers over her head and stopped moving.