‘It belonged to my mother,’ she replied. ‘Wearing it makes me feel like she is close by.’
I did not ask her to elaborate. To do so would be too personal, maybe even intrusive given that I did not even know her name. Belatedly, I asked what should have been my first question.
‘Asia,’ she replied.
I raised an eyebrow.
‘If I’m asking too many questions just tell me.’
‘Why would you think that?’
‘I didn’t picture you as an Asia. It kind of makes me think that you could just as easily have said you were called teacup or window.’
As I gave voice to my suspicions, I felt a little embarrassed for doubting her. After all, she had no reason to lie and it was not like I was trying to pick her up. At least, I hoped she did not think I was trying to pick her up.
‘You think I’d give you a fake name?’ she asked, seeming puzzled rather than hurt.
‘No, it just seemed a little coincidental, that’s all.’
‘Well, trust me; my name is Asia. How about you? You still have not told me yours.’
‘I’m Ben.’
‘Well then, Ben; if that is your real name. I’m just about out of coffee, so perhaps you wouldn’t mind escorting me back to my guesthouse. It’s not safe for a girl to be walking these streets alone at night, as I’ve recently discovered.’
My heart sank. Despite the unfortunate circumstances of our meeting it disappointed me that she was ready to leave. I paid for the drinks and then accompanied her on the short walk back to where she was staying. The adrenaline had long since faded and my nerves were starting to return. Even after what we had been through I had still not fully shaken my earlier misgivings.
At least now I did not feel quite so much like I could not look at her. She wore no make-up, but a delicate sprinkle of freckles was all the decoration her face needed. Her eyes appeared green from a distance, but up close they revealed themselves to be light blue with an inner halo of yellow. One of them was tempered by a small speck of orange, like a leaf floating on water. I cursed fortune for teasing me with such possibilities and then cruelly taking them away. When we arrived at her door I tried my best to keep from losing her completely.
‘Perhaps we could do this again sometime,’ I suggested.
I knew that my anxiety showed. She glanced down at my Hobbit feet then looked up with an amused grin on her face, but did not say anything.
‘I mean the drinks, not the mugging; obviously,’ I added, rather clumsily. She remained silent. I sensed that she enjoyed watching me squirm. ‘Or maybe I should just go.’
‘You don’t have to go,’ she replied. ‘It may be forward of me, but after everything that happened earlier I don’t really want to spend tonight on my own.’
The hostel reception staff had long finished for the day and this enabled me to accompany her to her room without any questions being asked. I expected her lodgings to be more upmarket than what the typical traveller is used to, but they were not. Her room was small and sparse, with a double bed covered by a wafer thin mattress that sagged in the middle. There was a small chest of drawers with a missing handle and a pathetic looking ceiling fan. Photographs had been haphazardly tacked to the wall above the drawers.
We both sat down on the edge of her bed, but I was reluctant to make the first move. I wanted to, more than anything. The fact she had invited me into her bedroom suggested the attraction was mutual. The problem was that I could not get out of my head the idea that I would somehow be taking advantage of her. The truth was that before the attack, we had nothing. If anything was to happen between us, she would have to be the one to instigate it.
I rose from the bed and walked over to take a closer look at the photographs. I hoped I would find an ice breaker amongst them. They were mostly of Asia with her girl friends. A lot of them seemed to have been taken at a club or a party. Sitting incongruously at the centre of the collection was a postcard depicting a famous rock singer. It was signed with a brief message, but I could not decipher the handwriting.
‘You have a surprising taste in music,’ I said. ‘I thought this would be a bit before your time.’
‘I’m not a fan,’ she replied. ‘He’s my father.’
‘He’s your father!’
I looked at the picture again to make sure I had not made a mistake. It was indeed one of the biggest rock stars on the planet. I assumed she had to be having me on. Her eloquence and obvious intelligence had suggested a good education, possibly backed by money, but for her to be the daughter of someone so famous had completely taken me aback.
Was this a joke? I was not sure if I should be offended or if I should play along. For all I knew, she could even have been telling the truth. I turned to question her further, but the sight I was greeted with soon blanked out any curiosity I might have had. She had slipped out of her dress and was lying completely naked on the bed. Her body more than lived up to the promise of her face. She had flawless skin with just a smattering of freckles on her breasts.
Like in the bar, I briefly procrastinated, but only to make the moment last for as long as possible. This time I was certain of what the outcome would be. She beckoned me to join her by licking the inside of her lips. As I approached, I cast my eyes over the fluid contours of her body, slowly, in order to fully absorb their exquisite beauty. I had never wanted or felt more wanted at any time in my life. As I removed my clothes and joined her on the bed, any worry of impropriety became a distant memory.
Chapter 2
‘You won’t last a day.’
‘Are you sure about that?’
‘I’ve never been more certain. Before twenty four hours have passed, you’ll be so torn apart by the loss, you’ll forever rue the day that you let me slip through your fingers.’
Asia was stretched out naked on the bed. I know what you will be thinking right now, but you are wrong. It was simply too hot for clothes. It was also too hot for sex. If we wanted to do that we would have gone in the shower. The temperature in the room must have been at least 37 degrees and the only air conditioning came in the form of a pathetic single speed fan, which hung from the ceiling. It rotated so slowly that I wondered if it was powered by electricity or a hamster on a treadmill.
‘What makes you think that you won’t regret our parting any more than me?’ I asked.
She rolled onto her back, adopting a position that was both vulnerable and alluring.
‘Because I can at least look back and say I gave it a shot,’ she replied. ‘Will you be able to do the same?’
The morning after the night before had long since passed and it was now late in the afternoon. Despite it being less than twenty four hours since our meeting, we had together experienced more excitement, fear and passion than most couples would in months of dating. The sex was pretty amazing too. It did not seem right to end it so soon.
‘I don’t understand why you have to go now,’ I said. ‘Surely after last night you have a reason to stay.’
‘I already bought my ticket,’ she replied. ‘Besides, it does not matter so much when I leave, because you will be coming with me.’
‘You’re really sure about that, aren’t you?’
‘Like I said; you would never live with yourself if you walked away from me now.’
I have to admit that her confidence turned me on. The more time I spent around her, the more I could not believe a girl like that could possibly be interested in me. Then again, I had saved her life – sort of. Did she really want me or was she just afraid to go on alone?
Her flight was booked for the following day. She was headed to Thailand and the island of Koh Pha Ngan for the full moon party. Demand was obviously high at this time of the month and I could not get another flight for a week. The only way for me to make the party in time would be to take the overland route.
‘Why don’t you cancel your flight and we both take the bus,’ I suggested.
‘It’s non refundable,’ she replied
. ‘Besides, there is no way I am spending ten hours on a bus.’
My spirits dropped as I saw that she was unwilling to make this small sacrifice for me. If roles were reversed, I would not have hesitated to change my plans. The disappointment must have shown on my face as she was at least quick to offer encouragement.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘You are going to see me again, I promise.’
I sensed that she was being earnest, but despite her enthusiasm, I was a little doubtful about finding her again at the party. Asia was as free spirited as she was beautiful. She refused to sign up to any social networking sites and did not even carry a mobile phone. Once she left, I would have no way to contact her. She was completely convinced that fate had brought us together and therefore fate would never let us drift apart.
‘To prove how much faith I have in you, I want you to take this,’ she said.
She unclasped her locket and held it out for me.
‘What are you doing?’ I asked. ‘I cannot take that. If I am unable to find you, you will never see it again. After what you went through last night, do you really want to take that risk?’
‘I don’t consider it a risk; more a sign of faith. You are worried about finding me again, so this will give you focus.’
‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘You worry too much. I’ve only known you for one day and I can already tell you have a terrible habit of over thinking everything. Last night though, when it really mattered, you were amazing. I see strength in you that is all too rare in this world. By taking care of this one thing for me, you are making it your duty to find me. I know you will not let me down.’
I reluctantly took the jewellery from her.
‘You’re crazy,’ I said, but she just shrugged.
Whatever her intentions, I was having trouble trying to figure them out. Was this really for my benefit or was she testing me? I thought that after the extreme circumstances of our coming together things would cool down fast. Obviously, I was mistaken. Asia was proving to be the type of girl who liked to keep the stakes high. I resolved to do my best not to let her down and then placed the locket on the bedside table before rejoining her on the mattress. We had spent enough time talking.
I slowly ran my fingers along the outside of her leg, teasing her with what was to follow. She reached out and took hold of my hand and moved it to the inside of her thigh. Now she was in control as she slowly moved it upwards, heightening her own anticipation as well as mine. As the tips of my fingers were about to connect with her crotch, she pulled my hand away and brought it to her lips. Smiling mischievously, she made her way along my arm with a series of short, delicate kisses. When she reached my shoulder she redirected the kisses downwards, across my chest and over my abdomen, before finally taking me in her mouth.
Between that first night and Asia catching her plane, we never once left the guesthouse. A lot of time was spent in the bedroom and perhaps even longer in the shower. Then, just forty eight hours after we had first met, she was gone. It never once entered my mind that I would not follow.
***
The hostel where I had been staying also acted as a travel agency. There was a notice board above the service counter advertising several destinations. Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Koh Samui were all written in bold indicating regular departures. The latter was only a short boat ride from Koh Pha Ngan and a reunion with Asia. This was my chance.
‘Can I have a ticket for Samui, please?’
The proprietor was an old Chinese man. Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim nation and whilst the people are generally tolerant of western vices, I preferred to base myself in the local Chinatown when travelling through the country. You always know where you are at with the Chinese as their religion is that of simple economics. Wherever there is demand, the Chinese will always be happy to supply.
‘When do you plan to travel?’ he asked.
‘As soon as possible,’ I told him. ‘Is there a bus tomorrow?’
The old man pulled out a tattered ledger from under his desk and began to slowly leaf through the pages. It was written in his own native script; either Mandarin or Cantonese. I never could tell the difference.
‘Tomorrow - no,’ he said, ‘but there is free space on Monday.’
That was no good. The full moon party was on Saturday and it was already Thursday. If I did not leave within twenty four hours, I would never make it in time.
‘It has to be tomorrow,’ I told him. ‘Are you sure you don’t have anything or otherwise do you know of anyone else who offers trips to Samui?’
Asking him to recommend one of his rivals seemed to rouse him into working harder for the sale. Losing a customer could be tolerated, but losing a customer to a competitor could not. If there was not a trip that met with my needs then he would simply create one that did.
‘Nothing for Samui tomorrow, but I can put you on bus to Krabi.’ He pulled out a map and unfolded it over the counter. ‘The bus can drop you at Hat Yai, here. From there you have no trouble finding bus to Samui.’
The route he had worked out for me appeared logical as I traced its trajectory on the map. It did not even involve too much of a detour as Hat Yai was part of the main route. If I was lucky, it would add no more than an extra hour or so onto my journey. I just needed to make sure that everything was included and I was not being ripped off. We may not have been on a darkened street corner, but experience had taught me to be wary of strangers.
‘What about the ferry?’ I asked. ‘Samui is an island. Will the ferry be included?’
‘Yes, yes,’ he assured me. ‘When you book bus from Hat Yai they will include ferry.’
‘In that case, we have a deal.’
I bought the ticket and thanked the man before returning to my room to pack for the journey. After an unsure start to my travels, I had finally found somebody to share my adventure with. Soon, I would no longer be alone.
***
A minivan arrived to pick me up outside the guesthouse the next morning. The driver had darker skin than the Malay locals and his facial features leaned more towards the oriental. I assumed he was Thai, but was unable to confirm this as he spoke no English whatsoever. He did, however, have a very broad smile, which spoke more words than Pidgin English ever could. I was feeling optimistic about seeing Asia again, but nerves and self doubt still weighed heavily on my mind. I would need all of the friendly faces I could get to keep me going.
The vehicle had room onboard for eight passengers, but only because the seats had been pushed back to their limits leaving very little space for luggage. I had to force my bag into a tiny gap between the seats like a child trying to force a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that was obviously not meant to connect.
Finally satisfied that my bag had been pushed in as far as it would go, I took my seat at the back right corner of the van. Since we were travelling north this meant I would have the unforgiving eastern sun pushing down on me for the duration of the morning. When it was finally time for the change over at Hat Yai I hoped that my next transport would have air conditioning.
Once the journey had gotten underway, I tried my best to relax and not worry too much about what lay ahead. Prior to leaving I had done some research and found that there were two points where the border could be crossed. One of them, at a town named Sungai Kolok, was potentially dangerous. Reports of terrorist activity including bombings and targeted attacks on tourists were said to be common at this place. With one near death experience still fresh in my mind I wanted to make sure that my bus would be taking the safe route.
The Chinaman had promised me that this trip would not come within 100 miles of any of the troubles and his promise held true. The only hardship I had to face at the border was in having to forego breakfast since the café served only Malay cuisine and it was much too early in the morning for that. We soon passed the international boundary and from there it would only take a further two hours to get to Hat Yai.
***
Thailand is known as the land of the smiles; a maxim the residents of Hat Yai were sadly unaware of. The city itself was not at all what I expected. I had been led to believe that it was a major transport hub and as such would be fairly cosmopolitan. In reality, it was anything but.
As far as industrialised cities went, I could only say that it was fairly standard and non-descript. Every building was constructed of concrete and completely characterless. I was dropped off on an unremarkable street in what appeared to be an unremarkable part of town. Without a map, I was reliant on instinct alone to guide me.
The streets were crowded; a complex network of flowing bodies that seemed completely un-traversable to the uninitiated. A crowd such as this provided the ideal hiding place for a thief. I clutched my pack firmly as I crossed to the other side of the road where it was open and un-shaded. I wanted a clear view of my surroundings.
A friend had once told me that pickpockets liked to stick to the shadows as a means of avoiding the potentially damaging sun just as much as for the covertness it provided. If a thief did try anything, he would be disappointed anyway. My credit cards and cash were safely stored out of sight in a money belt along with Asia’s locket. Finding my way was a far greater worry than losing my stuff.
Logic dictated that the minivan should have dropped me off close to the bus station. The signposts proved completely useless as the writing was in the unfamiliar Thai script as opposed to the Roman letters I was accustomed to. This meant that even if I possessed a translation text, which I did not, I would not know where to begin. All I could do was to systematically look down each of the roads branching off from the one that I was on until I saw something resembling a bus station. It was not the best plan, but it was the only plan I had.
As I came to the first corner I felt a sharp tug from behind. The force of the pull spun me around three hundred and sixty degrees and I had to grab onto a lamppost for support. Luckily, the pressure disappeared as suddenly as it had come. I had no idea what had happened, but managed to make out the form of a squat Thai man running away. A quick once over of the bag assured me that nothing had been taken, but the experience had left me shaken. I thought I was being cautious, but obviously it was not enough.
Stealing Asia Page 2