Bar Girl

by David Thompson

  ‘What, you mean they can buy boys?’ Tak laughed.

  ‘Yes. If they want to. It’s up to them. Not many do, but there are some,’ Siswan said.

  Tak stopped laughing. They all started to pay attention. Women who could buy boys? It wasn’t something they understood.

  ‘Give them more respect and a higher wai than you give to their male partners,’ Siswan said. ‘Make sure you speak to them. Smile at them. Make them feel welcome. That way they won’t see you as a threat to their men.’

  She went on to explain that farang women often came in pairs or groups. They drank. Sometimes got more drunk than the men. They were loud and enjoyed themselves.

  ‘But that’s not right,’ Lon said.

  ‘Why not?’ Siswan asked her.

  ‘Well, women shouldn’t behave like that.’

  ‘Who says?’

  ‘It’s just not done, that’s all.’

  ‘It’s not done where?’ Siswan pushed against their beliefs.

  ‘Well. We can’t do that. Not if we’re not working.’

  ‘So, it’s okay to be drunk and loud when you’re working, is it?’

  ‘It’s a part of the job., isn’t it?’ Lon was tailing off. She didn’t like being the focus of Miss Siswan’s attention.

  ‘You don’t know enough,’ Siswan said to all of them. ‘You know your lives. Your upbringing. You aren’t dealing with locals. You’re dealing with people who have been taught that it’s okay to enjoy themselves.’

  ‘What if they want to buy a girl?’ Tak asked.

  ‘Fancy going with a farang woman, do you, Tak?’ Siswan smiled.

  Tak went red. She hadn’t meant that exactly. She had just wanted to know where she stood when dealing with them. Now everyone was laughing at her.

  ‘I know why you asked,’ Siswan told her. ‘Again, it’s up to you. I don’t know what your tendencies are, but if a farang woman asks, and you want to try it, why not? It can’t be as bad as going with some of the men. But, and I mean this, I don’t want this bar becoming a gay bar, so use your discretion.’

  The first of the customers entered the bar behind her. A group of four men. Two of them had their farang girlfriends with them. The girls looked defensive. As though they weren’t sure about going into a bar with all these sexy local women.

  ‘See?’ Siswan said to the girls. ‘Off you go, and remember, the women are just as important as the men. Maybe even more so.’

  She watched as the girls dispersed. Apple and Tak made straight for the women. They each offered their highest wai. The two farang women looked a little unsure. One of them tried a wai in reply. Almost got it right. Not quite. Apple showed them to a table. Held the arm of one of the women. Smiled beautifully. Talked directly to her. Made her feel more important than the men. Tak took the orders and went off to get the drinks.

  Siswan watched as Apple chatted away quite animatedly to the two farang women. Before long they were chatting back. Feeling at ease. Laughing. When Tak returned she gave the drinks to the women before the men. Unheard off in her own culture. Men first. Always the men first.

  Siswan wanted farang women to come to the bar. She knew it would attract even more men. Farang men always went where the best looking girls were. It was a fact of life. They would be even more inclined to drink in a bar that catered for Western women as well as locals. More to look at.

  The girls were learning. Learning to understand the ways of the farang. They were becoming more like professional entertainers than bar girls. Almost like the Japanese Geisha girls of old. Less clothing though.

  Siswan gave Apple and Tak a smile and a nod as she walked past to greet the next customers. The bar was going to be busy that night. Very busy.

  It was a little after one in the morning when the fight broke out. Two male farangs sat at the bar started it. Mike had heard their earlier conversation and had been a little concerned but, after they had continued arguing without resorting to violence, he hadn’t been overly worried.

  He’d heard the same argument before. It was over one of the girls. It was always over a girl. A few too many to drink. A disagreement. A row. Either it escalated into a scuffle, or it just died down without any trouble. All quite normal in the land of guile.

  In all the time Mike had been there, he had only seen one or two really serious fights and those had been dealt with by the police. A quick beating with the nightsticks, a night in the cells, a fine for causing trouble. The police dealt quickly and sternly with troublemakers.

  These two seemed to be happy just arguing. He left them to it and concentrated on the customers to his right. A nice couple who wanted to know about life as an expat. He was trying to make it sound interesting. It wasn’t that easy. How did he make sitting in a bar every night interesting? The two men continued their argument in the background.

  ‘All I’m saying is she’s my girl. That’s all.’

  ‘How can she be your girl? She’s a hooker.’

  ‘Yeah, but while I’m here she’s mine.’

  ‘Half an hour ago you said you wanted another!’

  ‘Yeah, well I’ve changed my mind.’

  ‘Okay. I don’t want her, anyway.’

  ‘So why were you talking to her then?’

  ‘I was just saying hello.’

  ‘How do I know that. You were talking their lingo.’

  ‘Bloody hell, Jim. She said hello to me first. What am I supposed to do, ignore her?’

  ‘You know she was with me last night,’ Jim argued.

  ‘Yes, I know. But I didn’t know you wanted her again tonight. You said you didn’t.’

  ‘What I’m saying is, if she was with me last night, a friend, a proper friend, wouldn’t go with her the following night.’

  ‘I’m not going to go with her. I just said hello. I’ve already told you I don’t go with the girls.’

  ‘Don’t tell me you never go with a girl, Phil. What are you, gay?’

  Phil was getting exasperated. He’d been in the country for a year working on a book. Jim was someone he knew from back home who had latched onto him as though he were an old friend. To be honest he didn’t like the guy that much. Now he was being accused of trying to take some girl the guy had bought the night before.

  When he had first arrived he had indulged once or twice himself. He knew the score. First timers were always amazed by the promiscuity of the bar girls. Couldn’t resist really. But he’d learned. Learned a bit of the language as well. Now he was happy to enjoy a few drinks with them, get to know one or two quite well. In fact, he had a few friends now. People who he liked. Not like this jerk who seemed to fall in love with every girl he bought. He even expected them to love him in return.

  ‘Jim, I’m trying to explain. I like the girls. I don’t buy them anymore. There’s nothing wrong with being polite,’ he said, sounding more than a little exasperated.

  ‘Yeah, but why speak the lingo in front of me? I don’t know what you’re saying to her, do I?’ Jim was getting even more animated. His finger was pointing at Phil’s chest.

  ‘But why would you want to know? What’s it got to do with you?’ Phil was getting fed up with this. The conversation just went around in circles.

  ‘Because she’s my girl.’

  ‘Why is she working here tonight, then?

  ‘That’s her job.’

  ‘Exactly. So someone could walk in and bar fine her right now.’

  ‘No. She’s waiting for me. I can see that. So should you.’

  ‘All she’s waiting for, Jim, is for someone to pay her bar fine. Anyone.’

  Jim didn’t understand Phil. He’d come over to see him and now the bastard was trying to take away his girl. He talked to all of them in their own language. When they laughed he was sure the
y were laughing at him. He’d seen the smile he gave his girl. What did he go and smile at her for, if he didn’t want her? He knew what was going on here. He’d seen guys like Phil before. Always interested in some other man’s woman. Couldn’t pull their own.

  ‘You’re just jealous,’ he told Phil.

  ‘Jealous that you bought a hooker, Jim? How on earth do you work that one out?’

  ‘Because I saw her first and now you wish you had.’

  ‘No. I don’t wish I’d seen her first, Jim. I saw her last week, before you got here, and the week before, and I didn’t buy her then either. Just said hello, same as tonight.’ Phil was getting truly bored with the conversation.

  ‘She told me she liked me a lot,’ Jim said, emphatically. As though that were the end of it.

  ‘So, what are you going to do about it?’ Phil asked, taking another pull from his beer.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Jim asked in return.

  ‘Well, if you like her so much, and she likes you, are you going to let her carry on selling her body in a bar?’

  ‘I can’t do anything about that, can I?’ Jim raised his voice.

  ‘Yes, you can. You could pay her enough money each month to take care of her, her child, her mother, father and the rest of the family.’

  ‘I haven’t got that kind of money,’ Jim blurted out.

  ‘How do you know, you didn’t even ask how much it would cost?’ Phil said.

  ‘Don’t act bloody superior with me, Phil. I notice you don’t have a bloody girlfriend.’

  ‘My choice, Jim. But, really, how can you think of her as a girlfriend, someone who you expect to like you, when you leave her working in a bar?’ Phil asked.

  ‘I haven’t got enough money for a long standing girlfriend, right? But when I buy one I expect to be treated proper. And I treat them proper in return,’ Jim stated.

  ‘Yeah, right,’ Phil said. ‘And you think buying a girl is a proper way to treat them?’

  ‘She said she liked me,’ Jim repeated himself. ‘Said she liked me a lot because I’m always smiling.’

  ‘They all do, Jim. It’s a part of the game,’ Phil told him. He was truly fed up with this conversation. ‘So, do you want to stay here or go elsewhere?’ he asked, trying to change the topic.

  ‘I’m staying here. I told you.’ Jim was slurring slightly.

  ‘Okay. Well, in that case, I’m going to nip down and see Dave. The first bar we went to, remember?’

  ‘Yeah, you do that, Phil. Whilst you’re at it, why don’t you just fuck off?’ Jim was raising his voice.

  Phil couldn’t be bothered any more. The idiot would be going home in two days. He was glad. With a shrug he started to slide off the barstool. He called for his bill in the local language. The young girl behind the counter smiled to let him know she had heard.

  ‘There you go again!’ Jim shouted. ‘Trying to pull the cashier now!’

  ‘What the hell is the matter with you, Jim?’ Phil asked. ‘Why are you shouting? You’re a bloody embarrassment.’

  Jim suddenly picked up his bottle of beer and threw the contents at Phil. Beer splashed over the bar as well as a few other customers. Not much actually landed on Phil.

  ‘You really are pathetic, Jim,’ Phil laughed and then stopped as Jim swung the bottle towards his head.

  All hell broke lose in a matter of seconds. When Jim swung the bottle, Phil moved to one side and bumped into another farang who, in turn, spilt his beer all over his girlfriend. She took a few steps back and barged into Lon who was serving drinks to a table full of customers. The tray Lon held flipped up and spilt glass and contents all over the table. The first farang swung a blow at Jim and caught him on the side of the head, just above his ear.

  As Jim fell backwards he knocked into Big Barry who, without stopping to think, launched a blow towards the first farang. Phil ducked away from the fight and barged into another group who had just arrived at the bar.

  Within seconds, girls were screaming, people were trying to get out of the way and several farangs were stepping into the fray with intent. Glasses and bottles started to fly.

  ‘Call the police.’ Siswan told Apple.

  There was no point in trying to stop the fight themselves. Siswan had seen enough bar fights to know when things had gone beyond reasoning. She watched as the first bar stool was broken across Big Barry’s back. They would definitely have to buy more now.

  The rest of the girls moved towards where Siswan stood safely out of range of the rampaging farangs. Mike edged his way around the perimeter to join them.

  ‘Bloody hell, Siswan,’ he laughed. ‘Haven’t had a night like this for years!’

  ‘When you farangs get going there’s no stopping you is there?’ she smiled back.

  There was no need to be upset by the brawl. No real damage was being done. The girls, including Pan, had all managed to get clear. Big Barry was enjoying himself. Even John, normally so quiet, was whooping out loud as he belted another head with an ashtray. Even the farang girls joined in. Two of them were giving Jim a real hammering.

  It was Mirak who turned up a couple of minutes later. He was wearing civilian clothes even though the two constables with him were in full uniform. They both had their nightsticks out. Instead of charging in and breaking a few skulls however, Mirak held them back and spoke to Siswan.

  ‘Hello, Siswan,’ he said. ‘How would you like us to deal with this?’

  ‘With the minimum of fuss, Mirak,’ she said. ‘Please use discretion.’

  ‘Okay. No problem,’ he said back to her. ‘Good to see you again.’

  Without waiting for a reply, he walked back to his constables. Said a few words. The three of them moved into the fray. The constables refrained from using their nightsticks but made sure no one interfered with the passage of their boss. One or two farangs felt themselves being shoved unceremoniously aside.

  When they reached the centre, Mirak took a police whistle from his pocket and blew an ear piercing blast that stopped everyone in their tracks.

  ‘We can do this two ways,’ he said in perfect English. ‘The easy way or, better still, my way.’ He shot a grin to Siswan.

  She watched as he placated the farang customers. Was surprised how easily he calmed everyone down. He even cracked a joke or two to put everyone at their ease. He inspected one or two skulls and, having found Jim with a nasty gash across his forehead, instructed his constables to escort him to the hospital. Finally, when calm had once again descended and the customers returned to drinking and talking about what had happened, he returned to where Siswan stood with Mike and the girls.

  ‘No trouble, Siswan. They seem quite happy,’ he said.

  ‘You handled that very well, Mirak. Thank you,’ she replied.

  ‘Some are easier than others to deal with.’ He grinned.

  He gave a nod towards Mike and even went as far as to offer him a genuine smile. Siswan was impressed. Here was a man who appeared so confident in his manner. A man who had obviously learned the ways of the farang. Mike nodded in reply before he and the girls went back to work, leaving the police sergeant and Siswan alone.

  ‘Thank you again, Mirak,’ she said, not really knowing what else to say.

  ‘Your bar is doing very well, Siswan. I’m very impressed,’ he told her as he looked around.

  ‘It’s not my bar, Mirak. I just work here.’

  ‘Well, before you came it was ready to close down.’

  ‘It just needed a little help, that’s all.’

  ‘Do you work every day?’ he asked, looking into her eyes.

  ‘Yes.’ She cut him off.

  She didn’t want any complications. Not now. Now that everything was starting to go right in her life. Especially the type of complications a local m
an could bring. Especially, a local policeman.

  ‘I was wondering if, perhaps, you would like to meet up for a coffee one day?’ he asked her.

  His voice sounded slightly unsure. As though he wasn’t used to asking that type of question.

  ‘No. Thank you, but no,’ she replied.

  ‘Oh, okay.’ He sounded disappointed. ‘Well, maybe we’ll meet again under better circumstances.’

  ‘Probably when you come for your money.’ Siswan couldn’t help the cutting remark. Couldn’t prevent herself from testing him. To see how he reacted. To her surprise, he laughed.

  ‘Yes. Probably,’ he said. ‘Mind you, I think you got your monies worth this month.’

  ‘I was impressed by the way you handled it.’ She softened a little.

  ‘Thank you. That makes us both impressed by each other. Something in common, Siswan.’ He grinned. Such an infectious grin.

  ‘I’d better be getting back to work,’ she told him, without moving.

  ‘Yes. Me too.’ He didn’t move either.

  ‘Look,’ he started.

  ‘I just,’ she began.

  They both laughed. Siswan couldn’t help but like the man. All of her experience told her not to like him. Not to trust him. To leave well enough alone. But there was something in his confident and easy manner that attracted her.

  ‘You first,’ she said.

  ‘No. No, ladies first. I insist.’

  ‘Okay. I was just going to say that I don’t need any complications in my life at the moment. I’m busy and I’m happy, okay?’ She looked into his eyes.

  ‘That’s fair enough, Siswan. I don’t want to be a complication to you,’ he said, seriously. ‘I only proposed a coffee, not marriage.’

  She tried really hard. Told herself that it wouldn’t be any good. Mentally kicked herself to bring her mind back to the business in hand. She didn’t have time for this. Didn’t have the inclination. She didn’t need anyone. She reminded herself that the only person she could trust, the only person she could truly rely upon, was herself.