The Travel Mate

by Mark Green

  ‘Time to face a new reality,’ she muttered as she headed for the stairs.

  Maddie glanced at the calculator screen clutched in the elderly lady’s wrinkly fingers. ‘Bhat or dollar?’ she asked.

  ‘Bhat, okay.’

  Maddie held up a fifty Bhat note and passed it with the bag of clothes over the wood trestle table, which sagged with piles of neatly folded clothes. She dipped her head at the old lady’s three-brown-teeth smile.

  Priority number one, sorted.

  • • •

  Rupert listened to the electronic ring tone, his eyes darting between his watch, the check-in clerk and the other passengers filtering across the concourse.

  ‘Hello? I’m still at the airport. There’s been a … complication.’

  ‘What sort of complication?’ the voice rasped.

  Rupert hesitated, his heartbeat pulsing at the back of his throat. The check-in clerk caught his eye. She tapped her watch, shook her head and flicked her hands out flat, palms down – indicating finito.

  ‘Something … significant.’

  • • •

  Maddie studied the Lonely Planet guide, tracing Liz’s handwritten route and notes sketched on the map page. The accompanying doodles comprised train tracks, bus and aeroplane symbols that linked together in a dot-to-dot of places Liz had visited. Distance or time notes between points had been scrawled next to key locations. Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos …

  ‘Hi, mind if I grab this seat?’

  Maddie flinched, glancing over towards the English voice, her cheeks reddening. ‘Of course.’ She shuffled along on the sofa, swung her bag onto the floor.

  ‘Thanks. I’m Victoria. You sound English.’

  ‘Oh. Yes … I’m Maddie. English, yes. You?’

  ‘For too long. I’m doing my best to shift the accent – that’s travelling, right?’

  ‘I guess …’

  ‘So, Maddie. Are you going to Gullible Travels tonight?’

  ‘Gullible Travels?’

  ‘Yeah, I know, odd play on words. The owner reckons it suits this place.’

  ‘Bangkok?’

  Victoria nodded, held a bottle of beer to her lips, gulping back a mouthful. ‘Specifically the Khao San Road. He’s a local guy. American G.I. dad, Thai mother – from the Vietnam war. He calls himself Gung Ho Joe, Joe-Ho for short. I know, I know, it’s out there. Gullible Travels is sort of … notorious around here.’

  ‘Notorious for what?’

  Victoria raised an eyebrow, rummaging in her shoulder bag for a packet of cigarettes. She offered them to Maddie.

  ‘No, thank you, I don’t.’

  Victoria nodded, lit up and drew back smoke, luxuriating in the nicotine sensation. ‘Come along tonight and see for yourself. It’ll be fun.’

  Maddie shrugged. ‘Maybe. Are you travelling on your own?’

  ‘I wasn’t, until a few days ago. Ellis moved on.’

  ‘Oh, sorry to hear that.’

  Victoria took another swig of beer, raising her corner lip, pouting. ‘Don’t be. It was time, y’know.’

  ‘So how long are you here for?’

  ‘In Bangkok? Depends how long it takes to get hooked up.’

  ‘With another guy?’

  Victoria shrugged. ‘Guy, girl or small group. I don’t travel well on my own. So I will be there tonight. You fancy it?’

  ‘Err … sure, okay. What time?’

  ‘Meet me here at nine. We’ll walk there together.’ Victoria leaned over the table and stubbed out her cigarette, leaving it smouldering in the ashtray. She stood up, surveying the clusters of travellers lounging on sofas. She winked at Maddie and picked up her bottle of beer, heading for a group of girls huddled together on the far side of the lobby. Maddie watched Victoria pick her way through the other hotel guests, occasionally nodding and pausing to exchange a few words with some of them.

  • • •

  ‘Good price, lady. Velly good price. You buy, yes?’

  ‘Is it the same as quality as Apple? It doesn’t look the same—’

  ‘Same-same – best in Bangkok!’ The young Thai girl slipped the phone charger out of its cellophane packet and inserted the small plug into Maddie’s iPhone. She held out the mains power end of the charger and led Maddie behind the market stall. ‘Look, see …’ The girl plugged the lead into a cracked socket held together with duct tape. ‘Working, yes? Look, see.’

  Maddie crouched down and squinted at the phone’s screen. ‘Okay, yes. How much?’

  ‘Good price, lady. For you, twenty dollar.’

  ‘Twenty dollars seems—’

  ‘Excessive, even for Bangkok. Five would still be cheeky, but she’s a cute kid.’

  Maddie turned towards the Australian accent behind her. She shielded her eyes from the sun, squinting behind her fingers, just able to make out the features of the camera guy from outside the hotel. He looked to be around five foot eight, slim with scruffy gingery-blonde hair. ‘Haggle like you mean it,’ he said, his green eyes twinkling with constant energy. ‘I’m Barry, this is my girlfriend, Jody.’

  ‘Oh, right. I’m Maddie.’

  Barry nodded, dropping his eyes. ‘Nice iPhone. Is it the latest version?’

  ‘It was, a few weeks ago.’

  ‘Cool. Hey, you fancy winning me two hundred Bhat? Jody here swears you’re some sort of celeb. I reckon she’s talking out of her English arse – so tell me, have you ever appeared in a magazine? Fashion, gossip … glamour?’ Barry exaggerated a cheek-crunching playful wink. Jody dug him in the ribs. He laughed and draped his arm over her shoulder.

  ‘Just kidding, about the glamour mag. Although …’ He waggled his ring finger. ‘Readers’ wives – it’s never too late.’ Barry grinned, then quickly backed away as Maddie blushed. ‘I’m just horsing around. Seriously, you’re far too classy for the low end stuff. Jody’s convinced you’re famous.’

  ‘Um … not famous, no. I had a well-known boyfriend a few years ago, got photographed with him in some gossip magazines. It was—’

  ‘I knew it!’ squealed Jody, untangling from beneath Barry’s arm to punch him playfully on the shoulder. She held a palm out. ‘Pay up, mister!’

  Maddie dropped her gaze to the pavement.

  ‘Famous lady – I take photo?’ The Thai girl grinned, wide and toothy, clamping herself to Maddie’s side, wrapping her small arms around her waist.

  ‘Take the girl’s photo first, Barry. Then it’s my turn. I want this on film.’

  Barry glanced at Maddie. He shrugged apologetically and slipped the bulky camera off his shoulder. He removed the lens cap and hunched over the viewfinder. ‘Okay ladies, say … clazy-clazy-celebrity.’ Barry adjusted his stance as he rattled off several shots, then popped his head over the viewfinder, catching Maddie’s eye. ‘This might sound a bit weird, just something I do – to capture the moment.’ He ducked behind the camera, fired off another shot, then held the shutter down, speaking in a fast, seamless murmur.

  Memory Card 2. Pic 368

  ‘The famous it girl, daughter of an English earl. Former gossip magazine pin-up struggles to keep her chin up. Once a darling of the British establishment with her legions of fans, she attempts to strike a hard bargain for an authentic fake phone-charger brand. This will most likely break within the next forty-eight hours, around the time her love affair with Bangkok inevitably sours. Fame and fakery, folks, is a dodgy mix, if only she’d not posed all those years ago for some dodgy magazine pics …’

  Maddie frowned, releasing her arm from the girl’s shoulder. She glanced at Jody, who shrugged, faux regretfully – he does that.

  ‘No break, mister! Velly good quality, best for iPhone!’ The girl broke away from Maddie and darted over to Barry, clutching her small fingers around his hands, easing his camera down low enough for her to peer at the screen. ‘I almost as pretty.’

  ‘Prettier!’ said Barry, grinning at her.

  ‘You take again?’ The girl pulled a cellphone from her back
pocket, thrust it towards Barry.

  ‘Sure.’

  The girl repositioned herself next to Maddie.

  Shh-clitch.

  ‘Okay, famous lady. Five dollar,’ said the girl, grinning and holding out her hand.

  Maddie extracted a twenty dollar note from her purse. ‘Do you have change?’

  The girl snatched the note and disappeared behind the market stall.

  ‘That’s the last you’ll see of her, or your twenty,’ said Barry, chuckling.

  ‘My turn. You don’t mind, do you,’ said Jody, shuffling up to Maddie’s side and draping an arm over her shoulder. ‘Come on Barry, one more.’

  ‘Oh, I’m not really worth photographing. I’m nobody, now …’ Maddie tried to ease away, but Jody leaned in closer.

  ‘Nobody is a nobody,’ said Barry, pulling a small bundle of Thai currency from his pocket. He peeled off several notes. ‘Here, paid in full,’ he said, offering the cash to Jody, who snatched the notes from him and fanned them out under her chin. Barry stepped back, his camera poised.

  ‘Okay, say … nobody.’ Barry squeezed the shutter release, capturing Jody’s victorious wide-eyed pout above the currency and Maddie’s tight-lipped politeness.

  Is there no escape from my past?

  ‘Cheers. I knew I recognised you.’

  ‘Here lady, fifteen dollar. Okay?’ The girl thrust the money into Maddie’s hands, allowing her the perfect excuse to step away from Jody.

  ‘Nice business, with you,’ said the girl, hugging Maddie.

  ‘Thanks for indulging us. Enjoy Thailand,’ said Barry, tugging on Jody’s hand.

  Maddie watched Barry steer Jody away through the other market stalls and crowds of travellers. Just before Maddie dropped her eyes away, Barry and Jody paused to cross a road, allowing him to rotate a little further than necessary as he checked for traffic. He flicked his gaze back at her, smiling as they made eye contact. He winked cheekily – gotcha.

  She looked away quickly, turning to wander off in the opposite direction.

  • • •

  Maddie unlocked her room and stepped into the relative cool, cramps spiking deep within her stomach as she scanned the unfamiliar traveller’s life spread out on the bed.

  What am I really doing here?

  She placed the shoulder bag on the far side of the bed, swept the remaining contents of Liz’s backpack onto the floor and sank down onto the mattress. She untied the walking boots, eased them off and lay back, closing her eyes.

  Why do you have to be such an arse, Rupert?

  • • •

  ‘You take me here, yes?’

  The taxi driver peered at Rupert’s smartphone, scrutinising the address contained in the message. ‘Yes. Five hundred Baht, okay?’

  Rupert nodded, withdrew the phone. He used his foot to shove the wheeled Samsonite suitcase towards the back of the taxi, prompting the driver to dutifully leap out of his seat and heave it into the boot.

  ‘Damn you Maddie. Why go all independent on me now?’ Rupert muttered as he climbed into the back seat, sank down into the worn fabric and closed his eyes. ‘You’ve properly screwed things up.’

  • • •

  ‘I also do wedding photography. That’s a real art, let me tell you … but right now, it’s all about the book.’

  Barry watched the middle-aged Brit sitting at the café’s adjacent table examine the camera, feeling its weight. He closed one eye, offered the other to the viewfinder, twisting the bulky lens in and out.

  ‘And the title of the book is Shutter …’

  ‘Stutter.’

  ‘Shutter Stutter. Catchy, I like it. So it’s a coffee table picture book?’

  Barry nodded. ‘But with a by-line below the title: The camera never lies, cries or sighs. It’s an original concept. I capture striking images and fuse them with twenty seconds of instantaneous reactive and instinctive context.’

  The man pulled a suitably impressed face. ‘Isn’t this a bit chunky, by modern standards?’

  ‘You get what you pay for, chief. I don’t like the newer, smaller units. I like to hold the camera’s weight, feel the gravity of my responsibility.’

  The Brit chuckled. ‘Sounds like you take your art pretty seriously.’ He passed the camera back to Barry.

  ‘Totally. One shutter squeeze can immortalise an everyday hero, or antagonise a nation. I capture the truth, always.’

  ‘No Photoshop exceptions?’

  ‘Never. That’s not how I roll.’

  The Brit nodded, glancing skywards as a hand touched him on the shoulder. ‘I’m ready. Shall we go …?’ said his wife, smiling at Barry.

  The Brit shuffled to his feet and offered his hand. ‘Great talking to you. Good luck with the book, it sounds intriguing. Hang onto this one, love, he’ll be filthy rich one day.’

  Jody draped her arm over Barry’s shoulder, pulling him close. ‘He’s already rich – he’s got me.’

  Barry eased away from Jody and stood up, clasping the Brit’s hand. ‘Cheers. I enjoyed sharing time.’ Barry watched the middle-aged couple meander away through the restaurant. He turned to Jody. ‘Nice guy.’

  ‘Yeah, for an old timer.’

  Barry regarded Jody with a mischievous sparkle in his eye. ‘We’re all heading that way, Jody. Everyone’s worn the nappies—’

  ‘On different timelines?’

  ‘You got it.’ He flicked his gaze past her.

  ‘You want to back up any files, send them home before we move on?’

  Barry remained still, maintaining an unblinking expression as he watched the couple meander down the street. Jody leaned in close, whispering in his ear. ‘Because I thought, before we go out, you might want to plug your memory card into my hard drive slot, and upload some … pixels.’

  Barry snapped his head around. ‘Let’s go, times a-wastin’!’ He sprung up from his seat, tugged on Jody’s hand and hustled her towards the street. They left a trail of wobbling chairs and screeching laughter in their wake.

  Eight

  Something, at the far recess of her mind … a distant light flicking through her subconscious, rousing awareness, gradually firing up recollections. She tried to push the sensation away, sink back to sleep. Almost succeeding.

  Louder now: Knock, knock, knock!

  A pause, then a muffled, insistent voice. ‘Maddie? It’s Victoria – we met earlier. Are you okay? We’re going to Gullible Travels, remember? It’s gonna be a great evening, you’ll regret not coming …’

  Maddie stumbled out of bed. She scrunched her eyes tightly shut, then forced them open a fraction as she prised the door open.

  ‘Oh, hi. Sorry, did I wake you?’ Victoria eased the door back and breezed into the room. ‘We need to get you ready.’

  ‘Ready for what …?’ Maddie yawned and scrunched her hair.

  ‘The first night of the rest of your life.’ Victoria surveyed the contents of the room.

  ‘Oh, right. Thing is, thanks for thinking of me, but I put Liz – my clothes in for a wash. So I’m going to have to pass. Sorry.’

  ‘Come on, it’ll be fun. First cocktail is free.’

  ‘But I’ve literally got nothing to wear. Everything is in the—’

  Victoria grinned and rummaged in her shoulder bag. She held up a pristine white tee-shirt with two four-inch diameter heart shape emblems side by side, at breast height. The left heart contained the horizontal red, white and blue bands of the Thai national flag, within which a triangular stickwoman held hands with her male counterpart opposite, contained within an American stars and stripes motif in the right heart shape. Written centrally in the gap above the emblems, a bold US Army typeface proclaimed: Joe-Ho’s. Mirroring this text in the gap below the heart-shaped flags: Gullible Travels.

  Maddie rubbed her eyes and squinted at the tee-shirt. ‘That’s an interesting design …’

  ‘Wait till you meet the man behind it all.’ Victoria tossed the tee-shirt to Maddie and turned her back. ‘Sli
p it on, we’ll get going.’

  ‘This is sounding suspiciously like an Ibiza bar promotion evening.’

  Maddie sat down on the bed, leaned back against the wall and folded her arms. She watched Victoria half-turn, study her briefly, before stepping over and perching on the edge of the bed. ‘Okay, I’ll fess up. It is a promotional evening. And yes, I’m earning commission, which I desperately need. And I mean really, really need. Please, Maggie, help me out here. It’ll be—’

  ‘Maddie.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I’m Maddie.’

  ‘Oh, sorry. How about it, help me out … please? Just come along for one drink, which’ll be free.’

  ‘I’m pretty tired, I’d rather get some more rest and—’

  ‘Resting is for retired people on a slippery slope to the big sleep. Or married couples who’ve lost their passion for life.’ Victoria glanced at Maddie’s left hand, raising her eyebrows. ‘You’re not telling me you’re happily married …?’

  Maddie shrunk back against the headboard, arms unfolding, fingers fiddling with her ring. ‘I’m engaged.’

  Victoria shrugged, indicating what’s the difference? ‘I don’t see a committed fiancé anywhere close by.’ She leant down, checking under the bed. ‘He’s not under there. Maybe he’s hiding in here …?’ She slid the bedside cabinet’s top drawer open, peered inside. ‘Nope.’

  ‘Okay, fair point, but I want to be on my own right now …’

  ‘Come on Maddie, level with me. Your fiancé has gone AWOL. So what, he’s an arsehole – screw him! Get out there, plot your revenge. I’ll help you, if you’ll support another fallen comrade.’

  Maddie’s cheeks twitched, her face relaxing into a smile. ‘Fallen comrade? Where did you get your sales patter?’

  ‘Past jobs – estate agents, charity fundraiser, accident compensation call centre. Is it working?’

  Maddie sighed and reached for the Gullible Travels tee-shirt. ‘Give me five minutes, okay?’

  ‘You’ve got ninety seconds. I’ll be outside the door.’

  • • •

  Maddie followed Victoria into the lobby. A dozen assorted travellers watched them enter.