Chalerm’s grandmother was in the house, sitting on the floor watching television. I had not met the grandmother before. Like her husband she had few teeth but she was stronger and more fit than he was. She had an air of authority. She was the head of the clan. The grandmother had a nine-year-old girl she looked after. This was one of Samart’s cousins who stayed with her grandparents while the parents were away working.
A new hotel had opened in Anyburi and we no longer needed to stay in the bordello with the karaoke ladies.
It was Saturday evening and the main road in Anyburi had youths racing motorbikes, they lay flat over their bikes and shouted to each other. Pick-up trucks with drunk drivers were also out. The once-a-week night market was on in a field and traffic was busy. I was glad I could park the rental car still in one piece. I should be awarded a t-shirt reading “I survived driving in Thailand”.
I had noticed in the car that Chalerm was in a bad mood. I didn’t know why. Maybe he was tired of waiting for me and had made plans that had to be cancelled when I was late.
- I want go market, said Chalerm.
- You can go. I am tired and would like to rest, I said.
- Is far, said Chalerm.
- OK, I will give you money to get a tuk-tuk, I said.
- You take me, said Chalerm.
- I would rather not… I began, but Chalerm turned up the sound of the television and put his fingers in his ears.
- I am too tired and I don’t want to drive now with those drunken people out on the road, I said. It is dark now and dangerous. And this is my first day driving in Thailand.
But Chalerm didn’t hear. He got up and slammed the door as he left.
How touchy he is today, I thought. If I had known it was this important I could have driven him. But he didn’t give me the chance to change my mind. Still, the market was just a 15-minute walking distance away, maybe less. Anyburi wasn’t that big. This is a power struggle, I thought. He wants to boss me around.
I slept for a couple of hours and Chalerm had not returned when I woke. I went to the 7-Eleven, which was near the night market, but didn’t see Chalerm. Again it seemed like many of the people who were out were drunk. I didn’t know Saturday night in the countryside was this lively.
At the 7-Eleven a group of street kids were loitering outside. One of them was a teenage boy. I must have looked at him a millisecond more than I should because he followed me into the shop. He had partly unbuttoned his dirty shirt to show some skin and smiled at me. The 7-Eleven had been crowded when I arrived but suddenly there were just the street kid and I. I could tell why - he stank. The poor kid was a BO disaster and (I am not making this up) he had his own personal fly, which swarmed around him. When the boy left the shop the fly left with him.
I gave the kids 10 baht each. They grinned knowingly and seemed to hope I would take them behind the bushes for a quickie. Begging, stealing and selling themselves. That’s how street kids survive.
Chalerm was still not back at the hotel. I called his mobile but the phone was turned off. I knew he wanted me to worry but I could not help it. My mind kept producing gloomy theories about where he was and what had happened to him.
I called him several times during the night but could not get through. But at 6am he knocked on the door. I was annoyed and toyed with the idea of not letting him in and instead hand him his bag through the door. I wanted to show him that two could play this game. But I was too softhearted. He came to bed without a word and fell asleep.
At 10am he woke and wanted to go to the village. I needed more sleep. Again Chalerm got angry and again he left while slamming the door. I regretted I had not put my foot down earlier.
Tags: gay boy, gay Thailand