11
Chalerm and I returned to Bangkok by bus. He went to his family in Chatuchack, I went to Sphinx in soi 4 to have dinner with Farang D. Farang D sat alone at a table with a suffering look on his face. His boyfriend Golf, the sweet and boyish 20something with the university education, was not there.
- Where is Golf? I asked.
- I don’t know.
- He disappeared?
- We had an argument.
- About what?
- About who could use the computer first.
- When Thai boys make a fuss it is always about important issues, I said.
- It had been building up for a while. The computer was an excuse to make a scene.
- Again?
- He is improving. It is a month since last incident. It used to be every week.
- How long this time?
- Usually he will be gone for two or three days.
- Where do you think he is?
- I have no idea. He doesn’t answer his mobile phone. But he will come back. He will walk in as if nothing happened and neither of us will mention it again.
- They always come back.
- The trouble is we can never be sure of that.
Farang D sent the fish back to the kitchen while I started my lemon chicken. The queeny waiter made a good act out of squeezing the lemon.
- Congratulations, said Farang D. - I hear you own a Thai family now.
- I don’t know about that.
- You are going to support them?
- Only the boy.
- What about the grandparents?
- Someone must help the grandparents. They are getting too old to work. If not the boy has to quit school and get some factory job.
- You are making an investment with no promise of any return.
- I can afford it.
- Are you sure you will get to see him once school starts? He will be up there in Lopburi.
- I don’t know. But I hope so.
The week before school was to begin Chalerm called me from a pay phone. He was upset but could not bring himself to say why. There was a long silence.
- Please tell me, I said. - How can I help you if I don’t know what the problem is?
- If I say you angry me.
- No, I won’t be angry with you.
- You angry me.
- No. I promise.
More silence.
- Say it. Please please please.
- No money pay school.
- What?
- Money finished. No have.
- Did you spend it?
- No.
- So why don’t you have the money?
- No have.
- I don’t understand. I gave you 2000 baht. What did you do with it?
- Give mother.
- She kept the money for you?
- Yes. But no have.
I looked at my watch. It was 10 pm.
- Come here to the hotel, I said. We have to talk about this.
Half an hour later, thanks to the light evening traffic, Chalerm rang my door bell. He was tense.
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