Karaoke adventures (part 2)

'Don't come here looking for trouble,' I told Mr Lonely, who gave me a pouty look. 'We barely know each other, so how can we go home with you?'

'Yes, don't come here looking for trouble,' Dong agreed, coming to my aid. How charming, I thought.

Mr Lonely turned his attention to Gap, who has long hair, pulled in under a cap he wears permanently. Gap studies law, and works for an outfit which checks how well copyright law is being upheld at VCD shops. Occasionally he turns up at Mum's shop with a bag full of pirated VCDs, confiscated in raids, which he hands out to friends.

Gap is quiet and serious. If you did not know him you might think he was gay, especially with the long hair. I am sure Mum has told him that I like men, but it doesn't worry him, as we are friends.

'You are a member of our small family here,' he said last night, referring to the regular customers at Mum's shop. 'We look after each other.'

And look after me he did. As I sat in the karaoke shop earlier, wondering how we could escape Mr Lonely's advances, Gap called, and asked me when we were returning to Mum's shop.

'Fifteen minutes,' I said.

When I failed to return at the agreed time, he walked down to the karaoke shop to fetch me. I took that opportunity to urge young Dong and Bom to leave too, we paid our bill and walked out - only to have Mr Lonely bound after us back down the street.

Back at Mum's shop, Gap ignored Mr Lonely's overtures.

'Wherever I go, I go alone,' he said. This is true: Gap is a loner.

'It is so hard to meet quality people at night,' Gap said unhappily. 'As a farang, you have to be aware that some Thais will try to con you,' he told me.

Gap was just as wary about young Dong. 'I don't know if he likes men or women,' said Gap, urging me to be careful.

Ultimately, Dong decided he would attempt to dispose of Mr Lonely himself.

Dong offered to fetch Mr Lonely a taxi, in the hope it would persuade him to go. Standing at the taxi, Mr Lonely started pawing Dong, and tried to pull him inside.

'I will not let them go together,' I warned Gap.

'He's old enough now to look after himself,' said Gap. Dong is aged in his early 20s.

Still, I felt protective. Dong was drunk, and vulnerable.

After Dong pushed some money into the taxi driver's hand, and closed the door, Mr Lonely finally consented to leave.

'That cost me B50, getting rid of that problem,' said Dong unhappily, as the taxi pulled away.

He had been paying all night, first for beers at Mum's place, then again at the karaoke shop. I wondered if he knew how much money he had spent.

__

When I met him at Mum's shop, I was actually hoping to go home, as I was tired. But then Dong decided to fill my glass with beer from his own bottle, which obliged me to stay longer, so I could return the favour. Crafty.

We were sitting with kathoey Bom. Dong likes to sing, and was pestering Bom to accompany him to the karaoke shop.

Bom works at a karaoke shop himself, and I am sure had heard enough bad singing for one night, but graciously agreed.

I was still reluctant, as I don't like noise. But nor did I want to lose the company of handsome Dong.

I asked Bom if he thought Dong was gay. Bom said he doubted it, as he was too good-looking.

Dong, aged in his early 20s and from Esan, was wearing a white T-shirt, white dress singlet, and jeans. His hair was thick, wavy and short. His eyebrows - one of his best features - are so full they almost knit together. His smile lights up his face.

Thais have a prodigious memory for names. As soon as they hear my name, they memorise it. Dong was no different, though he decided he liked the sound of the name 'Peter', too.

Peter is not my name, but must have sounded similar to him, so for most of the night I became 'Peter' as well.

I have more trouble remembering names than my Thai friends, though in Dong's case I just called him 'brother,' as that is what he wanted to be.

'I want to be your younger brother,' he said. 'I like you.'

I was waiting for those ubiquitous words, which straight Thais like to toss about when drunk - 'I LOVE YOU! - but in the end they did not come.

Still, being brothers was fine. We had only just met after all.

now, see part 3