He finally arrived, half an hour later. When I saw him, I knew why he had taken so long. Boy came not alone, but with two gay friends. All three guys were dressed smartly, in their going-out clothes.
They had invited themselves along with Boy, who expected the farang to pay.
At that hour, hardly anything was open in that part of town, but eventually we found a tiny restaurant with a karaoke place tucked in the back. It was gloomy inside, and looked rough.
'Are you sure you don't mind coming to a place like this?' Boy asked repeatedly.
Young Boy was keen on cuddles. He could barely sit in his chair, and would lean over so he could rest in my arms instead.
This farang did indeed have to pay bill: B1800 for the four of us. Someone from the shop escorted me to an ATM. No doubt he was afraid I would flee.
I saw Boy a few more times, but eventually the novelty faded. He barely eats, and had lost a lot of weight. He works six days a week, so we had few chances to meet.
I also found it hard to get to his place, as taxis do not know the way, and get lost.
The night at the karaoke bar, he asked me if I lived with anyone. 'I live with my boyfriend,' I said.
That's the only time he mentioned it.
After we finished drinking, the boys invited me back to their place to get some rest.
The three boys had only recently moved to town from the provinces, and lived in a room with just one bed, whose owner was a generous type.
If one of his friends brought home someone for the night, he would vacate the bed and sleep on the floor with the other guy.
So it was this night - the boy who owned the bed volunteered to sleep on the floor so that Boy and I could sleep in comfort on a bed.
The young man who gave up his bed spent an hour squirming about on the floor. I could tell he was getting little sleep.
At one point, he rolled over, and mumbled drunkenly to Boy: 'Hasn't the farang gone yet?'
Hearing that, the farang decided he should better push off....and not before time, too, as the sun was coming out.
Boy was a pleasant young man, but best left to the company of his own friends. They are struggling to survive in Bangkok, and do not have much time for anyone else.
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