Bad back strikes, the phone girl pays a visit, Ball's Mum opens up

I am sorry for the lack of blogging action over the last few days; I have a sore back.

The chest cold I caught a few weeks ago has now turned into an old man's wheezy asthmatic cough, and when I cough, my back aches.

I went to see the doctor the other day. The pills she gave me (four different types, though I don’t know what any of them are called) should hopefully put things right.

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Maiyuu ducked out briefly, and turned up again with Golf, his woman friend who owns a pet Chihuahua.

‘Can Golf use the toilet?’ Maiyuu asked as soon as he returned.

Visitors to our place can see almost everything from the front door.

I was naked at the time, as I was preparing to take a shower.

Thankfully, I had time to get behind my bedroom door before the main door separating our unit from the outside world opened fully.

While she was in the toilet, I heard Golf’s cellphone go. It rings almost constantly, so she has plenty of distractions tugging her away from whatever business she is transacting with people face-to-face.

I could tell her any kind of shocking news, and I doubt she would have time to register, as her phone would have started ringing again.

It pulls her back into the world of electronic communication as opposed to the face-to-face stuff which most of us call Real Life.

‘Your Mum is on steroids and wants to become a man.’

‘Oh, hang on, my phone’s going.’

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Carer R has been on a visit to the provinces, but hopefully should be back by the time I wander across the slum section to drink at his ya dong stall tonight.

I have just embarked on my weekend break, and am looking forward to meeting people, something I rarely get the chance to do during the working week, as I am stuck in an office.

When I wandered into the slummy section two days ago, a boy aged under 10 who is related to carer R was serving customers at his ya dong stall.

‘Are sales going well?’ I asked. He was pouring a shot glass for some grizzled old man.

‘Not so well. Some customers come because they like talking to P' R, and he isn’t here,’ the young one said.

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I haven’t seen Ball the egg-seller since last week, though I did meet his mother, when I dropped in to see her at her home on Friday.

I took food, as I recall Mum had asked Ball anxiously a few days before when his pay packet was due.

Ball has found work selling eggs at a supermarket.

Mum invited me in. Ball was at work, as was her partner, taxi driver Lort.

Ball’s younger brother Beer, who ferries around members of the family on his motorbike, was there, as was Ball’s surly girlfriend, Jay.

Jay barely acknowledged me, perhaps because she suspects (rightly) that I hear terrible things about her from her boyfriend Ball.

A few weeks ago, Ball thought he might have impregnated the girl. That scare has now passed. It was just wishful thinking on her part, it seems, though it gave Ball a fright at the time.

Jay lives with Ball’s family, even though they have little enough money as it is.

She fell out with her own parents, who live in Chiang Mai. She works in a supermarket, but still asks Ball's family for help.

Ball wants to end their relationship, but feels sorry for her.

‘How can I throw her out if she has nowhere to go?’

‘Just do it,’ I said. ‘She is visiting her own problems upon your family. You are young, and deserve your freedom.’

Mum looked just as unhappy when I asked her about Jay.

‘They fight, but she won’t go. We end up paying for everything,’ she said quietly.

Jay has an elder brother in Bangkok, staying at a university dorm. 'She won't live with him, as it costs more,' said Mum.

Just like Ball, Mum could always say no, but won’t pluck up the courage. I can't feel too sympathetic.

Mum showed me pictures of Ball’s birth father; and a school leaving picture of Ball's elder brother, a soldier. He will be home in a few weeks.

'You must come and meet him,' said Mum.

While Ball and Beer look like their Mum, their elder brother the soldier is the spitting image of their Dad, who died a few years ago.