Fragrant chef, abstinent home, allowance jitters

Boyfriend Maiyuu is back from a trip to the supermarket in Silom. ‘It’s time for a shower,’ he announced. ‘It’s my first one in three days.’

I’m pleased I didn’t get too close.

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‘Keep it...he has work tomorrow, so shouldn’t drink.’

That was Ball’s brother-in-law, Tum, who looked alarmed when I turned up at the door waving a B100 note.

I had offered the money to his mother.

‘You might want to keep this, in case Ball wants a few drinks tonight,’ I said.

It was an innocent enough offer, I thought. Ball had called me half an hour before, after rising from a late afternoon sleep.

I know what he is like. When he is sitting at home, with nothing else to do, he likes to play with the kids, chat with the girlfriend, perhaps watch TV, or play on the computer.

Often, his mother will buy him a few beers, but when the drink ends, he will busy himself doing something else.

Yesterday, he went out with his girlfriend, Jay, in the morning.

Later, he slept.

In the early evening, he went out for a game of football. About 11pm, when I was to make my final contact for the day, he had just turned in for bed.

When I called in, he had the whole night ahead of him. After playing ball, I thought, he might like to relax over a beer. I would rather he drink in a sensible, controlled manner than the no-holds-barred marathons of the past.

Ball is doing well. He likes his new job, and wants to make something of himself.

However, it was only a few weeks ago when Mr Ball’s life was a mess.

He spent hours at carer R’s ya dong stand every night, rising late the next day.

His family despaired as Ball turned down one job after another, fought with his girlfriend, and appeared unwilling to help himself.

Tum still remembers the old Ball, which explains his startled reaction when I made my offer.

I can understand Tum’s concern. Far too much booze flows in Ball’s home. They live in a slum, where such things flow freely.

The problem is bad enough without my adding to it. In future I will resist making such offers, as they make me look bad too.

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I have yet to decide whether to subsidise the food/travel money which Mum gives Ball to meet his expenses at work.

Ball’s Mum gives him about B60 a day, which is enough for lunch and a magazine. It is not enough to cover a motorcycle ride home, should he find himself stranded in Silom without a lift, as he was last Friday.

Mr Ball’s brother normally takes him to work, and, 12 hours later, picks him up for the journey home. However, sometimes he forgets, as he did last week.

Ball was forced to walk home, a journey which took more than an hour.

Reader Hendrik argues that a walk after work wouldn’t do Ball any harm, should his brother again forget to pick him up.

However, I don’t like the thought of Ball having to walk such a long way. He's only just started his job, and I want it to go well. I do not want him to return to the way he was before.

To safeguard against such problems, I thought I might top up the money which his mother gives Ball, at least until he saves enough for a deposit on his own motorbike.

Another B40 a day would give him enough to hire a motorcyce taxi home...though, as another reader pointed out yesterday, he could always take a bus, which is much cheaper, though is unlikely to go right to his front door.

I will talk to his Mum, and see what she says. I will also consider how guilty I am likely to feel if I embark on this venture.

Any money which I invest in Ball is money which I could spend on myself, or long-suffering boyfriend Maiyuu.

So, we will see.