Maiyuu's ya dong, Ball's demons

Chef Maiyuu is trying his hand at ya dong. After hearing me talking about my friends at the ya dong stand over the last few months, he felt inspired to try making the drink himself.

I can’t tell you too much about it here – not because it’s a state secret, but because Google will yank the advertising from my page if I mention that dread word which starts with ‘A’, and which most people associate with a good time.

‘My ya dong will also help you sleep, as I added lavender,’ said Maiyuu.

The cheesecloth pouch sticking out of the top of the jug contains the herbal ingredients, which mixed with lao khao (the dreaded ‘A’), give ya dong its distinctive flavour, and supposed medicinal benefits.

Maiyuu whipped it up this morning, after making an early trip to the supermarket to buy ingredients. It will sit on the shelf for the next two days. After that we can try his brew, to see how it turned out.

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Maiyuu’s pie, which he whipped up the other day, contained dry fruit, oats, almonds, apple, honey, and even a little cream, to help lend it a caramel flavour.

At Maiyuu’s suggestion, I took a couple of slices to Ball’s family last night. Young Mr B answered the door, as his mother the slum lender was doing the rounds of folks in the neighbourhood who owe her money. In the early evening, she visits their homes to collect interest on their debts.

I haven’t asked how much interest she charges. I am sure it’s extortionate.

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As I write, I am an hour away from a rendezvous at Ball’s place. I have agreed to take him and a woman friend of his mother’s to visit a company in Silom, where Ball will apply for a job.

Ball’s Mum found him the job yesterday. I heard her talking on the phone to her friend Noi, who used to work for the company. They need a security guard, who - in one of the job's few perks - can sit in the company’s air-conditioned office all day.

On the negative side, Ball would be asked to work a 12-day day, for which the company would pay him the princely sum of B350.

Noi visited Ball’s place last night to tell him about the job.

Ball and I were sitting on the living room floor, drinking whisky.

‘If you don’t go, I will have lost face, as the boss will be expecting you,’ she said.

‘Been there, done that,’ I thought to myself.

‘I will go for sure,’ said Ball, who was in good spirits.

I volunteered to take them to Silom, to improve his chances of getting there.

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Earlier, Ball and I paid a fleeting visit to carer R’s shop, who has yet to be told that Ball is officially off the ya dong wagon.

Ball wants to improve his health and his chances of getting work, which he can only do if he stays off the stuff. He also wants to rebuild his strained relationship with his girlfriend Jay, who is enjoying seeing a new, caring side to Ball.

Where previously he would turn up late after a hard night on the ya dong, now he is at home most nights, and taking care of her as any good boyfriend should.

Last night, he made her fried egg on rice.

Jay is coming down with a cold. After making her dinner, he disappeared upstairs. I heard him rustling about looking for something. A few minutes later, he emerged with three pills for her cold symptoms.

‘You can sleep in Mum’s room,’ he said, banishing his girlfriend from our small drinking circle.

However, he didn’t just leave her there, but visited the ailing patient every 10 minutes or so to see how she was doing.

‘I feel sorry for her,’ Ball said when I remarked on how close the two had become.

‘Ball, you don’t have to explain how you feel – if you love Jay and want to care for her, that's your right. It’s no one else’s business,’ I told him, donning my big brother hat.

Ball is trying to convince himself that he is doing the right thing in quitting the ya dong.

‘I miss it during the day, but have to take this step for the sake of my own future, and my family,’ he said earnestly.

‘I am not hooked on the drink as such...it’s the fun which goes with it. I miss my friends.’

In a moment of weakness, he asked me to take him to R’s ya dong stand.

R welcomed us, and immediately poured us two shot glasses of his malevolent brew.

I left mine. For the first 10 min, Ball managed to ignore his, too.

In a quiet moment, he succumbed, picked up the glass, and tossed the lot back.

I pretended I didn’t see. He sat in silence for another moment, and suddenly left the table.

‘I am just going home to check on Jay,’ he told R.

I was left sitting there, wondering what happened.

Ten minutes later, I headed off in search of him. I found him at home, making a fried egg for Jay.

‘I needed to escape, or I knew I would slip back into my old habits, and end up drinking ya dong all night,’ he said.

‘You’re a brave kid,’ I commended him. ‘If your Mum knew, she’d be proud.’

PS: The underpants made a re-appearance last night.