Quiet on Ball front, fiesty at home

Ball made it to work for a second day running, says his Mum.

‘He left before 7am...his brother took him. When he came home last night, I told him that you had dropped in during the day with a couple of beers. I bought another bottle for him myself,' she said.

'He had something to eat, drank just one bottle, and was in bed by 11pm,’ she said, sounding relieved.

Mum called a moment ago. Since I lost my phone – possibly to game-playing thieves in her own home – I have switched telecoms providers.

As it happens, Mum is with the same provider, which offers cut-price rates to its customers – as long as they spend a few minutes chatting at the start of every day at the normal rate.

For the last couple of days, Mum has called each morning, possibly to use up those first few minutes under the promotion.

She reports on Mr Ball’s progress in his new job as a security guard for a Silom company.

He spends most of the day sitting in an air-con office. ‘He’s not used to the cold – he will have to take something to keep warm,’ said Mum.

She gets regular reports on how Ball is faring from her friend Noi, who works in the same company. I took Noi and Ball for an interview with the company earlier this week.

‘I asked Noi to buy him a cup of coffee and something to eat. He has an easy job...he can spend most of his time reading magazines,’ said Mum.

I dropped in to see Mum yesterday, after she suggested I buy a couple of beers for the lad to celebrate his first day at work.

Mum called her friend Noi, who put Ball on the phone.

‘It’s so quiet here,’ he said. ‘I hardly talk to anyone.’

Ball asked to talk to his girlfriend Jay, who is sick with flu and took the day off from work. I handed over the phone.

Moments later, I excused myself.

Mr Ball leaves early in the morning, and returns early evening after I have already left for work. I will probably see him over the weekend, though for my own emotional sanity might try to limit my exposure.

I hope he keeps plugging away at his job. He needs the money, and I need time away.

I seek adventures outside home because my solitary relationship with Maiyuu, who spends most of the day in front of the TV when he is not cooking, is not enough.

Maiyuu understands that I get bored and lonely. However, he also knows that mixing with Ball and his family carries financial risks.

‘I don’t want to know anything about them or anyone else. I am happy with my own life at home, and don’t need the headache,’ says Maiyuu in a heated moment yesterday.

His hermit-like reaction was unsurprising. Maiyuu has cut himself off from most of his friends and family, because the outside world is just too much like hard work.

Sometimes, I wonder if he would bother even with me, if it were not for the home and income I provide.

‘Don’t bother telling me their stories or asking me for advice. In your eyes, they can do wrong, while I am the one who is always no good,’ he said.

How dull. Yet another dissatisfied customer.

We will keep plugging away at it, because we have no choice. Maiyuu and I have put 10 years into our relationship. Who can be bothered starting again?