Wild Songkran days

Boyfriend Maiyuu went out last night. He’s back just now. I don’t know where he went, as I haven’t asked. We don’t feel the need to exchange information about such things.

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Ball's Mum was celebrating Songkran (Thai New Year), and did not want to be disturbed.

Members of her family tried to call, to no avail. She had vanished, though thankfully she took the toddlers with her.

As several readers have observed, the water-splashing festival of Songkran is a time when normally sensible Thais forget themselves.

I last saw Mum briefly on Wednesday night. She had spent the day knocking it back, she told me. She was seated with some friends in an alleyway close to home.

Former taxi-driver Lort had his arm around some other woman. If Mum objected, I couldn’t tell, and to be frank, couldn’t care either.

It was after midnight, and Ball was playing Songkran in Silom for a second night in a row.

Miraculously, he was to make it to work the next day. In fact, he’s missed only one day at work so far all week.

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Ball's girlfriend Jay is in trouble with her boss, after Ball punched a colleague of hers from work.

Jay works at a local supermarket. Until a few months ago, Ball worked at the same place.

‘He has many lingering problems with staff here,’ Jay had told me.

Three nights ago, Ball turned up at the supermarket to pick up Jay from work.

He was under the weather, and started to argue with a tomboy from the supermarket.

She pulled his hair. Ball thumped her lip, and left a bruise above her eye, Jay told me.

Ball didn't mention the clash, but I wouldn't expect him too, either. He also kept it from his Mum.

Jay, who is still trying to sort out the drama at work, called to ask if I had heard from Ball. ‘Is he intending to play Songkran again after work tonight?’

I had no idea. ‘Since the fight happened, he has avoided dealing with the problem. He goes straight from work to playing in Silom,' said Jay.

'If he had apologised at my supermarket the next day, everything would have died down by now.

‘At work, I can’t look my friends in the eye, as they know what he is like.

'Meanwhile, the tomboy’s mother has complained to the supermarket manager, who has issued me with a warning notice, even though the fight took place after hours,' complained Jay.

'I have nothing to do with it, but the manager is upset that I have failed to bring Ball to account,’ she said. 'The victim could have been a customer...what then?'

By late last night, however, the drama had abated.

Jay had managed to contact Ball, who said he had been to her workplace and had ‘cleared’ the matter with the injured tomboy whom he had hit a few nights before.

The dispute was unlikely to escalate any further, which is just as well for Ball. If the tomboy's mother had gone to the law, he would have found it hard to defend himself.

'Please don't tell Ball's Mum,' said Jay.

I have not spoken to Ball about the incident. When I dropped in to their place about midnight, Ball was in bed.

Jay was somewhere outdoors, and Ball’s mother had yet to return home from her day of celebrating Songkran.

It was just another dysfunctional day in the life of a Thai family over Songkran, perhaps. But it is worrying nonetheless.