Happy home, new man interest, Ball's bosom buddy

Relations in our household are back on a strong footing after a rocky few days (which explains my silence, dear readers – sorry).

Boyfriend Maiyuu was already upset about the amount of time I was spending with Ball and his slum family.

However, a new argument developed soon afterwards about my moods...and Maiyuu's moods...as neither of us was talking much to the other.

‘I have a headache,’ I claimed. That was an excuse, but it did not buy me much time. ‘We need to forgive each other before we can start again,’ I said.

Maiyuu was also upset about my dictatorial attitudes. When last month’s power bill came in, we gasped: B4,000! I can’t recall it ever being so high. Since then we have been trying to ration our use of the air con machines. ‘On for two hours, off for one,’ suggested Maiyuu. I agreed.

Earlier, the battle over the air con had threatened to become another issue. For my liking, he uses it too much. From his point of view, I am being unreasonable. It is the hottest part of the year, and difficult to walk even 50m outside without starting to melt.

When Maiyuu is in good form, he operates on a high level. This morning, by the time I woke, he had been out to the supermarket. He cleaned the floor with a new half mop/half broom tool he has bought.

As I write, he is making us a chicken dish for breakfast. When his morning’s work is done he will retire to the couch in front of the TV, and put on the air.
-
For the last few days, I have been ordering Thai food from a place on the footpath close to my work.

Every day, the Thai family which runs it unpacks the metal tables, coolers, boxes and what have you, transforming what is a grotty sidewalk, next to a railway track and running under a grimy overhead bridge, into a lively eating space.

I had walked past the shop every day for months when I decided I should give it a go. I placed an order, and took a seat while I waited. Half a dozen young people were working there, I noticed, including two young guys.

One, tallish and handsome, was straight. The other, squarish looking and cute rather than handsome, was gay.

The gay one chatted to me shyly as the girls looked on, giggling.

A middle-aged Thai from work turned up one day. He must have seen the youngsters fussing over me. I hope he felt jealous...only foreigners get this much curious attention.

Last night, the woman who cooks asked me a question. She popped it even before I could decide what I wanted to eat.

‘Can the young one have your phone number?’ she asked.

I knew which one she meant: the gay guy.

Thais often ask friends or family to request phone numbers on their behalf, presumably so they won''t suffer rejection if the answer is No.

I sat down and wrote it out, as the girls looked on. They had been briefed on the assignment, and asked me questions: my name, where I come from...

The young one’s name is Noom. He was dressed in a patterned, collared shirt, singlet, and smart patterned shorts. I wondered why he looked so good; normally he wears simple black shorts, and a black or white T-shirt.

‘I am going back to my home province of Roi Et. I came here to Bangkok to help during the mid-term break,’ he said.

‘What do you study?’ I asked, thinking he might be university-age.

‘I am in Mor 6, the final year of secondary school. When I finish, I want to study teaching at university, though where I end up will depend on how well I do in entrance exams,’ he said.

Sigh...why can’t the Lord send me someone in his early 20s for a change?

Later in the night, I was walking home from work when I noticed the shop was still open.
I crossed the road to talk to the woman who had asked me earlier for my number.

She was probably in his mid-30s, and looked like she might be a Mum. They work hard: on busy days, the shop opens at 2pm, and won't close until about 12 hours later.

‘Noom took the bus home to Roi Et earlier tonight, and won’t be back until October,’ she said.

So, that’s why he was dressed up: for the overnight bus back to Esan. How sweet. He was interested in staying in contact, she said.

‘I will carry on turning up every night, ordering as I did before, and if he wants to get in contact, he can call,’ I said, saying my goodbyes.
-
Ball’s mother called as I was heading home.

She was somewhere else – possibly playing her HiLo – but her son had just been to see her.
I can just imagine what prompted the visit to his mother, and why she called me.

Ball wanted to suck on the teat of the brown stuff, and Mum wanted me to pay.

‘I will drop in,’ I said.

When I arrived at his place, I stood at the door observing, as I normally do.

Inside, Ball’s younger brother Mr B and Tum, the boyfriend of elder sister Kae, were seated, chatting.

Ball, wearing clingy shorts and a T-shirt, emerged from his mother’s room opposite where I stood in the doorway.

‘Come in,’ he said.

I had second thoughts. ‘No, thanks...it’s okay,’ I said.

I walked the rest of the way home.

An hour after I arrived at my place, Mum called, but after half a dozen rings thought better of it. The phone fell silent for the night.

Someone has to learn to say no to this young man, or at least push him out the door to look for work.

He’s chosen the hottest time of the year to quit his job as a security guard, at an air-con office in Silom.

I don’t expect he’ll find anything else in a hurry, so the rot will carry on.