Bright-eyed and fancy free

I am now in the market for new adventures, after the appeal of handing over money for no return at Ball’s place started to wane.

I have stopped giving an allowance to Mr Ball, who, despite my urging, has yet to find a job.

I have also stopped dropping in regularly, though Ball seems oblivious to the fact that anything much has changed.

Only his mother, who has remarked that I am being less generous with money these days, has noticed that I appear to be going off them.

‘A good father would drop in and see his son more often,’ she remarked when I paid a fleeting visit the other day.

I had expected to see Mum there alone, only to find Ball rattling about the place looking idle and empty-handed as usual.

‘I applied for a job at an ice-cream store, but they have yet to call offering me a job,’ he said.

‘Next week, I will look for a job somewhere else.’

‘Why not try looking today?’ I thought to myself.

These idle slum people really are too much.

A couple of days before, when I paid a fleeting visit to their slum doorway, Mum told me she had withdrawn B700 to buy Ball a pair of football shoes.

‘Why hurry to buy him a treat when he has yet to find a job?’ I asked myself.

Mum told me about the shoe purchase in hushed tones, as if she was about to ask me to help her pay for them, but didn’t want to let anyone else know. I made my excuses, and promptly left.

Slowly she is getting the message. Now, she seldom calls, and I like it that way.

The other night, my friend farang C took me to racy soi Sri Bumpen for a meal, and a chance to ogle at Thai guys rubbing shoulders with farang tourists.

Farang C is straight, but has often urged me to look beyond the benighted slum for adventures. He knows that as the appeal of mixing with Ball and his family wanes, I will need to broaden my horizons.

He’s right. I want to find some handsome male I can play with, for I am now loose and fancy-free.