Even Thai Girls Cry

by J. F. Gump

  “You mean it’s not?” Randy asked, sounding surprised. “Damn, I always thought it was. So, are you coming or not?”

  “Oh, what the hell,” Mike answered. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  Mike left the condo, but he didn’t go directly to Soi 2. Instead, he stopped at the Music Lover Bar. It was the first time he had been there since Math had left. The girls asked him a million questions about Math. They had all gotten to know her and wondered where she had gone and when she would return, or if she was coming back at all. Had she called? Had she taken all of her clothes and things?

  He was annoyed by their questions. Nosy little bitches anyway. He suffered their prying through two beers and then left. He told them he had to meet some friends for dinner. Technically, it was true. He just didn’t mention where dinner was being held. He went to Soi 2.

  Most of the night was great. Randy and the others were there, the food was good, and Mike got more than a few free beers. He even got to meet Randy’s latest girlfriend. Lek spent a most of the evening smiling at Mike but she never came close. That was okay, he thought. It was probably for the better anyway.

  He was pretty well buzzed by the time Lek did come and sit beside him. She was very nice, very polite. ‘How have you been?’; ‘You look well’; ‘I missed seeing you’; and the rest of the polite things people say to each other. She never mentioned the night their relationship had finally ended and neither did he. In a while, Lek ran out of idle things to chat about.

  After an embarrassed silence, she said, “Where is your new girlfriend? She is a very beautiful lady. I forget her name.”

  “Math,” he answered. “Her name is Math. She had to go home for a family funeral.”

  “I am sorry to hear there was a death in her family. Is she coming back soon?”

  “I think so, but I don’t know for sure. I don’t know how long these things go on in Thailand. In America, I would expect her to be gone for four or five days. But here, I don’t know.”

  “It’s never the same,” Lek said. “Sometimes in two or three days the body is burned and it’s over. Sometimes it’s ten days or a month. It depends on the family. The King’s mother was not burned for a year after she died. Next time your girlfriend calls, ask her how long she will be gone.”

  “She hasn’t called yet,” he mumbled, barely audible over the music.

  “Oh,” Lek said then paused, letting his words register. “Well, I am sure you will hear from her soon. Or, maybe she will just come back and not call. Sometimes Thai people do things different from farangs.”

  “I am starting to feel not so sure about everything,” was all he could think of to say.

  “You never know what Thai people are thinking. I am a Thai and I don’t know what I think myself most of the time.” Lek laughed at her own humor then continued. “She might decide she must stay to help the family. Family is very important to Thai ladies. If it comes to a choice between love and family, the family will come first.”

  “Do you think that is what’s happening?” Mike asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said sympathetically. Then she leaned over and whispered erotically in his ear, “But don’t worry, darling, if she doesn’t come back, you still have me.” With that, she stood and added, “I must go say hello to my customers, then I will be right back.” She ordered him another beer and left.

  Mike went to the toilet. By the time he returned, Lek was already in the seat next to his. “That was fast,” he commented, surprised.

  “I told you I would be right back,” she said smiling. “By the way, let me know when you are ready to go home and I will give you a ride in Toy’s truck.”

  “You don’t have to do that, but it’s very nice of you to offer.”

  “Never mind,” she responded. “I have to go out to buy some things for the bar anyway.”

  “Well, okay,” he said. “I guess I’m ready to go as soon as I finish this beer.”

  Lek made sure everything was taken care of at the bar while Mike finished his drink and said his goodbyes to Randy and the others who had come to the birthday party. In less than five minutes, she was back and waiting for Mike.

  Randy gave Mike a thumbs-up sign as he and Lek left the bar together. Mike frowned and shook his head in response.

  As they neared the condo, Lek said, “Mike, I’m embarrassed to ask you this, but could I use your toilet?”

  “I guess.” What else could he say without being impolite?

  The guard and Jahl gave Mike a questioning stare when they saw him with Lek. They had never seen Mike with anyone but Math. In the past, Lek had been to the condo on a few occasions, but it was always on a Saturday night and it was always very late. By then Jahl and the guard were off-duty. Mike felt a need to explain, but didn’t.

  Once in his room, Lek excused herself and went into the bathroom. Mike turned on the TV and flipped through the channels deciding which bad station to watch. He finally settled for MTV. Lek was in the bathroom for a long time.

  “Are you okay?” he finally shouted toward door.

  “Yes, darling,” came her answer.

  A couple of minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Lek stepped out. Her work clothes had been replaced by a very revealing nightgown.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, surprised at what he was seeing.

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she walked straight to Mike and kissed him on the mouth. Then she said, “I missed being with you Mike. I really did.” She kissed him again and let her hand slide down his stomach and beyond.

  He felt himself reacting to her touch. He could literally feel the hormones racing through his body. If she didn’t stop soon, he would not be able to stop himself. He wasn’t sure he wanted her to stop. Of all the times Lek had gone home with him, they had never had sex. He had wanted her very badly before, but his body had never cooperated. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said huskily. His heart pounded.

  “Oh, Mike,” she whispered urgently, “I think we should. I have wanted to make love with you for so long.” She touched him lightly through his jeans. “I think you want to make love too. We should not waste this chance.”

  He let her seduce him. For the first time ever, Mike and Lek made love.

  Later, after Lek had gone back to work, Mike sat at his desk thinking. He held a picture of Math in his hand. Why hadn’t she called, damn her. If she had been calling every day, he would not have gone to Soi 2 tonight and none of this would have happened. Lek would not have come here, he would not have had sex with her, and he wouldn’t be sitting here feeling pissed at everyone. It was all her fault, damn her anyway. He fell asleep in the chair staring at the picture and waiting for the phone to ring. It never did.

  Mike went back to Toy’s Bar the next night and Lek took him home again. It was the same the night after that, and the night after that one as well. Math hadn’t called, or, if she had, she had never called while he was at home. He still missed her and he felt guilty each time Lek came with him, but a little less so every day. Even the night shift had stopped gawking at him and Lek whenever they walked into the condo.

  On Saturday night, Lek didn’t go back to work as usual. Instead, she slept with him until morning. On Sunday afternoon, they drove to Rayong just to look around. That evening they had a very nice dinner. Later, they made love before Lek went to work. By ten o’clock, Mike was in bed asleep.

  At work on Monday morning, Mike and the others from his company received a fax from their home office. It was short and blunt. “Come back as soon as possible. Take what time you need to pack and ship your personal belongings, but get it done in the next few days. Don’t bother going to work tomorrow and don’t plan on going back to Thailand.”

  Everyone was in shock. What was going on? Mike called their boss at home in America. The problem turned out to be a matter of pure business. The Thai company
they were working for was very overdue on payments and Mike’s company was cutting their losses. They would leave Thailand for now and come back only if the payments were caught up.

  Without informing the Thai company’s management, Mike and the others stopped everything they were working on and packed up their personal belongings and the few sensitive company files. At noon they told their driver they were taking off early for the day. They loaded everything into the van and left work with no intentions of going back.

  On the way to Pattaya, they agreed to meet later at the Tahitian Queen, the TQ, to discuss their plans. By two o’clock they had all arrived at the TQ, just in time for opening. They were a solemn bunch. Everyone, it seemed, was in a state of mental numbness. The beers slid down easier and faster than usual. Their conversation was sullen and, at times, downright depressing.

  “I’m not ready to go home,” Randy announced after his fifth beer. “I just found a new girlfriend and I’m really in love with this one.”

  A chorus of “me too’s” echoed above the music.

  Mike, because of his tenure and his almost-management position, felt obliged to respond. “It’s fucked up, that’s for sure. But what are any of you going to do? If the company decides to send us home, then we go home. It’s that simple. I don’t think any of us has the money to stay in Thailand forever, no matter how much we like it. Our jobs may not be finished here, but I think we are. As for me, I am going to have one more beer and then go back to my condo. Right now I feel really tired.”

  The others looked at Mike and then at the girls on stage. At last they all nodded their heads in agreement. Mike was right. None of them could survive here without a job. If they didn’t go home as they were told, their pay checks would eventually stop. They had no choice.

  “On a brighter note,” Mike added, when no one spoke, “I think it will probably take us at least two weeks to pack our things and get out of Thailand. I will call our boss and tell him that. I’ll tell him it’s my decision. If they want to give anyone shit, they can give it to me. I know two weeks isn’t very long, but it’s enough time to say goodbye to your friends.” Mike thought for the briefest of moments about the absence of calls from Math, then continued. “I really don’t have that much stuff to pack or any real reason to stay here. I will leave this weekend. When I get home, I will make sure our boss understands you guys are right behind me. No more than two weeks. Is that okay with everyone?”

  They all nodded.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I really am not feeling well. I think I will just go home, pack my things, and go to bed.” He turned to Randy and added, “I assume you will be going to Soi 2 later. Tell Lek I will not be coming by tonight, and that she shouldn’t come to my condo either. I have a lot of thinking to do.”

  Randy nodded his understanding.

  Mike paid for everyone’s drinks and left the bar.

  He went straight back to the condo but he didn’t go directly to his room. The sun had slipped over the horizon and it was getting dark. The Music Lover Bar in front of the condo was open but there were no customers. The two girls tending bar were absorbed in some Thai soap opera on the TV. He walked past them and went to the bar in the condo’s lobby. He ordered a beer then glanced at his watch. It was almost seven o’clock. That meant it was seven in the morning in Pennsylvania. The office wouldn’t open for another hour.

  He passed the time sipping his beer and rehearsing exactly what he would tell his boss. It would be the truth, with a little exaggeration about how long it would take for everyone to pack and leave. Two beers and an hour later, Mike went to his room and called his boss in Pittsburgh. He was surprised that he received no flak about anything.

  With that out of the way, he called a couple of travel agencies. By nine o’clock he had airline reservations for Saturday morning, just four days away. By nine-thirty he had packed everything except what he would need until his flight. With nothing left to do, he sat at his desk and read. By ten o’clock he was asleep.

  A ringing woke Mike at ten thirty. It took a moment for him to realize it was the phone. He picked up the receiver on the fourth ring. “Hello,” he said.

  “I am Math.”

  “My God, Math,” he said struggling to come awake, “Where in the hell have you been? I have been worried sick about you. Are you okay?”

  “I am okay,” he heard her whisper. “The funeral is over. I am coming home to you in quickly time.”

  Even in his sleepiness, he almost laughed at her English.

  “Math, listen.” he said, still groggy. “There is something I must tell you. I have some bad news. We must talk when you come home. I wanted to call you, but your phone didn’t work. Can you be here tomorrow?”

  “What is wrong?” her voice raised several octaves.

  “Tomorrow, Math,” he responded. “Promise me you will be here tomorrow.”

  “I will be there tomorrow, teeluk,” she said.

  “I will be waiting for you. I will explain everything then. Call me when you arrive at the bus station.”

  “Call you at work?” she asked.

  “No. Call me at my condo. I am not working tomorrow. I will explain later.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  “Thank you, Math. I love you.” There was a soft knock at his door. He hung up the phone without waiting for Math to reply.

  “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. He knew, even without opening the door, that it was Lek.

  The knock came again.

  Mike sighed and walked to the door. He paused for a second, then pulled it open.

  Lek ran into the room; tears dampened her face.

  “What are you doing here and why are you crying?” he asked, his words emotionless. Thoughts of Math danced through his head.

  “I saw Randy,” Lek managed between sobs. “He said you were going home and would not be back. What has happened, Mike? I don’t understand.”

  He put his arms around her, but his feelings remained cold. He didn’t want this, he did not need this. Suddenly, he wished he had never allowed himself to have sex with her. “Our company has ordered us to come home,” he said. “I don’t know if we will be back or not.”

  “You cannot leave, Mike,” she whimpered.

  “Without a job I cannot stay. I have no way to live.”

  “You don’t need a job. You can stay with me. My business is very good. I have enough money for both of us. You can come to my bar and drink beer every night. You can sleep with me at my house. Please Mike, say you can do that.”

  “You don’t understand. Even if I wanted to stay, I could not. I am not Thai. When my visa runs out, I would have to leave anyway.”

  “I understand Thai law about farangs,” she said. “If you marry me, then you can stay forever. That is what we will do. We love each other, so we should get married.” She looked at him hopefully.

  “I think we do not really love each other,” he said softly, not wanting to hurt her.

  “But I love you.” her tears started again. “Haven’t we been loving each other for the last few days?”

  “We have been having sex,” he sighed. “You should go now. I am very tired and I have a lot of things to think about.”

  “No, Mike, please,” she pleaded with him. “Please hold me and make love to me.” She pulled him toward the bed.

  “It’s not going to work Lek,” he said, resisting. “It’s over. Six months ago I might have taken you up on your offer of marriage and living with you. But too many things have happened. If only we could have always been the way we have been for the last few days, everything might have been different. Now, I have too many doubts about myself. I just can’t do it. You will always have a special place in my heart, Lek. But now I am going home and I may never be back. Please, let’s just remember the good times we had together and part as friends. Let’s not comp
licate everything by having sex one last time. Please, Lek, just for me, let’s just be good friends.”

  She was quiet for a minute, then said, “It’s that girl, isn’t it?”

  “It is no one,” he answered, “except me.” He pulled her close and held her tight. “I will never forget you, as long as I live.”

  Lek cried quietly into his shirt for a long time. Finally, she said, “I will never forget you either, Mike. If you ever come back to Thailand, please find me. I will be waiting for you.”

  “I promise you I will,” he replied. “I absolutely promise.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You should go now,” he said softly. “I have many things on my mind. I need some time alone.”

  Slowly she pulled herself away. “Okay, if that is what you want, I will go. But Mike, if you have time, please stop at my bar before you leave. Can you do that for me?”

  “If I can,” he answered, “I will.

  They walked hand in hand to the door. She kissed him one last time then walked away.

  For reasons he could not explain, Mike felt sad. He lay down on the bed and tried to make sense out of everything that was happening. During the last year, his life had evolved from chaos to craziness. During the last few months, it had gone from craziness to pure insanity. He fell asleep without answers.

  The next morning, Mike awoke at five thirty, his regular time for a work day. He had read the paper and was halfway through the puzzles before he remembered he didn’t have to go to work. Getting senile is a bitch, he thought to himself.

  By the time he finished his shower, a small bud of uneasiness had blossomed into full pitch alarm. He had tried to dump Lek last night, but he wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t just show up again tonight or even this afternoon. Math had said she would be here today but didn’t mention a time. Probably, she didn’t even know herself. He was leaving Thailand in less than three days. His mind raced.

  By eight o’clock, he had made up his mind - he would leave Pattaya today, as soon as Math arrived. He would take her with him and go to Bangkok.