Thai Girl (26 page)

Ben was still not persuaded.

‘But isn't a bar girl a social outcast compared to a farmer's wife?' he asked Jack.

‘Yes, she's outside the mainstream, though a successful sex-worker has plenty of support from the other girls and she won't want to be rescued. When she does go home, she'll keep quiet about her past and they'll love her for her money.'

‘There must be lots who can't save, or get sick though, aren't there?'

But Jack did not answer him as they were distracted by a noisy party of men coming in from the street, led by a shaven-headed Australian with a massive beer belly, the girls greeting them with excited shrieks. They watched as the Australian ordered beers, talking loudly in monosyllables, every second word an expletive.

‘That's a real rough diamond … must be a Queenslander,' said Jack under his breath.

‘Pity any girl who fall into his hands,' said Ben.

‘Yes, but if he's got money and treats her properly, being grotesque's no problem.'

‘Bet they don't often get a nice guy like you, Jack!'

‘Yes, but I'm not a soft touch anymore. Two women sent me identical begging letters last month … got'em from a letter-writer or off the internet. You know the sort of thing … father dying, buffalo sick, mortgage lender about to seize the farm … unless of course I come up with the money. Lets face it though, their problems are all basically the same and the sob stories usually true.' Staring with distaste at the Australian, Jack rocked back on his stool and took a swig of his beer.

‘So you've never had longer term friendships with Thai girls?' Ben asked him. ‘You talk about enjoying the courtship thing.'

‘As I said, I try to remain dispassionate … love affairs with Thai women aren't easy at the best of times. You see, there's this fundamental problem … for the Thais, a man's willingness to provide is a much bigger part of the love equation than it is with us. So the
farang
fears his Thai girl doesn't really love him because she's too keen on his money … and she thinks he doesn't love her because he's so reluctant to hand it over. The Thais detest a man who's a meany, while we want a woman who's not interested in our money. It's the very definition of incompatibility.'

‘Sounds dodgy,' said Ben, ‘and even worse with bar girls who are only in it for the money anyway.'

‘Yes, it's amazing how many men fall for a bar girl and want to marry her. They go back home and keep sending her money, but she's promised to marry several blokes and she's milking the lot of them.'

‘Surely it catches up with her?'

‘Maybe, but she can stop'em visiting her at the same time and if there's a problem she just dumps whoever's the meanest.'

‘Serve the buggers right if you ask me,' said Ben.

‘Well, everyone's in it for what they can get, aren't they,' replied Jack.

‘I like the story of the
farang
who shacked up with a girl in the North East. He'd come out to Thailand to stay at her home for the winter months and was keeping the whole family going. But he didn't realise one of the men who was always around the place was in fact her husband. Whenever the
farang
turned up, the husband moved over and kept his mouth shut.'

‘That's outrageous,' said Ben.

‘But who's worse? The foreigner who buys the woman or the family who hand over their daughter and take him for everything they can get?'

Their attention was again drawn to the big Australian who this time was noisily challenging one of the bar girls to drink a bottle of Bacardi Breezer against the clock. Ben thought her a classy looking girl, far superior to the foreign roughneck, but to his surprise she threw back the bottle and downed the sickly contents in four seconds. Wiping the excess from her mouth and gasping for breath, she looked distinctly green.

‘Well, I've been doing all the talking again,' said Jack. ‘How about another beer?'

‘Thanks. I'll have a Chang.'

‘So Ben, tell me about yourself. You hinted at a bust-up of some sort.'

‘Yes, it's pretty simple. Came out here with my girlfriend and we split up … and now I've got involved with a Thai girl.'

‘Emotionally involved?'

‘Yes. She's called Fon and she's a masseur on Koh Samet.'

‘Does she tap you for money?'

‘No. Other than paying for a daily massage, there's no mention of money. And she says unmarried women should keep themselves for their future husbands, which makes her a bit different.'

‘Sounds frustrating.'

‘And there's a little girl she looks after called Joy, her dead sister's child.'

‘Any idea what happened to the sister and why Fon took on the child?' asked Jack.

‘No, nothing. Though I understand why she doesn't like talking about her sister.'

‘Maybe Ben … maybe. So Fon's had a tough life, has she then?'

‘Yes, her father died when she was thirteen and she was sent to Bangkok to work as a domestic … been working like a donkey ever since. Her mother's sick too.'

‘Sounds familiar,' said Jack. ‘But watch yourself, lad. In Asia, the literal truth isn't always that important … life's an illusion, so why worry about a few little white lies.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘Well, take chastity. Being a virgin isn't a matter of real substance, is it … so you just tell people what you want'em to hear. Thailand may look westernised but the old ways are only just beneath the surface. Same same but different as they always say.'

‘Suppose that's what makes a relationship with Fon so difficult. With an English girlfriend I know the rules and when things go wrong, I have some idea why. But chasing Fon's another ballgame.' He stared glumly into his beer.

‘And what are you hoping for?'

‘Everything I guess. Though I can't see much future for us here … nor at home for that matter.'

Ben looked across the bar to where the girl who had sunk the Bacardi Breezer was all over the ugly Australian. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she was laughing and joking with him.

‘See that,' said Ben. ‘How can she go for such a disgusting old bloke.'

‘It's amazing what these girls tolerate. Looks like she really wants him … but then he's got money.'

‘Imagine bringing home a slob like that.'

‘They'd welcome him with open arms, Ben. He thinks he's jumping into bed with the girl but in fact he's marrying the whole family. If he's generous with'em they won't thank him because that's exactly what's expected of a rich
farang.
And the more he shells out, the more they'll think his money's unlimited. They won't believe him when they've bled him dry.'

‘I think you're trying to warn me off,' said Ben.

‘No lad, I'm just telling it the way it is. At first the
farang's
a star, but one day when she wants more money he'll say no and there'll be a god almighty bust up. She'll tell everyone he's tight as sticky shit and then it's downhill all the way. And if he's bought'em a house, it has to be in her name. Trouble at mill … know what I mean!'

‘Well, that's not my problem,' said Ben. ‘I don't have any money and I just want a relationship with Fon right now, that's all.'

‘But, Ben, if she's the traditional girl she says she is, she won't go for anything temporary,' said Jack. ‘A sexual relationship means permanence. You know, the old-fashioned thing that if you've been seen kissing the girl, you've got to marry her.'

‘Maybe, but I really don't understand the game she's playing.'

‘These girls keep their cards close to their chest.' Jack paused for a moment. ‘Though if there's no money in it for her, then I guess she really likes you.'

‘So why does she hold back all the time, Jack. I don't get it.'

‘Maybe you're a big risk for her, Ben. If she goes with you, it could break her heart and ruin her reputation … they'll think you're paying her for sex. And how does she know you won't fly away and not come back? Her whole life's at stake, but for you it's only a holiday romance.'

Ben drained his beer glass and put it down on the bar feeling mildly irritated. How could Jack, with his casual attitude to Thai women ever understand how serious he was about Fon?

‘Well, Jack, I've learned a lot tonight,' he said. ‘Some seminar.'

‘What's more educational than talking about Thai women. Shall we move on?'

‘Whatever you suggest,' said Ben.

The last stop that night was the Bier Kellar, the bar in a basement on Sukhumvit Road that Jack had talked about. They went down a short flight of stairs and through some double doors into a dark interior heaving with gloomy-looking women waiting for their next contact. It smelled of dampness and mould, intermingled with stale beer. As they sat down, Ben was beginning to feel he had had enough for one night.

‘Do you want another beer or shall we head back?' asked Jack.

‘I think I've seen it all now, but before we go, what about this place? There's at least ten women to every man in here.'

‘This is the bottom end, free-lance girls who haven't managed a pick up yet, the last chance saloon. Makes the go-go bars look polite and charming, doesn't it.'

‘Amazes me some of the older ones ever get a hit,' said Ben trying to look around without attracting attention.

‘Bernard Trink who writes about the bar scene in the
Bangkok Post
says that when they're past their screw-by date, the oldies make their money selling methamphetamines to the younger girls. “Speed's” a massive problem country-wide.'

‘I'm not surprised if they take it,' said Ben. ‘You'd need to be on something to tolerate sitting in here every night.'

In the taxi back home, the driver was the talkative type, hoping to earn a commission by taking them to another night spot.

‘Want massage? Ladies?' he called over his shoulder.

‘No thanks.'

There was a brief silence before he broke in again.

‘You like Thai girls?'

‘No,' said Jack.

‘Why you not like?' the driver asked in shock.

‘Because I only go for Japanese girls.'

Jack leaned across and whispered to Ben that Thai men are mad about Japanese girls for their pale skin and legendary performance.

‘Why you like Japanese girls?' demanded the driver.

‘Because they're always begging for it.'

‘Beg for what?'

‘Whatever you want! Those mini-knickers and tight little arses … they just love it from behind!'

The driver lost concentration and narrowly avoided colliding with a tuk tuk before again interrupting.

‘How you know Japanese good?'

‘Because I can't resist'em … it's the angel faces and silky white skin.' Jack made a low moaning sound as the driver started weaving erratically across the traffic lanes, pulling frantically at his collar.

‘Okay,' said Ben, ‘don't wind him up any more. I want to get back alive!'

On reaching the Georgia, they got out of the taxi holding their sides.

‘Right Jack, when did you have a Japanese girlfriend then?'

‘Never, you ninny. Give me a Thai girl anytime,' he replied with a laugh.

‘Guess they're my fantasy too,' said Ben.

‘So get your skates on lad and forget about your girl on the island. It's all waiting for you out there on the streets and the night's still young.'

After Jack had gone up to his room, Ben sat in the garden by the pool looking up at the bright lights of the surrounding buildings framed against the night sky, thinking about what he had seen in the past few hours and wrestling with his conscience.

21

After his late night out on the town it suited Ben that the restaurant at the Georgia served breakfast at any time between seven in the morning and eleven at night. As he lay dozing on his bed in the middle of the morning, tracing the pattern of cracks in the ceiling, he half expected Emma to phone. He felt hungover in the heat, images of Thai girls and of Emma and Fon tumbling through his mind.

He wanted to catch a bus and go straight back to Koh Samet but instead he faced the day alone in Bangkok. Though he still hoped Emma might call, he was now regretting his futile gesture of waiting for her at the Georgia.

After breakfast he checked his email and found a brief message from her.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Over and Out

Thanks for hanging on at the Georgia for me, but don't put yourself out. I called you there but remembering your ratty mood last time, I'm emailing to say I'm still going to Cambodia.

I can tell you all about it later. As we can't change our flights home, we'll be on the same plane back to London, so see you at Bangkok airport! Enjoy!!!