FIVE
"HAVING NEVER taken a decent holiday before, I decided on a trip to Thailand, booked a flight and flew out the following week. Mate, I loved it. The friendly people, the food, the females! The 'working girls' weren't like prostitutes that I'd seen before. Here they seemed like regular girls; some even had day jobs and came out at night for some extra cash.
I met some local farang teachers over here and it wasn't long before I was offered a job. I returned home, said my goodbyes, moved here and the next few years flew by. I loved my job and after flings with several females, I finally found my soul mate, Nui.
She taught Thai at the school where I worked and I fancied her. Her perky breasts pushed out against the tight, bright blouses she wore and her bum was firm and rounded like a ripe peach. It wasn't only sexual though, I mean it was at first, but then it was more. She was smart, sensual - she was the one.
We went out for a while and it wasn't long before we fell in love. I proposed as we kissed off the coast of Pattaya. It was real romantic until she saw a used condom floating nearby. She still accepted though and later that year, fell pregnant. I couldn't have been happier. We shared our savings and put down a deposit on a house in On Nuch.
Our wedding day arrived and many of her friends showed up, but no one from her family. My mum made the trip over and the guys from school were there; it was an amazing day.
Life was going great until one morning I heard her scream. I rushed to the kitchen and found her staring at a man at the door. He had bottle-black hair, round, crooked eyes and stank of whisky.
'What you want?' She asked him in Thai.
'I want only to be a part of your life again.'
It was obvious she knew him and I knew she could take care of herself. I was about to give them some privacy, when she started laying into him. He stood there and listened with his head bowed. I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. She paused then turned to me. 'This is my father.'
He raised his eyes to mine. 'I am Somchai. It is nice to meet you.'
'It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I am John.'
'I not be good father. I want second chance.'
I glanced over at Nui. She nodded - we invited him in. Over tea, we sat down with the wedding album.
'Look beautiful,' he stated at almost every picture of Nui. She never grew tired of hearing it.
I excused myself and popped out to the local shop. I wanted a beer with my father-in-law and we were running low. When I returned, my potential drinking partner had gone and Nui was in tears.
'What happened, honey?' I asked, rubbing her shoulders and wondering when I'd have the chance to crack open a beer.
'My father is ...son of bitch. He not come to see me. He in trouble and need money. It is always same with fucking guy. We not help. He left my family many time, he better dead.'
She stormed off. I took her a hot chocolate, had a sneaky beer then went out to look for her father. I found him sitting alone in a bar.
'Why you come?' he asked, surprised.
'I wanted a beer with my father-in-law.'
'I want a beer with you too, John.'
He ordered me a Chang. We drank.
'Nui tell you why she upset with me?'
I nodded.
'I know it look bad that I ask. She only family I have. Sorry if my English not good.'
'Why do you need money?'
'I have company; have hard time with economy. I borrow from Japan guy, pay interest, make business better, but not get better. Now I can't pay back. If lose business, lose everything.'
'How much do you owe?'
'Over two hundred thousand baht. Can you help? When company better, I pay you back and more.'
'We just put a deposit on the house and with a child on the way we don't have any spare cash.'
'I understand. Sorry to ask.'
'I'm sorry I can't help.'
'That okay. I find another way.'
The following morning he rolled up at the door and stumbled in with torn clothes and blood on his chin. 'Sorry John, I had nowhere to go.'
I handed him some tissues. 'What happened?'
'The sharks came this morning. I have two weeks to pay or they kill me. Then they come after Nui.'
'Nui! How do they know about her?'
'She put something in paper about wedding. They see her name and know who she is. You better leave Bangkok, I'll be all right.'
'There may be a way I can borrow the money.'
'Thank you John. I promise I pay back.'
'Don't thank me yet, this may not work out.'
I helped him into the living room, laid him on the sofa then stepped upstairs. It had been a while since I'd spoken to my old boss, Briggs but if anyone could stump up some cash at short notice, he could.
He was a dodgy geezer but he'd always paid cash and had a few quid lying around. I'd worked for him before, delivering packages around Melbourne. He'd never told me what was in them - I'd never asked.
I took a phone card and called him. 'Mr Briggs?'
'Is that you John?'
'Yes, how are you?'
'Still rocking and rolling. How are you?'
'I'm good, but I need to ask a favour.'
'So much for the foreplay, what do you need?'
'I need two hundred thousand Thai baht.'
'…What for?'
'My father-in-law ran into some debt.'
'You're married now? My invitation must have got lost in the post.'
'It was a small do.'
'Two hundred thousand isn't much.'
'I've just put a deposit down on a house.'
'I see. You want me to sort you out?'
'I'd appreciate it but I'm not sure when I can pay you back.'
'Maybe there's something you can do for me.'
'What's that?'
'I need a package bringing back from Bangkok.'
'What's in the package?'
'….You calling on a card?'
'Of course.'
'It's five kilos of junk.'
I was shocked, yet didn't hang up; I feared for Nui's life. I couldn't handle the thought of losing her and was actually considering this.
'What are you thinking, John?'
'Can't you just loan me the money. I'm not a drug smuggler. I don't want to be.'
'The way I see it is we both need a favour.'
The phone started shaking in my hand. 'How would it work?'
'You pick a package up from a guy over there, he straps it on real tight and you get on the flight. My usual guy's done this a million times but this time he's not available.'
'What if they search me at the airport?'
'They won't unless the alarm goes off. You have to make sure you don't have any metal on you."
'What if something does go wrong?'
'Then you sit tight. I take care of it.'
'How would you know?'
'You text me on the plane before you take off - tell me the flight is on time, but make sure you do or I'll be onto my guy to bail you out.'
'Who's your guy?'
'He's a big Japanese boss out there.'
'I wouldn't get caught?'
'Everybody gets paid, nothing goes wrong.'
I closed my eyes as I realized I was about to take the biggest risk of my life. 'Okay I'm in.'
'You got a pen?'
I took down the details of who to meet and where then ended the call. Later over dinner, I told Nui my mum needed to see me and I had to fly home.
'I come with you,' she said with a firm frown.
'You don't have a visa for Australia.'
'Why you need to see her now?"
'She has a problem.'
'What problem?'
'It's personal.'
'You tell me John, or I'll call her.'
'She's drinking again.'
'I not know her drinking before.'
'I never told you because it's personal. So don't call her, you hear?'
'We're family now John. Not have personal. I not call her, but I'm coming to the airport.'
'Let's see how you feel on the day.'
'You leave when I'm pregnant. I want a dog.'
'Not that old chestnut again.'
'I want for when you away.'
'I'm never away.'
She walked off, but at least the die had been cast. I felt guilty for lying but didn't see another way. I would get in, get out and our lives would be back on track. The departure date soon arrived. I was in the bedroom saying goodbye.
'Don't go,' Nui begged with tears in her eyes.
'I have to go. We've already been over this.'
She scowled then pulled up the bed-sheet.
'How you stop your mum from drinking?'
'I'll think of something.'
I wiped away one of her tears, kissed her forehead then backed away. Leaving her this way was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do and lying made it even worse. I thought about her father, about the loan-sharks and knew if I'd told her the truth, she'd never have let me go.
'Wait!' she screamed. 'The baby's kicking.'
I stepped back, sat on the bed and felt him kick. This wasn't the first time but it was strange he was doing it now.
'He not want you go.'
'I have to go.'
'Then go,' she hissed with angry eyes.
I picked up my bag at the door, took a taxi and headed to the address Briggs had given me. I arrived thirty minutes later at an apartment building on Thong Lor and after showing my ID to a lady with a glass eye, I was taken to a small room a few floors up that smelt of salty glue.
Three guys were sat on a rug smoking and playing cards. They glanced over as I stood waiting. One had a slight scar along his left cheek, the second had a silver nose piercing and the third wore shades.
'Where Jay?' 'Scarface' asked.
'He's sick,' I replied.
'Scarface' stood up and clapped his hands like a boss. 'Nose-ring' and 'Shades' sprang up, stepped over and slipped off my shirt. I was standing in the middle of the room topless, when 'Scarface' turned up with a razor and started shaving my back. The bastard cut me and didn't even care. He laughed, dabbed up the blood with a tissue then carried on.
'Nose-ring' mixed something in a bowl, which he plastered on my back. 'Shades' pressed the package onto my lower-back and 'Scarface' taped it on tightly with thick, silver tape. My shirt was thrown back on and I was pushed over to the door.
'Good luck. 'If get caught, not call us.'
The others laughed. I didn't. I stepped over to the door and stepped out. Next stop - the airport.
Arriving, my nerves were on edge. I had five kilos of heroin strapped tightly to my back in a country where the death penalty still applied. I checked in then stepped over to the security check where three staff followed their routines of passing luggage through a conveyor, X-raying it then checking passengers for any metals.
I glanced over at a guy with a spiked hair. He was facing me through a free-standing metal-detector, tapping a portable device on his thigh - this was the guy I had to get to past without sounding the alarm.
I crept up to the first check, emptied my pockets into a plastic container with my shoes and belt then stumbled to the second detector. I stopped and stared at 'Spike.' He waved me on. I walked through like a zombie on crack - no alarm. I breathed a sigh of relief, picked up my things, slipped on my shoes and belt then strolled away.
'Mr Lawrence?' My name rang loudly in my ear. I turned back to see a senior-looking police officer standing before me with two policemen by his side.
'Please come with me,' he barked.
I was taken to a room with a table and two chairs. It smelt of wet paint and dust. The door was locked; I was alone and couldn't get a signal on my phone. I sat back gently on a chair and anxiously waited.
A farang with dandruff on his shoulders entered in a grey suit and striped tie. He was carrying a brown folder under his arm. He pulled up a chair, slipped some photos from the folder, spread them across the table then picked one out. It showed me standing outside a building with a Thai lady.
'What were you doing at a drug dealer's?'
He pulled out some papers and nudged them over to me. 'I have these to sign. Take a minute to read them by all means.'
I didn't look. He waited, watched then laughed.
'This loyalty always amazes me….We know exactly who you are and who you work for. If you sign you get full immunity. All you need to do is testify against Briggs.'
He glared into my eyes. I held my poker face.
'I must warn you that once I leave this building, the deal is off. I have the police waiting outside. I wonder what they'd find if they searched you.'
He slipped out a pen and placed it on the table. I glanced down at the papers - they were in English. I tried to read the words but couldn't take them in.
'If you don't sign, then you'll end up in a prison here, for life. That's if you're not given the death penalty. You have a child on the way, don't you?'
My stomach turned - how could he know that?
'Are you still waiting for Briggs to bail you out?'
I held my breath then eased it out slowly.
'It's not gonna happen. I promise you that. This is the only deal and time is running out.'
He rose then stepped out of the room. I stared at the documents, but still didn't sign.
Ten minutes later he returned, glanced down at the un-signed papers and sighed. He picked up the pen and pointed it towards me. 'Last chance John.'
He waited then withdrew the pen.
'Good luck inside,' he said, then left.
My heart was beating off the chart as I sat there waiting for Briggs to save me. A few minutes later, the two policemen from before rushed in with a photographer. The camera flashed as I was pulled from my chair, spun around and bent over the table. They lifted up my shirt; cheered when they saw the package then ripped it off and laughed liked they'd won the lottery. The senior policeman strolled in, his officers handed him the package and they all had photographs taken with it, then pictures of the three of them pointing at me.
Once they had finished, the senior policeman took the package, weighed it in his hand then wandered over to me. 'Mr Lawrence. You are under arrest for trafficking a Class A drug.'
I was handcuffed then marched out past a crowd of people who stared. Then, crammed into a car with government plates, I was driven to a police station. I was allowed to make a call. I tried twice. Nui didn't answer and neither did Briggs.
When I appeared in Court, I pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death. His Majesty commuted that to a term of life imprisonment, and here I am. I've served over ten years so far. I've never appealed my sentence, called home and apart from the embassy, nobody knows I'm here."
John paused as I sat there transfixed. His story was so vivid that the prison walls had gently blurred into my peripheral vision, then returned with a jolt once he had stopped. I had been so deeply engrossed in his past, so utterly immersed in his world that for a moment nothing else mattered.
Grateful for the distraction, I became acutely aware of my own body and noticed large beads of sweat forming beneath my temples. I wiped my brow and steadied myself. "Why have you never called your mum?"
"I couldn't put her through it, and when Nui
didn't answer, I saw it as a sign that I shouldn't tell her. I was ashamed of what I had tried to do and I couldn't handle her seeing me in here.
"What happened to her father?"
"I don't know and I've never heard from Briggs."
I could see the remorse and pain in his eyes spiking, so I stopped questioning him, left him alone and tried to settle for the night.