The RNA formula that the scientist, Theory and the oven prepared had worked and the three baffled lads drove into Phnom Penh early evening, having lost a full day of memories. They had discussed it during the drive and they could only remember going to sleep the night before and waking up to go fishing, apparently two days later.
The RNA had bypassed the DNA memory marker for a full day, and the other little surprise instruction that Norm Junior had added slowly started to take effect.
****
The Range Rover pulled into the car park at the rear of the Intercontinental Hotel and they met Lee in the foyer. Lee had booked them rooms adjacent on the eighth floor. He explained all the borders, police and army, were on the lookout for Pon. Therefore to leave by a conventional border would not be advised. He told them that the easiest way would be to fly, as he knew the airport immigration chief Lieutenant-Colonel Pagna
“But I will only use Pagna as a last resort,” said Lee and continued, “I don’t want to endanger anyone else.”
Lee was as confused as the other three about what had happened and he told Pon that Colonel Tighe did not return home the previous night, and hadn’t been answering his phone, because Pagna, and Kim’s family, have been trying to contact him. Pon could shed no light on the matter as he had no recollection of ever meeting, or seeing, Colonel Tighe.
“Unfortunately” said Lee “they will be looking for a single man travelling on a Khmer passport.” He smiled at Pon.
“But fortunately, I have come up with another plan which would kill two birds with one stone “ He grinned at Pon and told them that his other plan had not yet been finalised, but he would know more later, when he would then inform them and he went on to explain he had contacted Taksin and he would be more than happy to assist with the Thai side of things.
Pon, Stu and Spock weren’t concerned by Lee’s cloak and dagger stuff they still had the memory loss issue on their mind and in addition, Pon had another small embarrassing irritation starting to develop
Lee advised Pon to stay in his room. Spock and Stu would be Okay to go out as the authorities weren’t looking for them.
Spock and Stu weren’t okay, in fact far from okay, they had wanted to go to Sihanoukville and see Dragon and Mom.
“But at least we get to see our girls tomorrow,” said an only partially disappointed Stu, as he missed Dao more than he let on.
“Yeah,” said Spock “and the little shit will be happy to see me, she should now be over her strop” said a nonchalant, but deep down happy Spock.
Brigadier Lee left the hotel and told them he would send another car along that had tinted windows, to pick them up and take them to the airport for 07:45 as their flight was at 08:30.
Lee had phoned the airline to arrange a late check in as the less time they spent at the airport, and in Cambodia, the better. Pon went to his room to until they would be picked up for the flight, which he didn’t mind as his lower back felt sore and started to irritated him.
Spock and Stu went into the plush restaurant of the Intercontinental and ate the buffet. A tall young English man dressed in chef whites came to their table. The chef asked the pair,
“Are you from England?”
“Yes matey” replied Spock.
“Did you enjoy the buffet” he asked, noticing plates of chicken and rib bones.
“Yep, I felt so hungry that I could’ve eaten the arse off a low flying crow,” replied Spock
“Have you been Phnom Penh before?” asked the chef.
“No matey,” replied Spock
“I am off work in 30 minutes do you want a night out, I will show you around,” asked the chef
“Yes matey,” answered Spock and Stu nodded his agreement, while chomping on a chicken drumstick.
“Great,” said the smiling chef and stretched out his hand to introduce himself “my name is Richard”
****
Stu, Spock and Richard headed out into the hot sticky air of Phnom Penh; Richard led them into the first bars on his excursion, hoping to have a laugh with the Phnom Penh virgins.
Spock and Stu loved the bars, a lot more reserved than Pattaya, so they could have a conversation and while Richard started knocking back Jack Daniels and coke, with tequila shots, Spock and Stu drank beer and gave the shots to the girls around the bar. Richard assumed that Spock and Stu had just flown over from England and would not be used to the drinking hours and stronger beer, he felt confident that he would have these two wankered and with Lilly and the old girls by early doors. He was wrong, and he tried to keep up with the beer monster. However, Richard drank double and sometime treble measures of Jack Daniels when Stu or Spock ordered, along with shots of tequila and Sambuca’s, plus the fact he had not eaten anything, and by midnight Richard was wankered. Spock and Stu, only spannered heard Richard mention about a special place he would take them later, so Spock asked,
“Matey, when are you taking us to that place you told us about earlier, and why does everyone call you koy-t?”
Richard staggered out of 136 bar, followed by Spock and Stu. They got into a tuk-tuk and Richard slurred directions to the driver.
They entered Sophie’s bar and immediately surrounded by women trying to sit them down and remove their todgers out from their shorts. Richard just gazed around in a world of his own.
“You Ok koy-t?” asked Lilly, Richard just smiled and lolled his head from side to side
The lads ordered some drinks and, while Spock and Stu re-lived their Soi 6 experience in Pattaya, Richard took a swig of his Jack Daniels and fell asleep. Spock and Stu finished their beer and their respective companions finished what they were doing, Spock turned to Richard,
“That was great mate, where next?”
Richard remained in his slumber and all attempts to raise him failed. Lilly spoke,
“It’s Ok you can go, we will take care of koy-t, he comes here all the time and we always take care” and gave a wide smile flashing her three teeth.
Spock and Stu thought that what she said must be true as she appeared to be a motherly sort of hag.
The pair left Sophie’s and Richard, who was asleep in a large comfy chair, and told Lilly to tell Richard when he’d woken up that they would see him for breakfast at the hotel.
Spock and Stu got into a tuk-tuk and headed to the hotel, pleased they would be going home the following day to see their sweethearts, Dao and Moo.
Richard woke up and looked around at his surroundings in a daze. He felt a warm sensation in his loins and looked at Lilly who appeared to be straddling somebody and sucking their todger. In his confused stupor Richard asked Lilly if she was Okay, Lilly removed the todger from her mouth.
“Yes koy-t, I am fine” said Lilly
Richard thought she had snared another one of his victims. He smiled at Lilly and said
“See you got another one, Lilly”, he then fell back into his drunken sleep.
Lilly sucked back onto Richards todger like a hungry black widow spider, with at last the prey she had been stalking for months firmly wedged between her three teeth. The animal had been tamed.
The following morning Spock and Stu went down for breakfast, Pon had his brought to his room and the lads tucked into a breakfast buffet. They saw Richard wandering about. and said hello and thanked him for showing them around. Richard looked embarrassed and tried to avoid them.
“Nice bloke that Richard,” Spock said.
“Yeah,” agreed Stu as he shovelled another lump of bacon into his mouth “He can’t hold his booze very well though.”
A darkened windscreen Lexus pulled up in the car park. Two men got out, one went to Lees Range Rover and drove it away, while the other went into the Hotel and collected his passengers. They drove the 12km from Phnom Penh centre to the airport and pulled into the departures section of the Pochentong International Airport.
Lee, met them and led them inside the terminal building and over to the check-in section, he pulled them over to one side and said,
“Pon you travelling alone would be far too dangerous, wait until the counter clears”
They waited until the last straggler cleared the check-in desk, and then Lee signalled to his driver in the car park. A car door opened and a lady stepped out and walked toward them.
“She is the girl that we saw at Lee’s house,” noticed Spock.
“Kim!” gasped Pon.
Lee smiled at Pon, “Not Kim,” said Lee, “Goy, your wife."
Lee then explained that in order for Kim to escape from having to marry Tighe, she would travel with Pon as his wife to Thailand. Taksin had prepared everything necessary there, and Lee would tell Kim’s parents that had ran away.
He had also discussed it with the King’s mother, who was an old romantic and didn’t like Tighe, so she readily gave her approval. Lee would tell Tighe, when he turned up as nobody had seen him for two days, that Kim had gone to Vietnam to visit her family. Lee gave Pon a Cambodian passport with a photograph of Kim, with her new name Goy Te-ad.
Kim rushed into the airport and hugged Pon.
“Welcome my wife” Pon said and kissed Kim.
“I love you my husband,” said a tearful Kim.
“Now we have a shithead and a goythead” interrupted
Spock chuckling, after he’d noticed Kim’s passport.
“Quickly,” said Lee and ushered them all through the departure lounge and upstairs to the gate.
Kim told her uncle Lee that she would call him from Thailand, they waved goodbye, walked through the gate and went outside to a waiting Air Asia Boeing.
They got settled in their seats, Spock sat next to Stu and Pon sat with his wife, Kim, although he fidgeted a lot to get into a comfortable position, as the base of his spine around his coccyx ached.
“What exactly is a goyt head?” enquired Stu
“I don’t know” said Spock chuckling “but it sounds good, I am sure I will think of some use for it” and added “shall we order some tea, goythead”.
The large aircraft lifted off the ground. Pon and Kim breathed a sigh of relief, they had made it, and she was free.