“G. YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!” FUK-MI SHOUTED AS SHE STOMPED HER FOOT DOWN THROWING HER CLENCHED HANDS DOWN BY HER SIDE.
“FUK-MI, I’M SORRY! ALRIGHT!? DO YOU LIKE THAT!? DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER!?” G. SHOUTED BACK WITH HIS HEAD STRETCHED FORWARD.
“NO! OF COURSE NOT, YOU’RE STILL NOT LISTENING! YOU’RE DEFLECTING! YOU DO THIS ALL THE TIME!” SHE ADDED.
“WELL, WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? BE A SIMP AND LISTEN TO YOU COMPLAIN ALL DAY? ON AND ON AND ON YOU GO, WITH NO SOLUTIONS EVER IN SIGHT. I AIN’T NO SIMP. FUK-MI, IMMA’ REAL G. WITH REAL SOLUTIONS. AND MY SOLUTION IS THAT WE GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS.” SAID G. AS HE TURNED AWAY FROM HER.
“NO! YOU’RE STILL NOT LISTENING! JUST STOP TALKING AND TRULY LISTEN TO ME.” SHE PLEADED, GRABBING HIS ARM SOFTLY.
“FINE…” HE WAITED IMPATIENTLY.
“I LOVE YOU!” SHE CRIED OUT.
“THAT’S WHAT THEY ALWAYS SAY WHEN I DECIDE TO GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS.” AS HE TURNED BACK AGAIN IN DISAPPOINTMENT.
“LISTEN!”
“TO WHAT!” HE SHOUTED, WITH HIS HAND RAISED HIGH TO THE SKY. “ALL YOU EVER DO IS LIE TO ME ANYWAYS. AND IF I LISTEN TO YOU FOR ONE MORE SECOND, THEY MIGHT JUST FIND ME AND ARREST ME AND LOCK ME UP BECAUSE I’VE OVERSTAYED MY VISA LIMIT ALL BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO STAY ANOTHER WEEK TO BANG IN BANGKOK AND PRETEND LIKE EVERYTHING WAS FINE JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A HOME HERE BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPER RICH DADDY. I SHOULDN’T HAVE TRUSTED YOUR RECOMMENDATION IN THE FIRST PLACE! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP OUT OF TROUBLE, NOT PUT ME IN MORE OF IT! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT ANOTHER GIRL, JUST PLAYING WITH MY HEART AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A GUY WHO ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT YOU!”
SHE STOOD THERE IN SILENCE THINKING HOW BEST TO REPLY. “I LOVE YOU AND I’M SORRY. I’M SORRY I LIED TO YOU, AND I’M SORRY I SET YOU UP. I JUST-“
“SORRY DOESN’T KEEP ME OUT OF A THAILAND PRISON, FUK-MI! NOW I HAVE TO SLEEP ON THE BEACH BECAUSE I CAN’T BE CAUGHT BOOKING A HOTEL OR ELSE THEY WILL ASK TO LOOK AT MY PASSPORT AND NOTICE THAT MY VISA IS EXPIRED. YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN. YOU SAID I DIDN’T HAVE TO WORRY, AND I TRUSTED YOU! NOW I CAN’T TRUST YOU ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU MANIPULATED THE SITUATION FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH GAIN AND I NEED TO GET AWAY FROM YOU AS FAST AS POSSIBLE SO I CAN FIX THIS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE ALL BY MYSELF!” G. EXPLAINED IN PURE ANGER.
“YOU’RE NOTHIN’ BUT A MEANIE-BO-BEANIE. SHE WHISPERED EROTICALLY. CLOSING HER EYES AND LEANING IN FOR A KISS.
“NO, THAT’S NOT HOW THIS WORKS, YOU ADORABLE MANIPULATIVE BITCH! NOW GO FIND SOME BOUGIE PIÑA COLADA ICE CREAM TO SPEND YOUR DADDY’S MONEY ON AND HAVE A NICE LIFE!” HE YELLED IN DEFENSE.
SHE PUT HER HAND UP TO HER MOUTH AND GASPED IN AMAZEMENT.
“FROM NOW ON, I CALL THE SHOTS. FROM NOW ON, I GO SOLO. SO NOW, YOU CAN TAKE YOUR SLIM-THICK ASS BACK TO KOREA, OR COW TOWN, OR WHEREVER YOUR SUPER RICH DADDY’S CREDIT CARD WILL CARRY YOU. ANNYEONGHI GASEYO.” HE PREACHED IN OFFENSE.
“I THINK YOU MEAN, ‘ANNYEONGHI GYESEYO.” SHE CORRECTED HIM WITH A SMIRK.
“OH, WHATEVER!” HE WHINED AS HE WAIVED HIS HAND AT HER AS IF WAIVING A BUG AWAY.
AND HE PICKED UP AND THREW ON HIS GINORMOUS BAG AROUND HIS BACK AND GRABBED HIS SUITCASE BY THE HANDLE AND STARTED WALKING AGGRESSIVELY DOWN THE COASTLINE, LEAVING FUK-MI STANDING IN STILLNESS WITH HER FEET TOGETHER AND ARMS BY HER SIDE AS SHE WATCHED G. CARRY HIS BURDENS DOWN THE BEACH.
‘WHAT WAS I THINKING’, G. THOUGHT TO HIMSELF. ‘WHAT KIND OF G. ALLOWS HIMSELF TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY A RANDOM SLIM-THICK CHICK WHO HE MEETS IN A LOCAL BAR? WHAT KIND OF G. ALLOWS A DADDY’S GIRL TO BUY HIM HEAVY SUITCASES FULL OF UNNECESSARY ITEMS?’ HE CONTINUED. “SIMPLY A SIMP-G.” HE MURMURED. “BUT THAT LIFE JUST AIN’T FOR ME” HE BELLOWED, AS HE THREW OFF HIS GINORMOUS HEAVY BAG ONTO THE SAND AND BEGAN TO UNZIP IT IN SEARCH OF THE SMALLER BACKPACK INSIDE. ONCE FOUND, HE THEN PUT HIS MOST ESSENTIALS INTO IT LIKE THE LITTLE BIT OF THAI BAHT HE STILL HAD LEFT, EXTRA CLOTHES FOR SLEEPING ON THE BEACH, AND HIS SMALL UMBRELLA THAT HAD A SQUIRTLE POKÉMON DESIGN ON THE INSIDE FOR WHEN IN RAINS UNEXPECTEDLY, AS WAS EXPECTED FOR THE CURRENT THAILAND SEASON, AND STARTED TO DIG A HOLE IN THE SAND WITH HIS BARE HANDS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HIDE THE REST OF HIS NEWLY DECLARED UNNECESSARY ITEMS.
THREE AND A HALF HOURS LATER OR SO, THE CIRCULAR HOLE HE DUG WAS ABOUT FIVE FEET DEEP WITH A RADIUS OF ABOUT FIVE FEET. BIG ENOUGH TO HIDE A GINORMOUS BAG OF UNNECESSARY ITEMS AND A SMALL SUITCASE. GRABBING THE GINORMOUS BAG BY THE STRAPS HE PULLED IT OVER UNTIL IT SLID INTO THE HOLE, THEN HE LEANED TO HIS SIDE AND PULLED THE SMALL SUITCASE BY IT’S HANDLE INTO THE HOLE ATOP OF THE GINORMOUS HEAVY BAG RESTING IN ITS NEW HOME.
G. STOOD UP AND USED HIS ENTIRE HAND TO WIPE HIS FACE THAT WAS DRIPPING WITH SWEAT.
“PHEW, WHAT A DAY!” HE BLURTED OUT LOUD, “FIRST, A KOREAN DRAMA BREAK-UP SCENE, THEN AN ITALIAN GANGSTER HIDING THE EVIDENCE SCENE. IT FEELS LIKE A MOVIE.” HE LAUGHED SOFTLY. ‘I BETTER FIND A GOOD SPOT TO SLEEP TONIGHT THAT WILL KEEP ME DRY IN CASE IT RAINS.’ HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF AS HE LOOKED UP AND SAW DARK CLOUDS ROLLING IN FAST FROM A LONG DISTANCE AWAY.
WITHIN MINUTES, THE CLOUDS HAD ARRIVED AND G. HAD NOT ENOUGH TIME TO SECURE A DRY AREA SOMEWHERE AROUND THE BEACH FOR THE NIGHT. HE COULD HEAR THE TORRENTIAL RAIN SPLASHING ON THE WATER, THEN ON THE LEAVES ON THE TREES, AND COMING RIGHT FOR HIM. HE KNEW THAT IF HE GOT WET, IT WOULD BE A LONG AND UNSATISFYING NIGHT WITH LITTLE SLEEP. HE BEGAN TO SPRINT FOR SHELTER. LITTLE BY LITTLE, DROP BY DROP, THE RAIN SEEMED TO LOCATE HIS EXACT POSITION. THERE WAS NO TIME TO THINK, HE HAD TO ACT, AND ACT FAST, OR RISK GETTING HIS BACK PACK AND HIS ESSENTIALS SOAKED. HE QUICKLY PULLS OUT HIS SQUIRTLE POKÉMON UMBRELLA AND POPED IT OPEN, WHEN A HUGE GUST OF WIND CAME UNEXPECTEDLY AND BLEW IT OUT OF HIS HANDS FAR OUT OF REACH WITH NO CHANCE OF RECONCILIATION. HE WAS SOAKED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. EVERYTHING, COMPLETELY SOAKED. HE SPRINTED TOWARD THE POPULATED STREETS BESIDE THE BEACH WHERE PEOPLE WERE RUNNING FOR SHELTER. TRAFFIC WAS SPRAYING UP THE WATER FROM THE PUDDLES OVERFLOWING THE ROADWAY AS THE ENTIRE BEACH AREA SEEMED TO BE EXPERIENCING SOMEKIND OF MINOR TORRENTIAL DISASTER. AS G. LOOKED AROUND, EVERYONE HAD A SOLUTION, EXCEPT HIM. EVERYONE HAD SOMEWHERE TO GO, EXCEPT HIM. THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE PLACE IN SITE THAT WAS OPEN OR PRESENTED A LARGE ENOUGH SHELTER FOR HIM TO FIND TO SUCCESSFULLY AVOID THE HEAVY RAINFALL. NOTHING AT ALL. AS THE RAIN POURED DOWN, HE ADMITTED DEFEAT, AND BEGAN TO SLOW HIS PACE AS HE WALKED DOWN THE SIDEWALK IN AN ATTEMPT TO ENJOY THE WARM TROPICAL TEMPERATURE THAT RESIDED IN THE AIR, WHEN HE SUDDENLY SAW A LARGE, BLUE, OLD SCHOOL LOCAL BUS MAKING IT’S TOWARDS HIM FROM WAY DOWN THE STREET. THIS WAS HIS ONLY CHANCE FOR FINDING SOME FORM OF SHELTER. G. RAN UP THE SIDEWALK TOWARD THE BUS WAVING HIS HANDS AS IF SENDING AN S.O.S TO A RESCUE TEAM. THE BUS BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AS IT PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO AVOID SPLASHING A HEAVY BUILD UP OF WATER FLOODING THE GUTTERS. G. PUT HIS HANDS TOGETHER AT HIS FOREHEAD IN A THAI WAI GREETING AND GAVE A LIGHT NOD TO THE DRIVER WHO RETURNED THE GREETING, AND THEN RAN AROUND TO THE BACK OF THE BUS TO HOP ON IN.
HE MADE IT. KIND OF.
THE BUS HAD AN OPEN WINDOW BEHIND THE DRIVER’S SEAT FOR HIM TO COMMUNICATE AND COLLECT PAYMENT FROM THE RIDERS IN THE BACK. G. HANDED HIM 140 BAHT AND SAT BACK TO CATCH A BREATH. HE NOTICED A LITTLE MAP WITH THAT SHOWED THE BUS ROUTE. THERE WERE NO SHELTER SPOTS IN SIGHT ON THE MAP. IT ONLY DISPLAYED THE LOCATIONS OF ALL THE LOCAL RESTAURANTS, HOTELS AND MUAY THAI GYMS. G. RECOGNIZED A WORLD-RENOWNED GYM AND ASKED THE DRIVER TO STOP THERE ALONG THE WAY. G. HAD AN IDEA. MAYBE, IF HE WAS LUCKY, HE WOULD WALK INTO THE MUAY THAI GYM UNEXPECTEDLY AND HUMBLY EXPLAIN THAT HIS SQUIRTLE POKÉMON UMBRELLA BLEW AWAY FROM HIM AND THAT HE GOT HIS BELONGINGS SOAKED IN THE RAIN AND JUST NEEDED A PLACE TO DRY HIS BELONGS, THEY WOULD, HOPEFULLY, NOT BEAT HIM UP AND MOST LIKELY BE KIND ENOUGH TO HELP OUT A FOREIGNER IN NEED. MAYBE EVEN ALLOW HIM TO TAKE A NICE WARM SHOWER BEFORE HEADING BACK OUT INTO THE STREETS TO FIND A SHELTERED SPOT OR JUST A GOOD PLACE TO SLEEP FOR THE EVENING.
ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES LATER, THE RAIN HAD STOPPED AND THE BUS STOPPED AS WELL. THE DRIVER POINTED G. TOWARDS THE NEAREST ROAD FOR HIM TO FOLLOW WHICH WOULD TAKE HIM TOWARDS THE MUAY THAI GYM. HE TAHNKED THE DRIVER AND LOOKED BOTH WAYS TO BEGIN TO CROSS THE BUSY ROAD INTO THE QUIET STREET.
PEACE FILLED HIS MIND AS HE WALKED STEP BY STEP TOWARD THE GYM. G. COULD HEAR THE FIGHTERS KICKING TRAINING PADS AS SHARP SNAPS ECHOED THROUGH THE STREET. HE KNEW HE WAS CLOSE.
THEN, IT APPEARED BEFORE HIM, A LARGE OPEN BUILDING WITH FIGHTERS SPACED OUT THROUGHOUT THE TRAINING AREA, KICKING THEIR PARTNERS PADS WITH GREAT FORCE.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG
“OTHER LEG!” A VOICE YELLED.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG
IT SOUNDED LIKE HOME.
G. KNEW IT WASN’T HIS HOME, THOUGH. AT LEAST NOT WITH HIS CURRENTLT EXPIRED VISA WHICH ONLY GRANTED HIM A STAY OF UP TO THIRTY DAYS. HIS HOME WAS SOMEWHERE ELSE. THIS WAS JUST THE MOST PERFECT PIT STOP.
AS HE APPROACHED THE GYMS OFFICE, HE HEARD A VOICE YELL IN HIS DIRECTION “HEY, YOU, YOU GOING WRONG WAY, COME HERE!” THE VOICE ANNOUNCED.
G. WAS WONDERING WHO COULD HAVE SAID THAT IN A ROOM FULL OF SO MANY PEOPLE.
AS HE LOOKED AROUND FOR SOMEONE TO SHARE EYE CONTACT WITH, HE FOUND THE OWNER OF THE VOICE. IT WAS THE HEAD TRAINER, COVERED IN TRAINING PADS FROM HEAD TO TOE. CLEARLY THE TOUGHEST GUY IN THE GYM.
G. SPARED NO TIME TO JOG ON OVER TO HIM.
“SAWASDEE KHAP, HELLO, SIR.” G. SAID WITH HIS HANDS PRESSED TOGETHER AT HIS FOREHEAD AS HE GAVE AN HONORABLE WAI WITH A SUBTLE BOW.
“WHAT BRING YOU HEAR?” THE TRAINER SAID LOUDLY.
“I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THIS PAST RAINSTORM A FEW HOURS AGO, AND I’M IN SEARCH OF A PLACE TO DRY MY BELONGINGS FOR A FEW HOURS AND MAKE SURE MY MONEY AND ELECTRONICS AREN’T SOAKED AND RUINED. MAY I DRY THEM HERE, PLEASE?” G. REQUESTED HUMBLY.
“HMMM” HE HUMMED AS HE JUDGED G.’S APPEARANCE. “YOU IN GOOD SHAPE. YOU TRAIN MUAY THAI?” HE ASKED SHARPLY.
“UH, NOT REALLY. I’M MORE OF A HAPKIDO GUY.” G. REPLIED. “YOU KNOW HAPKIDO?” HE ASKED.
“AHH, KOREA STYLE!” THE TRAINER SAID WITH A SMILE AS HE LOOKED BACK AT HIS STUDENTS SHADOWBOXING IN THE BACKGROUND. “YOU TRAIN MUAY THAI TODAY!” HE SAID WITH A CHUCKLE. “GO! PUT STUFF ON HANGER TO DRY, SHORTS, GO USE CHANGEROOM, PUT SHORTS ON, COME BACK TO MAT AND YOU TRAIN MUAY THAI TODAY!” HE DEMANDED.
G. LAUGHED. THIS WAS CERTAINLY NOT THE INTERACTION THAT HE WAS EXPECTING UPON ARRIVAL. BUT HE THOUGHT THAT THIS MUST BE JUST SOME REGULAR THAI HOSPITALITY. HE TOOK HIS SHOES OFF AND WALKED ACROSS THE MAT TOWARDS THE CHANGE ROOM AND COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE THE LONG CLOTHES LINE THAT HUNG TIGHTLY ACROSS THE ENTIRE GYM WITH MANY COLOURFUL MUAY THAI SHORTS BEING HELD TO IT WITH CLOTHES PINS. AFTER CHANGING INTO THE MUAY THAI SHORTS, HE WALKED BACK TO THE CLOTHES LINE AND TOSSED UP HIS DAMP CLOTHES AND BACKPACK.
“HURRY UP!” DEMANDED THE TRAINER. “ALMOST SLEEP TIME.”
G. DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE MEANT BY ‘IT’S ALMOST SLEEP TIME’. IT WAS STILL BROAD DAYLIGHT OUT FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER FIVE OR SO HOURS.
HE HUSTLED OVER TO THE TRAINER AND THE TRAINER POINTED TO THE GLOVES LAYING PERFECTLY BEFORE HIM ON THE MAT.
“PUT THESE ON, QUICKLY! QUICKLY!” HE SHOUTED.
G. PUT THE GLOVES ON AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AS HE BEGAN TO FEEL HIS HEART BEAT FASTER AND FASTER AS ADRENALINE BEGAN TO MAKE ITS WAY THROUGHOUT HIS BODY. ‘WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?’ HE THOUGHT.
THEN, THE TRAINER, WITH HIS LARGE THAI PAD STRAPPED TO HIS FOREARM, DIRECTED G. BY POINTING TO A SPOT ON THE MAT FOR HIM TO STAND AT AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.
THEN THE TRAINER SAID SOMETHING IN THE THAI LANGUAGE THAT G. DID NOT UNDERSTAND, AND SUDDENLY, A SMALL THAI STUDENT, NO OLDER THAN 15 APPEARED RIGHT BEFORE HIM, LOOKING LIKE HE JUST GOT OUT JAIL AFTER A SOME KIND OF LIFE SENTENCE.
THE TRAINER LOOKED AT G. AND SAID, “DON’T FALL ASLEEP.” THEN HE LOOKED AT THE STUDENT AND SAID “NO, ELBOW.”
“WOAH, WOAH, WOAH. WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? I JUST WANTED TO DRY MY CLOTHES! HOLD ON A SECOND. DON’T I NEED TO DO SOME PAD WORK FIRST? MAYBE A LITTLE WARM UP?” G. SAID AS HIS VOICED RAISED IN PITCH.
“NO! YOU YOUNG GUY IN THAILAND. YOU WARM ENOUGH. THE TRAINER SAID JOKINGLY. “LOOK, YOU SWEATING ALREADY! HA-HA!”
EVEN THOUGH HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT G. SWEATING ALREADY, G. WASN’T ANYMORE CONVINCED THAT HE WAS READY FOR WHAT WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR.
“OKAY. DON’T KILL ME, PLEASE.” HE SAID TO THE YOUNG MAN IN FRONT OF HIM.
“NO WORRY! DEATH NOT IMPORTANT. JUST DON’T FALL ASLEEP!” THE TRAINER YELLED FROM OFFSIDE.
THE YOUNG MAN RAISED HIS HANDS TOGETHER ABOVE HIS FOREHEAD IN A WAI GREETING AND GAVE A SLIGHT BOW THEN WENT INTO A FIGHTING STANCE UNFAMILIAR TO G.
G RETURNED THE WAI GREETING, AND TOOK HIS REGULAR HAPKIDO STANCE…
TO BE CONTINUED…