Arthur watches the dancers, one saucy little vixen in particular, he is in Bangkok on his way to Australia. In a gogo bar. It’s Christmas. Sounds, smells, a flashing smile beneath a Santa hat, fragments of dialogue that trigger memories from nowhere. Well they must come from somewhere. Anywhere. Wherever all these bits of history cache themselves. A girl sits next to him. She isn’t wearing much. She puts her hand on his knee and asks him to buy her a drink. So it begins.
Her name is Duan and she explains the barfine system to Arthur.
‘You like me? I go wit you. You pay bar.’
She makes it sound so uncomplicated. Do it Arthur says a voice. Why not? You’re a free man. Nobody will know. She certainly is cute. No tattoos, no piercings. Could it really be that easy? Pay the bar-fine and off you go for a bit of how’s your father? Would the hotel management complain? What about disease? And would he feel guilty afterwards?
Duan informs him that she only recently started bar work and she has no money.
Back in his hotel room Duan says ‘I take shower you.’
What? Does she mean they should shower together? Yes that is exactly what she means and she knows how to handle a bar of soap.
You can probably imagine what comes next so no point in a detailed description. Arthur is only in Bangkok for one night. He has time in the morning for breakfast with Duan in the hotel coffee shop. He notices quite a few foreign men having breakfast with Thai girls. He wonders what sort of relationships they have. A lot to do with money no doubt. Then it’s off to the airport for a flight to Sydney. Duan comes to the airport in the taxi with him. He gives her all his left over Thai baht. She is very grateful and he promises to return. He feels as though a whole new world of possibilities has opened up.
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