there weren’t
windows at all – just holes in the walls where windows had yet to be
fitted. He asked Lek why the windows hadn’t been installed. “No money,” she
said.
Dave told her to
ask Zed’s mother how much it would cost to install the windows. While Lek went outside to talk to Zed’s
mother, Dave had a look around. Not that there was much to see, just three double mattresses surrounded
by mosquito nets, and two racks with clothes on hangers, and cardboard boxes
full of clothes. There was dust everywhere and stains from where the rain had
come in through the roof and the boarded up windows. There was a single
electric socket into which were plugged two extension leads, one to a fan and
the other to a light bulb on the wall. There was no furniture. No tables, no cupboards, no chairs.
Zed’s family slept on bare mattresses and sat and ate on the floor. It was
worse than a prison, though truth be told everyone seemed happy enough.
He went
downstairs where Lek was waiting for him. “The builder says he can do for
fifteen thousand baht,” she said.
Dave thought
about it for a few seconds and then decided, what the hell, it was less than he
earned in a couple of days driving his minicab. And he was starting to feel
genuinely sorry for Zed and her family. He told Lek that he needed to get to an ATM and she said the nearest was
in the town but she had a friend who had a pick-up truck who could drive them. Zed came over and asked what was
happening. “We’re going shopping,”
said Dave.
And that’s how he
spent the rest of the day. Lek’s
friend turned out to be an uncle who had a rusting Toyota pick-up. He and Zed
squashed into the front seat while Lek and two of the young men sat in the
back. They drove to the town and
Dave withdrew money on two of his credit cards. He gave Zed fifteen thousand baht and told her that was to
put the windows in and she yelped and hugged him.
Then he took her
to the one department store in town and bought a Chinese-made LCD TV for six
thousand baht and a fridge for four thousand baht. There was a small furniture
department and Dave bought a small table and four chairs and then he took Zed
shopping for clothes and bought her half a dozen dresses, a couple of pair of
jeans and some Nike trainers. Each time he bought her something she would
squeal and hug him.
There was a small
supermarket and Dave bought a loaf of bread, some slices of cheese and a can of
corned beef, figuring that would get him through the day.
They drove back
to Zed’s house and Zed rushed up the stairs and returned with her mother. Zed
excitedly showed her mother the things they’d bought and then took out the
money that Dave had given her. At
first she didn’t understand about the money but Zed and Lek explained again and
she solemnly thanked Dave with tears in her eyes.
Dave helped tune
the TV and spent the rest of the day drinking beer with the local men. Zed arranged a couple of fans but even
with them playing it was still almost unbearably hot under the house. The group had now swollen to eight and
while they were nice enough guys they were clearly bone idle and expected to be
waited on hand and foot by the women. They must have known that the girls were working as hookers in Bangkok
but didn’t care so long as the beer kept flowing. Dave was starting to realise
just how tough – and unfair - Zed’s life was.
Each time Zed
walked by she flashed Dave a beaming smile, and she kept checking that he was
all right and didn’t need anything. In the afternoon she borrowed a motorcycle
and drove him to the family’s farmland. There were a few acres growing some
crop or other but her English wasn’t good enough to explain to him what it was.
He spent the
evening watching television with her and swatting the mosquitoes that seemed to
prefer his Western skin to the Thais.
Dave decided to
have a shower before he turned in. He grabbed his towel and headed for
windows at all – just holes in the walls where windows had yet to be
fitted. He asked Lek why the windows hadn’t been installed. “No money,” she
said.
Dave told her to
ask Zed’s mother how much it would cost to install the windows. While Lek went outside to talk to Zed’s
mother, Dave had a look around. Not that there was much to see, just three double mattresses surrounded
by mosquito nets, and two racks with clothes on hangers, and cardboard boxes
full of clothes. There was dust everywhere and stains from where the rain had
come in through the roof and the boarded up windows. There was a single
electric socket into which were plugged two extension leads, one to a fan and
the other to a light bulb on the wall. There was no furniture. No tables, no cupboards, no chairs.
Zed’s family slept on bare mattresses and sat and ate on the floor. It was
worse than a prison, though truth be told everyone seemed happy enough.
He went
downstairs where Lek was waiting for him. “The builder says he can do for
fifteen thousand baht,” she said.
Dave thought
about it for a few seconds and then decided, what the hell, it was less than he
earned in a couple of days driving his minicab. And he was starting to feel
genuinely sorry for Zed and her family. He told Lek that he needed to get to an ATM and she said the nearest was
in the town but she had a friend who had a pick-up truck who could drive them. Zed came over and asked what was
happening. “We’re going shopping,”
said Dave.
And that’s how he
spent the rest of the day. Lek’s
friend turned out to be an uncle who had a rusting Toyota pick-up. He and Zed
squashed into the front seat while Lek and two of the young men sat in the
back. They drove to the town and
Dave withdrew money on two of his credit cards. He gave Zed fifteen thousand baht and told her that was to
put the windows in and she yelped and hugged him.
Then he took her
to the one department store in town and bought a Chinese-made LCD TV for six
thousand baht and a fridge for four thousand baht. There was a small furniture
department and Dave bought a small table and four chairs and then he took Zed
shopping for clothes and bought her half a dozen dresses, a couple of pair of
jeans and some Nike trainers. Each time he bought her something she would
squeal and hug him.
There was a small
supermarket and Dave bought a loaf of bread, some slices of cheese and a can of
corned beef, figuring that would get him through the day.
They drove back
to Zed’s house and Zed rushed up the stairs and returned with her mother. Zed
excitedly showed her mother the things they’d bought and then took out the
money that Dave had given her. At
first she didn’t understand about the money but Zed and Lek explained again and
she solemnly thanked Dave with tears in her eyes.
Dave helped tune
the TV and spent the rest of the day drinking beer with the local men. Zed arranged a couple of fans but even
with them playing it was still almost unbearably hot under the house. The group had now swollen to eight and
while they were nice enough guys they were clearly bone idle and expected to be
waited on hand and foot by the women. They must have known that the girls were working as hookers in Bangkok
but didn’t care so long as the beer kept flowing. Dave was starting to realise
just how tough – and unfair - Zed’s life was.
Each time Zed
walked by she flashed Dave a beaming smile, and she kept checking that he was
all right and didn’t need anything. In the afternoon she borrowed a motorcycle
and drove him to the family’s farmland. There were a few acres growing some
crop or other but her English wasn’t good enough to explain to him what it was.
He spent the
evening watching television with her and swatting the mosquitoes that seemed to
prefer his Western skin to the Thais.
Dave decided to
have a shower before he turned in. He grabbed his towel and headed for
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