Stealing Asia (2 page)

I did not argue.
Her response was driven by shock and fear rather than callousness. Besides
which, she was probably right. We needed to put some distance between ourselves
and the alleyway. As we left I saw lights come on and doors open at the other
end of the street. People would find him soon enough. He was their problem now.

The guesthouse
where the girl was staying was only five minutes away, but she insisted that we
first stop at a café in order for her to settle her nerves. I bought her a
latte and got a herbal tea for myself. Coffee had never appealed to me and
herbal was the only kind of tea that they ever got right in this part of the
world. I once tried a regular brew, but it was more like a warm milkshake and
came with higher sugar content than a can of cola. The Malaysians seemed to
think that is how westerners like it and it was impossible to explain to them
otherwise.

We took our
drinks to a table by the window, which gave me an unobstructed view of what was
going on outside. The scene of the accident was only a couple of streets away
and I wanted to keep an eye on the passing traffic. Until I knew that it was
being properly dealt with, I would not be able to rest easily.

The silence
lasted for half a cup. Our only communication was via the occasional timid
glance and awkward smile. It reminded me of when we had first exchanged eye
contact back at the bar. Of course, a lot had happened since then. How
different would things have been if I had made a move right away instead of
waiting until we were outside?

Despite having
no desire for food, I read the menu twice and she did the same. The tension was
only broken when a police car passed by the window. Its siren sounded and it
was followed five minutes later by an ambulance. The question as to whether we
should try and do something for the injured mugger was now irrelevant. If he
had survived, he would now be looked after. If he had not, then all culpability
was solely his own.

‘Are you going
to be okay?’ I asked.

‘Thanks to you,’
she replied.

She raised her
right arm to her chest whilst her other hand remained wrapped around the warm
coffee mug. Her fingers gently stroked the casing of a silver locket.
Underneath the chain a slight break in her otherwise perfect tan told me that
she had rarely taken this item of jewellery off. She was not carrying a purse
and I assumed this was what the mugger attempted to take when they had
struggled.

‘That must
really mean a lot to you,’ I said. ‘Is it valuable?’

Not the cleverest
question to have asked. She might have thought I was fishing for a reward. It
was bad enough how I had come to be in that alleyway in the first place. I
would not normally follow a girl out of a bar like that. We had not even
spoken, just held eye contact for three, maybe four seconds. I could easily
have misread the signals.

‘It belonged to
my mother,’ she replied. ‘Wearing it makes me feel like she is close by.’

I did not ask
her to elaborate. To do so would be too personal, maybe even intrusive given
that I did not even know her name. Belatedly, I asked what should have been my
first question.

‘Asia,’ she
replied.

I raised an
eyebrow.

‘If I’m asking
too many questions just tell me.’

‘Why would you
think that?’

‘I didn’t
picture you as an Asia. It kind of makes me think that you could just as easily
have said you were called teacup or window.’

As I gave voice
to my suspicions, I felt a little embarrassed for doubting her. After all, she
had no reason to lie and it was not like I was trying to pick her up. At least,
I hoped she did not think I was trying to pick her up.

‘You think I’d
give you a fake name?’ she asked, seeming puzzled rather than hurt.

‘No, it just
seemed a little coincidental, that’s all.’

‘Well, trust me;
my name is Asia. How about you? You still have not told me yours.’

‘I’m Ben.’

‘Well then, Ben;
if that is your real name. I’m just about out of coffee, so perhaps you
wouldn’t mind escorting me back to my guesthouse. It’s not safe for a girl to
be walking these streets alone at night, as I’ve recently discovered.’

My heart sank.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances of our meeting it disappointed me that
she was ready to leave. I paid for the drinks and then accompanied her on the
short walk back to where she was staying. The adrenaline had long since faded
and my nerves were starting to return. Even after what we had been through I
had still not fully shaken my earlier misgivings.

At least now I
did not feel quite so much like I could not look at her. She wore no make-up,
but a delicate sprinkle of freckles was all the decoration her face needed. Her
eyes appeared green from a distance, but up close they revealed themselves to
be light blue with an inner halo of yellow. One of them was tempered by a small
speck of orange, like a leaf floating on water. I cursed fortune for teasing me
with such possibilities and then cruelly taking them away. When we arrived at
her door I tried my best to keep from losing her completely.

‘Perhaps we
could do this again sometime,’ I suggested.

I knew that my
anxiety showed. She glanced down at my Hobbit feet then looked up with an
amused grin on her face, but did not say anything.

‘I mean the
drinks, not the mugging; obviously,’ I added, rather clumsily. She remained silent.
I sensed that she enjoyed watching me squirm. ‘Or maybe I should just go.’

‘You don’t have
to go,’ she replied. ‘It may be forward of me, but after everything that
happened earlier I don’t really want to spend tonight on my own.’

The hostel
reception staff had long finished for the day and this enabled me to accompany
her to her room without any questions being asked. I expected her lodgings to
be more upmarket than what the typical traveller is used to, but they were not.
Her room was small and sparse, with a double bed covered by a wafer thin
mattress that sagged in the middle. There was a small chest of drawers with a
missing handle and a pathetic looking ceiling fan. Photographs had been
haphazardly tacked to the wall above the drawers.

We both sat down
on the edge of her bed, but I was reluctant to make the first move. I wanted
to, more than anything. The fact she had invited me into her bedroom suggested
the attraction was mutual. The problem was that I could not get out of my head
the idea that I would somehow be taking advantage of her. The truth was that
before the attack, we had nothing. If anything was to happen between us, she
would have to be the one to instigate it.

I rose from the
bed and walked over to take a closer look at the photographs. I hoped I would
find an ice breaker amongst them. They were mostly of Asia with her girl
friends. A lot of them seemed to have been taken at a club or a party. Sitting
incongruously at the centre of the collection was a postcard depicting a famous
rock singer. It was signed with a brief message, but I could not decipher the
handwriting.

‘You have a
surprising taste in music,’ I said. ‘I thought this would be a bit before your
time.’

‘I’m not a fan,’
she replied. ‘He’s my father.’

‘He’s your
father!’

I looked at the
picture again to make sure I had not made a mistake. It was indeed one of the
biggest rock stars on the planet. I assumed she had to be having me on. Her
eloquence and obvious intelligence had suggested a good education, possibly
backed by money, but for her to be the daughter of someone so famous had
completely taken me aback.

Was this a joke?
I was not sure if I should be offended or if I should play along. For all I
knew, she could even have been telling the truth. I turned to question her further,
but the sight I was greeted with soon blanked out any curiosity I might have
had. She had slipped out of her dress and was lying completely naked on the
bed. Her body more than lived up to the promise of her face. She had flawless
skin with just a smattering of freckles on her breasts.

Like in the bar,
I briefly procrastinated, but only to make the moment last for as long as
possible. This time I was certain of what the outcome would be. She beckoned me
to join her by licking the inside of her lips. As I approached, I cast my eyes
over the fluid contours of her body, slowly, in order to fully absorb their
exquisite beauty. I had never wanted or felt more wanted at any time in my
life. As I removed my clothes and joined her on the bed, any worry of impropriety
became a distant memory.

Chapter 2

‘You won’t last a
day.’

‘Are you sure
about that?’

‘I’ve never been
more certain. Before twenty four hours have passed, you’ll be so torn apart by
the loss, you’ll forever rue the day that you let me slip through your
fingers.’

Asia was
stretched out naked on the bed. I know what you will be thinking right now, but
you are wrong. It was simply too hot for clothes. It was also too hot for sex.
If we wanted to do that we would have gone in the shower. The temperature in
the room must have been at least 37 degrees and the only air conditioning came
in the form of a pathetic single speed fan, which hung from the ceiling. It
rotated so slowly that I wondered if it was powered by electricity or a hamster
on a treadmill.

‘What makes you
think that you won’t regret our parting any more than me?’ I asked.

She rolled onto
her back, adopting a position that was both vulnerable and alluring.

‘Because I can
at least look back and say I gave it a shot,’ she replied. ‘Will you be able to
do the same?’

The morning
after the night before had long since passed and it was now late in the
afternoon. Despite it being less than twenty four hours since our meeting, we
had together experienced more excitement, fear and passion than most couples
would in months of dating. The sex was pretty amazing too. It did not seem
right to end it so soon.

‘I don’t
understand why you have to go now,’ I said. ‘Surely after last night you have a
reason to stay.’

‘I already
bought my ticket,’ she replied. ‘Besides, it does not matter so much when I
leave, because you will be coming with me.’

‘You’re really
sure about that, aren’t you?’

‘Like I said; you
would never live with yourself if you walked away from me now.’

I have to admit
that her confidence turned me on. The more time I spent around her, the more I
could not believe a girl like that could possibly be interested in me. Then
again, I had saved her life – sort of. Did she really want me or was she just
afraid to go on alone?

Her flight was
booked for the following day. She was headed to Thailand and the island of Koh
Pha Ngan for the full moon party. Demand was obviously high at this time of the
month and I could not get another flight for a week. The only way for me to
make the party in time would be to take the overland route.

‘Why don’t you
cancel your flight and we both take the bus,’ I suggested.

‘It’s non
refundable,’ she replied. ‘Besides, there is no way I am spending ten hours on
a bus.’

My spirits
dropped as I saw that she was unwilling to make this small sacrifice for me. If
roles were reversed, I would not have hesitated to change my plans. The
disappointment must have shown on my face as she was at least quick to offer
encouragement.

‘Don’t worry,’
she said. ‘You are going to see me again, I promise.’

I sensed that
she was being earnest, but despite her enthusiasm, I was a little doubtful
about finding her again at the party. Asia was as free spirited as she was
beautiful. She refused to sign up to any social networking sites and did not
even carry a mobile phone. Once she left, I would have no way to contact her.
She was completely convinced that fate had brought us together and therefore
fate would never let us drift apart.

‘To prove how
much faith I have in you, I want you to take this,’ she said.

She unclasped
her locket and held it out for me.

‘What are you
doing?’ I asked. ‘I cannot take that. If I am unable to find you, you will never
see it again. After what you went through last night, do you really want to
take that risk?’

‘I don’t
consider it a risk; more a sign of faith. You are worried about finding me
again, so this will give you focus.’

‘I don’t know
what you mean.’

‘You worry too
much. I’ve only known you for one day and I can already tell you have a
terrible habit of over thinking everything. Last night though, when it really
mattered, you were amazing. I see strength in you that is all too rare in this
world. By taking care of this one thing for me, you are making it your duty to
find me. I know you will not let me down.’

I reluctantly
took the jewellery from her.

‘You’re crazy,’
I said, but she just shrugged.

Whatever her
intentions, I was having trouble trying to figure them out. Was this really for
my benefit or was she testing me? I thought that after the extreme
circumstances of our coming together things would cool down fast. Obviously, I
was mistaken. Asia was proving to be the type of girl who liked to keep the
stakes high. I resolved to do my best not to let her down and then placed the
locket on the bedside table before rejoining her on the mattress. We had spent
enough time talking.

I slowly ran my
fingers along the outside of her leg, teasing her with what was to follow. She
reached out and took hold of my hand and moved it to the inside of her thigh.
Now she was in control as she slowly moved it upwards, heightening her own
anticipation as well as mine. As the tips of my fingers were about to connect with
her crotch, she pulled my hand away and brought it to her lips. Smiling
mischievously, she made her way along my arm with a series of short, delicate
kisses. When she reached my shoulder she redirected the kisses downwards,
across my chest and over my abdomen, before finally taking me in her mouth.

Between that
first night and Asia catching her plane, we never once left the guesthouse. A
lot of time was spent in the bedroom and perhaps even longer in the shower.
Then, just forty eight hours after we had first met, she was gone. It never
once entered my mind that I would not follow.

***

The hostel where I
had been staying also acted as a travel agency. There was a notice board above
the service counter advertising several destinations. Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
and Koh Samui were all written in bold indicating regular departures. The
latter was only a short boat ride from Koh Pha Ngan and a reunion with Asia.
This was my chance.

‘Can I have a
ticket for Samui, please?’

The proprietor
was an old Chinese man. Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim nation and whilst
the people are generally tolerant of western vices, I preferred to base myself
in the local Chinatown when travelling through the country. You always know
where you are at with the Chinese as their religion is that of simple
economics. Wherever there is demand, the Chinese will always be happy to
supply.

‘When do you
plan to travel?’ he asked.

‘As soon as
possible,’ I told him. ‘Is there a bus tomorrow?’

The old man
pulled out a tattered ledger from under his desk and began to slowly leaf
through the pages. It was written in his own native script; either Mandarin or
Cantonese. I never could tell the difference.

‘Tomorrow - no,’
he said, ‘but there is free space on Monday.’

That was no
good. The full moon party was on Saturday and it was already Thursday. If I did
not leave within twenty four hours, I would never make it in time.

‘It has to be
tomorrow,’ I told him. ‘Are you sure you don’t have anything or otherwise do
you know of anyone else who offers trips to Samui?’

Asking him to
recommend one of his rivals seemed to rouse him into working harder for the
sale. Losing a customer could be tolerated, but losing a customer to a
competitor could not. If there was not a trip that met with my needs then he would
simply create one that did.

‘Nothing for
Samui tomorrow, but I can put you on bus to Krabi.’ He pulled out a map and
unfolded it over the counter. ‘The bus can drop you at Hat Yai, here. From
there you have no trouble finding bus to Samui.’

The route he had
worked out for me appeared logical as I traced its trajectory on the map. It
did not even involve too much of a detour as Hat Yai was part of the main
route. If I was lucky, it would add no more than an extra hour or so onto my
journey. I just needed to make sure that everything was included and I was not
being ripped off. We may not have been on a darkened street corner, but
experience had taught me to be wary of strangers.

‘What about the
ferry?’ I asked. ‘Samui is an island. Will the ferry be included?’

‘Yes, yes,’ he
assured me. ‘When you book bus from Hat Yai they will include ferry.’

‘In that case,
we have a deal.’

I bought the
ticket and thanked the man before returning to my room to pack for the journey.
After an unsure start to my travels, I had finally found somebody to share my
adventure with. Soon, I would no longer be alone.

***

A minivan arrived
to pick me up outside the guesthouse the next morning. The driver had darker
skin than the Malay locals and his facial features leaned more towards the
oriental. I assumed he was Thai, but was unable to confirm this as he spoke no
English whatsoever. He did, however, have a very broad smile, which spoke more
words than Pidgin English ever could. I was feeling optimistic about seeing
Asia again, but nerves and self doubt still weighed heavily on my mind. I would
need all of the friendly faces I could get to keep me going.

The vehicle had
room onboard for eight passengers, but only because the seats had been pushed
back to their limits leaving very little space for luggage. I had to force my
bag into a tiny gap between the seats like a child trying to force a piece of a
jigsaw puzzle that was obviously not meant to connect.

 Finally
satisfied that my bag had been pushed in as far as it would go, I took my seat
at the back right corner of the van. Since we were travelling north this meant
I would have the unforgiving eastern sun pushing down on me for the duration of
the morning. When it was finally time for the change over at Hat Yai I hoped
that my next transport would have air conditioning.

Once the journey
had gotten underway, I tried my best to relax and not worry too much about what
lay ahead. Prior to leaving I had done some research and found that there were
two points where the border could be crossed. One of them, at a town named
Sungai Kolok, was potentially dangerous. Reports of terrorist activity
including bombings and targeted attacks on tourists were said to be common at
this place. With one near death experience still fresh in my mind I wanted to
make sure that my bus would be taking the safe route.

The Chinaman had
promised me that this trip would not come within 100 miles of any of the
troubles and his promise held true. The only hardship I had to face at the
border was in having to forego breakfast since the café served only Malay
cuisine and it was much too early in the morning for that. We soon passed the
international boundary and from there it would only take a further two hours to
get to Hat Yai.

***

Thailand is known
as the land of the smiles; a maxim the residents of Hat Yai were sadly unaware
of. The city itself was not at all what I expected. I had been led to believe
that it was a major transport hub and as such would be fairly cosmopolitan. In
reality, it was anything but.

As far as
industrialised cities went, I could only say that it was fairly standard and
non-descript. Every building was constructed of concrete and completely
characterless. I was dropped off on an unremarkable street in what appeared to
be an unremarkable part of town. Without a map, I was reliant on instinct alone
to guide me.

The streets were
crowded; a complex network of flowing bodies that seemed completely
un-traversable to the uninitiated. A crowd such as this provided the ideal
hiding place for a thief. I clutched my pack firmly as I crossed to the other
side of the road where it was open and un-shaded. I wanted a clear view of my
surroundings.

A friend had
once told me that pickpockets liked to stick to the shadows as a means of
avoiding the potentially damaging sun just as much as for the covertness it
provided. If a thief did try anything, he would be disappointed anyway. My
credit cards and cash were safely stored out of sight in a money belt along
with Asia’s locket. Finding my way was a far greater worry than losing my
stuff.

Logic dictated
that the minivan should have dropped me off close to the bus station. The
signposts proved completely useless as the writing was in the unfamiliar Thai
script as opposed to the Roman letters I was accustomed to. This meant that
even if I possessed a translation text, which I did not, I would not know where
to begin. All I could do was to systematically look down each of the roads
branching off from the one that I was on until I saw something resembling a bus
station. It was not the best plan, but it was the only plan I had.

As I came to the
first corner I felt a sharp tug from behind. The force of the pull spun me
around three hundred and sixty degrees and I had to grab onto a lamppost for
support. Luckily, the pressure disappeared as suddenly as it had come. I had no
idea what had happened, but managed to make out the form of a squat Thai man
running away. A quick once over of the bag assured me that nothing had been
taken, but the experience had left me shaken. I thought I was being cautious,
but obviously it was not enough.

‘You okay,
mister?’

I traced the
voice back to another Thai local. He was the only person on the crowded street
to have taken any notice of what had just happened to me.

‘I’m fine,
thanks,’ I replied. ‘I think a man just tried to steal my bag.’

The stranger
nodded his head, knowingly.

‘Yes; people see
white man and think that he rich. Are you rich?’

I was not sure
how best to answer his question, but before I did, he broke into the most
ingratiating smile I had ever seen. His teeth were crooked and yellow, but they
conveyed good intentions. If Thailand had game shows, the producers could do a
lot worse than offer this man a job of presenting one.