Us
“Did you recognize me at the convenience store that’s why you went up to me?”
“I know I seen you somewhere. I just can’t remember where…”
“How about you, did you recognize me?”
“Yeah. I did recognize you when you went up to me. You haven’t changed you know. You still look the same.”
“Still handsome?” He smiles.
The banter made her smile, too. “You’re not that handsome you know. You’re just cute.” She sips beer from her glass. “So tell me, do you hang out here every night, and get wasted?”
“No, not every night. Just sometimes.”
“Really. When was the last time you were here?”
“Hmmm… Last week.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Did you overhear me talking to my friend over the phone and heard that I was going here?”
“Yes. You said, “Moradokthai”.
“So you went up to me because you heard me say “Moradokthai” and not because of what I was wearing?”
He laughs, “That, also.”
“Wow, you’re so honest.”
“Why are you wearing that?”
“Why isn’t it nice? Didn’t I look good?”
“No, no, no, I don’t mean that.”
“Of course, I know I looked hot. You remember their faces when I arrived? “Wow, who is this girl?”
“I think they want to give you a shirt.” He jokes.
“I hate you.”
“If you like it, go and wear it again.”
“All of you guys kept staring at me. I told you I was wearing a cropped top because I just got all my clothes from the laundry and I have to go to the bus station so I did not have time to change.”
“It’s ok. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. I knew you talked to me because of that.”
“Are you not cold?” He teases.
“I was wearing a blazer!”
Comfortable silence.
“What happened to American boy?”
“What?”
“You like him?”
“What? Why?”
“So you like him.”
“I don’t… Maybe. I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
“He is your type?”
“Ehhh, he is okay. And we get along. But we were drinking.”
“You are going out with him tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. Depends on where they will go.”
“Why are we talking about him anyway?... You’re jealous.” This time, she does the teasing.
“What? No… I am more handsome. He’s only tall, and American.” He answers with confidence.
“I think he is cute.”
“Do you want to go to him?”
“You’re so cute.” She’s happy she’s winning the conversation.
“Until when are you going to stay here?”
“Two days. I was supposed to go to Pattaya, but my friend Kel wants to come here so I am here.”
“Stay longer.”
“I want to! I want to live here! If only I can just stay here.”
“Stay here.”
“Yeah. I wish it was that easy.”
“You should go. It’s late.”
“No. it’s still early. You want more beer?”
“Let’s go. I’m sleepy. Go home.” She goes down from his car’s hood.
“No. Stay here. Don’t go.”
“Let’s go.”
“Please.”
She sighs. In her mind, she asks, what good will it bring if I stay here with you until sunrise when we both know it can never be, we can never be. They both know that this would the farthest they can go.
If he can turn back the time, he will wait.
In a parallel universe, maybe they can be together. In another life, maybe. But not in this lifetime.
“I know I seen you somewhere. I just can’t remember where…”
“How about you, did you recognize me?”
“Yeah. I did recognize you when you went up to me. You haven’t changed you know. You still look the same.”
“Still handsome?” He smiles.
The banter made her smile, too. “You’re not that handsome you know. You’re just cute.” She sips beer from her glass. “So tell me, do you hang out here every night, and get wasted?”
“No, not every night. Just sometimes.”
“Really. When was the last time you were here?”
“Hmmm… Last week.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Did you overhear me talking to my friend over the phone and heard that I was going here?”
“Yes. You said, “Moradokthai”.
“So you went up to me because you heard me say “Moradokthai” and not because of what I was wearing?”
He laughs, “That, also.”
“Wow, you’re so honest.”
“Why are you wearing that?”
“Why isn’t it nice? Didn’t I look good?”
“No, no, no, I don’t mean that.”
“Of course, I know I looked hot. You remember their faces when I arrived? “Wow, who is this girl?”
“I think they want to give you a shirt.” He jokes.
“I hate you.”
“If you like it, go and wear it again.”
“All of you guys kept staring at me. I told you I was wearing a cropped top because I just got all my clothes from the laundry and I have to go to the bus station so I did not have time to change.”
“It’s ok. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. I knew you talked to me because of that.”
“Are you not cold?” He teases.
“I was wearing a blazer!”
Comfortable silence.
“What happened to American boy?”
“What?”
“You like him?”
“What? Why?”
“So you like him.”
“I don’t… Maybe. I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
“He is your type?”
“Ehhh, he is okay. And we get along. But we were drinking.”
“You are going out with him tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. Depends on where they will go.”
“Why are we talking about him anyway?... You’re jealous.” This time, she does the teasing.
“What? No… I am more handsome. He’s only tall, and American.” He answers with confidence.
“I think he is cute.”
“Do you want to go to him?”
“You’re so cute.” She’s happy she’s winning the conversation.
“Until when are you going to stay here?”
“Two days. I was supposed to go to Pattaya, but my friend Kel wants to come here so I am here.”
“Stay longer.”
“I want to! I want to live here! If only I can just stay here.”
“Stay here.”
“Yeah. I wish it was that easy.”
“You should go. It’s late.”
“No. it’s still early. You want more beer?”
“Let’s go. I’m sleepy. Go home.” She goes down from his car’s hood.
“No. Stay here. Don’t go.”
“Let’s go.”
“Please.”
She sighs. In her mind, she asks, what good will it bring if I stay here with you until sunrise when we both know it can never be, we can never be. They both know that this would the farthest they can go.
If he can turn back the time, he will wait.
In a parallel universe, maybe they can be together. In another life, maybe. But not in this lifetime.
