Part 7 (1/2)
She nodded. Seng's heart flipped. Nok with a boyfriend! And a foreign one at that. They were America-bound for sure!
”Which state is he from? California? New York? Connecticut? Montana? Iowa? Was.h.i.+ngton? Delaware? Minnesota -”
”Are you going to name all fifty states again?”
”North Carolina? South Carolina? Arkansas? Ma.s.sachusetts?”
”Seng!”
”Sorry. But I know them all, you know.”
”I know.”
”So, which?”
”He's not American,” she said.
”So sorry to hear that.”
”He's Canadian.”
Seng didn't know a thing about Canada.
”It's next to America,” Nok explained. ”Not as many people, lots of forests and snow, French and English.”
Close enough, Seng thought. ”Do they eat cheese?”
She laughed and gave him a playful shove. At least he could still make her smile.
”Now I know why you won't hang out by the river. You're going to see Canada Boy.”
She looked down at the ground and shrugged. ”You go, Seng. I'll see you when you get back.”
He walked toward the Mekong with a bounce in his step. Why hadn't he thought of this before? A foreign boyfriend for his little sister. It was perfect. Now she would be less serious and have a shot at something better than the ma.s.sage house, although she would argue that she didn't need a guy for success. She didn't need Seng, that was for sure. He began to wonder if she would leave him like Vong had, but then he spotted Khamdeng sitting under a coconut tree and throwing pebbles into the Mekong. It made him think of loyalty. Of course Nok wouldn't leave him. She was different.
”What's up with your s.h.i.+rt?” Khamdeng asked, pointing to his new, pink T-s.h.i.+rt.
”You like it? Grateful Head. It's a super cool American band.”
”It's the Grateful Dead, you dimwit.”
”No, it isn't.”
”Yes, it is.”
”No, it isn't.”
”Yes it is. And they're an old band. Not cool anymore.”
”Then why would they make a Grateful Head T-s.h.i.+rt?” Seng asked. ”I got it at the Morning Market.”
”The Morning Market isn't exactly on the pulse of what's cool. They put all kinds of messed-up English on s.h.i.+rts.”
Seng wasn't going to let Khamdeng's disapproval ruin this great day. Nok had a boyfriend! A falang boyfriend! Seng wondered if the guy had a sister. Maybe they could double date.
A group of tourists rode by on rented bicycles. Seng suddenly wished he had brought some plastic goods to sell.
”Hey, the Grateful Head!” one of the guys stopped and pointed at Seng. His friends stopped, too, and they laughed when they saw Seng's T-s.h.i.+rt.
”Told you,” Khamdeng said.
”That's awesome!” a tourist laughed.
”See?” Seng said to Khamdeng. ”I am on the pulse.” I'll wear this next time I work, he thought.
The backpackers asked where they could go for good food. They stood chatting with Seng and Khamdeng for awhile; wondered where they could get a T-s.h.i.+rt like Seng's. He gave them directions to the Morning Market. Then one of them leaned in closer, lowered his voice.
”Speaking of head,” he said, a grin on his face. ”I've heard about Southeast Asia. Know where I can get some?”
”What do you mean?” Seng looked at him blankly. Khamdeng s.h.i.+fted.
”You know. Head. I heard you can get it cheap in a poor place like this. At those ma.s.sage houses.”
Khamdeng stepped forward. ”A ma.s.sage house isn't a brothel,” he said and Seng could hear the resentment in his friend's voice. Suddenly the ugliness of the tourists' words dawned on him.
”You're an a.s.s, Will,” one of the tourist's friends said to him. ”It's cheap because the place is poor. Those girls don't have another option. You want to take advantage of that?”
Will raised one shoulder. ”I was just asking. You know you hear all those stories. I'm just curious, that's all.”
”Let's go eat,” the other backpacker said in an annoyed tone.
Seng watched as they rode away, his heart suddenly feeling heavy in his chest. If he wasn't so fat, he'd rip his stupid T-s.h.i.+rt off.
Boh Penyang.
Cam.
My head seared with pain as I came to consciousness. My eyes felt like lead as I slowly opened them. I don't know why I even bothered - blackness was everywhere. I couldn't see a thing. I felt hard, wet protrusions digging into my spine. The air around me smelled dank and rotten. My body tensed with fear as I frantically searched my throbbing brain to try to remember where I was.
”Nok?” I tried to call out in a hoa.r.s.e voice. But even as I said it I knew it wasn't the right name. She wouldn't be there. Who would be? I couldn't remember.
I began to panic. My legs felt restless and jumpy, but I couldn't move them. I felt sweat trickling down my forehead, but I s.h.i.+vered with dampness and cold at the same time. My breath was shallow and quick, like a dog panting. I could taste blood in my mouth.
”h.e.l.lo?” I called out. My voice echoed eerily. When it stopped I heard nothing except for the continuous dripping of water. The sound made me remember.
I was in the cave.