Chapter 60

A Rose is a Rose:

About forty years ago I had a row with my wife.

I stormed out of the house in a vile mood. After an hour or so I had calmed down and rationality prevailed. I bought a beautiful bunch of flowers and headed home fully prepared to contritely apologise for my behaviour and to redeclare my undying love.

The front door was locked.

I rang the front door bell and, after a considerable pause, my wife opened the door.

It is at this point that the story becomes difficult to tell, because what I did next was not, by any stretch of the imagination, sensible.

I looked at my wife, looked at the flowers and in a moment of inspired madness said,

"I don't know whether to give them to you - or hit you over the head with them".

The door was slammed in my face and it was another four hours before I was allowed in.

Totally my fault.


A few days ago, I was sitting in a massage parlour / bar, here in Bangtao when a flower lady appeared selling red roses.
I bought one from her and presented it to a young lady who had caught my fancy.

Ah the age of chivalry is not dead.

Or is it?

Khun Nite who has appeared in my stories before was present and complained
"What about me then".
So although a little irritated I bought her a red rose.

Unfortunately, this episode stirred an old memory and instead of presenting her with this token of my affection I hit her, very gently, on the head with it.

The rose exploded in a shower of petals and khun Nite exploded in a shower of expletives.

Aghast at what I had done I dashed after the flower lady and secured another rose for khun Nite.

Too late.

As I returned she threw the de-petalled rose at me complete with a twenty baht note to pay for it.
It took me about an hour to calm her down and explain the deja vu aspect of how this had happened.

As I said earlier - it was a moment of minor madness on my part and it was not done with the intent of insulting the recipient.

But oh I do so hope that I can manage to restrain this impulse if it ever occurs again.