Chapter 70

Reb's Sunshine Coffee & Bar:


I read somewhere that Edvard Munch, the painter of 'The Scream' would sometimes, when seeking artistic drive, deliberately wreck his relationship with a woman to heighten the required tension for his art.
I have not needed to go to these lengths since I seem to achieve this by having the relationships collapse around me anyway.
When I arrived here in Phuket some six months ago I had two favourite lady friends.
A few days ago one of them announced that she was sleeping with a gentleman for whom I have little respect.
And to day the other posted, on facebook, photographs of the luxury yacht at Ao Po marina which appears to be owned by her enamorato.
Ah me, of such stuff are nightmares made.

I shall leave Phuket in about a week's time with little to be anything but unhappy about.

Or will I?

A couple of weeks ago, sitting in my favourite bar 'The Sunshine Coffee & Bar' all alone, I realized that something had to be done if the decline in its fortunes was to be reversed.
It was looking likely that it would either close at the end of the season, or be bought by a gentleman with whom I did not wish to drink.
Either way, when I return here for next winter then I would have to find another watering hole.
Now my memories of 'the Coffee Bar' go back to the first time I came here and indeed it was where and when I met May.

I did a rapid calculation and bought it.

A part of the deal was that May would run it for me. She has agreed to this and I reckon that she will do a good job. I already knew that she had formed an attachment with her friend and I reckoned that that didn't matter. Though when he turned up at the bar the other night I thought that that was rubbing salt into the wound.

I was pleased to give her the job for several reasons.The two main ones were these:

1)She is competent at running a bar and I think reliable and these are qualities I need her to have.
2)Is rather more subtle. May has always insisted that she wants to be independent. Which is to say that she does not want to rely on a farang to provide her with money. OK this job gives her that. She does a good job and receives a good salary - and doesn't have to sleep with me to keep her job-. If she chooses to live with another man then that is up to her. She has the choice since she receives enough money to rent her own apartment if she so chooses.She doesn't have to rely on a man if she doesn't want to.
To those of you who do not know Thailand this may all sound a little odd but trust me many many women here only thrive by providing services to farangs.

On friday we have a grand official opening night of the bar with lots of free food and some free drinks. I hope people enjoy it - and continue frequenting the place. I simply did not wish to lose this place. It has become an important place to me where I really feel at home. It is a bar without bar-girls or TV. It is a place for talking.

It is my kind of place.

footnote: At a celebration of the transfer of ownership in the bar the other evening we were graced with the presence of a King Cobra. Everybody ran except me. They thought I was brave but in fact I was so busy talking that I didn't notice it.
Khun Aor tells me that a visit like this is considered to be good luck (unless it bites you I suppose).