Chapter 81

No Déjà vu - Just Sadness:

A couple of weeks ago - as is my wont - I popped in to khun Daeng's massage parlour and bar on my way home after finishing work.
She had just employed a new masseuse. The lady was very shy, very young and very scared.
In fact she was thirty years old, had had a two day's massage course (given by her sister) and had never massaged anybody in her life.
She was here to make some money to help support her family which included her two year old son.
She was missing him already and just wanted to go home.

I suggested she gave me a massage as I am probably not so intimidating as some of the farangs she will have to cope with.
She was literally trembling with fright but gave me an adequate massage.

A few days later I observed that she was very close to an elderly gentleman from Germany who was paying her much attention.
For a moment I was jealous but I soon realized that he was indeed a gentleman and as concerned about her as I was.
He told me that he paid her five hundred baht each day, not for a massage but just to help her. He agreed with me that she really should not be in this job but would be better at home with her son.

I often saw him around Bangtao, wining and dining various other ladies. He told me stories about supporting a Kenyan girl through university as well as other apparent good deeds.
In fact he was the classic 'sugardaddy' requiring little in return for his financial benevolence.

So far so good one might think.

But......

Each evening that I popped into Daeng's the young lady would ask, "have you seen my boyfriend".
My replies were non-committal.
Last week the German gentleman went home but said he would contact her.
I last saw her a few days ago, just before she went home too. He had not contacted her. She was distraught.
I tried to tell her that although he was a decent guy she was not the only lady in his life.
"But I love him" she replied
"No you don't" I said,"you need him".
This did not help.

Now what angers me is this:

The young vulnerable girl has been seduced by the attentions of an elderly man whose only motive appears to be the enjoyment of having her fall in love with him.
He can continue his merry way round the world enjoying the power he feels from creating these feelings in ladies like her.

She just goes home, distraught, convinced that she was very close to having the protection of the man she 'loves' for the rest of her life.

I doubt he even remembers her name.

How selfish is that?