Mama's Boys--A Village Life Tale

[Central Scrutinizer]

All,

 

 

 

While cleaning out some older e-mail files for future use I came across a couple stories I haven't posted here. This is one of them some of you might enjoy.

 

 

 

Cent

 

 

 

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Mama's Boys-A Village Life Story

 

 

 

I had seen a certain flowering tree on many of my trips to Thailand that I fell in love with. It was a beautiful tree, pink flowers on one branch, white flowers on another. The first time I saw one I was amazed. "How the heck does it do that?" I wondered to myself. I stopped once this trip over when spotting one, and dragged my lady over to it as I inspected this pretty plant. I noticed the graft marks where the branches of the pink fowering branch had been attached to the normally white flowering tree. I loved the effect this produced, very pretty I thought. Nice contrasts.

 

 

 

 

 

I told my lady my feelings for this tree. "Suay mahk (very beautiful)." I said. "You think?" she replied. "Yes, I do think. Where can we buy one like it?" I queried. "You want buy?" she asks me smiling. "Yes. Now that house finished I think we buy plants, for house. Make suay I think." I say back in my best Tonto Tinglish. "Okay. Me show you shop. Tommolow, okay?" she told me that fine day. "Dee (good). Kup koon krup (thank you)." I thanked her. We left and talked some more on this subject of house plants while we drove back to the village.  

 

 

 

The next morning we drove our daughter to school in Surin, as I did every day in the village this trip. After dropping her off at school we headed for the Thong Tarin Hotel for breakfast. While we were breaking our fast I reminded my lady of my wanting to buy some plants for the house. She remembered this, and discussed it with her sister, asking me a few questions as to what I wanted to get. Now that the front porch was finished, and enclosed, I felt a few potted plants and hanging plants would brighten up the place. They said they knew a good shop outside of Surin where I could find what it was I was looking for. I reminded my lass of my affinity toward the pink and white flowered trees and asked her if this place had these plants. "Have." she said. Good. We finished up eating and jumped in the truck, and headed for the plant shop.

 

 

 

We headed in a direction I had never taken before to leave Surin. The roads were all torn up this way also where they were replacing the sewer pipes on both sides of the road. Seems odd the way the Thai people in charge of doing the publc works projects do this. Why do everything all at once, disrupting every entrance to the city?

 

 

 

We drove for quite a while before my lady pointed to where the "shop" was. I pulled across the highway, bounced down a gully of dirt, and climbed the trench side where the shop, actually an outdoor greenhouse, was located. It was exactly what I was looking for. I never would have found this place in a million years! A couple, man and wife my lady told me, owned the place, and were there waiting to help as we climbed out of our truck and entered their place of business. They had a bunch of the pink and white flowered trees I wanted! My ladies explained my desires to the couple, and the guy took me over and started showing me all his stuff.

 

 

 

After a while I looked over his stock of the pink and white trees and we started doing the nasty deed. How much? Cheap, it seems, and the more you buy, the cheaper it gets. I ended up buying 5 of the pink and white trees, which were about 31/2 to four feet tall in nicely decorated clay pots, for the front of the house. I also got four rose bushes, each of different flower colors, four flowering hanging plants potted, one of morning glories, which I love, and three or four other bushes--plus six large bags of potting soil. At one point, as I was wandering about the place, I was overcome by a wonderful fragrance as I passed a certain bush. "What is that wonderful smell?" I asked my lady. She pointed to a large bush covered with tiny white flowers. I went over to it and the fragrance from this bush was everywhere around it. I bought this one too. Hom dee mahk mahk! (smells very good) 

 

 

 

Once the bill was totaled up it came to a bit less than 4,000 baht (100 US). Amazing! In the states this amount of shrubbery and plants would have easily been close to around a thousand dollars U.S.

 

 

 

I also had noticed he had banana trees, about 8 to 10 feet high, for sale. I got a price on them, and will buy two for the side of the house next trip over. I need some shade for that side of the house anyway. They were also very inexpensive. Nothing like going out in the yard and picking fresh bananas for breakfast 'ey?

 

 

 

We got everything packed into the back of the pick-up and lashed down, with the help of the proprietor, and waved goodbye as we headed back to the village. Happy campers as they say.

 

 

 

Once back in the village we unpacked everything, and put them where we thought best suited for light and sunshine. What a difference a few plants can make!

 

 

 

Afterwards my lady and her sister started complaining of hunger pangs. "Well, let's get something to eat." I told them. This brought on a ten minute debate as to what they wanted to eat. In every village I've been to, and I've been to a few, there always seems to be these little shops that specialize in certain dishes. The same is true actually in the cities too. This shop have good this, this shop have good that, this lady cook this, only open such and such a time, this sidewalk cart have arroy fried chicken, this lady she have good som tam, that man have good fish, etcetera, etcetera.

 

 

 

Well this day they decided on a certain shop, that sells a certain noodle soup, which they seemed to decide was what they were in the mood for. The place is really just a four posted, thatch roofed, outdoor picnic area. But today the shop was open, and it was the right time of the day I suppose to go there. It's weird but some of these places are only open on certain days, and only for a few hours then. Sometimes we'll drive a half hour or more to go to a certain village, on a certain day, on certain hours, to have the one special dish the place in question will be serving. So we climbed in the truck and went to eat.

 

 

 

I had never been to this place before. Didn't really know what the heck the food was that they were telling me was so damned delicious. At times like these it's best to just shake your head yes and go with the flow. It's always an experience. Whether you end up liking the food or not. The only thing I insist on is the place have some sort of cold beer available, or at least a shop nearby where we can get some. This is never a problem in the villages it seems. There is beer sold everywhere! Sometimes the Thais have their priorities straight.

 

 

 

We pulled up where my lady's Sis told us to. There was a house, not a very nice house either, an old ramshackle wood thing on stilts, and a thatch roofed four post place out front, with a couple of rickety wooden tables and the ubiquitous plastic stools. Piling out of the truck we grabbed a stool each and planted our asses at one of the wooden, wobbily, tables. An old man, and a older looking lady, came out of the house and started talking to my lady and her sister. They asked me what I wanted. Of course I said, "Beer!" My lady asked me what I wanted to eat, after making sure I had my beer, and pouring it in the glass for me herself. Ya gotta love these Thai ladies don't ya? I told her I'd try whatever the specialty of the house was. "Huh?" she said. "Same same you eat darling." I explained. This brought a smile to her face. They love to see farang eat what they eat. Makes 'em happy for some reason.

 

 

 

While sipping my beer my attention was brought to the decor. Hanging from two of the wooden posts, which supported the thatch roof, were two posters. One on each post. Both posters were of gorgeous, naked, posing, Thai models. Interesting decor! I ogled for a while until my lady kicked me under the table. I turned my attention elsewhere, which was less painful.

 

 

 

Now this establishment sits on a dirt road, which is off some other dirt road, which is off the main road. It's in our village. My attention is drawn to a bunch of guys, late teens really, sitting about on a wooden platform on the side of the dusty, dirt road across from us. They were playing around with each other, doing some rough-house boxing, and slapping each other and giggling. Most had a beer near them, which they'd suck on occasionally. I seemed to be a topic of interest. I ignored their stares.

 

 

 

I ask my lady's sis what these fellas do for work. She laughs and looks at me as though I'm nuts. "Not work." she says. "Why?" I say back, just to keep the conversation flowing. "Mama give money." she elaborates. Eloquently, I pose another question, "Why?" The floodgates open. I can tell she's thought long and hard on the subject. "Mama give boy baht (money). Buy beer. Buy whiskey. Boy no work." Changing tactics I ask, "What for?" "Don't know what for. Mama just do." she sighs.

 

 

 

I tire of this verbal jousting, and hit her arm with my open hand, jokingly of course. "I'll have another beer please." I say. The old lady cracks me a fresh one and my lass pours my glass full. While she's doing this I sneak a glance over at the prettiest of the two poster girls. Damn, she is cute! I grab my, now full, glass and slurp down at least half the beer. The boys goof around more, distracting me from whatever thoughts were noodling about in my wandering noggin. I wipe some sweat from my brow and play with the moisture rings my beer glass has left on the table. I start again.

 

 

 

"I don't understand why Thai ladies give baht to the boys for beer and whiskey. Why aren't they working? Why do their mothers spoil them like this? Why don't they tell the boys to go find work to do if they want baht for beer and whiskey? In the U.S. we calls these boys Mama's boys. They are not men, they are boys. Only boys expect Momma to give them money without working for it. Why Thai ladies do this? Why Thai ladies think Mangda okay? Why Thai Mama treat boys like this. I think no good, mi dee for boys, mi dee for Mama. Why Mama do?"

 

 

 

Looking a bit stunned by this softly spoken tirade by me, she closes her eyes and shakes her head slowly, her brow furrowed with a frown, as if she's trying to come up with an answer for all my questions. Opening her eyes, and raising her face, she looks at me square on, and shaking her head, sadly says, "Don't know why. Me think same same you, mi dee. Mama just do. Up to she."

 

 

 

I frown and sip some more beer. The old lady brings the food and places a bowl in front of each of us. My lady starts preparing my dish with a flurry of efficient condiment mixing. I watch while she puts the chillies on, just in case she forgets herself and thinks it's for her own tastes. The sun was piercing a shaft of liquid fire through a small hole in the thatch, which was burning a section of my right forearm to a crisp. I moved my plastic stool in the dirt and got out of the line of fire. Reaching down, I vigorously stratched a few fresh mosquito bites on my ankles.

 

 

 

I look at Sis and mutter. "Well I think mi dee. Same. Don't know why Mama do. Nothin' worse than a Mama's boy you know. Can I have another beer please?"

 

          

 

The food was good.

 

 

 

 

 

Cent

 

(The Central Scrutinizer)

 

 

 

 

 

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Copyright © 2001. All rights reserved.

 

 

[rickfarang]

Cent,

 

 

 

Darn fine writing, and apparently not that old.

 

 

 

I see problems with one of Miaw'w young cousins. Seems his parents will do anything for him and _do_ give him everything he asks for. In the last year he has become very spoiled and actually a pain in the neck. If he doesn't get what he wants from us, he goes on the warpath.

 

 

 

I understand that male children are especially appreciated because it is boys who can go into the monk hood and make merit for their mothers, with with girls, its expected that they will be the ones to take care of their parents into their old age, which isn't quite as important as making merit.

 

 

 

Please keep posting.

 

 

 

RickF.

[Central Scrutinizer]

Rick,

 

 

 

Hi Rick! How've you been doing? Are you moved over yet? I think it was you who said you were making the big move, wasn't it? Things are VERY slow over on TP board the past few months. I don't go over on there much anymore. Nothing to read really, and hardly ever anyone on.

 

 

 

So, and where's your stories here on your trips and stuff? :-) Please post some. I know you have plenty to contribute here!

 

 

 

Thanks. Glad you liked the story Rick. And get that kid straightened out. Make him work for it and see what the real world is like!

 

 

 

Cent/Mike

[Guest]

Cent:

 

 

 

Suay mahk mahk. Sounds like your place there is starting to look pretty good. Do you like papayas? They seem to grow like weeds in Thailand. I've been told that you just have to spit out the seeds and a tree will grow up there. I've seen them growing wild beside parking lots etc. at tourist attractions.

 

 

 

Where can I get one of those posters?

 

 

 

Handy

[Central Scrutinizer]

Handy,

 

 

 

Hmmmmm. Maybe I should look for some papaya trees? Sounds like they may be quick growing. As for the posters? Hell if I know!! They were stunners though!! I suppose if I asked one of the village guys they'd put me on to whichever publication these may have come from. Maybe a Thai Playboy type magazine? Might be something to subscribe to and have sent to farangland? Hahaha!

 

 

 

On another note I just heard from the judge for the Massachusetts Board of Industrial Accidents. I won this step of the accident case!! Beat the insurance bastards!! Now we're just waiting to see if they appeal the verdict. They have 14 days to appeal it. Things are moving along. I've had quite a lot on my plate lately, and my back is being a cunt lately. So I've been laying low lately when not running about getting stuff done every day it seems. I've been trying to write when I can and just managed to finish part 15 of the Gone Fishing story and posted it today. I write a little bit each day I feel up to it. I'll be over again just before the 1st of July. Probably around the 24th/25th of June. I need to be here in the states for my parents surprise, so far, 50th wedding anniversary party we, my brothers and sisters and I, have planned on the 23rd of June. A huge "to do" with relatives and family friends coming in from all over the country.

 

 

 

Cent