Defusing the Chinese

3.3.13

A gathering of women and water containers grows larger at the banyon tree tap.  Raised voices, who’s next, I have only these liters, filling up yours takes fifteen minutes.  The sun rises with no fanfare, a thick haze that smelled like rain yesterday offers no promises today.  In fact the ten day forecast shows no rain though the air smells strangely like it’s here.  How’s the job search coming?  I see interesting work and if I could dazzle with a cover letter espousing virtues no twenty five year old Caucasian graduate could ever match….  I really shouldn’t smoke with a sore throat.

2:30pm—A Malaysian couple take rooms three and four.  I suspect one of them has irritable bowel  syndrome.  For lunch the man orders dal bhat and his wife chicken curry.  There are nine items in the dal bhat special including chicken that reveals the troubled spirit.  “This not chicken I want. I no want this, I not happy, you make me angry I pay half”.  I light a cigarette and straddle his line of vision with the building’s outdoor corner toilet while Maya sits calmly next to him and tries to collect.  I believe sir, you came here not happy.  Ahoy, Maya gives me the two thick delicious pieces of boneless white meat you wouldn’t even touch.  Thank you for being difficult and pay the bill.

Oh, his guide says he is Chinese and has lived in Malaysia for a few years.  The ex-patriot is learning to express himself with his new found freedom, like the politician who gave the youtube world a cowardly temper tantrum at the airport, surely it’s ok to behave poorly, I’m rich now. 

Maya returns his change and he’s talking long and Maya joins them.  She apologizes and you hope it defuses this animated and overcooked chicken.  Now she leads him and their guide into the kitchen where she shows him the chicken she gave him.  She offers to cook this chicken now and he leaves. 

You’d like a cup of coffee, of course.  And a glass of water for your wife who is saying without speaking it’s not IBS that keeps us in two rooms.  Brother give her a glass of solar water.

9:03pm-- I rarely drink red bull but to write ten explicatory narratives to go along with ten photos I hope to submit soon in a contest I had two but coupled with the Malaysian drama queen’s unacceptable behavior today the adrenaline produced unattractive scenarios in my head that included pushing this clown down the steps after throwing his food at Maya.  None of this happened of course, and when Laxman returned he did a considerable defusing until the man and his boyfriend and the quiet lady were fed and put to bed. 

Also there to help bring the man down to a comfortable place on earth, another trio of Malaysians who checked into room two and Rudy, the dude from Kuching had a talk outside with the troubled man.  Why was the drama queen unhappy before he came?  The six hour trek from Dhampus was dirty and hot and they complained about their guide because this is not what they expected.  Funny, Rudy and his very pretty sister and their third friend who stumbled around like someone who has smoked hash for the first time did the same trek, arriving before sunset and they loved it without complaint. 

“Do you know how hard it is to keep a happy face on when someone is unhappy and the anger is pointed at you?  It isn’t easy.  Laxman can do it though I think it left him exhausted.  Maya was hurt somewhat but she is strong nevertheless I hope she doesn’t have to deal with him tomorrow morning for breakfast.    

It takes a lot to defuse yourself when tensions arise and Red Bull didn’t help though that was an accident.  I am happy to have finished my ‘homework’ and glad the energy drink let me accomplish it.  Now the question is how to sleep with a headache.