Page 12 of The Pearl Sister
I didn’t, but I nodded my head in agreement anyway.
‘I had thought about going there,’ he continued. ‘You know when you just want to get as far away as you can . . . ?’
‘I do,’ I said with feeling.
‘You don’t sound English, though. Is that a French accent I can hear?’
‘Yes. I was born . . . well, I don’t actually know where I was born ’cos I’m adopted, but I was brought up in Geneva.’
‘Another place I’ve visited and only seen the airport on my way to a ski trip. Do you ski? I mean, stupid question if you live in Switzerland.’
‘Yes. I love it, but I’m not so keen on the cold, you know?’
‘I do.’
There was another lull in the conversation, which, given the fact I’d already drunk two large cups of coffee, I couldn’t fill with another one.
‘How come you speak Thai?’ I managed after a bit.
‘Thai mother. I was brought up in Bangkok.’
‘Oh. Does she still live there?’
‘No, she died when I was twelve. She was . . . wonderful. I still miss her.’
‘Oh, sorry,’ I said quickly, before ploughing on. ‘How about your dad?’
‘Never met him,’ he replied abruptly. ‘What about you, have you met your birth parents?’
‘No.’ I had no idea how we’d wandered into such an intimate conversation in the space of twenty minutes. ‘Listen, I should be going. I’ve put you to enough trouble already.’ I heaved myself forwards until my feet touched the ground.
‘So, where are you staying now?’
‘Oh,’ I said airily, ‘some hotel on the beach, but, as you know, I prefer sleeping outside.’
‘I thought you said your rucksack had a room. Why have you got it with you?’
I immediately felt like a child who’d been caught hiding sweets under the bed. What did it matter if he knew?
‘Because there . . . was a mix-up with my room. I borrowed it and then the . . . person who lived in it fell out with his girlfriend and wanted it back. And everywhere else was full. That’s why I headed for the cave when it started to rain.’
‘Right.’ He studied me. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?’
‘I dunno,’ I said, looking at my feet like a five-year-old would. ‘I’m not . . . desperate or anything. I can take care of myself – there just wasn’t a room available, okay?’
‘No need to be so embarrassed, I understand completely.’
‘I just thought you might think I was a vagrant or something. And I’m not.’
‘I never thought that, promise. By the way, what’s all that yellow stuff in your hair?’
‘Christ!’ I ran my hand through my hair and found that the ends were matted together. ‘It’s mango. My mate Jack asked me to take care of the bar at the Railay Beach Hotel yesterday afternoon, and there was a run on fruit shakes.’
‘I see.’ He tried to keep a straight face but couldn’t manage it. ‘Well, could I at least offer you a shower? And beyond that, a bed for a few nights, until things have calmed down on the beach? The water’s piping hot,’ he added.
Now, thatreallytempted me. The thought of hot water and knowing I looked and smelt disgusting won out over pride. ‘Yes please.’
He led me back downstairs and we crossed the courtyard to another pavilion, on the right of the quadrangle. There was a key in the lock and he turned it, then handed it to me.
