Not far enough from worr.., p.1
Not Far Enough From Worries, page 1
Not Far
Enough
From
Worries
Also by Colin Devonshire
Dark Short Stories
Splash, Splash
Day Nine
What A Day For...
Slim Or No Chance
Marked
Dinner For Two?
The Golden Boy
Red Lipstick, Green Bananas
Siamese Feast
No Worries
No Worries
Not Far Enough From Worries
Worry No More
Standalone
Petal and Ben's Adventures in Thailand
Beat The Beach
Petal And Ben's Adventures In Thailand
Watch for more at Colin Devonshire’s site.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Also By Colin Devonshire
Not Far Enough From Worries (No Worries, #1)
‘Worry No More’
‘Children With No Worries’
Goodness is something
Prologue
Chapter 1 DON MUEANG AIRPORT, BANGKOK
Chapter 2 NIGHTLIFE IN THE BIG CITY
Chapter 3 HUA HIN AND A NEW HOME
Chapter 4 NEW BUSINESS
Chapter 5 HOMES FOR RENT
Chapter 6 BUSINESS MEETS DEATH
Chapter 7 PROBLEMS AHEAD
Chapter 8 TIME OFF
Chapter 9 ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR
Chapter 10 THE TRUTH
Chapter 11 GO, GO, STOP, STOP!
Chapter 12 LUCKY ESCAPE FOR NICK
Chapter 13 NO SIGN
Chapter 14 SOMBAT NEEDS ACTION
Chapter 15 HOW “MAD” IS MAD MIKE?
Chapter 16 EMBASSY VISIT
Chapter 17 BACK TO THE JUNGLE
Chapter 18 LONDON CALLING
Chapter 19 NICK HAS WOMEN TROUBLE
Chapter 20 WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS!
Chapter 21 EMBASSY TO EMBASSY
Chapter 22 MIKE GAINS
Chapter 23 NICK’S NEWS
Chapter 24 JUNGLE AGAIN
Chapter 25 TURTLE CURRY MAN ARRIVES
Chapter 26 PARTY FOR NICK AND MYRTLE
Chapter 27 AWAY DAY
Chapter 28 GOODBYE NICK
Chapter 29 PU YAI
Chapter 30 FUNERAL
Chapter 31 UNPOPULAR IN LEATHER
Chapter 32 Part Two MAD MIKE GETS A VISIT
Chapter 33 COCKNEY RETURNS
Chapter 34 CAMILLA ON THE WAY
Chapter 35 AWAY TOGETHER
Chapter 36 FROM TOURIST TO WORKER
Chapter 37 CHIANG SAEN
Chapter 38 POLICE IN PRIVATE
Chapter 39 KOMPOT KOKNAR
Chapter 40 MEETING WITH JOE
Chapter 41 JUST THE MESSENGER BOY
Chapter 42 WIANG HIRAN
Chapter 43 A NEW BOSS
Epilogue
Worry No More
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Further Reading: Worry No More
Also By Colin Devonshire
About the Author
Copyright Colin Devonshire
All rights reserved; no part of this publication is stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the author's prior written permission.
Designed by Dark-Novels
No character in this book is a real person. Any similarity is purely coincidental.
https://books2read.com/u/b5MVqR
ISBN 9781973528586
This book is for Boom, my guardian, my nurse, my best friend and more.
For my children, who have had to put up with a bad-tempered Dad for some months. Thank you.
Thanks go to my sister Linda Hughes for the original cover design.
To Tim Mellish, you were my first proofreader.
To Mark Stephens, your advice was not always acted upon!
To Thanasak 'Tom' Karnasuta, huge thanks, you know what for!
And James O'Brien for that extra bit of encouragement when I needed it!
If you enjoy this book, you may also like
‘Worry No More’
and
‘Children With No Worries’
In the No Worries series, all set in Thailand.
It would help me if you were good enough to post a review.
www.dark-novels.com for comments.
Goodness is something
that makes us serene
and content;
it is magnificent.
Those who are not good
are evil!
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 Don Mueang Airport
Chapter 2 Nightlife in the Big City
Chapter 3 Hua Hin and a New Home
Chapter 4 New Business
Chapter 5 Homes for Rent
Chapter 6 Business meets Death
Chapter 7 Problems Ahead
Chapter 8 Time Off
Chapter 9 Romance is in the Air
Chapter 10 The Truth
Chapter 11 Go Go, Stop Stop
Chapter 12 Lucky Escape for Nick
Chapter 13 No Sign
Chapter 14 Sombat needs action
Chapter 15 How mad is Mad Mike?
Chapter 16 Embassy Visit
Chapter 17 Back to the Jungle
Chapter 18 London Calling
Chapter 19 Nick has Women Trouble
Chapter 20 When it Rains it Pours
Chapter 21 Embassy to Embassy
Chapter 22 Mike Gains
Chapter 23 Nick’s News
Chapter 24 Jungle Again
Chapter 25 Turtle Curry Man Arrives
Chapter 26 Party for Nick and Myrtle
Chapter 27 Away Day
Chapter 28 Goodbye Nick
Chapter 29 Pu Yai
Chapter 30 Funeral
Chapter 31 Unpopular in Leather
PART TWO
Chapter 32 Mad Mike Gets a Visit
Chapter 33 Cockney Returns
Chapter 34 Camilla on her way
Chapter 35 Away Together
Chapter 36 From Tourist to Worker
Chapter 37 Chiang Saen
Chapter 38 Police in Private
Chapter 39 Kompot Koknar
Chapter 40 Meeting with Joe
Chapter 41 Just the Messenger Boy
Chapter 42 Wiang Hiran
Chapter 43 New Boss
Epilogue
Prologue
THAILAND INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
In the early 1950s and through the 1960ʼs, groups of Thai communists went to Beijing. They were to learn and train in ideology and propaganda. Many of those attending the camps went further. Not only learning how to get their arguments across by talking or writing.
Groups of Pathet Lao insurgents infiltrated north Thailand. Local communist party cells formed and strengthened themselves. These gangs went to Laos and North Vietnam to learn more vicious methods to pass on their thoughts. Skills in terror tactics and the armed struggle gobbled up.
Some Chiang Rai Thailand Independence Movement (TIM) members crossed the border into Burma. They then moved south to Prachuabkhirikhan, the provincial capital of Hua Hin. To keep their banned party from failing, they planned one final stand.
One of their leaders, Pu Yai, was busy creating mayhem. He didn't care how, anyway or anywhere. He would destabilise the government of Thailand.
Who was behind the anti-government stand, and why? Where, or more to the point, who did the money come from?
For several years, they thought that the instigator was a non-Thai, and likely to be British.
Chapter 1 DON MUEANG AIRPORT, BANGKOK
'IT IS NOW TWENTY past two in the afternoon! Where is my mate? The plane landed two hours ago. What have you done with him? Is he drunk? Have they arrested him? Or was he kidnapped? Where the hell is he? Everyone else has retrieved their bags and gone.'
An exhausted and frustrated young Englishman stood and scratched his head. He wished someone, anyone, would answer his questions.
He would also like to stop muttering to himself. No one else was listening to his questions, anyway.
Kev decided he needed to walk around, cooling his rising frustration. A cup of coffee? He needed one, particularly when he saw the look of amusement on the face of the latest man he had confronted.
'I am sorry, sir, I cannot tell you anything,' stated an airport security officer, whether he knew anything about the flight or was clueless about most things. Whatever, he was gawping, standing in his over-ironed shirt. Over-ironing had turned the cheap material shiny brown. Leaving it to the imagination or a plausible guess how the seams of his shirt remained attached.
The airport emptied; the hubbub was quieting—still no Nick.
Kev was not happy; usually, he is a very reasonable individual; he is not prone to talking to himself. Today he was on the verge of becoming volcanic. Not only that, he had answered himself. Kev had read Lonely Planet. Here in Thailand, you should not show your feelings, happy or wild. Any sign of temper wins you a frown from all angles. Kev was wearing his brand new L plates.
He felt an overpowering need to moan and whine; he tracked down an information kiosk.
'Before arriving at the airport, I had spent four and a half hours on a bus with a broken air conditioner. Can you please help me?'
The look on Kev’s face had the information lady signallin
'You know it was cool enough when I boarded the bus in the early morning. The mercury rose as the miles passed. So did my temper.' She was looking puzzled.
Kev’s frustration was clear for all to see. The security guard had placed his right hand on his pistol. It was an overreaction, but Kev was making everyone nervous.
Kev went on with his complaint.
'By the time we reached the city's outskirts, not only was it hot enough to make the devil jealous. There was not a whiff of a breeze.'
He remembered the perspiring Westerners, or “falangs” as they are known in Thailand. They leaned across his upper body to remove their bags from the overhead storage. Overloud Thais, front and rear, left and right, all jabbering. Relating something earth-shattering, like the next-door neighbour’s dog peeing on the washing. Or telling their whole life history to fellow travellers. People they had met only five minutes earlier—true Thai style. Thai people love a good yarn. Whatever they were saying, Kev did not understand.
'Christ, the Westerner's body odour wafting makes it all worse.'
The security man had released his grip on the pistol. The lady seemed more relaxed.
He knew all too well that the surrounding foreigners needed some scented soap and water. They were all grateful they could disembark. And sample another of the country’s many delights, be it edible, visual or beddable.
'Whatever, get away from me!' That was the thought that crashed around inside his head. With that unspoken thought, he wandered on. Solving nothing and leaving the two on the desk looking at each other, wondering if all “falangs” were like that.
Kev had travelled up from Hua Hin, the sleepy seaside town now Kevʼs and soon to be Nickʼs new home. Kev would soon be happy to see his oldest mate but worried that Nick would not fit in in more ways than one. Nick would not be comfortable in the flight’s “economy” section for a start. He was squeezed into a seat built for someone half Nick’s size for twelve hours. Would he cope with the heat? Could he keep his temper when necessary?
Earlier that day, Kev had travelled by bus. He was aiming north to Bangkok, the country of Thailand’s capital city, the City of Angels. Now after a lengthy wait at Don Mueang Airport’s arrivals area, he still had not seen Nick, let alone an Angel. The arrivals sign promised the plane had arrived on time.
Thailand’s population was under that of Britain, but over fifty million people. Both countries are proud to boast a working democracy. In Thailand, a good proportion of the people loved and adored their King. Thailand’s King is considered by most of his people a demigod. In every country, some people would change their system of government. Thailand is no different. It does not take many firebrands to cause a country serious problems.
What could have happened to Nick? The man was not built to enjoy thirty degrees Celsius. Household weighing machines are not built for people of his girth. One leg on the equipment and the little arrow already nudged twenty stones. Nick was a lad who enjoyed his food. And not a healthy choice, although he would take it if nothing else existed. Chips and pies, Chinese or an Indian with crisps and a large slice of sweet cake would be his pick—all that to go with a few pints of lager. Unlike Nick, Kev could go for hours without sustenance.
Small jerky movements of his neck, eager eyes flicking left and right. Panic was welling up, churning inside, battering his empty stomach.
'How long since I last ate? Come on, Kev, get a grip.' He said, almost kicking himself.
'What would you do if you had lost something or somebody at Heathrow?'
So, he went in search of a policeman. There were men in uniform everywhere, and he chose the alert-looking one, busy chewing gum.
'Oh, a big man, yes?' He answers in schoolboy English. Another officer with an overworked uniform had no information. What do they feed these guys? In a country full of slim people, why do all the overweight people have jobs with a uniform?
Kev found a sensible-looking woman in a uniform that fitted well. She smiled at him and asked if he was looking for a big guy.
'Yes!'
Came Kev’s eager reply. But still no useful facts on Nick’s whereabouts.
'Yes, you are correct, that’s the person! Where is he?' Kev pressed her further.
He was getting so desperate he was running to the next person in uniform. Anyone in uniform, he quizzed an airport cleaner who he mistook for a flight Captain. Nice uniform for a cleaner. Kev had read in a guidebook that in Thailand, you should always smile, even in tricky situations. This tested that theory. One last try–a man with a clipboard.
At that, a big smile spread across the man’s chubby chops. Kev did not like him or what he was about to hear, which was nothing helpful.
'Well? I am waiting.’
Kev’s forced smile was slipping. He told his tale of woe.
'Ooh, a big man,' said the uniform as he marched off.
Kev’s smile slipped further.
This would be a long and frustrating wait. Another hour passed. He failed again with his inquiry, trying to discover if Nick had been on the plane.
'I cannot tell you security rules.'
The airport emptied further. There were few people left in sight, but still no Nick.
Then laughter rang all around, echoing from the glass and concrete walls. Airport staff appeared from each doorway, all sneaking a glimpse at Kev, and they were all smiling. Thais, unlike Kev, found fun in every situation. They are great at grinning.
Don Mueang airport opened in 1914 as the Royal Thai Air Force base. In 1924, it took commercial flights, making it one of the world’s oldest airports. None of that information made Kevʼs wait any easier.
The grand entrance of Nick followed the spontaneous outburst of clapping and cheering. It was as if he had finished conducting an opera. Bowing his head combined with his newfound skill of performing the “wai”. Placing your hands together, the Thai gesture looks like someone in prayer. The wai can mean hello, goodbye, and thank you, amongst other things. Someone in uniform must have passed on the art to Nick. He had been enjoying himself. Kev was thinking of a new use for the wai.
Nick had made friends. With the immigration police, the airport security, and even the well-dressed cleaners. They must have offered him food. They had. Not any food; actually, what he sampled was “somtam”. A Thai favourite dash. So spicy it can melt glass. This salad features fermented fish. They can turn the strongest stomach and assault the unwary nostril.
A rumpled Kev could not hold back his moan.
'I have been here for hours. What the hell happened to you?'
'First, they looked me up and down. They then enjoyed touching my beard. Do Thai men have beards? It was as if they had never seen one before.'
Nick was warming to his first time in Asia, enjoying his experience.
'Then my size impressed them. Are there no large people here? They wanted to know how much I weighed. I do not know, as you remember, I broke normal bathroom scales, so they got me on the airport weighing machine! That was interesting. Someone summoned airport staff, and quite a crowd gathered. They all enjoyed that, particularly when a man ran a book on the announced weight!'
Nick was wobbling with mirth. Kev was not.
'Then they wanted to know what was in my bags. Nothing illegal, but when the Marmite jar appeared, they could not believe anyone would eat it. They all wanted a taste.' He chuckled. 'Which I offered. After all, they had shared some of their food with me. They were laughing so much. The whole department joined us, and even more, people appeared from somewhere. Then I had to prove I could eat and enjoy it! Sorry mate, I know it was for you, and you’ve been missing your favourite breakfast spread. I ate the whole jar, and again money changed hands. A female cleaner seemed very pleased with both results. Were they gambling? You told me betting was not allowed?'
Nick stopped wobbling. He looked at his mate.
'Anything the matter? You don’t look happy.'
The airport staff looked like they had enjoyed their shift, with cheery waves all around as they left for home.
At that, Nick hitched his waistband and untucked the part of his shirt that was not already untucked.
'Now, what’s next?'
He was almost skipping along the terminal corridor. A thought crossed Kev’s mind.
