My Thai Toy - Part 5

Wednesday 31 July: Toy phoned my number at work and left a message with one of my co-workers saying that she wanted some more money (6,000 Baht) in the bank account. I put the money into the bank account for her the following day. This was the only time during that absence that she initiated any contact with me.

Wednesday 7 August: Toy returned, but came with the promise that she would go away again soon. I told her that I had missed her greatly while she was away and I was also very much against the idea of her going away again.

Friday 9 August: Toy drained our bank account to <200 Baht, but I did not find this out until the following Monday, 12 August. Separately, I offered to pay off Toy's debt if she would stay in Bangkok with me. I could do this at 20,000 Baht per month, but to cover all contingencies, I suggested 12,000 to 14,000 Baht per month. Toy would not commit herself to this, saying, "I have to go away again". I did not, and still do not, understand the "have to". Lek telephoned and said that she was coming to Bangkok and would like to see me when she got here.

Saturday 10 August: Toy went out at lunchtime, and stayed out the rest of the day and late that night without contacting me to tell me where she was and what she was doing. I could not contact her on her mobile phone, so I assumed that she had gone to Isaan again, as she had foreshadowed on 7 August. I locked and bolted the front door (in view of the number of keys to the apartment that have been lost by her older daughter), turned the phones off (because the girls were not there and I did not want to receive their late-night phone calls). And when Toy finally returned home, she was locked out and unable to make phone contact to ask me to let her in. She stayed the night at the YMCA on Sathorn road.

Sunday 11 August: Toy did depart for Isaan again, despite my entreaties for her to stay. I did not give her any money for the bus, which she requested. I based my decision on the fact that she was doing something that I really didn't want her to do, and logically, I would not give her the money to enable her to do it. At the same time, but as a separate issue, she committed herself to my point of view on the major matter over which we had argued on 19 July.

Friday 16 August: Lek came to Bangkok and our friendship became a relationship.

Saturday 17 August: Joy did not come home at all on Saturday night

Sunday 18 August: Joy returned home in the late afternoon with a love-bite on her neck. I pointed this out to Jeab and as a result, she looked for, and saw it. She then had some sharp words with Joy.

Monday 19 August: I spoke to Toy by telephone. I told her of Joy's weekend absence and her condition upon return, and speculated that she might "have a boyfriend". Toy's only comment at that time was "That's up to her". Joy will not be 12 years of age until mid-September! When I again offered Toy financial assistance as an inducement for her to return home as soon as possible, she became very irate and said "I don't want your money".

Following the call to Toy, I spoke to Mem (our housekeeper, Toy's cousin) about the love-bite on Joy's neck and she was gravely concerned, phoning Toy to talk to her about it. Mem and Toy spoke for about 20 minutes.

Tuesday 20 August: Despite her comment of the previous day about not wanting my money, Toy took 4,000 Baht from the joint bank account using her ATM card.

Wednesday 21 August: Toy made 2 more withdrawals, totalling 4,000 Baht, from the bank using her ATM card, leaving nothing in the account to pay for food for me, Jeab, and Joy.

Friday 23 August: I discovered the withdrawals of 20 and 21 August.

Saturday 24 August: I spoke, to Toy on the phone late in the evening. She was aggressive, and one of the things she said was that she knows that I have a "girlfriend". The line was poor, the connection broke before the conversation was completed, and I did not redial, as I had nothing more to say that could not wait. No mention of money was made.

Sunday 25 August: Joy stayed out Sat/Sun nights.

Monday 26 August: I opened a new bank account and directed my pay to it. I spoke to Toy on the phone, and she was fairly subdued. I told her of Joy not coming home Saturday and Sunday nights, but I saw no reason to mention my new bank account or pay arrangements, as any mention of money only seems to annoy her.

Wednesday 28 August: Joy had still not been home since Saturday morning. I phoned Toy to tell her (she was in Mukdahan) and she said that Joy was staying with Mem and told me that I need not worry about her. Toy's demeanour was good, and she said that she would return home "in a week", but I have decided not to believe that until happens. I told Jeab a little about Lek's problems with accommodation, and said that Lek (and one of her sons) would stay in our apartment for a few days until she gets new accommodation.

Thursday 29 August: I was unable to contact Toy. When I asked her how long it was since she had spoken to Toy, Jeab "did not know", but said that Toy was coming home on Sunday. Again, I will believe it when it happens.

Sunday 1 September: Toy did not come home. I finally contacted her in the evening and Mem spoke to her for some time and then gave the phone to me. Toy was very angry and spoke in an aggressive way about the "girlfriend". I suspect that she will not come home soon.

Tuesday 3 September: Toy phoned me at work from a place called Selaphum. Her primary concern was that I pay money to Mem for her wages and for the care of Joy. She seemed happy enough on the surface but her façade slipped a little at one stage. I suspect that she is a very angry girl. I also suspect that any money that I "pay" to Mem might find its way into Toy's possession in payment for "my" goods from Australia. We talked for 7 minutes and she said that she thinks that she will come home on Sunday or Monday, but was not firm in a commitment. Once again, I will expect her when and if I see her. I have decided that I will go to Buri Ram with Lek on the weekend of 7 & 8 September. Late in the afternoon, Alisuk - a distant relative of Toy's - arrived at my apartment looking for Joy. I told him that she was living with Mem for the time being and also about the love-bite on Joy's neck on 18 August. He was horrified and arranged to go to see Joy with Mem when she had finished work at my apartment. I went out, and when I came home, Noy (Toy's sister) was waiting for me. We discussed Toy's absence and Joy's condition on I 8 August. When I told her of this, and Toy's comment on it, Noy was aghast at the whole situation, and told me that she would do something about it. Presumably, this will involve talking to Toy. I wish her success in this endeavour.

(To be continued.)

Santa