Pattaya Inferno. Canto IV

Ruppemi l'alto sonno ne la testa
   un greve truono, sì ch'io mi riscossi
come persona ch' è per forza desta;

Thunder awoke me – or perhaps the storm
   Was in my head because of what I’d seen.
Dante was there, still hoping to reform,

And with him was a woman. ‘Meet Kathleen,’
   He said, ‘She’ll be your guide tonight.
An NGO working in the bar scene,

   She helps to rescue bargirls from their plight.
And might help you as she’s an atheist –
   Well an agnostic – her belief is slight.

She’s not a Christian, but a feminist.
   A modern faith, a new morality,
Might hit the spot that my religion missed.

   She said, ‘Let’s go barhopping then you’ll see
That many bargirls here are under age.’
   She took me to a bar – S_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

And said, ‘Look at those girls upon the stage.
   Not one of them is older than fifteen!
The paedophiles in here fill me with rage!’

   ‘How do you know their age?’ ‘When have you seen
A woman so petite?’ (In the west, never,
    Judging by the spare tyre on Kathleen).

‘They look young, yes,’ I said, ‘but don’t you ever
   Take the trouble to check their ID?’
‘All fakes!’ she cried, ‘the traffickers are clever!’

   I called a girl to have a drink with me.
‘You’re very small,’ I said when she was seated.
   ‘How old are you?’ She said, ‘I’m twenty-three.’

But Kathleen couldn’t bear to be defeated:
   ‘Prove it!’ she said. ‘The police checked yesterday.
My ID was OK – and I’m well treated.’

   ‘Because of all the bribes your traffickers pay!’
Said Kathleen, ‘but I’m here to be your saviour!
   Get dressed and I will smuggle you away,

Get you a better job, change your behaviour.’
   ‘How much?’ ‘1000 baht a week.’ ‘No way!’
I whispered in her ear, ‘If I can have your

   Company for tonight I’ll raise that pay.’
But Kathleen overheard, and cried: ‘Disgusting!
   You’re old enough to be her father – anyway

   She’s probably got AIDS! Here was I trusting
The pair of you, hoping to do some good,
   And all the time you’re mocking me by lusting

For honey and for money. If I could,
   I’d pass new laws to stop people like you:
One to stop women selling sex like food,

   Another to stop sex-tourists who screw
Poor Asian girls. They should be made to see
   That they are being racist when they do,

And forced to date western women – like me!’

© Bangkok Byron, 2007. All rights reserved by the author.