Fable newspaper or not? (reader submission)

Piet was calmly recovering on the edge of his provisional new bed, double bed of course, doubt boots as in the home country or even single beds do not exist in the hotel world in Thailand.

Piet again had a splitting headache from the drink and therefore went to bed alone once, sometimes nice, just a good night's sleep with two eyes closed and then I really mean sleep. Don't send the lady on duty out the door with half an eye open or in the middle of the night, to safeguard his belongings anyway. Not that, that was a lot of travel papers, plastic for the ATM, some paper money and his watch from forty years in the company's service and of course a handful of crumpled photos from the past when Piet was still a decent citizen married, but after many disappointments with friends.

The grandchildren that Piet had not seen for a while were dear to him, as were his children, by the way, and the mother of those children, his previous wife who had been married to 60 days and twelve hours during those twenty-two years. It was no longer possible, she had grown older and Piet was not in his mind, Piet's way of thinking was often that of a young god and Mothers no longer understood that.

At the end of his working life, Piet heard many stories from young colleagues about how cozy Thailand was. Sun, sea and beach, many beautiful things to see, nice and cheap, but especially lovely women in bar-restaurant or anywhere along the coast who are willing to help the tourist with just about anything for a little 'ransom'. Piet listened to that apparently uninterested, nice guys, but I'm married and a bit older and it was also nice at the campsite with a tent, Piet said. Well, many ladies didn't look at that in Thailand a bit older and married, was the answer when she's not around.

Piet's restless feeling grew and smart Piet came up with a plan, offered his wife a first-class holiday and there Piet and his wife went to Thailand. Piet gave his eyes a living in Thailand and the few moments that Piet went out alone for a beer while his wife was sleeping exhausted even better. No, this was what Piet wished for when he was retired and divorced, yes unfortunately there was no other way. Piet had scored some digital contacts to build up the future a bit.

A few years later the time had come, Piet had arranged a divorce with his wife and Piet left for Thailand.

Now on the edge of the bed Piet was thinking about his Thai life years later, many ladies were in the past and Piet actually thought with nostalgia of Noy that little young lady who always smiled was up for anything but was a bit cheeky and without shame used her poor life and family as a shield for her mentality, she always kept her children a bit in the background, that always scared Piet, children. It didn't always matter, Noy was available seven days a week and the rest as needed. Well, Piet didn't hate that then and still doesn't now. By the way, he had regularly inflated it a bit himself, his status in the home country.

The annoying thing was that as the relationship became more intimate, Noy became a bit bolder and therefore started to see something more as normal, especially when Piet had to keep things calm and Noy had willingly married for Buddha. That couldn't hurt, according to his new foreign friends, just a matter of packing your things and leaving if it didn't go well with Noy.

Well, that moment was also history, Piet could no longer keep up, well, the nice moments did, but the financial side got out of hand, even worse Piet was actually almost loose and that caused problems with nightlife, but especially residence permit. Now that all went well now that Piet was still reasonably fit for his age, but now after all, when you are old, what then? Piet had to think about it quietly, sitting on the edge of his temporary bed.

End

PS the name Piet is a fictional real name known to the author.

Submitted by William Korat